Adrienne Tooley, The third daughter, Hodder & Stoughton, July 2023, 320 pp., RRP $24.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781399713948
In the Kingdom of Velle, legend has it that the third daughter of a third daughter will be born as the New Maiden, a divine being known to have powers that can bring peace to the world.
Elodie is forced to give up her position on the throne for her sister, who has become the New Maiden. As the monarch slowly loses power of Velle to the church, Elodie is desperate to regain power of her kingdom and live up to the expectations of her recently passed mother. And the only way to do that? Silence her sister.
Sabine has magical tears. She is able to provide for her family through selling them in her mother’s potions. However, when approached by Elodie, she accidently hands over the wrong vial: all of her powerfully concentrated tears instead of a sleeping draught.
The New Maiden is sent into a permanent state of sleep, but the Church now hold even more power over the kingdom.
Sabine now has no way to provide her family with money to live.
Elodie and Sabine must embark on a mission to find a cure for the sleeping queen and save Sabine’s family from homelessness. But they both have secrets… and along the way they discover controversies that have been hidden impacting the whole kingdom.
The third daughter is a fantastic fantasy tale filled with action. Adrienne Tooley perfectly captures themes of family, friendship, and magic throughout the novel, while also providing readers with an interesting plot and captivating characters. It’s impressive how different Sabine and Elodie are, and their friendship proves that sometimes opposites complement each other. Their slow burn attraction is dealt with organically.
The third daughter is recommended for ages 13+, due to the inclusion of more mature themes.
Reviewed by Emily Woolnough