The Salbine Sisters

Salbine Sisters #1

by Sarah Ettritch

She gave up everything to become a Salbine Sister, member of a religious order of powerful female mages. But when Maddy nearly dies while trying to draw forth elemental fire, she learns that Salbine has withdrawn from her the gifts every sister works to master. Feeling trapped in an order to which she no longer has any right to belong and believing herself unworthy of the love of Lillian, one of the most powerful mages in the sisterhood, Maddy begs the abbess to let her travel to another monastery to research her condition.

On her journey, Maddy’s faith in both herself and Salbine are tested to their limits.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, LGBT, Romance, Queer, Drama, Ebooks

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2010

About the author

Sarah Ettritch writes stories featuring strong female characters. Her protagonists are often lesbian.

Reviews

[lov2laf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh, I loved this read. I've seen this book around for awhile but always passed it up and now I wish I hadn't.

The book mainly centers around the character of Maddy, a sister in a monastery, that worships a female goddess that is known for giving the gift of drawing on the elements of water, air, fire, and earth to her chosen ones. Maddy's been chosen but when it comes to her gifts they're not what she expected nor what anyone in recent memory has ever seen.

I read a lot of lesfic and lament about the overdone tropes; a couple that doesn't communicate, a couple that fights with each other instead of joining forces to overcome obstacles, too much angst, forced drama, predictability, and so on. I'm happy to say this book didn't have any of those, making it a fresh read.

The book takes place in a medieval type world with paranormal aspects. Though it has a fantasy world vibe which often implies action and adventure, this book isn't about that. The journey is about Maddy's internal struggles and finding her way after she doubts her purpose. She's a great character and I really loved following her path.

What's also refreshing is that the book starts off with Maddy already in a relationship and we get to see it grow stronger as she and her girlfriend become closer. And who is she in a relationship with? An older woman that is described as plump and pleasing looking but not pretty. Unfortunately, we don't get details on Maddy or Lillian outside of that but we definitely don't get the perfect and unrealistic supermodels we so often see.

And, where other authors take pleasure in inserting angst and dragging it out to increase the drama, that *also* didn't happen. There were so many instances in this book where a problem was dropped into the story and instead of us having to agonize chapter upon chapter to get a resolution, Ettritch got straight to the point. I would hug this author alone for that if I could.

I found the entire narrative to be engaging and I was completely transported to another world. There was also something about the read I can only describe as warm. This one really got to the heart of me and, in a rare feat, it actually got me teary but in a good way.

This is another indie author that managed to give us a high quality read in both editing and story line. I'm lucky to have found a plethora of Sarah Ettritch books on Scribd and I'll be reading every one of them.

I definitely recommend this.

[Corrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... I don’t say this often but I’m glad this one is done. I don’t think I could have managed much more of this oldey timey road trip with two nuns and an orphan.

I had a total disconnect with the characters or their romantic feelings for each other and the plot couldn’t save it from being a tedious affair. Another inn, another torch-bearing mob, another internal whine fest from Maddy on why Salbine had forsaken her… who is Salbine anyway?

I know not many share my experience, so maybe it’s my mood or just the wrong book at the wrong time. Onwards!

f/f

Themes: nuns, fireballs, unwashed peasants, street urchins, this was not my bag, meh.

2.5 stars

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Ettritch's new novel is one of those stories that sneaks up on you, snuggles in close, and seduces you into reading just a few more pages before you put it down. The words flow so easily and so sweetly on the page that you're halfway through it before you realise the house is quiet, the news is muted on TV, and everybody else has long since gone to bed.

This is lesbian romance at its finest, with characters who are so wonderfully alive that you can't help but fall in love with them from the very first page. Rarely do I come across a character who so completely, so instantaneously, and so effortlessly makes such a lasting connection with me as I found myself enjoying with Maddy. She's honest and genuine, both a loving friend and a friendly lover. Even though she's involved in a May-December romance with Lillian, their love never feels cliched or tenuous.

The Salbine Sisters themselves are a psudeo-religious Order of sorceresses. Organized in a convent-like setting, these women are 'called' to the service of Salbine, and come to learn the art of 'drawing' the elements as part of their faith. Many of the women are lesbians, but this is neither remarkable nor a point of controversy - the joining of two women as concubines is just as special, just as much a cause for celebration, and just as common-place as the joining of a man and woman in marriage. As such, Sarah is free to explore the love of Maddy and Lillian without having to deal with feelings of angst or anxiety regarding their sexual orientation.

