Key of Knowledge

Rating:
Summary: The middle is always the hardest
Review: This was a so so book sofar as a middle book goes. I can't say I felt anything for Dana and Jordan...I felt that Dana was too angry to like, but other times she seemed weak. Dana especially showed this regarding Jordan. I have to say I like Flynn and Mal better than Jordan and Dana. Dana was to pessimistic to like....I am just reading the beginning of Key of Valor and Zoe so far has made up for Dana.

Rating:
Summary: An Average Read...
Review: Nora Roberts reuses some of her classic character archetypes in the second `key' novel, Key of Knowledge. This time, Nora pits the brainy jilted Librarian (Dana) character against Prodigal Son character (Jordan Hawke) with mixed results in my opinion. On one hand, these two characters have more chemistry than the previous couple (Malory and Flynn), but on the other hand I felt the romance between these two was subsumed by a rather boring conflict from their past that I cared nothing about. This conflict made Dana go around acting like an angry hen, and had Jordan wallowing in self pity and condemnation for most of the book; I quickly grew bored with this, and wished the author had chosen another way to provide conflict between the protagonist and her love interest.

The plot? Find a silly mystic key, have plenty of girl chat, and find your `true' love, all in four weeks or pay the price... Lose 1 year of your life. (It's funny to me that none of the girls seem at all concerned about that little catch).

Several things rankled about "Knowledge." 1. Too much chatty `girl talk.' (Frankly, so much time in this book was filled with female bonding I felt like I was listening to Fried Green Tomatoes). 2. An uninspiring hero. (Jordan Hawke was a big blank in my book). 3. Jordan's really really annoying nickname for the heroine. What's up with that? The hero calls Dana "Stretch", and every time this nickname is uttered, it pulled me COMPLETELY out of the romance. `Stretch' is just /not/ a flattering nickname for a heroine and seems more fitting to call a male cowboy character or an undertaker than a heroine, (however tall). Perhaps this annoyance was worse because I listened to it in Audio format 3. And finally the dog... Moe... Man... Enough with the dog... I felt like I was reading a Koontz book. :Sighs:.

This book would've been better if Nora pushed the envelope a little, and made the villain Cain really really bad, instead of just annoying, and over the top. Overall, I found Key of knowledge to be a rather weak romantic novel, with an interesting premise and occasional elements of brilliance. I like Nora's trilogy's but I prefer her Chesapeake Bay series, and her Three Sister's Island series. For some reason the fantasy elements and the characters failed to grab me in this one.

Rating:
Summary: This whole series is great
Review: It's amazing how, with a good author, you find yourself immediately intrigued by the heroine (or heroines). I like that there's magic in a story about grown-ups (!). I read this one quite quickly; it's one of those can't-put-it-down type books. Because I'm a bookworm and a half, I really found myself relating to this heroine even more than the first book. I really like how the resolution came about: quite a complex bit of magic, that.
It's a fun setting, it's a fun idea, and, if you don't concentrate too hard on some of the "that's impossible to believe" aspects of it (three strangers immediately best friends who go into business together...), then you'll have a great time reading this one. Only, don't count on it to get you through a boring weekend. You'll read it way too fast!

Rating:
Summary: The key to life
Review: Of the Key Trilogy books, the second one is the best one. I read all three in one weekend; and even though I was disappointed by the third book in the series, the second book made the whole series a worthwhile read.

Dana Steele was an enjoyable character, and solidly developed. Her strengths and weaknesses made the reader sympathetic to her situation, as well as want to root her on as she deliberated her relationship with Jordan. In addition, Jordan was a great character and complimented Dana's personality. He was the perfect male character in this series, as I connected more with his personality than Flynn and Brad. He seemed more mature, grounded, and knew what he wanted. Flynn seemed the immature, goofy guy running the local paper (had great snappy dialogue in the first book, though). Brad was a consummate gentleman, but toooooooo patient to tolerate Zoe's whining and insecurities.

Overall, this book is highly recommended!!

Rating:
Summary: Nora at her very best in super paranormal series!
Review: It's not often the written word moves me to tears, but this book did. The emotion Nora Robert's poured into this book is simply amazing. The second in the Key Trilogy is as strong as the first one, maybe more so. I saw a few have not liked it as much as the first one. First anything is easy to write. First chapter ¯ How many people out there have that first chapter or two of a book you intend to finish. I know many people who want to be writers that have dozens of first chapters. The Muse is an adrenalin high when you first get inspiration. Sorry, having first chapters without the work that is required to sustain is are worth little and will simply gather dust. To have the prose and the power to carry through a book to the end involves an awful drain on a writer; it requires an intense commitment. To carry a second book of a trilogy and maintain the quality, power and vision is simply amazing. I see so many trilogies with a super first book and then two so so ones. The reader comes away thinking why do they bother with the second two ¯ other than to just part us from big bucks! Well, the Key Trilogy is NOT like that. I put off reading these because, while Nora Roberts is very prolific after reading 40 of her books, they all begin to blend together. The Key books are the freshest work Roberts had done this decade and I cannot wait to finish the third in the series.

This is not really a stand-alone title. You really need to read all three books in order. This deals with three young women who accept a quest to release three half-goddesses frozen in time. These are paranormal tales, is it not, to accept the rules are made by the writer. That is the fun of paranormals. To be able to suspend believe and accept magic lives. That is that made Lord of the Rings such a hit with everyone.

That aside, I have spent decades working with history and lore, have written essays on Pict-Celt goddess, so it's very thrilling to see someone take the interest in it - and not just repeat what it already there. I have seen some people questioning Roberts placing these tales in Pennsylvania. All I can say, then you are not current on archaeological discoveries. There are various sites undergoing archaeological excavation and review in the US at this moment, from New York down through Missouri that are reported to be Celtic in origin and could date back thousands of years. Celts have been found all the way to China, so history is constantly being "adjusted". It's exciting times, fertile ground writers imaginations.

The bottom line the prose is what counts and Nora is in top form as she entered the second search of the quest, the key of knowledge. Dana (stepsister to Flynn) is the women accepting the challenge this time. It's not hard enough to handle losing a job, opening a business and finding out magic exists and needs you help, she must deal with the man she loved many years ago. Dana Steele loved Jordan Hawke, with the painful longing of a first love. Jordon shattered that innocence the day he turned his back on her and the small town she loves. Now a successful writer, Jordan and has been pulled back into the quest. But as we learn, this was always the plan ¯ Jordan had visited Warrior's Peak when he was sixteen and become obsessed with the house ¯ the place where the quest started. Like the warrior's of old, he went on his personal quest that carried him away, but the circle is now coming full turn, bringing him back to Dana.

These characters are real. They are funny, they are stubborn, they steal your heart with emotions that so define them. Robert's own form of magic. Just does not get any better than this.

Super use of Multi-POV (Point of View), the way all romances should be written!