The Seventh Sister by Millie Abecassis

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The Seventh Sister by Millie Abecassis

Published by Anuci Press

WELCOME TO SANCTUARY

Seer Éliane is destined to a brilliant future as a servant of Aurië, the Sun-God. Everything changes when the High Seer, her superior, becomes jealous of Éliane’s abilities and chases her from the temple.

Having no family, Éliane has no choice but to find refuge in Sanctuary, the mysterious mansion of Lady of Clairemont, alongside six women living there as sisters and refugees.

When the sisters begin to disappear, Éliane must find the truth about Sanctuary and its secretive owner before she disappears, too.

A horrific retelling of Bluebeard and Snow White, The Seventh Sister is a tale about sisterhood and overcoming adversity.

My Review:

Anyone who has been reading my reviews knows that I love a good fairy tale retelling. Lately, I've been finding more and more fairy tale retelling mashups and really enjoying the extra layer of another story. Often with a straight retelling, the story can be predictable, but mixing in a second story can mitigate that. Not only does Abecassis do this with The Seventh Sister by mixing Bluebeard with Snow White, but she gender-flips some key characters (Bluebeard and the Huntsman) to add even more uniqueness to her retelling.

We start with Éliane, an orphan turned seer, who plays the role of Snow White. Instead of a princess beset by a queen jealous of her looks, Éliane has to contend with the High Seer, whose power is fading and is unable to handle Éliane's raw talent. In order to rid herself of Éliane, the High Seer sends her on a pilgrimage and orders Shizelle, a temple guard to follow Éliane, kill her, and bring back her eyes, the symbol of a seer's power. This part of the tale strains credibility. Shizelle is no ordinary guard. When Éliane was selected from the orphanage, she insisted that Shizelle come with her. Shizelle and Éliane are extremely close, like sisters, and they share a strong bond. It is unclear why the High Seer chooses Shizelle to kill Éliane instead of one of the other guards. Perhaps, it is a sing of her hubris because, of course, Shizelle does not kill Éliane, and we shift from Snow White to Bluebeard.

After her escape, Éliane finds "Sanctuary" a magical home deep in the woods where lost women can find a safe space to live. They exist in peaceful harmony and are free to go anywhere in the home, except the basement. This spin on Bluebeard is refreshing. Instead of a husband, we have a mother of sorts, and having a group of women instead of Éliane alone adds another dynamic. It also escalates the tension when the other women start disappearing, granting a better motivation for going into the forbidden room than just "curiosity". 

Although, at this point in the story is another moment where the characters' motivations need more clarity. No one disappears or experiences any strange happenings until Éliane arrives. There is an explanation for this that works well, but the other women in the sanctuary never suspect that Éliane is the cause, and they are a bit quick to believe her over the woman who has been looking after them for years. I would have liked to see a little more push back or struggle for Éliane.

Despite my few quibbles, the story is strong and engaging. In the end, all of the mysteries are explained in satisfying ways that make sense. Each of the main characters receives a fitting ending. 

If you enjoy stories with complex female heroines, clever fairy tale retellings, and magical stories, you will enjoy this one. 

  

 

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