Daughter of the Forest

Sister to Liam, Diarmid, twins Cormack and Conor, Finbar and Padriac and daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Sorcha has black hair and wide green eyes and bares a strong resemblance to their mother, who died birthing her. She is a healer, and skilled in herblore. She can also play the harp and flute very well, and though she can hem and sew shirts well enough, she has no skill for embroidery or even fine needlework. She is sometimes said to be the "thread that weaves her brothers together".

Throughout the novel, it is her task to break her brothers' spell, and she can only do so if she sews a shirt for each of them out of a brittle, needle-like plant that causes her hands to wrinkle and deform like that of an old woman's. She is not allowed to speak or communicate through pictures/writing during this time, or else her brothers will never be free.

While hiding in the forest, she is brutally raped, which drives a wedge between herself and Red when they first meet and as they slowly fall in love. She loves her brothers dearly and has a special bond with the Fair Folk, as well as the ability to hear their voices and communicate with the Lady of the Forest and the Bright One.

Though it takes her awhile to realize it, she falls in love with Red, but leaves because she thinks he only loves her because the Fair Folk bound him to her when they named him her protector. When she realizes that they, in fact, did no such thing, she is heartbroken, but he abdicates his rule, leaves Briton, and joins her in Sevenwaters and she is overjoyed again.

Lord and Ruler of Sevenwaters, father to Sorcha and her six brothers, husband to the Lady Oonagh. He was once a carefree, handsome, and happy man who loved his wife dearly, but then she died and he threw himself into his role as the Lord of Sevenwaters, becoming proud and stern.

He has conflict with both Finbar and Sorcha at the beginning of the story, because both remind him so much of his wife—Sorcha's looks and Finbar's stillness are both qualities she once had. He angrily snaps against Finbar's insistence that the Britons are human too, and treats Sorcha as if she does not exist, though it is later revealed that he loves her very much.

Lady Oonagh effectively takes over his mind, but when his children disappear he is so shaken by loss that he regains some of his freedom.

Eldest brother of Sorcha. Liam is the peacekeeper and leader of Colum's children and a skilled warrior. He is the heir of Sevenwaters. Before he is turned into a swan, he is engaged to Eilis, though her father marries her away after he disappears.

He, like most of her brothers, is against her marrying Red. He hates Lady Oonagh bitterly for trying to poison Eilis, and tries to get his father to realize her duplicity, though she stops him before he can.

Sorcha's second eldest brother. Diarmid is a charismatic adventure and a warrior, as well as very handsome. He has twin dimples that many find charming, and is the most bespelled of all the brothers by Lady Oonagh until her true nature is revealed. Consequently, he hates the sorceress the most.

Twin to Conor and brother to Sorcha, and also a warrior. He loves battle and his dog, Linn, and Lady Ooangh uses his love for the dog against him by making him hit her. He is the first to figure out Sorcha's task.

Brother to Sorcha and twin to Cormack. Conor is a scholar rather than a warrior and is often the one to whom Sorcha goes for advice. He is also a druid, and able to read others' minds/hearts. Throughout the novel, he is the only one Sorcha can communicate with, as he is the only one who can "speak" to her without having her break her vow.

One of the only ones who is fluent in Briton, he acts as a translator between Red and the Sevenwater family, though he obviously has no liking for the man. He is furious that Red is not there to protect Sorcha when she is about to get burned alive.

Brother to Sorcha and, along with Conor, one of Sorcha's favorite siblings. Sorcha refers to Finbar as her other half and can communicate with him without speaking. Finbar is often rebellious against his father. At the end of the novel, he is the brother who has one swan wing remaining, and it is implied that he mated while he was still a swan, and that because swans mate for life, he can never be fully human.

He suspects Lady Ooangh from the first and is the most protective of Sorcha, insisting that she run away and abandon them rather than subjugate herself to such pain. He can also see visions of the future.

Sorcha's youngest brother. Padriac is skilled with animals and is often caught up in fixing things and finding out how things work. He is the most innocent of her brothers.

