Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
The year is 1890. Lia and her twin sister Alice have just been orphaned by the death of their father, and in the aftermath, Lia discovers that she and Alice have roles to play in an ominous prophecy. The prophecy pits the two against each other: one is the Gate, who has the potential to open the doors between the underworld and Earth; and the other is the Guardian, who is supposed to make sure that doesn’t happen. But while Lia just learned about the prophecy, Alice has a head start…
There have been a number of books recently that have been based on the legend of the fallen angels and the “daughters of men.” Prophecy of the Sisters is now several years old, yet feels fresher than most of its kind. Michelle Zink adds some interesting twists to the legend, including some allusions to Celtic myth that I can’t wait to see explored further.
Zink’s writing is beautiful, perfectly evoking a Gothic mood. The rainy gray skies and the sisters’ rambling, lonely house make for terrific dark-and-stormy-night reading. If you read Prophecy of the Sisters on a bright sunny day, it’ll probably surprise you when you look up from the book and realize it’s not actually raining in real life. The leaky carriage house full of forbidden books is a great touch too – and makes my bibliophilic heart ache! (I’d gladly give those books a good home!)
Lia tackles the prophecy with the help of two new friends, Sonia and Luisa. She has a sweetheart, too, but refuses to lean on James in any way. As a character decision, this is a little frustrating, because he’s willing to help and Lia’s stubbornness can be annoying. As an authorial decision, though, I like it. The YA field is filled, at the moment, with spineless heroines whose lives revolve around their love interest. It’s gratifying to see a heroine who teams up with her girl friends to solve her problems.
Alice, and Lia’s relationship with her, could use some fleshing out. Alice seems almost sociopathic at times, while at other times she seems heartbroken by the role laid out for her, and I’m not sure how much her behavior is being influenced by supernatural forces and how much of it is “just her.” I’d also like to have seen the overarching plot move a little further in this installment, but in general I enjoyed sinking into Lia’s deliciously Gothic world and will definitely be picking up Guardian of the Gate.
Prophecy of the Sisters is for you if you like Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle series, Leanna Renee Hieber’s Strangely Beautiful series, or Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
Prophecy of the Sisters — (2009-2012) Young adult. Publisher: Sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents’ deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her. Debut novelist Michelle Zink takes readers on an unforgettable journey where one sister’s fateful decision could have an impact of Biblical proportion.
Novellas:
Sounds intriguing. Will look out for it.