The Awesomeness of Michelle Zink

(So as a disclaimer, Michelle would like everyone to know that this photo was taken on the 7th day of her tour and that she's super exhausted.)

So, last night I drove close to 2 hours to meet the fantastic Michelle Zink, author of Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate. If you haven't read her books you really should, because they're excellent, and I'm not just saying that.

So, to the event. I made my way to the Barnes and Noble and managed to not look creepy while wandering around for 10 minutes before finding the area for the chat/signing. Michelle was absolutely the sweetest, recognizing me from this lovely interweb. There wasn't a gigantic crowd, so we ended up arranging the chairs in a circle and just chatted. There was a rather varied group, consisting of some parents, middle and high schoolers (who had seen her at school visits earlier), and then myself and a lovely young teacher named Eva (who's in the picture up top as well). The topics varied, but centered around books and writing. It was so much fun and very intimate, plus I totally sat beside her :)

After the Q&A was finished she sat down and signed books for everyone who wanted to buy them, which was everyone. The store was also really awesome and raffled two books away. I didn't win one, but thought it was so lovely of them to do. Eva and I ended up staying later and just talked with Michelle while she signed stock. It was an absolute blast. Michelle was so willing to talk to everyone who came, no matter what age, but I loved the end as she was getting ready to go. I can't even put into words how sweet and wonderful she is! This was the first real book signing I'd ever been to and was an amazing experience. If Michelle ever comes to your area my advice is GO (and buy her books :P)! I wish this sort of thing happened every Friday night.

Guardian of the Gate

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.
from amazon.com

Beth says 5 Stars...

I'm seriously in love with this series. I must say that this wasn't the follow up that I expected. What I loved about Prophecy was its dark and gothic tone, which changed in Guardian, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it was delightful. The cause of this difference was the altered setting; this time the story moved to England and other locations that I shan't name in order to attempt to remain spoiler free. Instead of dark and foreboding I was treated to exotic and intoxicating. I was swept up in Lia's journey and loved every minute of it. The plot moved along very nicely, slowing down and speeding up to keep things interesting. Even when there wasn't a lot of movement in the middle I understood why because instead of going somewhere new physically, I got so much new information that enhanced the mythology of the prophecy.

This book was amazing for Lia. It was astounding to see her without the constant foil of Alice. This isn't to say that she wasn't in the book, but she instead became an ominous figure looming in the background. Personally, that made her even more creepy. Now back to Lia. It was really interesting to see her on her own because she turned into a different character. She became so much stronger, but these changes weren't overdone. It felt as though Lia adapted to the circumstances and came out a force, one that will be needed in the third book. There's also some love triangling, with Lia away from dear James while Alice still is near him, and the addition of a dark and mysterious man. It gets a little steamier, but you'll have to read to find out the details. Sonia and Louisa continued to have layers added to their characters, but this really was about the evolution of Lia.

The main question is when the third book is coming out. The end leaves things hanging and primed for the final chapter in this delightfully different series. Pick these books up if you're tired of reading the same paranormal romances over and over. Michelle Zink creates a lush and entrancing gothic world different from anything you're likely to read. If you haven't read this series yet, go and get it right now. This was an amazing continuation of a great story, and I'm anxiously awaiting the third novel.

Prophecy of the Sisters

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-
One good...
One evil...
Who will prevail?
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.
Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.
They just know they can't trust each other.

from amazon.com

Beth says 5 Stars...
This book kept me reading until 1 AM, which is something special for an early bird like me. I simple loved it. Besides my love, however, there was nothing simple about this novel. The plot was deftly layered and woven that seemingly insignificant details ended up as important clues. Let me digress for a moment and talk about how amazing the cover is. I think that it captures the eerie feel of the book perfectly and it's just stunning. Now back to the book. I loved all of the detail in the prophecy; everything was meticulously worked and fit together perfectly. The relationship between Alice and Lia is fraught with delicious intensity and depth. Every character had dimension; there was no such thing as pure good or evil. Also meriting a mention is the very proper, yet smoldering romance. This book gave the readers intelligence, and is fantastic. I loved the questions that it posed about fate, and our true natures. This is a must read for everyone, even if you think that you don't like demons and fallen angels. I can't wait for the next book!

Waiting on Wednesday

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.


This book looks amazing. Michelle is one of our super-awesome Word Ninjas authors, and we haven't read a single book of theirs that is bad. Besides, who doesn't love a creepy prophecy?