British lord and ruler of Harrowfield. Goes by the name of "Red" because of his red hair. Rescues Sorcha from drowning and takes her to his home. Eventually, he falls in love and marries her.

He is characterized as a big man and handsome, (all the village girls want him), and a skillful ruler. He loves his younger brother Simon and is desperate to find out what happens to him.

The Bright One and Lady of the Forest bind him to Sorcha as her protector, and he swears to take care of her no matter the cost. He defends her from his men, his mother, and eventually his uncle. The only time he gets truly angry with her is when she sneaks out alone to gather supplies for her shirts and his uncle corners her.

Eventually, though he is unable to do so at first, he learns how to communicate with her; although he cannot read her thoughts like Conor or Finbar can. Through this they continued to build their relationship while she could not speak.

Red's mother, she is suspicious and bitter against Sorcha at first, but respects her son too much to interfere. She blames Sorcha for disturbing her household and indirectly because Sorcha's people allegedly killed Simon.

She is close to her brother, Richard, and so Red does not trust her completely, but after Sorcha is imprisoned and accused of treason and adultery, Lady Anne gives her the shirts she has been sewing, making it clear that she is only doing so on Red's orders.

One of Red's closest friends and advisers, he protects Sorcha during her time at Harrowfield. Ben was taken in as a foster son by Red's father, and is vibrant and cheerful.

Though he catches Sorcha "committing adultery", (she was really just hugging her brother), he believes in her innocence, saying that no one who looked at Red the way she did could turn unfaithful. However, because Richard, (Red's uncle), has her guarded so securely, he goes to find Red, (who is off rescuing Simon), instead.

One of Red's closest friend and advisers, he is more withdrawn and quieter than Ben, but just as protective of Sorcha, especially after she saves his wife's life. He later dies – sabotaged by Lord Richard's men while guarding Sorcha.

He is married to Margery and they have a son together.

John's wife and one of Sorcha's few friends at Harrowfield. She is pregnant with John's child and almost loses the babe, but Sorcha manages to save them. There is a period of time after her husband dies that she is completely withdrawn and shuts everyone else out, but eventually she pulls through to be there for Sorcha.

Red's brother. He is captured and tortured by Colum's men shortly before the arrival of Oonagh. Sorcha nurses him back to health, though he disappears before Oonagh's attack on Sorcha and her brothers. It is later revealed that he was kept safe by the Fair Folk, and he fell in love with Sorcha and wanted her to wait for him. He is said to be intense and handsome, and always jealous of his brother.

Beautiful and wealthy, she is Richard's daughter and Red's betrothed. She was also Red and Simon's childhood friend. Her father sent Simon to die because Elaine fell in love with him, and Simon cannot inherit because he is the youngest son.

She is shown to be kind and has a mind of her own—befriending Sorcha even though the others shun her. Elaine is also the one to inform Red's household that he has cancelled their betrothal to marry Sorcha.

Master of Arms at Sevenwaters, he served Lord Colum for fourteen years, training all Sorcha's brothers and watching over the army. He is dismissed after Simon's escape.

Christian Hermit who lives near Sevenwaters, teaches languages, reading and writing to some of Lord Colum's children. He helps Sorcha and Finbar hide Simon, and is murdered by Lady Oonagh.

Neighbor and Lord Colum's closest ally. His daughter, Eilis, is married to Liam.

Called "boring" by Sorcha, she is engaged to Liam and loves him dearly. When he disappears, her father marries her to another Lord, who turns out to be a traitor. She has a son with this man, though it is implied that he is cheating on her with Lady Oonagh.

Head of the kitchen, she was a Tinker woman who settled at Sevenwaters. One of the few characters to appear in all three books of the trilogy

Stepmother to Sorcha and wife of Colum. Oonagh, wanting her son by Colum to inherit Sevenwaters, attacks Sorcha and her brothers and turns the boys into swans. Even before then she tries to tear the family apart—attacking each sibling with what they love most (Cormack's dog, Liam's wife, etc.). In Child of the Prophecy it is revealed that Oonagh is a fallen member of the Fair Folk with significant magical powers.

• Deirdre