Warrior Daughter, by Janet Paisley

June 4th, 2009, Penguin
387 pages
Historical fiction

Rating summary:
Daggers: 3
Paperclips: 5
Tissues: 2
Overall: 4/5

Warrior Daughter tells the story of Skaaha, daughter of a warrior queen in Scotland during the Iron Age. After her mother's death, Skaaha and her sister Eefay are separated, to keep them safe from the new queen, Mara.

What struck me in this book was the use of the senses, most particularly sound. It's a sense which is present in other books, but not so vividly as this one. From the first to the last chapter, sound plays a large role in the rituals of Skaaha's people (through voice and drums) and nature (bird cries). Janet Paisley writes a vivid tale of the harsh, brutal life led by our distant ancestors. The pain, both physical and emotional that Skaaha's endures to reach a life where she can say she is secure and not needing to always watch her back will touch anyone who reads this.

For all the people who wish and inflict harm on Skaaha, there are those who love her dearly. One of her comforters as she undergoes the rites for women surprised me, and had me looking at the character in new ways. Mara, Skaaha's nemesis, is a woman I would never want to meet or clash swords with. Although, Jiya, Skaaha's friend - I wouldn't mind her as my protector!

The exercises performed by Skaaha and other warriors remind me of martial arts movements. Celts were a warrior nation, and its only natural they practiced their art form to stay in shape. The details of the rituals bring the Celtic world to life. The depth of research for this novel is clear in the author notes, which shed light on a lot of events within the book.

Content: High paperclip rating: a lot of detail, course language used here. All relationships are explored. Fertility rites etc. Language - also a lot. Violence - some brutal moments. Yet, considering the nature of the Celts, all this is appropriate for the topics broached here.


Overall rating: 4/5. An unusual rating with the number of paperclips, but the quality of the writing is extremely high. Janet Priestly paints a fine picture of Skaaha's difficult life.