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Last month we rocked from “the band of brothers” to bromance – and this month’s it’s time for the sister act!
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When taking a closer look at bromances, I tagged them as an integral sub-category to the “band of brothers”, involving “the celebration of friendships that are forged in adversity and as strong, if not stronger, than romantic relationships.”
It’s very much what we would now call “found brotherhood” – but as I also noted in May’s post on the “Band of Sisters”, both the bands and “found sisterhood” themes are by no means common in Fantasy fiction.
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What I believe carves out a much stronger path through the genre is “true sisterhood.” In the same way The Lord of the Rings establishes the archetypal “band of brothers”, Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic shines a limelight on true sisterhood.
The relationship between sisters Sally and Gillian (played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman respectively in the film), is both the core of the book and also embodies classic sisterhood themes: love, loyalty, and protectiveness in contention with jealousy, rivalry, and misunderstanding. The fractures in the relationship must be resolved in order to resolve the various magical conundrums besetting the sisters, as well as to gain community acceptance.
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I first recall encountering sisterhood as a potent Fantasy force in Kate Elliott’s Cold Magic, where Cat and Bee have been raised as sisters (although they’re actually cousins) and forged a really close bond. Although tested by events, that bond is as important as their romantic relationships when dealing with the magical and societal curved balls—think politics, derring-do, and dark magic—that the story throws at them.
Another pair of cousins who’ve been raised as sisters and have a really close bond, are Laura Hame and Rose Tiebold in Elizabeth Knox’s Dream duology, Dreamhunter and Dreamquake. Laura and Rose’s lives fork unexpectedly, and they do grow apart – as can happen with even the closest of sisters.
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Nonetheless, both have an important part to play, including standing by each other, in a story involving both an alternate realm where dreams can be captured and brought back to entertain society (think alternate-Edwardian), and a potential political coup.
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Frey and Rafi are the twin protagonists in Scott Westerfeld’s Impostors, with one (Frey) the secret protector of the other, who is the official political heir to their state. Again, they’re close, with the public sister and hidden one seeing themselves as the two sides of the same coin (or blade!) The test comes when Frey stands in for Rafi on a visit to a neighboring state, and everything starts to unravel…
In Dhonielle Clayton’s Belles, Camellia (Camille) and her five “sisters” have been raised together (as sisters) since birth to serve their nation (Orleans) as dispensers of the beauty that is denied to most citizens. The plot is dark, involving themes of exploitation and corruption, but the relationship between the sisters—particularly Camille and her love-hate relationship with Amber, but also the errant Edel—is undoubtedly the axis around which the book revolves.
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Another celebrated tale of two sisters is Stephanie Garber’s Caraval. Fleeing their despotic and murderous father, sisters Scarlett and Donatella get caught up in the magical Caraval, a night carnival where everything is a game – or is it? Separated from Donatella at the outset, Scarlett must play for her life and her sister’s in a contest where secrets lie hidden within secrets and nothing is as it seems. Edge-of-your-seat stuff, but also a story where much, if not all, swings on the sisters’ relationship.
And there’s more – Seanan McGuire’s Incryptid series with the fraught relationship between sisters Verity and Antimony. (In their case, there’s a brother, too.) The threesome of Lula, Rose, and Alejandra in Zoraida Cordova’s Labyrinth Lost – and Katrina Leno’s Summer of Salt, which also features two twins who must find their powers, and where their relationship with each other is key.
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BUT I think if we’re going to talk sister love and the way it shapes a story and changes the course of events, I don’t believe it’s possible to go past Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games – where everything changes when Katniss volunteers as tribute to save her sister, Prim(rose) from what is believed to be a death sentence: participation in the Hunger Games.
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| "I volunteer." |
As always, I would love to learn your favorite “true sisters” of Fantasy – if you’re willing, do share with a comment. J
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About the Author
Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.
Previous Posts:
February: Honing in on 2021—Celebrating the "Band of Brothers"March: Celebrating the "Band of Brothers" in Fantasy #2
April: Celebrating the "Scooby Gang" #3
May: Celebrating the "Band of Sisters"
June: From Band of Brothers To Bromance!
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