Customer Reviews

One-armed Queen

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I have to ask . . . *what's the matter with you people???* This was a truly great book ! The plot was fascinating, and the set-up itself was wonderful. The concept of a Dark Sister is a little confusing if you've never read any of the other books in the series (which I haven't but now mean to), but Jane Yolen makes it clear as the book progresses. She didn't bore me with lengthy descriptions of the Dales in the beginning of the book; she showed, rather than told. The little inserts of history and letters that were written years after the story (so to speak) were great, adding a new dimension to the story. And the characters were amazing. Jenna, the White Queen, and her sister Skada. Uncertain of herself, yet brave in her actions, she has become a hero of mine. The brothers Jemsen and Corum----Corum was one of my favorite charaters, so real that he seems a real person. And of course Scillia, the one-armed warrior queen. What a great concept. But perhaps the best part of Scillia was that she did _not_ like war. Killing repulsed her. An original respite to the usual, kill-and-make-jokes-at-the-same-time method that most fantasy books use, thank you very much. And more than that, Scillia was the first true KID in a fantasy book I've seen so far. A moody thirteen-year-old, she found herself angry with her mother or a situation without knowing why. I can relate. In fact, reading this story gave me courage in knowing that I am not the only teen to be discouraged by things in life. And relating to Jenna for awhile helped me to see my mother's point of view as a parent. This is something you rarely see in books. -------- The plot, characters, setting . . . EVERYthing was original. And the songs in the back of the book were gorgeous. I sing "The Two Kings" and "The Dark Sister Lullaby" all the time. The music is simple but beautiful. So please, give this book a chance. It made me smile, it made me cry (and I don't cry when I read books), it made me proud to be a woman. The queen lives.

I first read "Sister Light, Sister Dark" when I was nine years old and spent five fervent years searching for its out-of-print sequel, "White Jenna." (Needless to say, now that the two have been reprinted as "The Books of Great Alta," I'm ecstatic.) Together the two books were a perfect pair, complementary halves as befitted a story set in a world whose major system deals with opposites and complements. I loved them.

This said, my problem with "The One-Armed Queen" has nothing to do with its characters, its setting, its pace, or its description. Admittedly, all aspects of the story pale slightly in comparison with the preceding two books, which are phenomenal, but on its own it is a fine, beautifully written, intriguing fantasy. I love the world of the Dales and the Continent, which feels a bit like some alternate British Isles; the societies are well-constructed, and the mythology and folklore are so solid as to be real. I enjoy the interweaving of story, song, and myth with historical interludes-most of the history rather inaccurate, as the pragmatic historian is trying to give concrete, realistic explanations of events that did in fact involve the supernatural (more evident in "The Books of Great Alta" than in "The One-Armed Queen")-and while I was a bit sorry to hear that the anonymous skeptic of the earlier books had died, I was quite pleased to see his daughter take over his work and be just as wrong as he was about what really happened. Story aside, all three books are a fascinating exercise in what happens to a story over time--how it evolves, what forms it takes in song and legend, and how it is reconstructed by historians a thousand years later. "The One-Armed Queen" is ten times better than much of the work out there, and definitely deserves to be read.

So what was the problem? As I mentioned earlier, "Sister Light, Sister Dark" and "White Jenna" are beautifully self-contained, complementary, and complete. The story, which finishes so fittingly at the end of "White Jenna," does not really need to be extended. Of course something happened afterward-something happens after the finish of every story-but the story of Scillia, daughter of Carum and Jenna, and her brothers Corrine and Jemson, the story of the War of Deeds and Succession ("a rather long name for a rather short period in our history"), really does not need to be told. I am glad that it was told, I enjoyed reading "The One-Armed Queen," but the story still feels faintly unnecessary in the wake of its predecessors. "Sister Light, Sister Dark" and "White Jenna" were powerful books. "The One-Armed Queen" is a good, thoughtful read. There's a difference.

The One-Armed Queen was better than White Jenna yet nowhere near as good as Sister Light, Sister Dark. Like WJ, it lacked the mystical quality and bardic flavour of SL, SD but it was made up by the characterization of the two brother princes and the excellent plotting when Jemson was sent overseas. Jemson and Corrine are both amazing characters, surprising in their depth.

I am a great fan of Jane Yolen's writing - including the Books of the Great Alta. I read Sister Light, Sister Dark several years ago and was lucky enough to find a used copy of White Jenna when it was out of print.

I had high hopes for The One-Armed Queen, but I found it to be a major let-down. I guess that White Jenna really seemed like the end of the story to me - this book seems tacke onto the end. But aside from that, I just found it a little dull, and I had to force myself to keep reading. I've never had that experience with a Jane Yolen book before. Usually, I find her writing engrossing and I devour her books a few days after buying them.

If you're a fan of the Great Alta books, you might as well pick up The One-Armed Queen - but don't go into it with high expectations.

This is the best book I have read this year. Keep in mind, I have not read the first two to this sequal, but I was so thrilled with it, I am ordering the others right away.

I feel the book gives many great points of view on various topics that should be introduced to younger children and teens, as well as adults who are philisophical. It not only has great values, but grabs your attention and rips at your every emotion. I cried for an hour after I was done- not knowing to keep crying or smile because it had a sorrowful ending, but was a superb story with an 'almost-happy' ending when given deeper thought. The plot is great, the characters are so vividly described and morals are popping out every other page! I seriously recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction and great all-around books with great values.

The book I read was the One-armed Queen by Jane Yolen. In this story, Queen Jenna finds a one-armed child named Scillia in a field of bloodshed and battle. Thus, she makes Scillia her destined heir. Her natural son Jemison is raised in the kingdom of their enemies in exchange for peace and the enemy kingdom gives them their son also. When Jemison later comes back to his homeland he is changed and now firmly believes that he should be heir and comes to resent Scillia's power, unleashing a series of a terrible time of war and betrayal. I read this book because I like fantasy stories and I heard that this author was a natural classic. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes old age fantasy stories.

The plot was very good in this book. The ending was a twist and very surprising. The theme wasn't anything new, however, the regular good always beats evil theme was definitely present.

I liked the book overall. It has that distinctive classical feel to it and this is how a fantasy story is supposed to feel. Again, I would recommend this to those who like fantasy stories.

This book is derived from a short story, with the same title, in "Women at War". There is plenty of material, but the novel is a major disappointment. Perhaps the assorted myths, legends, and songs sprinkled in with the story inspire false hopes. Children seem to regress as they grow up, travel times are out of alignment with distances, the war sequence is as precise as a fumbled handoff, and the finish goes splat like a bowl of macaroni salad dropped from the top of the Sears tower.

The only thing I would have liked to know is that the cover had a tear in it. Beyond that, it's a wonderful read, and I really am satisfied with the book. If you haven't read the first two in the Great Alta series, I suggest you do, before reading this. Many references to the other plots and situations faced.
Ken.

I agree with the previous reviewers. The first two books of the Great Alta series have a more mystic/bardic quality whereas the third seems to be somewhat dryer and 'historical'. I also felt that the story didn't really tie into 'letters to the editors', legend and myth sections of the book, or, if it did, I missed it.

I also don't remember the first two books [although violent in parts, there was a war afterall] being so gory...and for what purpose? Some of the descriptions [I'm being intentionally vague for those who have yet to read it] were very vivid, and yet didn't further the plot lines.

Make no mistake, I am a great Jane Yolen fan and am always questing for her books and short stories. [Check out 'The Stone Fey'. Listed as a children's book but with some wonderfully subtle adult themes.] I guess the Great Alta books are a hard act to follow.

Fabulous, exciting, and suprisingly ne