I've been a fan of Marillier's writing since the first time I took Daughter of the Forest out from the library. Like that book, and all the Sevenwaters books succeeding it, Heart's Blood is set in an ancient time past in Ireland. Choosing to use the tale of Beauty and the Beast to form the foundation of this tale, Marillier both re-created the well known tale and made it something completely different.

It shouldn't have surprised me that this book would make me cry at least once. Though sometimes her writing borders on the prosy formal intonations, Marillier writes with a depth of emotional understanding. Each character is flawed, very flawed and very damaged emotionally (if not physically). They each carry baggage from who they were before joining Anulan's household as well as after. Caitrin is no exception to this. I found myself liking her more for her fears, for her little reassurances that she is strong and can be who she was before. For each kindness or challenge she directed at the others, she saw herself becoming more like the Caitrin before her father's death.

Anulan was the product of very unusual upbringing. Raised mostly by his father's former man-at-arms Magnus and by the Whistling Tor folk Rioghan, Eichri, Muirne and Oclan, he hadn't been outside of the Tor since he was a very small child and was especially wary of strangers. Blunt, ill-tempered and used to being obeyed, I wasn't certain I would like him very much honestly. Then again, I'm not sure Caitrin liked him overly much. As the story deepened, and he proved himself to have a different facet when he tried, my heart ached for him. Especially after everything is revealed.

The middle section--after Caitrin learns it all and before the men from the Norman Invader comes a-calling--ran a little bit longer then I thought was needed. It was fascinating to read about how Caitrin slowly won over the trust of the Whistling Tor folk, how she taught Anulan to see beyond his temper and work with what he had, as well all the cultural tidbits Marillier is so good at including, but it dragged on. In light of the revelation at the end (which I guessed rather early on, but then I don't think it was meant to be as much of a surprise to the reader as it was the characters) it was especially vexing. No one, no one at all, even thought to look into the matter?

I had also hoped for a little more information regarding what it was like growing up. Its never made clear when exactly Anulan began his tenure, it was implied it was when he was a child and his father died, but it didn't seem likely. If a grown man has such trouble keeping it under control under the best of conditions, how could a nine year old boy do it? Then again it was made abundantly clear that if the chieftain of the Tor was not in charge bad things could happen, so its doubtful the curse would have waited for Anulan to reach maturity. As this was told from Caitrin's point of view, mostly, and Anulan didn't exactly elaborate, question may never be answered.

This was without a doubt a wonderful historical fantasy built around Beauty and the Beast. Strong characters, strong emotional ties and an enthralling tale is sure to please anyone who picks this up. ( )

Caitrin is a scribe, a woman on the run in 12th-century Ireland. She ends up at Whispering Tor, a mysterious house owned by Anluan, a deformed chieftain living under a curse. He is surrounded by odd but gentle (for the most part) characters. Yet there are definite horror elements in the mirrors all over the house and the dangerous spirits living in the surrounding woods.
Anluan needs Caitrin to transcribe letters and books in his library that might lead to lifting the curse. She needs a hiding place since she escaped her home after her father's death, and some distant kin took over her home and life. Over the summer, Caitrin and Anluan each help the other overcome their doubts and develop the strength to face their difficulties. There is also a threat from the Normans who are in the process of conquering Ireland.
Ms. Marillier is a lovely writer who knows her Irish history and setting well. She expresses the story's horror and beauty in lovely prose. In a sense, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but there are differences that make this a book well worth reading. ( )

I felt this dragged a bit - with some editing it would have more momentum and excitement ( )

It’s been almost 5 months since I last posted about a Beauty and the Beast retelling! But I think the timing for this one worked out quite well since it has a very ghostly, haunted theme to it.

On the run from her abusive relatives, Caitrin finds shelter at Whistling Tor, where whispering spirits lurk in the surrounding forest to lure wanderers off the path, and no one from the nearby village dares set foot — especially after dark. But Caitrin has no where else to go, and since the chieftain has need of her scribing skills, it’s the perfect place to lay low for the summer.

As the season passes, Caitrin grows closer to the peculiar residents of the manor and the isolated, disfigured Lord Anluan. Her work in the library of copying, translating, and organizing the records of past chieftains reveals some secrets about the Tor and she becomes determined to find a way to undo the curse that has tormented Anluan and his ancestors for generations.

This book was incredible! It’s so well-written, well-told, well-paced. I loved how the magic and lore intersected with Irish history; the love story was beautiful; the issues of grief, trauma, and abuse were handled maturely and tactfully. And it had some dramatic twists and reveals along the way! Definitely one of my top favourite BatB retellings! ( )

DNF at 58% because I couldn't do it anymore.
There was nothing wrong with this book. It just wasn't for me.
There was a lot of focus on the romance and I didn't care about the characters and how special some of them thought they were. I liked some of the ideas but those weren't particularly original and it wasn't enough to keep me reading.