Great Alta Series by Jane Yolen

Then Great Alta plaited the left side of her hair, the golden side, and let in fall into the sinkhole of the night. And there she drew up the queen of shadows and set her upon the earth. Next she plaited the right side of her hair, the dark side, and with it caught the queen of light. And she set her next to the black queen. "And you two shall be sisters. You shall be as images in a glass, the one reflecting the other.. moreThen Great Alta plaited the left side of her hair, the golden side, and let in fall into the sinkhole of the night. And there she drew up the queen of shadows and set her upon the earth. Next she plaited the right side of her hair, the dark side, and with it caught the queen of light. And she set her next to the black queen. "And you two shall be sisters. You shall be as images in a glass, the one reflecting the other..."Raised on a mountainside, Jenna learned the arts of the warrior, and from the mountain women the magic of the ancient lore. The greatest magic was calling her dark sister from the depths of the mirror of the land of light and shadow. Skada, the dark one, existed only when the moonlight cast a shadow or lamplight flickered in a darkened room. less

World Fantasy Award for Best NovelALA Best Books for Young AdultsBook Two of the Great Alta SagaJenna was the White Queen.Skada was the Dark Queen. She is bound to Jenna—the other half of Jenna’s self. Drawn out of a mirror by a rite of magic, a “dark sister” is confined to the dark. She vanishes in daylight. It is in this other world the dark sisters wait for moonlight or lamplight to call them forth again... moreWorld Fantasy Award for Best NovelALA Best Books for Young AdultsBook Two of the Great Alta SagaJenna was the White Queen.Skada was the Dark Queen. She is bound to Jenna—the other half of Jenna’s self. Drawn out of a mirror by a rite of magic, a “dark sister” is confined to the dark. She vanishes in daylight. It is in this other world the dark sisters wait for moonlight or lamplight to call them forth again.This is their story: of myths turned real, ordinary people turned heroes, a land turned inside out by the coming of White Jenna. less

In the classic of modern fantasy, we hear the tale, ancient and brazen, of White Jenna, born in sorrow, raised among warrior women,and taught to call forth her shadow sister by the light of the moon.And we learn what the later world makes of the lives of Jenna, of her princely lover, and her shadow-self: what legends are told of the White Queen, what songs are sung of King Longbow, what tales are whispered of Dark Skada... moreIn the classic of modern fantasy, we hear the tale, ancient and brazen, of White Jenna, born in sorrow, raised among warrior women,and taught to call forth her shadow sister by the light of the moon.And we learn what the later world makes of the lives of Jenna, of her princely lover, and her shadow-self: what legends are told of the White Queen, what songs are sung of King Longbow, what tales are whispered of Dark Skada. Of the tragic myths and glorious histories that time will make of their lives--and their deaths. less

In a land of magic, the great warrior Queen known as White Jenna has found a frail, one-armed child on the battlefield. She adopts the child and names her Scillia. As is custom with the Hames of the Dales, Scillia will be next in line for the throne. A great honor. But Jem—Jenna's natural-born son—covets the throne for himself. Will he risk open rebellion to claim what he believes is rightfully his?Can Scillia stop him?

A foretold warrior and her dark sister join forces to dismantle and remake their embattled world.1 Sister Light, Sister Dark Three-times orphaned and raised secretly by the acolytes of the goddess Alta, the child Jenna studies the ways of the warrior in preparation for the day that has been prophesied. For she may well be the goddess reborn who, with the aid of Skada—her mirror twin who can reveal herself only in darkness—is fated to bring devastation to the world... moreA foretold warrior and her dark sister join forces to dismantle and remake their embattled world.1 Sister Light, Sister Dark Three-times orphaned and raised secretly by the acolytes of the goddess Alta, the child Jenna studies the ways of the warrior in preparation for the day that has been prophesied. For she may well be the goddess reborn who, with the aid of Skada—her mirror twin who can reveal herself only in darkness—is fated to bring devastation to the world.2 White JennaGrown to young womanhood, the warrior Jenna offers her allegiance to the rightful king of the Dales—and her heart to his brother, Carum—joining the fight against the malevolent usurper Kalas. But the powerful despot appears unstoppable, dedicated to the destruction of the worshippers of Alta, the society of women in which the orphaned Jenna was lovingly raised.3 The One-Armed Queen Having fulfilled an ancient prophecy, the Queen of the Dales must now keep her faltering kingdom safe from a looming terror, and prepare her chosen successor—a one-armed orphan girl she discovered on the battlefield—for the grim responsibilities of rule. less