mynedecrayon's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
shea_proulx's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
emmaopaline's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, and Suicide
jhstack's review
Read [b:Locke & Key: Small World|30628690|Locke & Key Small World|Joe Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482521568l/30628690._SY75_.jpg|51162148] and [b:Locke and Key: Open the Moon|20554764|Locke and Key Open the Moon (Guide to the Keys)|Joe Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389812175l/20554764._SY75_.jpg|19266620] when they first came out (2016 and 2011 respectively), as well as the "In Pale Battalions Go" and "Hell & Gone" crossovers with [b:The Absolute Sandman, Volume One|23753|The Absolute Sandman, Volume One|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312226853l/23753._SX50_.jpg|1789924]. Waiting on this to release to read "Face the Music" and finish it.
adperfectamconsilium's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The main Locke and Key story may be over but here the creators take us once again to Keyhouse to look at the lives of some of the ancestors of the Locke family, specifically the family living in the house in the early 20th century.
A dark fantasy tale with magic keys. Locke & Key was such an incredible series that I opened up this collected hardcover with a little trepidation. I needn't have worried.
The Golden Age has five chapters. The first three acting as short prequels.
Small World introduces the family and has a fun (& at times horrifying) adventure with the small world dollhouse key. Love the idea.
Open The Moon is a heartwarming story of a family's love for a sickly child. There were tears at the end.
Face The Music is a very short story showing that even a bit of fun can be dangerous.
Chapter 4 is part 1 of the main event.
...In Pale Battalions Go...is a 3 issue series which reads better as one long chapter. Set during the First World War this is a gut wrenchingly emotional story that shows that even magical keys cannot stop the horrors of war and the Locke family will pay a high price.
Chapter 5 is the culmination of the main event and an incredible crossover with the Sandman Universe. First published as Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone issues 1 and 2.
Mary Locke is on a mission to enter Hell. Along the way many Sandman characters make an appearance. It's well written and Neil Gaiman has also had some input.
The artwork throughout is amazing. Suits the dark fantasy and terrors within so well.
An emotional and captivating read.😭😃
And an art gallery section at the end 😍
A dark fantasy tale with magic keys. Locke & Key was such an incredible series that I opened up this collected hardcover with a little trepidation. I needn't have worried.
The Golden Age has five chapters. The first three acting as short prequels.
Small World introduces the family and has a fun (& at times horrifying) adventure with the small world dollhouse key. Love the idea.
Open The Moon is a heartwarming story of a family's love for a sickly child. There were tears at the end.
Face The Music is a very short story showing that even a bit of fun can be dangerous.
Chapter 4 is part 1 of the main event.
...In Pale Battalions Go...is a 3 issue series which reads better as one long chapter. Set during the First World War this is a gut wrenchingly emotional story that shows that even magical keys cannot stop the horrors of war and the Locke family will pay a high price.
Chapter 5 is the culmination of the main event and an incredible crossover with the Sandman Universe. First published as Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone issues 1 and 2.
Mary Locke is on a mission to enter Hell. Along the way many Sandman characters make an appearance. It's well written and Neil Gaiman has also had some input.
The artwork throughout is amazing. Suits the dark fantasy and terrors within so well.
An emotional and captivating read.😭😃
And an art gallery section at the end 😍
ktdakotareads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Violence, War, Death, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Body horror, Child death, and Gun violence
Minor: Kidnapping and Confinement
thecleverlibrarian's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jayspa65's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It’s going to be a bit hard to review Locke & Key: The Golden Age without at least discussing the broad strokes of its predecessor, the original Locke & Key. So here’s the broad strokes: there is a house in Massachusetts called Keyhouse, and it’s there that the Locke family has lived for generations. More importantly, it’s there that the family has learned to make keys of incredible power: keys that can change your size or your gender; keys that can transport you around the world; keys that can summon the dead or allow you to see into someone’s mind – and honestly, that’s only the beginning – the power of the keys is only limited by what you can imagine.
The Golden Age is a prequel. It takes place about a century before the events of the original series, right around the dawn of the 20th century and the beginnings of the First World War. We are with the Locke family still, but it’s the ancestors of those we met, and this family is all too happy to enjoy the fruits of their surreal labors. Maybe that means they design a dollhouse that mimics the reality of Keyhouse in miniature; maybe that means that they use the power of the shadows to make life easier; or maybe that means grappling with the question of whether having the keys gives you a responsibility to use them in the face of something like a world war.
Nominally, The Golden Age is made up of several stand-alone issues and small arcs. The series opens with two entries: “Small World,” in which that aforementioned dollhouse finds itself inhabited by a suddenly very large spider, and “Open the Moon,” a restrained and beautiful tale about the Locke family’s youngest child, who is facing a sickness that will eventually kill him, and how the keys provide an unusual and moving way out of the situation. Both are fantastic tales, ones that allowed Hill and his artistic collaborator Gabriel Rodriguez to find new wrinkles in the world of the keys.
But what really makes The Golden Age worthy of standing alongside the other volumes of the series is the final stretch of the compilation, which covers two small arcs: “…In Pale Battalions Go…” and “Hell and Gone,” which together tell the tale of the Locke family’s involvement with the First World War – and the tragic consequences that arise from it. Essentially one large arc, “Battalions” grapples with a logical question: if you have the power of the keys, what responsibility do you have to use them in a situation where you could help others? In this case, when you combine that sense of obligation with a young man’s desire to fight in the “glory” of war, you can assume where it will go…and you’re right and wrong in those assumptions.
