Review: Spirit Prophecy (The Gateway Trilogy #2) by E.E. Holmes

Published: August 12, 2014 by Smashwords
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: Sent for honest review

Goodreads Summary

Two sisters, haunted by more than their past...

Just weeks after discovering each other’s existence, Jess and Hannah Ballard arrive at Fairhaven Hall, where they will learn the clandestine ways of the Durupinen, an ancient sect of women who control the Gateways between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Though they are considered outcasts by most of their classmates, Jess and Hannah are determined to learn what they can to fulfill their responsibility to the many ghosts that haunt them. But danger, it seems, has followed them as closely as a shadow to their new home, and they have more questions than ever.

Who is the desperate child spirit pursuing Jess, and what do her terrifying visions mean? What has happened to Dr. David Pierce, Jess’ friend and mentor, who has suddenly and mysteriously vanished? And just what is it about Hannah’s unique abilities that has the other Durupinen frightened of her? The Ballard sisters are about to find out, and the answers could destroy their newfound life before it has even begun.

Spirit Prophecy is the second thrilling installment in E.E. Holmes’ award-winning Gateway Trilogy.

I never heard the end of her sentence. I had just opened the door and stepped into the hallway when the figure - small, pearly, and utterly desperate - attacked me like a bat out of hell.

The Good

This one turned out better than Spirit Legacy. The writing and dialogue are a little more smooth in Spirit Prophecy and there's just more going on in general.

Jess is in a completely different setting here. She jetted off to a school in England specific to people with abilities like her's. There were Harry Potter references too which were great. Holmes throws in modern day pop culture references every now and then which I loved as it helped the characters feel not only more real but also easily relateable.

There was a large variety of new characters as well. I think it's great that none of the characters had personalities identical to the ones in Spirit Legacy either. Savvy is by and large my favorite new character introduced in Spirit Prophecy. She's that girl that wants to do all those things she's not supposed to do. Plus, I have to mention Hannah's gay ghost BFF, Milo. He adds a cheekiness that I enjoy along with a need to keep Hannah safe.

It's full of questions that you want answered throughout the story. Who is the silent ghost girl that is always surrounded by flames? What does she so desperately want to tell Jess? Why is Dr. Pierce missing? Who is trying to kill them? I enjoyed the mysteriousness and finally having these questions answered in a big bang ending.

The Bad

Jess has a bad habit of judging people right off the bat as either "like a lot" or "hate". She really dislikes Finn through the beginning of Spirit Prophecy, and I can't find a true legitimate reason why that would be. I have no problem with characters with flaws though, so I'm hoping this is an area where we see Jess grow and give more people the benefit of the doubt.

Romance

There's no romance in this one. Like I said, Jess has a huge hate-on for Finn in the beginning and they grow a little closer by the end, but I'd barely give them friend status at the moment.

Conclusion

Spirit Prophecy was a good story. I enjoy the unique spin on the seeing ghosts concept. There are also a lot of characters to enjoy. There are a bunch of mysteries to solve throughout the story and it goes out with a bang. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Excerpts

"I think we get the gist of it," I said, pushing my plate away, no longer remotely hungry. "Mom screwed up and everyone is pissed about it. They can't take it out on her because she's gone, so they're taking it out on us instead."

"Our connection to spirits exists so that they can find us, not the other way around. I've never known any Durupinen to summon spirits to them, let alone so many at once."

DAMN YOU, JET LAG. Damn you to straight to the ninth circle of hell where you were undoubtedly concocted by the devil himself. I wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, but getting out of bed usually didn't resemble scraping roadkill off the freeway quite to this extent. I groped around for the alarm clock on my bedside table and bashed it into silent submission. It was seven o'clock in the morning on my first day of classes.