Key of Valor

Review for all three books in the trilogy.

The thing about these books isn't the vaguely supernatural plot or the romance, it's the found-family.

There is a vaguely supernatural plot. Strangers, Malory, Dana, and Zoe, are all invited to a mysterious gathering hosted by the even more mysterious Rowena and Pitte. They're told a story about a god, soon to be king, who traveled into the mortal world, fell in love with a human woman. He brought her back to his world and they had three beautiful daughters. When those daughters were grown an evil sorcerer, rival for the king's power, cast a spell on them, trapping their souls in a glass box, leaving their bodies lifeless. The only way the spell could be broken is if three mortal women found the show more keys to the glass box. Malory, Dana, and Zoe are those three mortal women.

There is romance. The first book centers on Malory, and deals with her romance with Finn. The second on Dana and her romance with Jordan. The third on Zoe and Brad. But the wonderful thing about these books is how little time they spend on romance and how much they spend on the friendship growing between Malory, Dana, and Zoe, the pre-existing friendsihp between Flynn, Jordan, and Brad, and the way these six people become family to each other. Not only do the three women fulfill their quests and find their loves, they also start a business together and spend a great deal of time discussing how wonderful, helpful, and supportive the friendship they're developing is. Sure, there's a great deal of discussion about each other's love lives, but there's also a great deal of discussion about the business, each other's talents, and what each wants from life. To a lesser degree--because this is the women's story, after all--the men have similar discussions.

Found-family is my thing. It gets me every time. And these six people, plus Rowena, Pitte, Zoe's son Simon, and Flynn's goofy dog Moe, make a great family. show less

Read: March 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars, best of 2016

The plot: in the final book of the trilogy it is Zoe’s turn to find the third and final key to free the Daughters of Glass from their prison. The stakes are higher for Zoe as she must keep her son safe, deal with her confusing feelings for Brad, and fend off more desperate attacks by the sorcerer Kane while searching for the key.

I have to say that going into this book I liked Zoe the least out of the three protagonists. I thought she was overly hostile and defensive towards Brad and was quick to assume the worst of him for no reason at all. I don’t know what Brad saw in her except for the fact he found her physically attractive and he formed a bond with her son Simon. It’s a testament show more to her character development that by the end of the book I really liked her and thought her romance with Brad was lovely.

One thing I love about Roberts’ characters is that she doesn’t follow the romantic stereotype of the’ virgin heroine.’ Zoe is a single mother who had her son at sixteen. I admire the fact that Roberts shows that women who have a sexual history and who may even have children from previous relationships still deserve to find their HEA as well.

I loved the way Zoe ended up finding her Key, and the way all the couples in the trilogy (including Rowena and Pitte) had a fitting resolution to their stories. Having said that I really didn’t want Key of Valour to end. I want to know more about Indulgence and how that took off, I want to see the weddings of the three couples and what happened to them in the future. Did Malory have the son that Kane showed her in the vision back in the first book? Did Jordan and Dana move into Warrior’s Peak? I could have read another trilogy based around Malory, Dana and Zoe just to continue their stories for a bit longer. show less

I have to say that this is my favourite trilogy from Nora Roberts. I love fantasy and I love romance and Nora did such a wonderful job combining those two.

I actually looked up the mythology that the book centres around because it seemed like it could have stemmed from a real mythology. Imagine my dismay when nothing turned up and my amazement at Nora Roberts awesome story/world building skills.

I personally hope that she writes more with this type of fantasy romance. I would be first in line to buy a book from her if she decides to write some sort of sequel or epilogue to this series!

I've also recently bought all three Audiobooks and it was amazing listening to Susan Ericksen read my favourite series. The story was so much more clear show more and I got a different perspective to it and everything was just MORE. Oh and it was great to hear how some of the names were actually pronounced :D show less

Fine fine fine!!!! I read the last of the Key Trilogy. I couldn't help myself. I had to find out whether the demigoddess daughters of glass were released from their glass coffins. I had to find out how on earth wealthy, handsome, charming Bradley Charles Vane the IVth was able to win over Zoe, a single mom from a trailer park in West Virginia who bravely and heroically scraped a life together for herself and her humble, perfect son.

I don't think it'd be ruining the story if I told you all that everything works out okay in the end. It's a romance novel, it's Nora Roberts. There are seven human characters in the whole series: three beautiful women charged with a quest; three handsome wealthy men who elbow their way in to their lives; one show more perfect son. Men meet women, men fall for women, women say "no no no! This isn't right!" to men, men back off to a respectable distance whilst continuing to woo, women give in and realize they loved them all along, men and women fall in love and live happily ever after.

I just can't believe I got so sucked in! Nora Roberts has written about a zillion romance novels - many of them bestsellers. There's got to be something going on. I got so dragged in. Am I jaded? Or was it really corny, sappy, cheesy, ridiculous and sugary sweet? The answer is at the end of the book, and I will not spoil it for you. show less

Key of Valor provides a good ending to the Key Trilogy. Once in the story, the main character’s personality changes from that of not wanting any type of relationship to her jumping into one. When the reader thinks that one thing will happen, it doesn’t which makes the storyline upbeat and unpredictable; ultimately providing a good read.

This is definitely the best of the three. Zoe's quest takes her back to lifetime decisions, and that is very satisfying. And I loved where the key ended up being found.

I loved the book. Nora always has interesting books. This one was about a Quest of bravery. Three interesting women become friends and start down a road of becoming business owners while completing the ins and out of different adventures to finish there quest to help two other people they care for. The thrill of feeling like your there in the midst of all the good and bad moments they endure....Plus, a little boy who grasps yours and everyones heart.