The Key (Guardians of Time) - Softcover

Curley, Marianne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1599900017 ISBN 13: 9781599900018

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2006

Synopsis

In the thrilling, final installment of the Guardians of Time trilogy, tentative guard members Matt and Rochelle have emerged as crucial players in fulfilling the prophecy of the Named. Matt has learned that he is the son of an immortal, while Rochelle is struggling with her newfound powers and her fear that the group doesn't trust her. In fact, their leader is certain that someone in the close-knit circle is a traitor-but who? As suspicions mount, friction threatens to tear apart the Guard. Will the members of the Named be able to overcome their fears and unite the Guardians of Time in their last stand against evil and chaos?

About this title

About the Author

Marianne Curley is the author of the previous two titles in the Guardians of Time trilogy, The Named and The Dark. A native of Australia, Marianne has three teenage children whose conversations and experiences inspire her writing. They are also her most fervent critics.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–This conclusion to the trilogy opens with a meteor shower brought on by the wrath of the evil immortal Lathenia. Various meetings, quests, skirmishes, arguments, and love tiffs lead up to a final battle. The protagonists are the Named–teens and their mentors who are the champions of the forces of good. They spend most of the book wrangling with one another over who is allowed to love whom and who might be a traitor while very little time is spent honing the ill-defined powers that they have all recently received. Among all of the mystical journeying there is only one obvious example of time travel–two of the teens save Captain Cook's expedition that will discover Australia. The titular key opens a secret cache of weapons that are supposedly linked to the powers of each of the Named, but it isn't ever clear what that connection is. The armies of darkness aren't all that frightening and the battle feels more haphazard than climactic. Other than brief references, the book relies entirely on familiarity with the earlier volumes for understanding the causes of action and all other background. The characters never really develop and the dialogue borders on being overwrought. The constant action may appeal to fans of the earlier volumes. For everyone else, recommend the works of Garth Nix instead.–Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1599900017
• ISBN 13: 9781599900018
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 416