Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Title: Prophecy of the Sisters
Author: Michelle Zink
Published: August 2009
Source: Bought
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her. Debut novelist Michelle Zink takes readers on an unforgettable journey where one sister's fateful decision could have an impact of Biblical proportions. Prophecy of the Sisters is the first of three books.

This book was a slight disappointment for me. It moved a lot slower than I thought it would, and for some reason I was expecting it to be alternating POV between the two sisters. I think that I probably would have liked it more if it had been, just because it would shake things up a bit. One thing that I loved was how well the historical elements were used. Zink really did her research, and I loved how detailed everything was without her describing every little thing.

The writing style that Zink used was engrossing, and I found myself thinking like Lia when I put the book down. There is a sense of mystery throughout the entire book, which kept me reading. As the narrator I liked Lia, she wasn't a push over but knew when to back off.I felt a connection to all of the characters, and when tragedy strikes towards the end of the book I found myself staring at the pages in disbelief, shocked and sad.

I thought that this book was pretty obviously the set up for the next two. We spend a lot of time learning things, not very much actual doing something about them. I think that the next book, Guardian of the Gate will have more doing. If you want a neatly tied up ending, don't come looking here, it leaves you with more questions asked than answered.

Basically this book moved a lot slower than I thought it would, but the rich historical setting and overwhelming sense of mystery kept me reading.

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 8/10
Overall: 42/50 B
Cover/Title: I LOVE this cover, and the title is perfect. I'm not a big fan of the new paperback cover.