I received the Marsh King's Daughter as an advance copy in return for an honest review - what a treat it was! The story follows Helena, the titular Marsh King's daughter whose mother was kidnapped when she was only 14 by a vile sadistic captor who feels it is his right to take her as his wife by force and this results in the conception of Helena following rape. Helena grows up in isolation in the upper peninsula marshlands not knowing of the circumstances behind her birth and her parents lives. This is the first book I've read by this author and I was really impressed by the writing and characterizations which are all warm, accomplished and evocative. The author has crafted wonderful, thrilling, chilling tale that transported me to the Marshlands making me forget I was in the UK. Read it people - it's a Corker.

A slightly different twist on a theme which seems to becoming more common in books at the moment. At times I found it a bit slow going with details repeated. However I did want to keep reading to find out more so if you like this type of story, then it's worth a read.

Brilliant book! Having read Room about the child who was born in captivity, this is the other side of it ...what happens when that child is free and becomes an adult. The book is so well written and had me gripped from the start. I found some of it very hard to read, and I admit to skipping a few chapters. The complexity of a father who was torn between what he was, and what he had become and the different way in which he treated the mother of his child, versus his own child. The need for him to prove to himself, and to his child, that she was every bit as good as he had ever been. The constant drive to challenge her, beyond what you would expect. And her love for him, and her hate for him. Clever book, I really enjoyed it.