Nora Roberts is the author of more than one hundred New York Times bestsellers, with more than 300 million copies of her books in print. Under the pen name J. D. Robb, she is author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series. Visit her website at www.noraroberts.com.
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. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Malory Price's perfectly planned life has just gone to heck in a handbasket. Her art gallery job, which defined her, is in immediate jeopardy. Then, at an invitation-only reception, Malory and two other women are offered the quest of a lifetime: find the three keys that unlock the souls of three demigods within three months and receive $3 million; fail and lose a year of their lives. They accept the challenge. Malory draws the first quest, and her life turns inside out. Susan Ericksen has a way with accents, from the Welsh and Irish to a Southern drawl; she imbues each of the three women and their corresponding men with very individual personalities, making the story easy to follow, though it has a slow start owing to character introduction. With Roberts's usual flair for romance and suspense, part one of the trilogy is a worthy adventure.-Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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 Reed Business Information.
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