Sing to the pretty girl

Take her by the hand,

Else, she’ll go

With the Apple Tree Man!

Singing, pour me a cider,

Like I never had me one,

Pour me a cider,

Give everybody some!

~Charles de Lint

Don’t ask Lily Kindred if there are faeries living in her hills. She knows there are. When a young woman called Sarah-Jane Dillard comes to her farm to find out about the mysterious spinster, Lily takes her under her wing. She teaches Sarah about the faeries, how to treat them, and how to keep herself, and her six other sisters, out of reach of the more dangerous ones. But when a wounded Ginseng faerie comes to Sarah, and Sarah out of compassion helps him, the Dillard girls and Lily are dragged into a dangerous feud… and the faeries are out for blood.

The faeries in Seven Wild Sisters are not Tinkerbell. They closely resemble their European counterparts, they are unpredictable, and some, like the antagonistic bee fairies, can be dangerous. This version of the faeries is unfamiliar to Americans, but they are not uncommon in the Celtic nations from which so many Americans originally come.

The only truly trustworthy faerie is the Apple Tree Man, a steadying force and descendant of the Celtic Green Man. The Green Man is the guardian of the forest and wild places, known to look after humans more than other faeries. Apple Tree Man is not literally a descendant of the Green Man, but he fulfills the same function in the story. He is both wise and clever, using his skill to get the girls out of danger. Like the Green Man, Apple Tree Man is a solitary faerie, preferring the company of a select few, to that of the faerie courts. He doesn’t like the airs they put on, nor their silly feuds. He’s a simple man, who loves simple things, his books, his cider… and Lily.

The Apple Tree Man goes out on a limb (pun totally intended) for the Dillard girls and Lily, in getting himself involved in the feud between the Bees and the Ginseng at all. He does this out of love for Lily, and is truly an honorable being. It is clear that he loves Lily enough to stay away from her, as he is nigh-immortal and cannot watch her age and die in her world, or watch her pine for home in his. In the end, Lily decides that she had enough of his games and chooses to stay with him.

Unlike Apple Tree Man, the Bee Faerie Queen is highly unstable. Much like the Queen of Hearts, or more accurately, Queen Mab of the unseelie faeries, she is cruel and capricious. She screams and pouts when she doesn’t get her way, even killing her own people when they dare question her. And disowning her own daughters when they marry into the Ginseng Faerie royal family. She is ultimately made to pay for her crimes, as the longstanding feud comes to an end.

Sarah-Jane and her sisters love each other and stand together when faced with the dangerous Bee Faeries, demonstrating that love is stronger than hatred.

The feud started when all of the Bee Faerie princesses ran away with the Ginseng princes, trying to bring their courts together. It doesn’t work as well as they’d hoped.

There is some violence involved in this faerie feud, starting with one of the Ginseng men getting filled with bee-arrows. There is also some blood and threats of death toward the girls. Additionally, the book describes a bit of the folk magic involved with thanking the faeries for letting humans take from their realm. Sarah also discusses her discomfort with God’s omniscience. Also, one of the older sister’s hijinks involves running away with a boy.

All in all, Seven Wild Sisters is a great girl-centric adventure story. The details of the world draw you in, making you believe in faeries, so long as the book is open. Rich with story, lovingly illustrated, and crafted with care, Mr. de Lint has made a world full of secrets and adventure. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves mythology and the land of Faerie!