You know what’s awesome? When a series ends, and you’re happy. Nary a complaint to be found.
That’s how I feel about Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink. Everything that I wanted to have happen, happened.
With time dwindling but her will to end the Prophecy stronger than ever, Lia sets out on a journey to find the remaining keys, locate the missing pages of the Prophecy, and convince her sister Alice to help–or risk her life trying. Lia has her beloved Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James, the man who once loved her sister–and maybe still does. James doesn’t know the truth about either sister, or the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way.
There are some secrets sisters aren’t meant to share. Because when they do, it destroys them. This stunning conclusion to Michelle Zink’s Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy will make saying good-bye bittersweet for readers.
I don’t even know where to begin.
Actually, that’s a lie. I’m going to begin with James. When reading Prophecy of the Sisters, I loved James. He was cute and different, and I liked that he and Lia weren’t completely cowed by the time and customs that they lived within and enjoyed each others company immensely. By which I mean, they weren’t afraid to make out. Then in Guardian of the Gate we met Dimitri. Lia met Dimitri. And I liked Dimitri better than James, I did. I can’t even really pin point why. I liked that he was part of the mission and part of this other side of Lia’s life that we got to discover along with her. But at the same time, I felt James was kind of brushed under the rug in Guardian of the Gate.
So, I loved every single minute of him in Circle of Fire. It’s difficult to say why without spoiling a lot of the book but lets just say the more we saw of James the more I was convinced, and Lia was convinced, that she’d made the right choice with Dimitri. I love books where it isn’t so much of a love triangle, as it is a person growing up, and finding out who they are and that sometimes, their old loves don’t fit who they are now. That was done well, and it squashed all my James misgivings from Guardian.
I absolutely cannot say why I loved Alice’s storyline in this one. But lets just say I did. Anything else will spoil it all.
Lia. Lia becoming what she doesn’t want to become, losing faith in herself while gaining faith in those around her. Learning to forgive and to trust. And to love. After losing both her parents and her brother, and her twin sister arguably, you can imagine that getting attached to people is a little scary for Lia. And I love that as she loses faith in herself and in her own strength she finds faith in the strength of others. Which shows how much strength (let’s see how many times I can use that word) she truly has.
There’s so much more I want to say but can’t! The ending! I loved it! I may have shed a tear…in public!
Also, though there was barely a hint of it in the book, you should all know that I will forever believe that Brigid and Gareth and very in love and will be happy together forever. Nothing else will do. I seriously think I need them together more than Lia and Dimitri. Which is just odd.
*rereads that part near the end* Well, maybe I need them together equally.
I’m going to force myself to end this review here, because everything else I have to say about this book is spoilery. Be assured, it is all wonderful though. I simply cannot wait for Michelle’s next book and the chance to fall in love with her writing and her characters all over again.
Thank you Michelle for ending this trilogy in exactly the way I wanted it to end.
SIDENOTE: reading on the beach is fun but I’m totally sunburned now and Circle of Fire still has a thin layer of sand coating it. Sigh.