Hill’s title here isn’t an off-handed one; this is a story infused with some of the futility and anguish of WWI poetry, about what happens when brave young men believe the “Old Lie” of the glory of dying for one’s country. And while there’s undeniably some exciting sequences revolving around the keys being used in conjunction with each other, as we see the story shifting in new directions, the tragic air is all but inescapable – and when you think Hill and Rodriguez have done their worst, let me tell you, there’s more hits to come, giving the series possibly its most devastating and heartbreaking moments.
So why doesn’t the story end there? And how on earth does Neil Gaiman’s Sandman come into the mix? Well, to explain too much here would not only risk giving away the end of “Battalions” but also deprive the reader of some of the pleasures of “Hell and Gone,” which sets an ambitious bar even by the standards of the series. Satisfyingly, though, it feels organic and natural – while a lot of crossovers feel forced and contrived to meet some publisher demands or to justify the conceit, “Hell and Gone” fits in a way that makes it feel natural, planned, and wholly appropriate. Somehow, the sensibilities of the two series even fit together relatively effortlessly; that it all ties together the threads of The Golden Age into such a satisfying bow feels like a minor miracle.
Indeed, that’s maybe the most striking thing about The Golden Age; somehow, a story that begins in a few scattered one-shots and includes a wholly unexpected crossover all comes together into a compelling, rich, and powerful arc all of its own. It’s not just a collection of stories about the Locke family; instead, it’s the tale of this family – of the tragedies they face, of the pains inflicted by the world around them, and of the way they struggle to atone and find redemption for their sins. What could have felt like a needless return to Keyhouse instead feels like a wholly satisfying volume of the series, and one that has earned a spot of honor alongside the other books – and given how great the rest of the story is, that’s no small accomplishment.
The Golden Age is a prequel. It takes place about a century before the events of the original series, right around the dawn of the 20th century and the beginnings of the First World War. We are with the Locke family still, but it’s the ancestors of those we met, and this family is all too happy to enjoy the fruits of their surreal labors. Maybe that means they design a dollhouse that mimics the reality of Keyhouse in miniature; maybe that means that they use the power of the shadows to make life easier; or maybe that means grappling with the question of whether having the keys gives you a responsibility to use them in the face of something like a world war.
Nominally, The Golden Age is made up of several stand-alone issues and small arcs. The series opens with two entries: “Small World,” in which that aforementioned dollhouse finds itself inhabited by a suddenly very large spider, and “Open the Moon,” a restrained and beautiful tale about the Locke family’s youngest child, who is facing a sickness that will eventually kill him, and how the keys provide an unusual and moving way out of the situation. Both are fantastic tales, ones that allowed Hill and his artistic collaborator Gabriel Rodriguez to find new wrinkles in the world of the keys.
But what really makes The Golden Age worthy of standing alongside the other volumes of the series is the final stretch of the compilation, which covers two small arcs: “…In Pale Battalions Go…” and “Hell and Gone,” which together tell the tale of the Locke family’s involvement with the First World War – and the tragic consequences that arise from it. Essentially one large arc, “Battalions” grapples with a logical question: if you have the power of the keys, what responsibility do you have to use them in a situation where you could help others? In this case, when you combine that sense of obligation with a young man’s desire to fight in the “glory” of war, you can assume where it will go…and you’re right and wrong in those assumptions.
Hill’s title here isn’t an off-handed one; this is a story infused with some of the futility and anguish of WWI poetry, about what happens when brave young men believe the “Old Lie” of the glory of dying for one’s country. And while there’s undeniably some exciting sequences revolving around the keys being used in conjunction with each other, as we see the story shifting in new directions, the tragic air is all but inescapable – and when you think Hill and Rodriguez have done their worst, let me tell you, there’s more hits to come, giving the series possibly its most devastating and heartbreaking moments.
So why doesn’t the story end there? And how on earth does Neil Gaiman’s Sandman come into the mix? Well, to explain too much here would not only risk giving away the end of “Battalions” but also deprive the reader of some of the pleasures of “Hell and Gone,” which sets an ambitious bar even by the standards of the series. Satisfyingly, though, it feels organic and natural – while a lot of crossovers feel forced and contrived to meet some publisher demands or to justify the conceit, “Hell and Gone” fits in a way that makes it feel natural, planned, and wholly appropriate. Somehow, the sensibilities of the two series even fit together relatively effortlessly; that it all ties together the threads of The Golden Age into such a satisfying bow feels like a minor miracle.
Indeed, that’s maybe the most striking thing about The Golden Age; somehow, a story that begins in a few scattered one-shots and includes a wholly unexpected crossover all comes together into a compelling, rich, and powerful arc all of its own. It’s not just a collection of stories about the Locke family; instead, it’s the tale of this family – of the tragedies they face, of the pains inflicted by the world around them, and of the way they struggle to atone and find redemption for their sins. What could have felt like a needless return to Keyhouse instead feels like a wholly satisfying volume of the series, and one that has earned a spot of honor alongside the other books – and given how great the rest of the story is, that’s no small accomplishment.