In terms of storyline, this is a simple novel, but a powerful one - and one where, upon reflection, it's easy to discern the deeper meaning so subtly woven into the plot.

While her sexuality does not make her an outsider, the fact that Maddy is 'malflowed' - attempting to draw the elements causes her crippling pain - does. Lost, confused, and questioning her place, she begs the Abbess for permission to travel to another Order to research the journals of another (long-deceased) malflowed sister. Along the way, a lack of understanding about her condition causes others to misunderstand her, to judge her wrongly, and to imprison her simply for being who she is.

It's at this point that the simple romance becomes a far more complex drama of love and courage. Without giving away the key turning points of the story, Maddy suffers both emotionally and physically for the misunderstandings of others, but she remains true to herself through it all, finding a renewed purpose in the care of a young girl, abandoned by her mother, and cruelly imprisoned as a thief. Again, I don't want to spoil the ending, but it's a safe bet that love (and Lillian) will truly conquer all.

As much as I enjoed this novel, the ending bothered me at first. I felt like there was no resolution to Maddy's quest to understand being malflowed . . . no tidy explanation of how and why she came to be that way. It was then, of course, that the pieces came together and the deeper meaning emerged. Quite cleverly, Sarah uses Maddy to explore what it means to be an outsider, even as she fools us with a world where that quality which should make Maddy an obvious outsider - her sexual orientation - is embraced and accepted.

There's no resolution because, ultimately, it's no more important to understand why Maddy is malflowed than than it is to understand how she came be a lesbian. Instead, the story is about simply accepting that which makes us different, recognizing what is truly important, and in learning how to live happily ever after. It's an interesting way of making the reader ask those very same questions, even as we enjoy the ride of a thoroughly rewarding love story.

[Jodie Skeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. I enjoyed it so much, that as soon as I finished reading it, I immediately started to read it again. Sarah has built a new and interesting world where young girls can find themselves called to serve as Sisters of Salbine. When they enter the order, they learn how to draw on and use the elements. The book follows Maddy, who has left her family and all she knew to become a Sister of Salbine, who is sure in the knowledge that she's where she's meant to be. Her relationship with the outwardly irascible, yet inwardly shy Lillian, an older Mistress of the order, is bringing her joy. Especially when, after a few stumbles, they work out that they both want more from the other than just a bed partner. All this changes however, when she suffers a crisis of faith after she discovers she can't draw on the elements, which sets her apart from all other Sisters. This prompts her to travel to another monastery to research her condition and hopefully gain an understanding of her place in the world. Little does she know how life changing the journey will be.

Maddy and Lillian are wonderfully written, their budding romance is wonderful, as is the way Maddy can see right past Lillian's gruff exterior. Sarah has given us a wonderful cast of supporting characters and a story that engrosses you from the start. I really like the way Sarah writes, she doesn't bombard you with huge passages of facts and data in setting up this new world, but masterfully weaves snippets of important history and information throughout the story. The Salbine Sisters has everything you would want, at heart a romance but liberally laced with adventure, humour and character growth that has you cheering them on. It's a complete story with no threads left hanging, yet there are some intriguing elements of the story that call out for another book, I'd love to read more in the story of Maddy and Lillian and the Salbine Sisters.

[Cab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think if the bookgroup had not recommended this book it would never have made it to my "to read list" and then I would have missed out on a well written and interesting story.

I have no idea what century this story was based in but it has horses, swords, magic, and women who are intelligent, strong and capable: the last bit being the most important for me personally.

Here’s the thing with this book, I don’t think you have to be someone who reads “fantasy” type books to enjoy this one. The magic or elemental portion of the story is an important factor but it’s not the main factor. Ultimately, the story revolves around Maddy and the fact that her faith has been shaken and her struggle to figure out her place in the world and her struggle with her religious beliefs. Within that is the relationships between the characters of Maddy, Lillian, and eventually Emmey.

I really enjoyed these characters and the author’s process for making the characters grow and in my opinion; to each be more brave.

My only disappointment is that that it appears there is no sequel for this story.

[Ulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the slightly fantastic novels that made me read it in only two days, simply couldn't put it down!! Easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable! In a way it's an "old fashioned" adventure story which I love!

