Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN num: 9780312866327
ISBN number: 0312866321
Label: Tor Books
Manufacturer: Tor Books
Page Count: 300
Printing Date: 1999-06
Publishing house: Tor Books
Sale Popularity Level: 1415463
Studio: Tor Books
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Alex and Maggie think they live in an ordinary townhouse, until they discover the diary of a previous occupanta diary containing secret Wiccan herb-lore passed down through the generations. Maggie is drawn to investigate the diary and discovers hidden powers within herself. But Maggie also awakens a malevolent force she cant control.An unlikely sprite assumes a sinister incarnation in this exceptional supernatural novel. ~ Publishing houses Weekly (starred review) on The Tooth Fairy Sharp, freshly imagined, and evocative work. Kirkus Reviews (pointer review) on The
Amazon.com Review:
Dark Sister is the third book by British fantasy writer Graham Joyce to be published in the United States--and the author travels further into the realm of pure horror than he did in The Tooth Fairy or Requiem. Maggie, an unfulfilled, restless housewife in England, comes to terms with her nascent, otherworldly power amidst a disheveled and antagonistic domestic life. Her archaeologist-husband Alex is subtly dominating, which makes for an unfulfilling marriage. So, Maggie buries herself in the chaos of her small children, until a chance discovery both liberates her and invokes catastrophe.
During a routine cleaning of a chimney fireplace, she discovers an herbalist's journal; soon after, her life unfurls wildly and runs horribly aground. It seems that the owner of the journal was not just an herb woman, but also a witch with real powers. Inspired by this forgotten woman, Maggie begins to dabble in the arts of Wicca. The gifts it brings her are powerful--a sense of freedom, purpose, even clairvoyance. But every gift has its counterbalance, and Maggie's newfound telepathy allows her to see things she might have wanted to remain hidden. Even more ominously, it seems that in unearthing the journal, Maggie has awakened deep tragedies from an abandoned time, and the evil that now stalks her and her family might be insatiable and unstoppable. --Tamara Hladik
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Was a quick, interesting, dark read. Would be good when traveling or on vacation.
Rated by buyers -
This was a wonderful book to settle down with at night. I enjoyed all aspects of the story--from the herb lore to the "flying" rituals, to the description of the personal relationships between the characters. Joyce has a vivid imagination that delights me everytime. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
Rated by buyers 
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I'm a big fan of Mr. Joyce and really enjoy his writing. I enjoyed just about all of Dark Sister, especially the transformation of Maggie, her kids Amy and Sam and Old Liz. Old Liz is one of those classic characters everyone has to love and root for!! My big complaint is Alex, the husband and father. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but felt that a number of his actions were not very belieavable, and also out of character. It was as of Mr. Joyce needed another "villan" and ended up going over the top with Alex. But, that's just my opinion. One other note - I'm not sure I'd classify this as a horror book. There weren't any scary parts per se, although dealing with witchcraft and the occult could have opened up more opportunities for a darker story. All in all, Dark Sister was a very quick, very enjoyable read about a number of interesting characters dealing with the subject of witchcraft and how it changes lives.
Rated by buyers -
I enjoyed this novel a great deal. It was well written, crisply paced, and had an interesting premise. It is the story of Maggie, a seemingly ordinary housewife who stumbles upon a witch's journal. She finds herself drawn into the world of witchcraft. What I found so well done about the novel was it's emphasis on the effect of Maggie's transformation on her family. In fact, the family relationships are the focus of the novel. This was an interesting twist and was quite well executed.
The characters are well developed and sympathetic, even Alex, Maggie's overbearing husband. The plot develops smoothly and moves along at a brisk pace. As always Joyce writes realistic dialogue. I didn't find this story to be as scary as some other reviewers led me to believe, but that was not a problem.
My only complaint is that the ending is a little too neat and happy.
Rated by buyers -
I love all of Joyce's books, but this one was over the top intriguing and one of my favorites. Being an avid herbalist and fascinated with all things magical and mysterious, I found it all the more mesmerizing. I've never read an author who creates such believable, true-to-life female characters. The plot was tight, mysterious and fast-moving. You don't really read Joyce's books, you tumble headlong into them and awaken in another realm altogether. I've been reading books for 45 years and I've never read another author quite like him. I highly recommend all of his books. He's a bit like Alice Hoffman on mushrooms...
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