Enchanting Review: Prophecy of the Sisters

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS
MICHELLE ZINK
YA Fantasy
Little, Brown Young Readers
ISBN# 0316027421
343 pages
$17.99
Hardcover – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS really has two major players in the story. Alice and Lia are twin sisters living in the times of corset and petticoats. Lia, from whose point-of-view the story is told, is the more awkward of the sisters but has a kind heart and a gentle soul. Her sister, on the other hand, exudes confidence and ambition. If the clash in personalities wasn’t enough to separate these two sisters, the recent death of their father brings to light a truth that could put the girls on opposite sides of an age-old battle.

Since childhood, James has owned Lia's heart. A charming young man who works with his father in the family bookstore, James makes frequent trips to Lia’s home to catalogue her father’s expansive book collection. A happy side effect of these trips is the time that James and Lia get to spend together. Whether it’s secret visits to cuddle under their favorite tree or a stroll along the water, these two lovebirds seem to have a fairly strong bond. When the darkness starts to encroach on the light, however, it will be a challenge to see if the strength of their love can keep the two together.

The Prophecy of the Sisters is an ancient tale, often thought of as myth, of two sisters destined to serve as the line between good and evil. At first Lia doesn’t want to believe to the story; in the prophecy, one sister shall act as the guardian of peace while the other acts as the gateway to the Apocalypse. When Lia discovers a strange mark bloom on her skin shortly after her father’s death, she’ll be led on a journey of discovery. With this prophecy potentially at play, she may not like what she discovers.

I absolutely loved PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS. In my opinion, Ms. Zink did an amazing job taking an old myth and giving it her own special twist to create this compelling story. If it makes any sense, part of what made this book so great was the simplicity of the story while keeping the complexity of the layers at the same time. With the multiple twists and turns throughout the story, I expected to get bogged down at some point, but Ms. Zink’s writing remained very fluid and easy to follow. Even though there was quite a bit of devious scheming and some side story, this maintained a natural progression. Meanwhile, Ms. Zink instilled quite a bit of elaboration within the story. Twists and turns combined with quite a few unexpected events made for a story that was unpredictable yet comfortable.

The other part of this book that made it a winner to me is the romance within the story. As we proceed through the story we learn more about the love between James and Lia. There is definitely a tender feel to the characters; at the same time there is also something you can’t quite put your finger on. There is something different in the relationship that will be exciting to explore in Ms. Zink’s future books.

Admittedly, I am an easily spooked person. When I first started reading PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS I did so in bed, in the middle of the night by myself. I would probably not recommend that. Once I really understood where the story was going, a little of the spook factor went away, but overall there is definitely a creepy aspect to the book. Between the voices whispering in the dark and the midnight rituals, this story really got the hairs on the back of my neck hopping up. The best way to describe this book is dark and deliciously addictive. I read this story in a day and now am excited to see what else Ms. Zink has up her sleeves.

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS is book one in a trilogy; the second book, Guardian of the Gate is due out August 2010. Ms. Zink can be found online at http://michellezinkbooks.wordpress.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
February 2010