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been 5 star but there were so many things I wanted to know. I wanted to know more (or anything) about Salbine. The world was not really developed.
The characters were nicely developed. I liked the way Maddy and Lillian's characters grew over the course of the book and how you really got to know them, this was how a romance should be written (although I must admit I was expecting more fantasy and less romance)
Would like a sequel with Rose and her consort as the MCs
A solid 4 star book

[Ephemera Pie · Rating 3 out of 5]

(This will also appear at http://ireviewyalit.blogspot.ca/2013/... in November)

*ebook from NetGalley-much thanks!

Introduction
Maddie entered into the monastery of Salbine Sisters, a religious order of offensive mages that draw on the elements to defend their country. She begins her lessons with a mistress that she has taken as her lover, and discovers that she cannot draw on the first element, fire. With the news that there is something different about her, she travels to another monastery to find her answers.

Story
It takes too long to establish how this world works, and I still have questions. Most of all, I want to know more about their religion. At one point we get a run down about Lina from a tapestry, but what about Salbine? It’s the name of their God/Goddess, a central aspect to this story, and I know nothing about Her.
The story was supposed to be about Maddie travelling and researching her condition. The story takes another turn and in the end I was left asking BUT WHAT ABOUT HER CONDITION? Nope, we have just forgotten about that. The book ends. Thanks, Book, for disregarding what you set out to do.
With this said, it was not a terrible story. It meandered all over the place, and it presented itself as fantasy. It’s really a romance. Straight up romances usually aren’t my cup of tea, but this story had me wondering about Lillian and Maddie’s relationship. How can it survive the awful conclusion that she cannot draw on the elements? So much happens consecutively after that, it made me anxious to read what would happen next in their relationship. There are many instances of dialogue that had me smiling or sad-the book was exceptionally moving to me, at times. Aside from a romance, the story accomplishes very little.

Characters
There are a ton of characters. For the most part, they are terribly flat. Because the story is concerned with an order of women, the characters that the reader is concerned with are women. It’s too bad that none of them have a convincing personality-the author populates the covenant with people whose only traits are that they are women. Gwendolyn is evil for about 10 minutes, and she has to most personality out of all the women.

Message
The author’s website says that this is “A story about faith and love.” The faith, the religious kind, was alright until I felt like I was being hit in the face with everyone has a purpose set forth by a higher being. That became old quickly. Because I don’t want to spoil it here, Maddie’s purpose is the kind of thing I rail against with a feminist fervor.

Verdict
Yes, it has two women as lovers, labeled lesbians (though the term is not used in the text), so some people will gasp, cover their mouths, and be offended. In this instance, it would be best to know a person’s sensibilities before you recommend this book. I recommend this book as a love story, not a fantasy. Because there is no fighting against a society that wants them to conform, I don’t even recommend it for people looking for LGBT literature that is about breaking free from society’s rigid structure.

[Wai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Salbine Sisters is a strong character story about love and overcoming adversity. The Salbine Sisters is a religious order of magi who reside together in a monestary. We are introduced to Maddy, an initiate in the order who is having difficulty calling the elements and as such has been receiving tutelage from one of the most powerful mages in the order, Lillian. By the time the story starts, the two have also formed a relationship beyond that of Mistress and student.

The problems start, not because of the lesbian relationship nor the age difference (although that does concern Lillian) nor the difference in rank but the fact that despite receiving a calling to serve the order it transpires that Maddy is what the Sisters term 'malflowed' which is an inability to wield elements or perform magic. Whilst those around Maddy attempt to convince her that performing magic is not the only thing there is to being a sister in the service of Salbine it's not long before Maddy sets out on a journey to another monestary to research the journals of another who suffered from the same problem.

Unfortunately, she never arrives and it turns out that the general populace also shares the view that wielding magic is part and parcel of being a sister and Maddy is viewed a fraud and sent to prison. It is there where she meets Emmey and suffers hardship and learns what it is to be in the service of Salbine.

I can't express how wonderful, sweet and romantic this love story is. All three of the main characters, Maddy, Lillian and Emmey go through a personal journey and by the end of the book are where they need to be. Maddy's journey is especially harrowing and heart rending. As I've stated, this is very much a character story so there is little to no world building to detract from the story. For example, we don't know where the order came from, the name of the world or country it is set in, why those called have markings appear on their hands. And you know what? It doesn't need it either.

