Review: Prophecy of the Sisters, by Michelle Zink

I was a bit reluctant to start this book as I was afraid it would be another YA paranormal book full of swooning heroines and love triangles (not my cup of tea), but it ended up not being exactly that.

Prophecy of the Sisters is the first book in a trilogy of the same name (the second one, Guardian of the Gate is already out and the third one, Circle of Fire, is coming out this August). While it definitely had the making of a paranormal story, it is more a Gothic tale of Good versus Evil. Lia and Alice are twin sisters who are part of a prophecy as old as time. One is The Guardian, bound to keep the Lost Souls from crossing through our realm. One is The Gate, the one who will open the way for the Lost Souls, the demons, and eventually Samael, The Beast, who will bring forth the Apocalypse in its most Biblical grandeur. The two sisters will have to fight each other to finally end the prophecy once and for all, for Good or Evil. For that they need the Keys, and time is running short.

I must say the book was rather slow, not really boring, but definitely not one that can stand on its own without its sequels. It clearly establishes everything, which is fascinating. There were lots of details and lots of layers to the prophecy whom the narrator, Lia, had to uncover. And we, as readers, were as ignorant as her. Her slow process was realistic, but could also drag a little, nevertheless I was fascinated. What can I say, I am a sucker for dark mythology and end-of-the-world prophecies. I found myself annoyed at times, mostly when the characters were trying to figure out the nature and place of the mystical Keys. It was obvious to me where and what they were and I grew a bit impatient with them, though it wasn't the characters' fault, it was a knowledge only acquired through reading too many fantasy books. Like the knowledge my mom has after reading and re-reading all of Agatha Christie's books and knowing who the murderer is before the end. If I were to read one (and when I do read one) I am lost until the end when everything is revealed. It would have been quite unrealistic for the characters to jump to the same conclusion as me so fast, but still I waited with impatience for them to realize what seemed to me to be obvious.

Lia was a good character, although a bit soft and weak willed at first, but she slowly grew into her power which made her more interesting. I presume I will like her much more in the sequels. My favorite characters were her friends Luisa and Sonia, who were much more vivacious and energetic. Oh, and to be spared a mushy love story or love triangle! Bliss! Although I am sure one or the other or both will crop up in the sequels as they always do in YA novel with female protagonists, it was a breath of fresh air to not have it thrown at me from the start.

Overall, I thought it was a great start, albeit a bit slow and dragging in places, but I expect that this is the kind of trilogy where things and events build slowly upon each other until the inevitable explosive finale. Although it may seem boring for some, I was still fascinated by the world of the Prophecy and will surely read the sequels.