Review: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

I know, I know, you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but from the moment I saw The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink, it nagged at me to buy it. It just seemed mysterious, maybe a little creepy, definitely dark. I hadn't picked it up yet but Mel @ He Followed Me Home asked if I could give her some input on it, so I borrowed hers and, well, devoured it. On my way back from returning it to her, I immediately stopped to purchase my own copy.

Prophecy of the Sisters takes place in a small town New York in the late 1800's. The twin girls live in a large manor house, set a distance from the town, and surrounded by woods, a river and cliffs. As we start the book, the girls are at the funeral of their father. (See what I mean? Perfect setting for dark themes!)

Lia is the narrator, so we get to see her inner workings very well. Her twin sister Alice, is another story, having been involved in some sinister actions. Lia is unaware of the Prophecy mentioned but gradually comes to the realization of its effect on her and her twin's life.

We get a taste of scary nightmarish-realms, a strange bond between the sisters that transcends the love/hate relationship, and find out about what their father was working on before his death, that could potentially put an end to the Prophecy or see it to its ultimate, disastrous fruition.

There are some parts of the story that left me wanting more; the relationship between Lia and James is only touched on but I can see where he may play a larger role in the future. Also, the Prophecy itself is multifaceted and left me with some confusion. But I am confident that anything that was unclear or untouched will become known throughout the future book(s).

I have done nothing but rave about this book since reading it, though I can't really pinpoint why it effected me so much. Perhaps its the dark imagery invoked or the multiple myths/legends/folklore that are blended into the story. I know for sure that I'm very much looking forward to continuing this story when Guardian of the Gate gets released in August of this year.