Keeper Of The Keys (Cycle of Fire, Book II) [Paperback]

Janny Wurts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1988 | Series: Cycle of Fire, Book II

Jaric, a scribe's apprentice, is ordered to keep the Keys that bind the Mharg demons, but he has to choose whether to risk the dangerous training necessary to fulfill his mystical talent.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

'A great natural storyteller' - L. Sprague De Camp

'A gifted creator of wonder' - Raymond E Feist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Janny Wurts is the author of the 'Cycle of Fire' series, co-author of the Empire series and is currently working through the Wars of Light and Shadow series. She paints all her own covers and is also an expert horsewoman, sailor, musician and archer. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Ace; 1ST edition (August 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441432751
• ISBN-13: 978-0441432752
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,920,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I value direct experience over virtual experience and research alone.
Most of the things I write about, I have done at one point in my life.
I find inspiration in the natural world, travel, insatiable curiosity, and in music.

I paint the covers and do all the interiors artwork and maps for my novels.

Experiences have included horse training and competitive riding, offshore sailing, Outward Bound, music gigs, and extensive amateur bagpiping competition, and a second career in oil painting and illustration.

One of my goals is to bring the vividness of these experiences to the readers on the pages of my stories.

For the past fifteen years, I've been happily married to Don Maitz, the artist of SF/Fantasy book cover and Captain Morgan Spiced rum fame.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Audio version, December 17, 2010

By 

Kat at Fantasy Literature - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Keeper of the Keys (Cycle of Fire, No 2) (Paperback)

In this second episode of The Cycle of Fire, Ivainson Jaric witnesses some crucial history: how his father the Firelord and Anskiere the Stormwarden, both Vaere-trained sorcerers, bound the demons at Elrinfaer; how his father went mad and betrayed Anskiere; and how, though the demons were eventually bound, the land was destroyed in the process. Jaric also receives forewarnings, in the form of visions, of what the future will hold if he does not master his powers to help Taen and Anskiere subdue the rising demonkind who have now recruited Emien, Taen's brother, as one of their leaders.

Keeper of the Keys is a "middle book," so much of the plot involves Jaric's gradually increasing realization and conviction that he can no longer deny the world the talents he was given as Firelord's heir, even though he risks the madness that his father suffered. Though there are many exciting episodes in Keeper of the Keys, they mainly serve to get Jaric ready to prepare himself for the future.

Janny Wurts' story is creative and I especially like the fantasy/science fiction mix which is reminiscent of Andre Norton's Witchworld. Wurts' characters are likable and the transitions they go through, especially Jaric's, are realistic (though I was really ready for Jaric to man up by the end of this book). I especially like a couple of the gruffer characters: The Kielmark (Lord of Cliffhaven and King of Pirates) and his captain Corley. Wurts is particularly good with these types of characters and they are a nice counterpoint to Jaric's occasional whininess.

I listened to Keeper of the Keys on audio (Audible Frontiers) with narrator David Thorpe. Thorpe's enthusiastic voice is charming and I read on Ms. Wurts' forum that he has all of the names and places pronounced correctly. I have one complaint, though -- something I mentioned in my review of Stormwarden and which I've now realized may be specific to the audio version: Though the dialogue is quite nice and the scenery and action are clearly described, I find that, for me at least, the occasional wordiness and frequent use of participial phrases at the beginning of sentences reduces the vividness of my mental imagery and interrupts the plot's tension. This occurs in sentences constructed this way:

* Rooted in total acceptance of the powers which had torn her from youth, her poise was an embarrassment.
* Inured to the pain of stressed tendons, he wrenched his body upwards and hooked his forearm over the edge.
* Cued by a shift in his master's stance, Corley slipped his whetstone in his pocket.

When read out loud, especially with Mr. Thorpe's enthusiastic voice, passages with several of these types of sentences occasionally feel choppy and the action sometimes feels sluggish. Interestingly, when I checked the print version, this was not so much of an issue -- maybe because I read faster than the audiobook reader narrates, or because I process the entire participial phrase at once instead of with the same pause and inflection that Thorpe gives each one. When I'm listening to the audiobook I also notice that Ms. Wurts has a preference for polysyllabic words, but I didn't notice this in the print version -- probably because I don't "hear" the separate syllables when reading. Because I'm a Strunk & White kind of girl, the conspicuousness of the style affected my enjoyment of the audio version, but it's only likely to bother weird people like me. (Weird people such as me, I mean.) I should also mention that The Cycle of Fire is Janny Wurts' first epic and that I prefer her later style.

But I'm looking forward to Shadowfane, the last novel in The Cycle of Fire. I don't doubt that Jaric and Taen will save the world, but it will be fun to see how they triumph, to find out what happens to Emien and Anskiere, and to learn more about the history of the Vaere and the Corinne Dane. Janny Wurts writes with creativity and passion, so I'm expecting an exciting finale!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great., August 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Keeper of the Keys (Cycle of Fire, No 2) (Paperback)

I've read this book as well as the one before and, though it's not exactly the best series out there, it's nice enough. Jaric is a good character as well as Taen, but the storyline, which at first seems novel and original, is simply more of the same. Its only real originality comes from the origin of the demons and the truth about Kor's Fires. Other than that . . . Well, as I said, good, but not great.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I stayed up all night just to see how it ended!, April 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Keeper of the Keys (Cycle of Fire, No 2) (Paperback)

Usually when I read a book that's part of a series without having read the series, I get confused. I didn't have that problem with Keeper of the Keys. I found myself drawn into the storyline, cheering Jaric's successes and feeling his pain and confusion in his struggles. The author does not overload you with too much scenery or descriptions. This book is a keeper!