Prophecy of the Sisters (Trilogy, Book 1) by Michelle Zink

Prophecy of the Sisters (Trilogy, Book 1)
Michelle Zink
Little, Brown Young Readers (2009)
ISBN 9780316027427
Reviewed by McKenzie Tritt (age 15) for Reader Views (9/09)

Lia Milthorpe, along with her twin sister Alice, is a newly orphaned sixteen-year-old. Now she must cope with the mysterious deaths of both her mother and father. But when a mysterious mark shows up on her wrist, Lia soon learns that she is much more than an orphan. Both sisters are now a part of an age-old prophecy in which generations of sisters have been turned against each in the battle of good and evil.

Lia must now learn her place in the prophecy, all while keeping her secret hidden from Alice and even her love, James. During her tumultuous journey, Lia must learn about the prophecy in secret in order to keep Alice from learning the secrets as well. But Alice may know more than Lia believes, and Alice’s knowledge could prove to be trouble for both Lia and those around her.

The prophecy gives each sister a part: One has the power to save the world and keep the gates closed, while the other has the power to open the gates to the devil and his followers, unleashing chaos unto the earth. The questions are which sister plays which part and how do they use their roles to fulfill the prophecy? Will the sisters unite for a good cause or will they be split apart because of evil forces?

Along her journey, Lia will discover more than she ever wishes to know, but she must continue forward in the hopes of saving herself and her loved ones. Not only will she learn that many of those close to her are involved in the prophecy, but she’ll also learn about the mark on her wrist, the circumstances surrounding her parents untimely deaths, and just what type of a person her sister, Alice, really is.

“Prophecy of the Sisters (Trilogy, Book 1)” by Michelle Zink seemed like the perfect book for me; it was full of mystery, intrigue, and darkness. I believe that Michelle Zink’s concept was spot on, but the delivery of the idea, however, was not. I found the beginning much too rushed and the rest of the events only seemed to lead up to a sequel. The entire time we only learned about the prophecy, but nothing was every really done in order to hinder it. The book revolved entirely around the quest for answers. As soon as one answer was discovered, another question popped up. It was essentially just an endless hide-and-seek game. There were some redeeming qualities, however. The prose and language in which this book was written was lovely. I felt that it reflected the time period very well. The characters also helped the story out. I found many to be interesting and I’m excited to learn more about them, especially Sonia and Luisa. Although “Prophecy of the Sisters (Trilogy, Book 1)” may have had a bumpy start and a slow plot, it still had a great premise behind it, and because of that, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.