Customer Reviews

Dark Sister

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book knowing nothing more than the general summary, and having never read anything by Graham Joyce before. DARK SISTER turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read. I finished in a day. It is original with the right blend of ancient wiccan traditions, rational pyschology, and a dash of fantasy (i.e. shapeshifting, which I am assuming is the latter but could be wrong). It will inspire you to whip out your spellbook or take a dance through a moonlit forest at midnight... Enjoy!

Miss Lauren Smith

This is a book meant to be read in one sitting, preferably on a dark dreary night while the wind is howling through all of the cracks & crevices of old windows. Though I have the old, drafty windows, unfortunately, I no longer have the luxury of reading anything in one sitting and was forced to settle for half hour reading spurts whenever I could steal away from the various noises (kids fighting, husband yapping, tv blaring) residing in my home. Despite the pick-up and put-down method of my reading I was able to fall into the book all over again each time I began anew. This really says something about the story considering I'm unable to get through 3 out of 4 books I read lately. Like the previous Graham Joyce book I read "The Tooth Fairy", the characters in Dark Sister are realistic, imperfect people with many flaws. No one is perfect through and through.

Maggie is an engrossing character caught in a stifling marriage. She's a stay-at-home mom who longs for a little more than keeping house (and getting criticized by husband Alex when things are not up to his standards). Alex, an insecure turd, is the type who would lock her in a tower and throw away the key if he could get away with it and refuses to allow her to return to school. When the not-so-happy couple discover an old journal filled with herbal lore Maggie becomes a little obsessed with learning its secrets. As Maggie delves deeper into the world of magic and makes two new friends (a lonely herbalist and an eccentric, crusty old lady) who become part of her journey, her marriage continues to go down the tubes. I found Maggie's magical discoveries quite interesting but it's the increasing destruction of her family life that adds an emotionally grueling level to the story.

Maggie is a much more sympathetic character than Alex the a-hole but she also has her share of faults as well (but, hmmm, are they all her fault?). In anger, she says a few well deserved horribly awful things to Alex but I cringed because her young children were listening (and she knew it). She also forgets her responsibilities (i.e., her children) one time too many when her other world begins to consume her and she doesn't seem overly bothered by the fact. These missteps added to the realism of her character. I'm so sick of flawless characters and these people, even when unlikable, were a smack of reality and a nice change of pace.

Another thing I liked was the depiction of Maggie's youngest son. He looks like a cherubic angel but acts like a real kid. He's a genuine, tantrum throwing brat who reacts to the increasing turmoil within his family with fear and fits. I found this very sad and yet another eloquently written layer of the story.

As the story progresses and Maggie's dabbling with magic has some eye-opening results (love the revenge on Alex) but also awakens her "dark sister" and the story becomes even more intense. Another highly recommended book from beginning to end.

I decided to read Dark Sister after reading Graham Joyce's 'The Tooth Fairy' - which left me needing to search for more of his books.

Dark Sister has a very original plot and is an excellently executed novel which grips you all the way through till it's disturbingly grim end. After finished reading I did a little research into Wiccan and Old Herbal practices and was pleased and surprised to discover how much truth was in the novel!

I have to agree though with a previous reviewer here that the ending did feel a little rushed and maybe not all the subplots and been adequately concluded; but this is my only complaint.

Nonetheless, more people should sit down and read Graham Joyce as he is certainly one of Britain's finest writers today. I will now endeavour to read all of his work that I can lay my hands on.

"Dark Sister" is not your ordinary novel about witchcraft. When Maggie, a housewife and mother of two children, and Alex and archeologist, move into a new home, Maggie longs to uncover and use the old fireplace in the house, so Alex pries away its boarded covering to expose the long unused fireplace. While a chimney sweep is cleaning the chimney, he finds a diary hidden inside. Maggie claims the diary and begins to read the over 100 year old book. She discovers that the author is "Bella". She first suspects that Bells was simply an herbalist, but quickly discovers that she was a witch who lived in the house over a hundred years before.

Bound by her husband's lack of respect for her and her dreams [he forbids her to return to school to study psychology, wanting her to be a "proper mother], and the duties of mothering, Maggie searches for her identity by reading the diary and learning more about the remedies and potions described within.
Unable to find all of the herbs mentioned, or to understand the old English words for some of them, she engages the help of a local herbalist, Ash, who has a shop in town. She develops a strong bond with Ash, who is concerned for Maggies zeal to dive in too quickly to the potions and magic described in Bella's diary. He sends Maggie to "Liz" a strange old woman who lives alone and who is quite obviously a witch. Liz shares her knowledge with Maggie, but holds back a secret that is later revealed in the novel.

As Maggie becomes more and more involved in witchcraft, the time she spends away from home and her children becomes a sore point between she and her husband, Alex, who would prefer that she sit at home, minding the children all day.

Also, as Maggie reads further, she discovers that Bella has a "dark sister" mentioned only as "A" in the diary, whom she accuses of causing her to do things that she doesn't want to. Bella becomes increasing paranoid and frightened in her diary and Maggie wants to find out why.

