The Prophecy of the Sisters
by Michelle Zink
Release Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Little Brown
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher
Interest: Author
Challenge: None
Buy the Book: Amazon
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Without the Keys, something terrible will happen. Something that cannot be undone. And with them, I might bring an end to the riddle of the Prophecy and my strange part in it. If Alice and I are on conflicting sides of the Prophecy, the Keys would be dangerous in her hands. Which means I have to find them. And I have to do it before my sister.
Sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe has just recently lost her father, leaving her parentless. But when a strange mark appears on her wrist, she realizes she is being branded with much more than her newfound title of orphan. Lia and her twin sister Alice are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other.
Lia hides this discovery from Alice and even from her beloved James, but to escape from the burden this secret bestows she must end the prophecy-before her sister. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the mark on her wrist, the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her, and the impact the resolution of the prophecy could have.
With, haunting, lyrical prose, this multi-layered story of family, friendship, and romance explores the timeless question of predetermination versus free will. And it takes readers on an unforgettable coming-of-age journey where one sister's self-discovery could have an impact of Biblical proportion.
I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book. But for some reason I was apprehensive to do so... I mean this book has been sitting on my bookshelf for ever! Probably a year... oops. And I am kicking myself for not picking it up earlier!
It was a little slow for me at first... there wasn't much happening, I was trying to figure out exactly what was going on. But the beautiful writing and the richly descriptive details of the era kept me engaged. Lia's story was so passionately told in the first person narrative, I couldn't help but contemplate and solve this mystery along with her. Just wow... characterization was just awesome. Lia is what really drew me to the story, the mystery is probably what kept me reading, but Lia was the catalyst.
The premise of the story was something completely unique... to me at least. I haven't read anything quite like it. I've read novels about prophecies before but nothing that tied two sisters together in this sort of situation. It seems as though we still have a lot to learn about the Prophecy... but the things we did discover are enough to hold the reader over until the next installment.
This novel is just gorgeous! The writing, the setting... the characters. It just works to well. The plot might have been a little slow, but the other elements of the story far outweigh that. I can't wait to read the next installment of this series! (And I won't have to wait long... Guardian of the Gate hits shelves Aug. 1!!!)