''The Key'' is a
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
novel written by
Marianne Curley. It is the third book in the
Guardians of Time Trilogy.
Narration
As with all of the Guardians of Time books, the
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...
is written in the
third person, while all the chapters are written in the
first person switching points of view between two narrators. In this book, the two narrators are
Rochelle and
Matt.
In this installment of the series, Matt and Rochelle struggle to deal with the impending battle, which has been predicted to decide the fate of the Named. Meanwhile, tensions have been mounting as romance between the Named forms, much to the displeasure of some characters. A traitor has also been discovered.
This book basically states the struggles between different characters point of view mostly from Rochelle, but finds a way to get through them by ignoring the accusations
Setting
The story is set in
Angel Falls which is located above the ancient city of
Veridian.
The story is set in the present or near-present time. Some of the story takes place in the past, in a variety of times/places. It also takes place in the
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwo ...
realm and the
Heavenly realm.
More so than in the previous two novels, the story takes place in the lost city and a mythical city of Atlantis, pre-sinking. Other locations of action include the high school in Angel Falls and the woods surrounding the city, where the epic battle takes place.
Reception
Shelle Rosenfeld in her review for
Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
said that "Matt and Rochelle's alternating, present-tense first-person narratives add suspense to an engrossing, if not dense, read, driven by detailed descriptions of a dizzying array of magic devices, events, time periods and settings."
School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
said in their review that "other than brief references, the book relies entirely on familiarity with the earlier volumes for understanding the causes of action and all other background. The characters never really develop and the dialogue borders on being overwrought. The constant action may appeal to fans of the earlier volumes."
See also
*''
The Named
''The Named'' is a fantasy novel written by Marianne Curley. It is the first book in the Guardians of Time Trilogy. Ethan is a member of The Named who is training his new apprentice, Isabel, under the guidance of his mentor Arkarian.
Narrati ...
''
*''
The Dark''
Notes
External links
Marianne Curley's websiteBloomsbury Guardians of Time website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, The
2005 Australian novels
Children's science fiction novels
Novels about time travel
Guardians of Time Trilogy
Bloomsbury Publishing books