She tries the potions and finds out things about Alex which, coupled with his jealousy of her new hobby and her time away, prompts a serious rift in the marriage, as Alex is completely absorbed in a new area of the dig, which is producing some very exciting and disturbing finds. This dig is an area, coincidentally, which Maggie herself suggested that he might find something.

Maggie continues to move too quickly into the world of Wicca, and on the brink of losing her children and her sanity, comes to a discovery of the true story of Bella and her dark sister.

The story of Bella and her dark sister is so moving and sad, and speaks so well of human ignorance. The novel ends well, and I felt that loose ends were well tied up. I especially loved the way the novel was written, in terms of the speech used by the Bella, and old Liz.

This is a wonderfully entertaining novel, which explores both Wicca, it's past, and equality in relationships. Enjoy!

When I finished reading Graham Joyce's "Dreamside", I was so disappointed I vowed never to read another of his books. As luck would have it, I noticed a hardcover copy of "Dark Sister" on a sale rack in my local bookseller and due to its extremely low price, and my inability to resist a bargain, I picked it up. I finished the story within the span of a day, so enthralling was it; I literally could not put it down!
The story has a quick pace which gets right to the point on page one. Once Maggie, Alex and their children find an old diary wedged within a hole in their fireplace, their lives change radically. Due to the content of the book, Maggie becomes increasingly involved in herblore. As she finds that her simple charms and ointments are effective, she careens into a further unbounded study into the Wiccan craft involving a local herb dealer and a strange old woman. Maggie discovers a surprising power within herself but is unaware that simultaneously, she is unleashing a malevolent force that threatens her own children. Underlying this main plot is the psychological unraveling of Maggie and Alex's relationship, reflected expertly through the mirror of their son Sam's deteriorating behavior. Joyce's skillful alloying of science, psychology and the occult hallmarks the story with a good solid satisfying climax that resolves the characters' plights, and yet manages to leave the reader still tingling with the magical and supernatural implications which linger in the air like a crackle of static energy and imprint on the mind with a flash of color like the aurora bourealis long after the book has been closed and placed on the shelf.

Anyone who sees their Victorian home would think that archeologist Alex and housewife Maggie occupy an average house. Even the two owners and their children realize their leaking townhouse is nothing extraordinary. However, that abruptly changes for the couple when they discover the enticing diary of the previous resident. Apparently, the former occupant practiced Wiccan herb-lore and documented everything in the diary.

A fascinated Maggie finds herself stirred out of her current tedium by the book. She turns to a herbalist friend (Ash) and an elderly woman with Wicca knowledge (Liz) for help to better understand what they found in their house. However, when one dabbles with Pandora's Box, anything can happen. In her thirst for knowledge, Maggie has awakened the DARK SISTER, who informs Alex where a sixteenth century dig site is located that she needs him to uncover. Soon Maggie's relationship with her husband begins to unravel, as the wicked sister wants to destroy everything precious that Maggie cherishes.

As with his previous release (THE TOOTH FAIRY), Graham Joyce starts his new novel (DARK SISTER) by painting an innocent scene that soon spirals into something deadly. The entertaining story line never gives the reader an oxygen break as it spins deeper towards an incredible climax. Even before the presence of evil raises the stakes, Alex struggles with unbelievable pressure from his archeological dig. His personal problems, added onto Maggie's curiosity, make the characters warm and genuine, which in turn adds to the overall feeling of terror and doom. Mr. Joyce provides readers with an intelligent trip into the dark. Fans will understand why the British Fantasy Award was bestowed on him for this novel.

HarrietKlausner

I very much enjoyed Dark Sister on its own merits, but of course it is impossible not to compare it to his previous works. For all the intensity this book brings, it felt somewhat "light" to me compared to "The Tooth Fairy". However, Graham Joyce could write a shopping list and it would still be better than almost anything being written today. I am still amazed by his ability to draw you into a very real story with very real and sympathetic characters, and then introduce through dark, fantastical elements the magic that underlies all our lives, if we are open enough to see them. This blend is amazingly difficult to achieve, and again he does it with well crafted prose and wonderful insight. I look forward to a long and prolific career from Mr. Joyce.

I particularly like the way witchcraft is portrayed in this novel. None of the witches here are evil, although some of them are a little cranky, to put it mildly! The story is quite engaging and reads quickly--almost too quickly! I look forward to reading more Graham Joyce!

I loved this book from beginning to end. The character development is excellent, the story line rich, eccentric and erotic. The prose flows as well as any I've encountered. Highly recommended. A job well done Mr. Joyce!

Wow...
dear lovers of magical realism,
... Graham Joyce just seems to get better and better. Dark Sister is the story of an unhappy couple who find an old diary that turns out to be filled with herbal lore. Maggie, the wife, becomes fascinated by this book and begins an exploration of its recipes, and this leads her in time to the Ones who Know. It also leads to the realization of just how unhappy she is, with painful consequences for both her and her family.
The characters in this book come alive and so does the magic. For those that Know, this is a rare treat. On to more Graham Joyce books.
kyela,
the silver elves