Tabor's Reviews > Sister Light, Sister Dark

Yolen's first book in the Great Alta series is a multi-layered story. It unfolds from excerpts written from the perspective of modern-day scholars, written records of legend and song, and the story as told by the actual myths. This is absolutely fascinating method of telling a fantasy story as it shows the significance of these tales, and the eventual misinterpretations of the true story.

The prophecy of a world-changing queen known as White Jenna is the core of the story. It starts on a fateful evening when a mother dies in childbirth and her daughter is taken into the mountains to be trained as a warrior. The daughter, Jenna, grows up unmothered and rumors swirl around her existence. Eventually, she is sent out on a mission, where she learns about her destiny and meets important players that will shape it.

This is a fantastic introduction to the series. Not only does Yolen present complex world-building, but she does it in a way that does not overwhelm the reader. Instead, the world slowly starts to take form as Jenna grows up and eventually ventures out into the world. This is when we learn about the different factions and conflicts going on in the world, which ultimately Jenna will resolve. As a result, this book is really only a taste of the story yet to come, but it doesn't feel lackluster. I've never read anything else by Yolen, but I'm excited to explore the rest of her work.