Guardian of the Gate (Prophecy of the Sisters, Book 2)Michelle Zink
Little, Brown Books, August 2010
ISBN: 978-0316034470
The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.
Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.
Sequel to the fantastic Prophecy of the Sisters, Guardian of the Gate does not disappoint. Where the first book was based heavily on character development and setting, Guardian of the Gate was purely story driven. The action/adventure elements were present throughout but were never over done. The magic that Zink created in her first novel is again presented in Guardian of the Gate. Like the first book in this trilogy, it reads like a movie-realistically portrayed and believable to the reader.
In this second-of-three novel, Michelle Zink continues her tale of Lia and Alice, the twins that were born at odds: one with a mission to usher Samael into this world (the gate) and the other to ensure it does not happen (the guardian). Only problem is, they were born in a Caesarian birth in the late 1800s, and they were excised from the womb in the wrong order, causing their natures to conflict with their missions. Prophecy of the Sisters leaves us with Lia taking a journey to find out as much about the Prophecy as possible. In this installment, Lia is on a journey. She must find that which has been lost in order to fulfill her place in the Prophecy. However, along the way, friendships and relationships are tested as Lia learns that the only true person that she may be able to trust is herself. Guardian of the Gate details much of that journey and takes us through more of the sisters' fight against each other.
Michelle Zink is a masterful storyteller. Her characters are amazing, deeply layered, and surprisingly versatile. Her words weave you into this dark tale leaving you to feel every element and nearly every emotion as if you were inside the story alongside her characters. Her imagery is vivid, yet concise. Her words allow you to create your own image of the story and allow you to continually add to that image, rather than to violently force a picture that she wants you, the reader, to envision. If you have not read the first novel in the series, Prophecy of the Sisters, I recommend that you fix that immediately. Once you have that finished, I can promise you that you will be dying to get your hands on Guardian of the Gate. It's brilliant.
MICHELLE ZINK lives in New York and has always been fascinated with ancient myths and legends. Never satisfied with simply reading them, she usually ends up asking, "What if?" Sometimes asking only leads to more questions, but every now and then, when everything falls into place just right, a story is born. Prophecy of the Sisters is one of those stories.
