Customer Reviews

Sister Light, Sister Dark: Book One of the Great Alta Saga

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One of the best reprints produced by Starscape books has been the reissue of Jane Yolen's Alta trilogy, the first of which is "Sister Light, Sister Dark." While it takes awhile to get going, this unique and imaginative fantasy book introduces us to a fantasy story that's both familiar and innovative.

Jenna was orphaned three times: Her mother died in childbirth, the midwife died while taking her away, and the warrior woman who adopted her was also killed. She's taken in collectively by the follows of Great Alta, a benevolent goddess. They're somewhat Amazonian -- there are no men in their "hames," they are warriors, farmers, priestesses, and everything else that they need to be.

But Jenna is different from the rest. There's a prophecy that a white-haired child who lost three mothers is the Anna, a savior who will change everything. Events are set into motion when Jenna and her friend Pynt encounter teenage prince Carum in the woods, who is being hunted by a vicious warrior. Killing the warrior and saving Carum leads to destruction for Jenna's home and family...

Jane Yolen crafts a wonderful, believable place in the Dales. Not only is it very detailed and plausible-sounding, but she also sprinkles it with songs and historical studies. While the Alta series is often labelled "feminist fantasy," there's no preaching or two-dimensional male characters. Yolen simply shows us Jenna and Pynt operating on the same level as Carum, and leaves it at that.

Her writing is earthy and has plenty of detail without bogging itself down. The concept of "dark sisters" (sort of a nighttime-only spiritual twin) is an unusual and well-crafted one. The only problem is that it takes quite some time for the plot to get moving, and it's a jolt when it finally does; we go from no action to all-action in an instant.

Jenna is an excellent reluctant lead. Her mixed feelings (she both wants and doesn't want to be the Anna) are quite plausible, as are her strength and gutsiness. She's not some sort of supergirl; she cries, feels pain and loneliness like anyone else. Pynt is a good sidekick, with her mischievous attitude. And Carum is a strong counterpart (and romantic interest) to Jenna.

Since "Sister Light Sister Dark" ends on an unfinished note, readers will want to check out the second volume of the trilogy (also available from Starscape) "White Jenna." A unique epic fantasy.

"Sister Light, Sister Dark" and its sequel, "White Jenna," hold places of honor on my bookshelves.

The story is about Jenna, a thrice-orphaned girl of the Dales (a fictional region) being raised by followers of Great Alta, the Goddess. These women--mostly unwanted daughters of local peasants--train for years to call up their "dark sisters." Jenna, who was born with completely white hair, may be the Anna foretold in prophecy.

Stuff happens.

Interspersed among the actual narrative chapters are ballads and myths of the Dales, as well as a pretentious contemporary historian's interpretation of the events of the story. Through his impeccable application of scientific method to historical research, he manages to get just about everything completely wrong. It's hilarious.

The third volume in this trilogy, "The One-Armed Queen," was a disappointment to me. While it was a good book in its own right, to me it didn't feel related to the other two--it worked on its own, but it was not part of the series. It concerns Jenna's one-armed adopted daughter Scillia, who seemed much less interesting than Jenna. Oh, well.

I highly recommend the first two books.

I believe that I have read this book over a dozen times. I ran across the first book of the trilogy when I was vacationing at my grandparents lake house in rural Wisconsin. With no TV and only country music to listen to, I would read through the science fiction/fantasy novels that my grandma stored on the shelves. I instantly became drawn to this book, it's characters, and it's story line. Maybe because I was around the same age as the main character, or maybe because it was such a great story, I'm not sure. Still, 14 years later, I'm still re-reading this fantastic book - and it never gets old. Jane Yolen is now one of my most beloved authors and have read many of her books. All of this to say... I highly recommend it. :)

I found this book a few years ago when I was helping out in my school's library. I looked it over and since I had read another of her books I tried it. It was so well written that I couldn't put it down!!! Congradulations to Jane Yolen on her wonderful gift of story telling. The characters were real and the blend between the past and fantasy was awesome!!!!

I thought that this was a great book and a credit to Jane Yolen! Her interweaving of historical accounts along with a bit of fantasy flair will draw readers into the book as soon as they pick it up! The wonderful harmony between fact and fiction is a winner! The story of a seemingly ordinary girl, who wept, hurt, and bled like an ordiary child becomes the goddess on Earth, also called the Anna, of the Upper Dales. The book comes complete with myths, parables, historical summaries, and for all of you out there who like music, songs complete with a score. The historical accounts can at times be dry, but are also exeedingly interesting. A winner on all acounts

Jane Yolen ties in an ancient religion with wonderful charecters to construct the best book I for one have ever had the pleasure of placing my hands upon. Three cheers for Jane Yolen and all her talents. And by the way, the sequal is The White Anna. ;)

Jane Yolen weaves an intricately beautiful story that is all together a love story between a woman and a man, a woman and her people (which she comes to find are much broader in scope than she originally believed) and a woman and her inner self, her "dark sister." It is absolutely satisfying to read and wander the world that Yolen created. Her language is poetry. It flows off the tongue with grace and elegance. I thoroughly enjoyed these two books that comprise the Great Alta Saga!

White Jenna: Book Two of the Great Alta Saga

I have never found another author with as much color in writing style as Jane. I read this book when i was a teen-ager and to this very day it is my favorite book. This is the type of book that draws you in and paints the pictures in such a light that you feel a part of the story - as if you were there. A child hanging on every word.

Excellent use of folklore in an already wonderful story. It is so good it should take you four hours tops. No one's work I have ever read has come alive quite like Jane Yolen's, I think she must have been a natural born story-teller.

With everything this book has, it leaves me dying to find the seque!!! If you read this book, be sure to read the other books by Jane Yolen, especially the Dragon's Blood series!!!