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tikimoof's review
You know what? I give up.
The first section is terrible. It's boring and it is so goddamned repetitive. 300 pages could be condensed to half that.
I got a bit into the second section. Much better written (in that I don't get the same three plot points every twenty pages), but I was still bored.
And I have many other books I could read and hate and be done with in the same amount of time.
To the DNF pile!
The first section is terrible. It's boring and it is so goddamned repetitive. 300 pages could be condensed to half that.
I got a bit into the second section. Much better written (in that I don't get the same three plot points every twenty pages), but I was still bored.
And I have many other books I could read and hate and be done with in the same amount of time.
To the DNF pile!
damarisr's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
xeni's review against another edition
5.0
This is a wonderfully long and intense novel which follows one country through centuries in the perspective of a painter. I loved how Melanie Rawn used a "flawed", i.e. corrupted, main character to tell her story from. It definitely was a wonderful change from most stories (where the main character needs to defeat that bad guy). It does, though, lead the reader to sympathize with the main character a bit more than you would usually with the villain.
I still love reading this novel, even after many many reads. The story never grows old, the characters are all full and the plot is wonderfully thought out.
You can definitely tell that Rawn spent many years putting together this literary masterpiece.
I still love reading this novel, even after many many reads. The story never grows old, the characters are all full and the plot is wonderfully thought out.
You can definitely tell that Rawn spent many years putting together this literary masterpiece.
lanikei's review against another edition
5.0
Such an interesting combination of styles and cultures... Lush settings, tons of intrigue, enthralling characters, etc etc. This book brings together some of the greatest trashy fantasy authors ever.
caravaggiooo's review
4.25
Vast yet intimate in scope with an absorbing, intricate plot and a solid cast of characters, the cherry on top being an incredibly appealing and creative premise (especially for this art history nerd; mileage may vary depending on readers' interest, or lack thereof in fine art). The extra touches such as the transitional Galleria interludes and the fictional painting guides are fantastic. The first "volume" of The Golden Key, Chieva do'Sangua, merely hints at the epic journey through the generations the story unfolds into, leading to a uniquely satisfying and subtly moving conclusion. I also have to note that characters such as Saavedra and Eleyna hold a special appeal for me, as a female reader in the creative field. The Golden Key, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a masterpiece, is a memorable fantasy creation that will probably stay with me a long while.
kylieqrada's review
5.0
I loooooooovvvveeeedddddd this. I inherited it from my grandmother when she passed, and was never really interested in it (mostly due to the janky cover, let's be honest). But with my recent obsession with 80s and 90s fantasy, I decided to pick it up and I am SO glad that I did. It was a long one, for sure, with alot of characters to keep track of, many of them with the same names, which added more confusion. The interlude sections also confused the heck out of me, until the end, when I went back and read them after seeing the whole story arc come to fruition, and then it clicked. Overall, incredible writing, the BEST characters, and a multigenerational plot made for a helluva good time. Wish I could have talked about it with my Grandma.
velocitygirl14's review against another edition
5.0
I had read this back when I was in college and I had forgotten it until I saw a reissue in a bookstore and it made me want to grab a copy of it and read it again. I recalled bits and pieces of it from years ago, but I had forgotten the brilliance of this standalone novel.
Written in three parts, it is an intricately woven novel that tells the story of a family of artists who are tied with the ruling family for hundreds of years for better or for worse.
Sario, the protagonist of the piece figures out a way for his family to succeed and for him to gain some kind of immortality. His ambition and his love for his cousin Saavedra, sets off a chain of events that isn't concluded until hundreds of years later. I loved how it all was tied up and the little tidbits of history scattered about and how they were interwoven within the story. Despite it being a 90's book, it still works well in the present day.
Written in three parts, it is an intricately woven novel that tells the story of a family of artists who are tied with the ruling family for hundreds of years for better or for worse.
Sario, the protagonist of the piece figures out a way for his family to succeed and for him to gain some kind of immortality. His ambition and his love for his cousin Saavedra, sets off a chain of events that isn't concluded until hundreds of years later. I loved how it all was tied up and the little tidbits of history scattered about and how they were interwoven within the story. Despite it being a 90's book, it still works well in the present day.