Guardian of the Gate
Guardian of the Gate (Prophecy of the Sisters, #2)by Michelle Zink
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. (goodreads.com)
Release Date: August 1, 2010I'm going to get the negative out of the way first, and I think I am one of the only people who feel this way and I offer humble apologies to Michelle in advance. The Negative: I hate this cover. I hate the new covers. I loved the original cover for Prophecy of the Sisters and I thought it added so much to the feel of the story itself and had I not already known how much I loved the first book I NEVER would have picked up the books AT ALL had they the covers they have now. I might even go so far as to say I loathe these new covers. And I don't mean to hurt feelings, I just don't think they fit the story being told one bit. My one saving grace is that I was lucky enough to get an ARC at TAC (where I got to meet Michelle in person - finally!) and the cover isn't anything like this. It's just black with viney-swirls on it and much more appealing to me.So, there's my rant on the covers. And now on to the better part of the review - like how much I adore this series.The Positive: Guardian of the Gate is the sequel to Prophecy of the Sisters, which was haunting and gothic and suspenseful and beautiful. The first thing that struck me with the second book was how beautifully Michelle writes. I had forgotten how much I loved the writing style in PoS as I have read many books since, but once I picked up this book I got the same feeling I had reading the first one. I can't even describe the feeling, it's like being underwater and seeing a rainbow and silk red ribbons all flowing in the breeze. That won't make sense to you but it's a mish-mash of that to me.I did not find this book as suspenseful as the first. I was not on the edge of my seat the entire time ready to jump out of my skin at the next creepy surprise but there was this connection to the adventure and the quest to reach the secret island. Mostly I just loved the dialogue and the description - and I HATE description!What I didn't like was the romance angle. Not for any reason other than I hate romance angles in books. I think that's why I tend to like more Middle Grade books better these days, they don't have that. There's no love triangle or swooning sighs as the characters get all distracted because they are busy gazing into each other's eyes or catching their breath all the time over the other. I didn't mind the new character at all, I thought he was interesting and realistic enough, but I was happier when I was not reading about the romantic crap. This has nothing to do with the plot or writing it's more my preference in books. I find the romance stuff boring.I like where this series was taken and where it is going. There were a couple of "reveals" that I guessed fairly early on, but it wasn't off-putting at all. I tend to have decent hunches about books and movies so it wasn't something that was glaringly obvious pretending to be foreshadowing. I was pretty proud of my correct hunches though, I'll tell you.This book was also as beautiful on the inside as the first one was. I was worried about that what with the cover changes and all. Also? The ARC I had smelled wonderful! Sort of sweet like candy mixed with book. I don't know what glue they used for binding it, but it just made the book all that much better for me. I sometimes read with my nose it would seem.I am rather sad that I have another year to wait for the third (and final?) book. I'm not someone who gets a lot of ARCs, I happened to be at TAC and BEA this year and for me that's more ARCs than I have ever received in my life, but I sort of hope I can snag an ARC of book 3 next year so that I can avoid those dreadful covers. ;) I'm not being selfish, I am just making sure I can read the book without being totally distracted by the cover. =PMichelle Zink is now a 100% auto-buy author for me. Sequels are always tricky, but she kept up the beauty of the writing and the story in this second book and therefore passed the test. Her way with words is like a painting coming to life. Brilliant. (HA! HA! I just noticed in my review of PoS I ended with a mention that Michelle might just have become an auto-buy author for me! I guess I just fulfilled my OWN prophecy!)Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy