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A review by kilbourneknight
To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler
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.