Another review of mine slated authors who ended their books in a cliff hanger and I admonished that a good story is sufficient to make a reader want further books by the author. The Salbine Sisters is a self contained novel where every major thread is resolved but is such a great story that I would love to see a sequel set perhaps five years in the characters future. I'm racking my brains but I would also have to say that this is the first lesbian romance that I've read and I wonder if there are similar ilk of such a high standard?

[Heather A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Salbine Sisters by Sarah Ettritch My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars. A very enjoyable, well written story. I enjoyed it immensely. I found the setting quite fascinating, a middle age monastery following an Order of Sisters who worship the goddess Salbine, who gives them the ability to draw on the elements, giving them great power. The story starts off with the budding romance between the main character, initiate sister Maddy and her teacher, much older Mistress Lillian, a very powerful mage.The characters are vivid, and the writing wonderfully descriptive, bringing the monastery and the setting to life so its very clear to picture what's going on. both Maddy and Lillian are very likeable characters with their own voices and own conflicts and inner turmoil about their relationship.>>SPOILERS>>>Though when Maddy discovers she can't draw the elements and is what they term a "malflowed" sister, it throws her completely out of whack, leaving her to question everything about her decision to be part of the Order, and the impact on her relationship with Lillian. Maddy sets off to discover more about her condition in another abbey where their records show of another Sister with the same "malflowed" condition. And she runs into many hardships during her journey. Until news gets back to the Sisters in her order and Lillian comes to rescue her. >>>>There were a few twists on Maddy's journey, which surprised me, but all in all the theme of the novel seemed to be about finding yourself and where you truly belong. Some of it was rather emotional and actually made my eyes mist over, particularly towards the end. My only real issue with the novel was it was rather repetitive in some aspects, particularly of Maddy's inner turmoil and a previous relationship of Lillian's that ended badly that was mentioned numerous times, and a will they won't they wind up together after everything for Maddy and Lillian.Even so, a really good book. Thank you to Netgalley for approving me request to view this title.

[Grace Krispy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel by Sarah Ettritch, "The Salbine Sisters" looks at a world where powerful women are revered for their magical ability to draw upon the four elements. What happens when one of the chosen turns out to not have the same abilities? Is there truly a place in the order for those who cannot perform as expected? Part sweet love story, part personal journey, this tale is masterfully woven together with fluid prose and a well-paced storyline. The author entwines key details of the world perfectly into the story, and I was never left confused or unsure about what was going on. Being able to draw my own conclusions from the dialogue and events really allowed me to become completely engaged. And this story was engaging from the very beginning; it never really seemed to lag and I was riveted throughout.

The ending offers the reader closure, tying up the threads nicely while still leaving room to think about the future. The story doesn't progress the way you might expect, which lends its own element of delight and satisfaction. The message I see in the story is applicable to all of us in that we may not always realize that the answers given us are not necessarily the answers we expect. Maddy and Lillian possess both strong and fragile characteristics, but their strengths and weaknesses compliment one other. I loved the interchanges between the two of them, and those scenes allowed us to learn a lot about their characters without ever being told explicitly by the author. Their relationship was sweet, but it was not without its own bumps in the road, and those bumps gave the chance for the characters to show growth. Each woman discovers what she needs to become whole, and for each of them, it's not what she had expected. The supporting characters were perfectly placed in a way that added much to the overall story.

A very enjoyable and heartwarming story that utterly engages from start to finish! Strongly recommended.

@ MotherLode blog

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blurb:

She gave up everything to become a Salbine Sister, member of a religious order of powerful female mages. But when Maddy nearly dies while trying to draw forth elemental fire, she learns that Salbine has withdrawn from her the gifts every sister works to master. Feeling trapped in an order to which she no longer has any right to belong and believing herself unworthy of the love of Lillian, one of the most powerful mages in the sisterhood, Maddy begs the abbess to let her travel to another monastery to research her condition.

On her journey, Maddy's faith in both herself and Salbine are tested to their limits. When she attempts to draw fire and fails horribly, frightened townsfolk throw Maddy into prison. Fearing that the abbess will never learn her fate and rescue her, Maddy resigns herself to a short and brutal life.

