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A review by celeste57
Key of Light by Nora Roberts
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
If Nora Roberts is my ultimate comfort author (which she is), then this trilogy is my ultimate comfort trilogy. Of the dozens of trilogies and quartets I’ve read from her, the Key trilogy is my favorite. There are others that I love, that I also return to again and again for comfort. And then there are those that I really respect, such as the Chronicle of the One. But this trilogy I respect and admire and love deeply. It just really resonates with me. And I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed it!
Our story begins with three very different women from the same small town being invited to a mysterious mansion on a dark and stormy night. There they are given a quest of mythic proportions: find three keys to free the souls of three demigoddesses over the course of three months, and each woman will win a million dollars. But, of course, there are stakes. Should they accept the quest but fail to deliver, they will each lose an undisclosed year of their lives. The women, Mallory, Dana, and Zoe, must believe in the seemingly impossible and band together in order to complete their task and win the prize.
Our main character of this first book is Mallory, an art dealer with the heart and soul of an artist who has always mourned the fact that she doesn’t have the gift to produce great art herself. But she takes her love for art and shares it with the world in a different way, helping others find the art that speaks to them. I love the way Nora describes art. The power of it. The making of it. The love of it. She’s had many novels featuring artists and those who work with art, and I’m always wowed by the way she weaves the love her characters feel for art, and the magic of the art itself, into her stories.
As with all of Nora’s books, there is a strong romantic element. The romantic interest in this book is Flynn, a reporter running the town’s only newspaper. He and his big mutt, Moe, don’t sweep Mallory off her feet as much as literally knock them out from under her on their first meeting. Both Flynn and Moe are charming and brimming with personality, but it takes Mallory a while to warm up to them. When she does, she falls hard. And fast. I really like the progression of their relationship, and their dynamic with one another. They just click.
I also love the friendship that buds between Mallory, Dana, and Zoe. I also absolutely adore the business venture they embark upon together in the form of Indulgence, a combination art gallery, bookstore, and salon. It just sounds incredible, and is the fictional shop I have daydreamed about the most in my life. One of Nora’s strengths as a writer is her easy way with poetic descriptions of places, and that is on brilliant display in this trilogy, not only in Indulgence, but in the houses of our various characters as well as Warrior’s Peak, the aforementioned mysterious mansion. Nora paints beautiful pictures with her words here.
While I’m sure there are plenty of legitimate critiques that could be made of this book and the rest of the trilogy, I have no notes for this story. It’s an incredibly subjective 5 stars. I just love the Key trilogy so much. It’s something I can sink back into anytime I need something cozy, and it’s a story that I think about frequently. If you’ve ever thought about reading a Nora Roberts trilogy but didn’t know which one to try first, start here!