Key of Valor

December 22, 2003
This book concludes Roberts's Key Trilogy, in which mortal women quest to unlock the spellbound souls of ancient demigoddesses. The third and last woman to make the attempt is hairstylist Zoe McCourt. Like her friends Malory and Dana—heroines of the previous installments (Key of Light
, Key of Knowledge
)—Zoe has a single month and a cryptic set of clues with which to find her key. The angry sorcerer Kane fights her efforts as friends both mortal and immortal lend their support. As she searches, Zoe is courted by Bradley Vane IV, the sexy heir to a home improvement empire. She's not sure which is more difficult: accepting that she's magically linked with Brad or trying to quell her suspicions long enough to accept his love in the here and now. When she finds the courage to do both, the souls of all three goddesses are finally released. Smart but struggling single mom Zoe is an appealing heroine whose working-class grit finds a perfect foil in Brad's patrician confidence. Scenes involving her feisty son, Simon, temper the story's mysticism with humor, and the joining together of the trio as a family is genuinely moving. When it comes to combining sweetness, sexiness and the supernatural, Roberts proves once again that she is the most powerful spellbinder of all.

November 15, 2003
After watching her two friends rise to the challenge of finding two of the keys necessary to undo an ancient spell, it is now Zoe's turn to find the third and final key and complete the process, unlocking a glass box and releasing the imprisoned souls of three Celtic princesses. Armed with courage, flanked by friends, and aided by magic, Zoe begins a quest that will be even more dangerous than she dreams, because this is a game she cannot afford to lose. Strong, resourceful characters, fast-pacing, and vivid descriptions add to this well-written, emotionally compelling tale. The final volume in Roberts's magic-laced Key trilogy (Key of Light; Key of Knowledge) will appeal to fans of Roberts' earlier Three Sisters Island series. Romance star Roberts lives in Keedysville, MD.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2004
Adult/High School-Roberts treats readers to entertaining tales that revolve around a quest to free the trapped souls of three Celtic demigoddesses. Legend states that they must be freed by three mortal women. Thus, three women get an invitation for cocktails and conversation that reads in part, "you are the key, the lock awaits." They are three very different people with different talents and strengths but, ultimately, strong wills and a determination to succeed unite them. Though the women frequently appear in one another's story, each book centers on one of them. In the first book, Light, the scene is set as readers meet the key players. The book then focuses on Malory, whose strength is an eye for beauty. In Knowledge, Dana's passion for books is a vital part of her story. In Valor, Zoe completes the quest and finds her special key. Readers are never really in any doubt that the women will be successful but that doesn't matter. How and where their key is found and how they get to know themselves better in the process make for entertaining reading. Fantasy aficionados who also enjoy a good love story will no doubt be the prime audience for these books.-Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2003
Zoe McCourt's new friends and business partners Mallory Price and Dana Steele have already found two keys to the legendary Box of Souls. Now it is Zoe's turn to locate the final key needed to free up the souls of the Daughters of Glass, three Celtic demigoddesses imprisoned by an evil sorcerer. Even though Mallory and Dana both found the help of a man to be important to the completion of their portions of the quest, Zoe, a single mother used to doing things for herself, is determined that for her, things will be different. But destiny seems to have other ideas in mind for Zoe because every time she turns around, Bradley "Brad" Charles Vane IV is waiting to lend a hand. With Zoe's tale, Roberts brings her delectable new fantasy-tinged trilogy to a superb conclusion, presenting yet another excellent example of this exceptional writer's skills at blending myth, magic, and romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)