As I travel round the world, following in the footsteps of my factual and fictional female characters to research their stories, I am constantly humbled and awed by the tenacity and courage of the generations of women who came before me. Whether fighting the sexual and racial prejudices of times gone by, losing their loved ones to the devastation of war or disease, or making a new life on the other side of the world, these women paved the way for us to have the freedom of thought and deed that we enjoy today. And so often take for granted. The Shadow Sister really is Lucinda’s best yet. The scope of this series is breathtaking and each book is more captivating than the last The silent one who must find her voice – set in London and Edwardian England, featuring Royal scandals and Beatrix Potter in the beautiful Lake District. When Ally discovers her musical heritage, it re-awakens her creativity and her passion for playing the flute. Do you think such talents are passed on via nature or nurture? When I first had the idea of writing a series of books based on The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades, I had no idea where it would lead me. I was very attracted to the fact that each one of the mythological sisters was, according to their legends, a unique and strong female. Some say they were the Seven Mothers who seeded our earth – there is no doubt that, in their stories, they were all highly fertile! – and had many children with the various Gods who were fascinated by their strength, beauty and ethereal air of mysticism.

There, Ally begins to discover her roots – and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived there over a hundred years before, and sang in the first performance of Grieg’s iconic music set to Ibsen’s play ‘Peer Gynt’. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And why is the seventh sister missing? Absolutely impossible to put down! The Seven Sisters books just keep getting better and better' - Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow Ally has also recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, which leads her to the icy beauty of Norway . . . Daily Mail The Storm Sister is like a literary musical score - crashing waves, staccato heartstopping moments and a crescendo waiting in the wings. Lucinda Riley (1965-2021) was the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including The Orchid House, The Girl on the Cliff, and the Seven Sisters series. Her books sold twenty million copies in thirty-five languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divided her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children.Theo explains to Ally the anagram of her last name, ‘D’Aplièse’. Did you notice any other allusions to the Greek mythology that the series is based on? How well do Ally and the other characters correspond in the modern day to their mythological counterparts?

As Star learns more of Flora's incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love. Listed in the Music category on Art In Fiction, The Storm Sister (2016) is Book 2 of 6 in the Seven Sisters series of novels by internationally renowned bestselling author Lucinda Riley.

Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father – the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star – the most enigmatic of the sisters – is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world . . . The spellbinding series continues in the icy beauty of Norway. Following the bestselling The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister is the second book in Lucinda Riley's epic saga of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the Seven Sisters constellation. Ally and Anna both deal with many different kinds of grief throughout their fictional journeys – did you identify with their reactions to their circumstances? I’m sure that like me, there will be one sister in particular you will most identify with, and a sister you like the least. However, the beauty of writing about the girls is that each of them have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Just as we all do.

Star D'Aplièse, in her late twenties, is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father – the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star – the most enigmatic of the sisters – is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world . . . Jens, Anna’s lover and errant husband is portrayed as a cad and a bounder. This is obvious to every other character in the book and to the readers – but not to Anna herself. Do you think some women are destined to fall for unsuitable men? And I wanted to celebrate the achievements of women, especially in the past, where so often, their contribution to making our world the place it is today has been overshadowed by the more frequently documented achievements of men. And then there is Pa Salt, the sisters’ enigmatic father, his character only seen through the eyes of his grieving daughters after he dies. Who was he? And why did he adopt his girls from all four corners of the earth..? A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter. But, when machinations outside of her control lead her to the London home of one of Edwardian society's most notorious players, Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family. But she finds herself a pawn in a game – the rules of which are only known to others – until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life . . .There, Ally begins to discover her roots and her inextricable connection to a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived over a hundred years ago and sang in the first performance of Grieg’s iconic music set to Ibsen’s playPeer Gynt. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also starts to question who her father really was—and why the seventh sister is missing. A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter, when machinations outside her control lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society’s most notorious players, Alice Keppel. Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a game – the rules of which are only known to others, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life . . . The Seven Sisters is a story about humanity: love, family, joy, loss, fear and pain. And above all, the one gift that is more important than any other, and has kept us humans alive throughout unbearable suffering: HOPE.

Ally recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, leading to the icy beauty of Norway . . .What did you think of Theo’s unromantic and pragmatic proposal? Would it upset you if you were proposed to this way? There, Ally begins to discover her roots – and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived there over a hundred years before, and sang in the first performance of Grieg's iconic music set to Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt'. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And she begins to wonder: why is their seventh sister missing? How does Pa Salt’s quote for Ally, ‘In moments of weakness, you will find your greatest strength,’ affect and aid her decisions on her journey? Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow A deliciously twisting plot with clues cleverly paced along the way. I could hardly wait to solve the mystery of Star's origins. Thoroughly addictive storytelling with a moving, emotional heart Following on from the bestselling The Seven Sisters and The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister is the third book in Lucinda Riley's spellbinding series of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the Seven Sisters constellation.