JUNE BOOK CLUB: JULIET MARILLIER’S ‘THE AMBER OWL’

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Image: New Dawn Publishing

Our June Book Club pick is Juliet Marillier’s The Amber Owl.

This month we attended Supanova Sydney, so of course we chose one of the authors featured on the line up. Juliet Marillier’s The Amber Owl delves into a fantasy world where power comes in more than one form. 

From the outset you get a sense of who these characters are, and you become endeared to them. We observe the dynamic of the villagers not liking our main female character Stasya, which is directly contrasted by personalities like Lucas defending her and giving her the respect she deserves is nice to see. It’s very reminiscent of stories gone by, and is so pivotal in today’s landscape. The fact that Stasya is trusted by animals should be an indication that she too is someone who you would want as a friend. The author does a great job in establishing the characters, and of course what they stand for.

The love stories within this novel are somewhat different, with its focus on connection to the land and the environment. It really speaks to the reader, the fact that she was so connected to the forest. I love that Marillier touched on the fact that we in our own society also have the aspect of importance within nature, and how it’s linked to our history. The tree being knocked down was something really traumatic, both in reading about the fact and experiencing it through Stasya - it was really powerful. Recently there’s been some developments in our own world in which a similar event has occurred, so it was very poignant to experience this part through the written word. You can completely understand that type of loss. At one point I had to reflect on the fact that the novel took a very harrowing turn. There was a sense of an underlying distress in so many situations. It’s frustrating to be reading about these people who have come in and altered a community that was so peaceful. I genuinely didn’t expect it. Of course you can trace this type of story throughout history, but I think it’s not what I was expecting and I was left feeling incredibly anxious. I suppose that is what the author is trying to achieve, because the protagonist would also be feeling that anxiety. In that part there was no respite in amongst the chaos and destruction and evil. Yes, Stasya looks for the positives in the day, but it’s almost as if it’s blow after blow after blow to so many characters. In contrast I wasn’t pleased with a bevy of characters. They were incredibly infuriating, which at a certain point ruined the experience for me and had me thinking perhaps Stasya was a little too naive when it came to her reaction.

In amongst the terror and destruction following those events, when she spoke up against the commander and Aleksis; I thought it was pure brilliance. In the form of storytelling, she has conviction - she has power. This was well achieved. I found there was also beauty within the tale, especially when the women stood by Stasya, taking a stance with her and supporting her when she had previously not felt supported by the town. 

Juliet Marillier’s The Amber Owl is available through New Dawn Publishing.