The only bright spot in Maddy's existence is Emmey, the pickpocket with whom she shares a cell. Through her and the steadfast love of Lillian, Maddy learns that Salbine's purpose is not always the same for everyone, and that love and compassion are more valuable than magic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I liked the book. It is different from any book that I would normally read. I like some parts of the book more than others. I like the magic but not so much the "love" of Lillian and Maddy. I think that this book would interest alot of people as long as they don't mind their relationship.

More to come later....

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book as a giveaway. I think this book had a lot of potential, but I'm not sure if it quite reached it. The story itself was interesting. The world was, I think, my favorite part. I wanted to like this book more than I actually did, really. I think my main problem with it was the character's voices. I had a very hard time understanding why or how Maddy fell in love with Lillian to tell the truth. While towards the end of the book Lillian did soften up, through most of it, I just really didn't like her. She was either a cold bi*ch or a self pitying wimp. While Maddy seemed intent on going her own way and listening to none of the people who cared about her. The character I liked the best was actually the abbess. She seemed the most real to me.
It did seem to me as if this book is the beginning of a series or at least will have a sequel. I do hope that it does actually. I would like to see more in this world, and I am interested in seeing these characters grow.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story, the setting and the characters are wonderful. I love the way Sarah writes - it flows perfectly and is brimming with emotion.
The Salbine Sisters for me is a romance novel set in a fantasy world with a splash of magic and spirituality. However, it is definitely first and foremost a romance novel... And I love it! I wish there was more.

**mild spoiler**



Yet, as I finished this book I am slightly disappointed. There is so much more potential in terms of the story line and the progression of the characters. Sarah has weaved a story that for me is not complete. There is more to this story and I can almost feel what the story may entail next.

Regardless, it is definitely worth the read!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually finished this last night but couldn't let go of the afterglow. What at sweet and wonderful story. So far I haven't read anything by Sarah Ettritch that I haven't loved. Her books aren't erotica or anything untoward, just stories of love occurring in different venues.

I can't imagine how a sequel could come about with all threads leading to a satisfying ending, but I loved all the characters so much I would love to see what could happen later.

Take your chances, pick up her books. Imagination fuels Ms. Ettritch's novels.

[Andi C Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as a result of a post on the Outer Alliance mailing list. It's not a particularly complex story, but what it does it does very well, weaving religious and personal journeys together in a well thought out and highly readable novel. I'm not sure if there's a sequel planned, but I feel the world it is set in - and particularly the nature of the religious order - has the potential for a lot more exploration.

[Anna "Andi" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as a result of a post on the Outer Alliance mailing list. It's not a particularly complex story, but what it does it does very well, weaving religious and personal journeys together in a well thought out and highly readable novel. I'm not sure if there's a sequel planned, but I feel the world it is set in - and particularly the nature of the religious order - has the potential for a lot more exploration.

[D. Omars · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was a little interesting. The story had drama, suspense, with some bits of adventure and romance. The drama and suspense was good, but not the adventure and romance was not that good. If that was not enough, the major problem I had with this book is that it focused mostly on the inner conflicts of a main character, which got really boring later in the story. It was a little disappointing and I would give it a score of 2.7, but I can't. So am going to round it up.

[Kaiti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so disappointed in this book. The premise is amazing but all the characters are really flat, the pacing is really weird, and the writing is just not all that great.

There was no chemistry between Lillian and Maddy at all, and I just wasn't emotionally invested in the book at all.

3 stars anyways because the premise and lesbians.

If it hadn't been for lesbians i would have abandoned it very early on.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Ettritch has a gift for making me want to keep reading when I should be doing something else. I was almost late for work this morning because it was hard to put this down.

I was caught up in the story of Maddy and Lillian, members of the religious order of the Salbine Sisters. Maddy is a young Sister who is assigned to Mistress Lillian to learn fire magic, but their relationship quickly goes beyond student-teacher.

This is a combination love story, coming-of-age novel, and quest.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that I enjoyed reading. It was a bit slow in the first half, but eventually picked up quite a bit by the middle, when some serious events challenged one of the protagonists. By that point, I absolutely had to find out what happened. It was good enough for me to want to check out the author's other books.

[Blu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story in which the internal angst about purpose and roles in life are central to Maddy's growth.
I related a great deal with Lillian ~ bemused and clumsy as she navigates their relationship.
Thank you Sarah for a great tale and to The Cocktail Hour for introducing me to this author!

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a little while for me to get into it but by the end, I was hooked.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would go 3.5 if that were an option.

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm too old for sugary girly romance.