Review: Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Title: Guardian of the Gate
Author: Michelle Zink
Genre: YA, Supernatural, Romance, Period
Format: ARC
Perfect For: those who read "Prophecy of the Sisters" or like historical supernatural pieces like "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray

Lia knows it’s essential to find the missing pages of the prophecy her and her twin sister are woven into.  With Alice still aligning herself with the darkness, Lia is working towards ending the prophecy and closing the gateway to hell on earth before the need to open the gate consumes her.  With two human key’s missing and pages of important text missing, Lia goes on a quest that takes her to the mystical city of Altus, home to her magical bloodline, of the Sisters who know her cause, and the protective, yet authoritative Brothers of the Grigori. 

*Note: Slight spoilers on future romantic entanglements—You've been warned*

Sequel to the fantastic “Prophecy of the Sisters”,  “Guardian of the Gate” does not disappoint.  I devoured this book.  It’s been a while since I read “Prophecy…”, so I was a bit worried about jumping into this. Thankfully, the transition between “Prophecy” and “Guardian of the Gate” was pretty seamless.  

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 to the point where I would usually start skimming.  Like the first book in this trilogy, it read like a movie—I could see the scenes in my head.

The writing style is as lyrical as “Prophecy…” and the romantic scenes between Lia and Grigori Dmitri are perfect. The emotions Lia faces when thinking of James, the beau Lia left to save him from her troubles, and Dmitri, the protective companion who willingly accepts to stay by her side, are realistically portrayed and believable to the reader.

Overall, I really enjoyed “Guardian of the Gate”.  It is a page-turner you’ll want to clear an afternoon for.  “Guardian of the Gate” hits store shelves August 2010, but you can pre-order it online or at your local bookstore now!