Key of Light (Key Trilogy) [AUDIOBOOK] [MP3 AUDIO] [UNABRIDGED] (MP3 CD)

by Nora Roberts (Author), Susan Ericksen (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Roberts built her reputation writing first-rate romantic tales involving legends and magic, and now she returns to the supernatural realm with a story that's not as stellar as her earlier works but should delight her fans. The life of gallery manager Malory Price is stalled when she is invited to a reception at a mansion near her small Pennsylvania town. Upon her arrival, she discovers that she is one of only three guests-all of whom are feisty young women with life challenges just like her own. Their mysterious hosts explain that centuries earlier, they allowed the souls of the three demigoddesses under their care to be stolen by a sorcerer. Legend says the demigoddesses cannot be freed until three mortal women find the keys to the glass box in which they are housed. Should they agree, Malory, Dana Steele and Zoe McCourt will each receive $25,000 to search for the keys, plus a million dollars if they succeed. They nervously accept, and Malory is the first to tackle her task, with the help of Dana's charming but commitment-phobic brother Flynn. The legend is as mistily silly as the art history Malory uses to search for clues, and the financial incentives smack more of a reality show than Celtic lore. Fortunately, Roberts's crisp writing, earthy humor and vivid characterizations combine to make this a compelling read.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* A mysterious invitation brings three strangers--gallery manager Malory Price, librarian Dana Steele, and hairdresser Zoe McCourt--to Warrior's Peak, a castlelike estate outside of Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania, where their elegantly enigmatic hosts, Rowena and Pitte, offer the opportunity to participate in an unusual quest. Malory, Dana, and Zoe will each have 28 days to find one of the keys to a mystical box, which holds the trapped souls of three sister Celtic demigoddesses imprisoned by a jealous sorcerer. In Key of Light, the first in Roberts' irresistible new trilogy, Malory begins her search by bumping into Dana's stepbrother, newspaper reporter Michael "Flynn" Hennessy. Malory can't deny her attraction to him, but she doesn't have time for a relationship with the exasperatingly sexy Flynn: she has a key to find! Characters, plot, and setting all come together superbly. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• MP3 CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD; MP3 Una edition (June 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593352506
• ISBN-13: 978-1593352509
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #797,177 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Wonderful Winner!, October 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Key of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read EVERY book Nora Roberts has ever written and wait anxiously for each new one to "hit the stands". I was at the store the first day this book came out and read it cover to cover that very day. I truly enjoyed it from start to finish. The ending was of course evident, since this is a trilogy, but it doesn't detract from the story at all. Malory has a life plan, which starts to change drastically when she calls her boss's new wife a bimbo and spills a latte on her suit. Fortunately the $25,000 she gets for trying to find the key will hold her over for a while since she inevitably loses her job. As Malory sticks to her commitment to find her key she experiences more changes in her life in the way of Dana's brother Flynn. Is someone playing with her mind or is how she feels about him real. Although she hardly knows Zoe and Dana, she feels connected to them. Their methods for finding clues may be obscure, but then how much detail do we really need to make the story fun. The farther into the puzzle of finding her key, the more Malory sees how things could be. She makes some very hard choices, but nothing about the way Robert's writes the story can be called ordinary or predictable. The future pairing of Brad and Zoe and Jordan and Dana is fun to anticipate. The sparks are already flying. We know that Zoe and Dana will get their turns at finding a key and the prelude in this first book about what lies ahead for them makes you want November to be here today. Since the story line is set, and the preliminaries out of the way, the next two can only get better. Better than a great book, that's something!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The fun is in the details..., November 5, 2003

By	The Lizard Queen (Topeka, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Key of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

To those who aren't Nora Roberts fans, but are interested in picking up one of her books: this is a thoroughly entertaining book. It's got romance, intrigue, engaging characters, and an interesting plot. Be careful, though, because it's the first book of a trilogy, and you could easily get pulled into buying two more books. It might not be literature, it might not be art, but it sure is a lot of fun.

Now on to the bulk of my review, which is aimed at those who are already Nora fans: in a way, you've read this before. The characters are mixes of earlier characters, and some are not even mixes: Dana Steele is rather a lot like Ripley Todd, for instance. You can pretty much guess what's going to happen both in this book and in the next two. For that reason, I'd really rather give it 4.5 stars instead of 5. In other words, it's not quite perfect.

However, it's the same Nora Roberts we know and love. Just because you have a good idea of where you're going doesn't mean you can't enjoy the trip. What sets this book apart, and makes it so enjoyable, is its details. The plot is intriguing, and at times exciting. Even though it has parts to it that are reminiscent of earlier trilogies (especially the Three Sisters and the Irish trilogies), it has fresh and interesting twists to it. The characters are as loveable as always, and their details set them apart from previous characters: Dana's books (she's a reference librarian, which I love), for example, and Flynn's dog. And there are a few scenes that I thought topped anything NR's written before.

In short, read it. It's good. :-)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Robert's Style and Story, October 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Key of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

Having read and enjoyed Robert's stories since the early 80s, I am always excited when another offering from this (thankfully) prolific writer hits the shelves! Sliding into the worlds and lives that Roberts creates is a great mini vacation from reality and I especially enjoy her penchance for Celtic, magical and mythical themes, as in this new triology. Roberts loves the "what if?" and as one of the heros (or heros to be)asks: What would life be like, if we KNEW magic was alive and true and that the old stories were based on something real? The question is not new and has been asked in grander literary style, but it is always fun and Roberts lets us share that fun. There won't be any great surprises for longtime fans, the heros/heroines of the next two books are clear, as are the basic man/woman conflicts that will play out. We've met versions of her single mom, grounded realist, eccentic writer, scion of a family empire, journalist and book lover before, but so what? We liked them then and they are no less engaging now. Personally, I also enjoy Robert's stories, like this one, in which her characters realize that their lives to date aren't working and then set about to create a better life that does work. I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.