Review (T2T): Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Tags: YA, historical fiction, fantasy, siblings, magic

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary

After the deaths of their parents, twins Alice and Lia discover that an ancient prophecy will put them against one another. The prophecy states that one sister is the guardian of peace between this world and the Otherworld, while the other is the conduit through which the monsters of the Otherworld can travel into our world.

But which sister is which? As Lia struggles to come to terms with her own destiny, she is forced to realize that the sister she knew all her life may have always been a dangerous mystery. With newfound allies, Lia plunges further into the story of the prophecy in order to save the world from ruin at the hands of the Lost Souls.

Review

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS begins a trilogy that speaks of olden times, musty secrets, and shadowy danger everywhere you turn. Michelle Zink sets the mood extremely well: the threat of darkness lurks on every page, and I kept on picturing the story running through my head in black and white and sepia. This insistence on a lurking danger makes the story all the more suspenseful and will keep you reading, frantically flipping the pages as if that will release some of the tension.

This book is mostly exposition for the promise of more action, more peril in future books. Because of that, readers who crave nonstop action will have difficulty getting into this book. The reading is worth it, however, as the prophecy is intricately created and fascinatingly complex. I have no idea how Michelle made the ominous prophecy so captivating, but she does.

I would like to see more character development in the future novels. Because the story is told from Lia’s first-person point of view, I sometimes had trouble understanding how all the characters came to be who they are, and how their stories and personalities are interconnected. In particular, I’m curious to see Alice develop into more than just a suggestion of the “wicked sister;” she seems like such a fascinatingly evil character that I would’ve loved to see how she thinks, how she became that way!

Perhaps the most striking part of PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS, though, is its unpredictability. Michelle defies conventional storytelling and adds surprising twists and events that, in retrospect, seem as if they belonged there all along. This book is no happily-ever-after tale; Lia’s losses are truly tragic and thus poignant. Michelle understands that triumph hardly ever occurs without losses, some of which are heartbreaking.

All in all, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS is a promising start to a trilogy that will appeal to fans of gothic literature or dark historical fiction with a hint of the occult. I look forward to reading more about where the prophecy takes Lia and the rest of the characters.

Similar Authors

Libba Bray

Writing: 4/5

Characters: 3/5

Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Cover discussion: 3.5 out of 5 - I love how eerie it is. Totally fitting for the mood of this novel.

Little, Brown / Aug. 1, 2009

Traveling to Teens is a YA blog tour production currently hosted mostly by the incredible Yan. I don't know what happened to the Weebly as of now, but you should keep your eyes out for other T2T stops for Prophecy!