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meganac's review against another edition
4.0
"Rules are easy to follow," the pixie said with a shrug, "If you are certain of the words."
3.5 stars. This is a quick little read, and I liked it, but it didn't absorb me. Also, there were minor errors in the text and story. That said, the story was surprising and fun. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about the Fey and sorceresses, and who might enjoy a quick read that requires little thought on the reader's part. The story is sprinkled throughout with profound quotes and quite clean for younger readers.
3.5 stars. This is a quick little read, and I liked it, but it didn't absorb me. Also, there were minor errors in the text and story. That said, the story was surprising and fun. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about the Fey and sorceresses, and who might enjoy a quick read that requires little thought on the reader's part. The story is sprinkled throughout with profound quotes and quite clean for younger readers.
chwaters's review against another edition
4.0
During a childhood Midsummer's Eve, Bromwyn defies her grandmother's orders and finds herself face to face with the fairy king. He offers her a place within his kingdom, but she refuses. Her refusal is a slight to the fae and it will come back to trouble her in the future. A few years later, Bromwyn is a teenager and has been training with her indomitable grandmother, the town's witch, for most of her life. She is now engaged to marry the blacksmith's apprentice in a betrothal arranged by their families. She would prefer to be the master of her own fate, but does little other than argue about it with her mother. Bromwyn would rather go about her business and hang out with her best friend, Rusty, the baker's son. On that fateful day, Rusty, who has a nasty habit of pickpocketing, manages to pick the pocket of Bromwyn's grandmother. As it turns out, Rusty has unwittingly stolen the Iron Key that locks the door between their world and the world of the fae. As such, Rusty is now the Guardian and therefore responsible for locking the door at the end of Midsummer Eve, the one night of the year that fairies are allowed in the human world. Bromwyn quickly discovers that her grandmother has set them up; Bromwyn is about to have her abilities tested as she takes on her grandmother's role of setting the terms and conditions of the fairy visit, a tricky endeavor as the fae tend to find loopholes in just about everything. If Bromwyn and Rusty fail, the door will remain open for an entire year during which the fairies will be allowed to steal children and kill or maim the adults. Rusty takes it all in stride and quickly makes a mistake, causing the fairies to challenge the pair for the right to walk the earth.
This is a great take on the fairy theme. These aren't cute or pretty fairies; they're mischievous at their best and deadly at their worst. Bromwyn and Rusty make a great pair. Bromwyn is stubborn and slightly arrogant while Rusty is charming and slightly irresponsible. Together, they're wholly entertaining. The action mostly takes place over the course of one evening (save for the prologue), which adds a sense of immediacy to the action. For some reason, the structure of the novel feels unusual which, for me, adds to the appeal. There are a lot of elements here that we've seen before, but they're presented in a way that makes this novel feel fresh and unique. Action, romance, fairies, witches and a great sense of humor make this a good choice both for all ages.
This is a great take on the fairy theme. These aren't cute or pretty fairies; they're mischievous at their best and deadly at their worst. Bromwyn and Rusty make a great pair. Bromwyn is stubborn and slightly arrogant while Rusty is charming and slightly irresponsible. Together, they're wholly entertaining. The action mostly takes place over the course of one evening (save for the prologue), which adds a sense of immediacy to the action. For some reason, the structure of the novel feels unusual which, for me, adds to the appeal. There are a lot of elements here that we've seen before, but they're presented in a way that makes this novel feel fresh and unique. Action, romance, fairies, witches and a great sense of humor make this a good choice both for all ages.
kilbourneknight's review
5.0
Bromwyn is a young witch (actually a witch-in-training) from a long line of witches. Her dour Grandmother is the Wise One of the Village of Loren, and the keeper of the World Key which opens and closes the Door which connects the mortal world to the realm of Faerie. It is through this Door that the Fae arrive each Midsummer Eve, and through which the Key Bearer must ensure that they pass back to Faerie.
Bromwyn is rebellious, headstrong, and determined to do things her own way. This leads her into trouble, both with the King and Queen of the Fae, and with her grandmother. When her friend Rusty, an aspiring thief, steals the World Key and is forced to be the Key Bearer, it falls to Bromwyn to assist him to save their village, their own lives, and ultimately Rusty’s soul from the scheming Fae.
Bromwyn Darkeyes is a great character—Kessler makes her hard to love (she comes off as an obnoxious brat) and yet I ended up loving her, and rooting for her to win not only against the Fae, but against all the obstacles that life (and her grandmother) set in her path. She reminds me a lot of Terry Pratchett’s marvelous Tiffany Aching, which is high praise indeed. And Kessler deftly manages both the humor and drama needed to keep this a page-turner. The stakes are sky-high, the characters are engaging, and the story moves at a breakneck pace towards what will be the ultimate test of Bromwyn’s power and ability.
To Bear an Iron Key is YA fantasy as it’s meant to be. It will keep both YA and adult readers on the edge of their seats, pulses pounding as they turn pages into the night to see if (and how) Bromwyn manages to prevail.
Bromwyn’s relationship with her elders—especially her mother and grandmother—and with Rusty all help to bring her character to its potential. I shan’t give away any spoilers, except to say that Bromwyn is up to the tasks set in her Trial, and left me wanting much much more of her (and Rusty’s) adventures. And Kessler has nicely set up the possibility of that return to Loren. For I have a feeling the Fae are not done with Bromwyn Darkeyes yet.
Bromwyn is rebellious, headstrong, and determined to do things her own way. This leads her into trouble, both with the King and Queen of the Fae, and with her grandmother. When her friend Rusty, an aspiring thief, steals the World Key and is forced to be the Key Bearer, it falls to Bromwyn to assist him to save their village, their own lives, and ultimately Rusty’s soul from the scheming Fae.
Bromwyn Darkeyes is a great character—Kessler makes her hard to love (she comes off as an obnoxious brat) and yet I ended up loving her, and rooting for her to win not only against the Fae, but against all the obstacles that life (and her grandmother) set in her path. She reminds me a lot of Terry Pratchett’s marvelous Tiffany Aching, which is high praise indeed. And Kessler deftly manages both the humor and drama needed to keep this a page-turner. The stakes are sky-high, the characters are engaging, and the story moves at a breakneck pace towards what will be the ultimate test of Bromwyn’s power and ability.
To Bear an Iron Key is YA fantasy as it’s meant to be. It will keep both YA and adult readers on the edge of their seats, pulses pounding as they turn pages into the night to see if (and how) Bromwyn manages to prevail.
Bromwyn’s relationship with her elders—especially her mother and grandmother—and with Rusty all help to bring her character to its potential. I shan’t give away any spoilers, except to say that Bromwyn is up to the tasks set in her Trial, and left me wanting much much more of her (and Rusty’s) adventures. And Kessler has nicely set up the possibility of that return to Loren. For I have a feeling the Fae are not done with Bromwyn Darkeyes yet.
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