A review by ravencrantz
The Keys to the Realms by Roberta Trahan
3.0
3.5/5
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
I was hesitant to read this because I really disliked the first book, but I was pre-approved on NetGalley and I happened to win a copy from Goodreads first reads giveaway, so I gave it a shot. And honestly? I can't say I'm disappointed. This was definitely better than the first one, but I was still finding excuses not to read. It didn't help that I forgot who the characters were and what, exactly, happened in the first book. After about a third of the way through, I figured things out and everything got going.
I still love the fact that our main heroes are all adult women who know their stuff, and not teenagers being thrown into the Chosen One trope. Don't get me wrong, I love that trope, but this was just a nice change.
My main problem with this book was it felt that there were a bunch of side plots going on, but no real main plot. I think the main plot was finding and defeating Machreth, but only because he was the antagonist in the first book. But even that was treated as a subplot and the ending to that was so anticlimactic. The subplots were intertwined, but they never really came together. I could have very happily read each one separately and lost nothing.
One thing I did enjoy was the lack of romance. There were sparks here and there, and we did start with the new king entertaining a young woman, but that's really it. No love at first sight, no unnecessary romantic subplots, it was a relief and a great change of pace to what I'm used to.
I also really love Thorne, a new character hired to hunt down Machreth. He's that mysterious, brooding, bad-ass type I always seem to migrate towards. He knows his strengths and his weaknesses, he's sharp, and has a quick wit. And he has an adorable dog that sounds very much like a hellhound. He's perfect.
Honestly, I'm kind of curious now where the story goes. If after I finished >The Well of Tears you asked me to read the third book, I would have laughed and said no. Now, I'm seriously considering it. I may not go out right away and buy it, but if I happen across it in a giveaway, or at the library, I think I'll give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and while it still had problems, it was enjoyable.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
I was hesitant to read this because I really disliked the first book, but I was pre-approved on NetGalley and I happened to win a copy from Goodreads first reads giveaway, so I gave it a shot. And honestly? I can't say I'm disappointed. This was definitely better than the first one, but I was still finding excuses not to read. It didn't help that I forgot who the characters were and what, exactly, happened in the first book. After about a third of the way through, I figured things out and everything got going.
I still love the fact that our main heroes are all adult women who know their stuff, and not teenagers being thrown into the Chosen One trope. Don't get me wrong, I love that trope, but this was just a nice change.
My main problem with this book was it felt that there were a bunch of side plots going on, but no real main plot. I think the main plot was finding and defeating Machreth, but only because he was the antagonist in the first book. But even that was treated as a subplot and the ending to that was so anticlimactic. The subplots were intertwined, but they never really came together. I could have very happily read each one separately and lost nothing.
One thing I did enjoy was the lack of romance. There were sparks here and there, and we did start with the new king entertaining a young woman, but that's really it. No love at first sight, no unnecessary romantic subplots, it was a relief and a great change of pace to what I'm used to.
I also really love Thorne, a new character hired to hunt down Machreth. He's that mysterious, brooding, bad-ass type I always seem to migrate towards. He knows his strengths and his weaknesses, he's sharp, and has a quick wit. And he has an adorable dog that sounds very much like a hellhound. He's perfect.
Honestly, I'm kind of curious now where the story goes. If after I finished >The Well of Tears you asked me to read the third book, I would have laughed and said no. Now, I'm seriously considering it. I may not go out right away and buy it, but if I happen across it in a giveaway, or at the library, I think I'll give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and while it still had problems, it was enjoyable.