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True Reign #1
The Key
Within these pages lie kingdoms with castles and princes who fall in love with fair maidens, but make no mistake-this is no fairytale.
His father’s kingdom is on the brink of upheaval and at the center of it all is an ordinary girl who could be the key to its undoing. When faced with the ultimate choice, will he choose the girl he’s falling in love with or the kingdom he has sworn to protect?
An ordinary girl with an extraordinary past. All she wants is to be free. What she doesn’t realize is that freedom comes with a price she can’t afford to pay. She’s forced to accept the proposal of a prince she despises, even though her heart belongs to someone else . . . his brother.
Seventeen-year-old Rema lives in a brutal kingdom where travel between regions is forbidden, people are starving, and looking at someone the wrong way can mean death. Nineteen-year-old Darmik is the king’s son and Commander of the King’s Army. He spends his days roving the island, doing his father’s bidding and trying to maintain control over the people.
When a chance encounter throws Rema and Darmik together, they share an instantaneous connection, but any sort of relationship between them is strictly forbidden. Darmik’s brother, the Crown Prince, notices Darmik’s interest in Rema and, in a calculated, political move, blackmails her. Faced with an impossible choice, Rema is forced to sacrifice her heart in order to save her family.
As Rema is taken to the palace with the Crown Prince, Darmik confronts the growing rumor that a legitimate blood heir to the throne exists and is trying to overthrow Darmik’s family. In Darmik’s quest to hunt down and kill the threat, he discovers that nothing is as it seems. Locked in the king’s castle, Rema finds herself a key player in a massive power struggle. When Darmik shows up, she’s not sure if she can trust him. The line between friends, enemies, and loyalty becomes blurred. As truths are unlocked, Rema understands that she just might be the key to finding the rightful heir and restoring peace to the kingdom� if she can manage to stay alive long enough.
His father’s kingdom is on the brink of upheaval and at the center of it all is an ordinary girl who could be the key to its undoing. When faced with the ultimate choice, will he choose the girl he’s falling in love with or the kingdom he has sworn to protect?
An ordinary girl with an extraordinary past. All she wants is to be free. What she doesn’t realize is that freedom comes with a price she can’t afford to pay. She’s forced to accept the proposal of a prince she despises, even though her heart belongs to someone else . . . his brother.
Seventeen-year-old Rema lives in a brutal kingdom where travel between regions is forbidden, people are starving, and looking at someone the wrong way can mean death. Nineteen-year-old Darmik is the king’s son and Commander of the King’s Army. He spends his days roving the island, doing his father’s bidding and trying to maintain control over the people.
When a chance encounter throws Rema and Darmik together, they share an instantaneous connection, but any sort of relationship between them is strictly forbidden. Darmik’s brother, the Crown Prince, notices Darmik’s interest in Rema and, in a calculated, political move, blackmails her. Faced with an impossible choice, Rema is forced to sacrifice her heart in order to save her family.
As Rema is taken to the palace with the Crown Prince, Darmik confronts the growing rumor that a legitimate blood heir to the throne exists and is trying to overthrow Darmik’s family. In Darmik’s quest to hunt down and kill the threat, he discovers that nothing is as it seems. Locked in the king’s castle, Rema finds herself a key player in a massive power struggle. When Darmik shows up, she’s not sure if she can trust him. The line between friends, enemies, and loyalty becomes blurred. As truths are unlocked, Rema understands that she just might be the key to finding the rightful heir and restoring peace to the kingdom� if she can manage to stay alive long enough.
329 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2013
1,333 people are currently reading
6,605 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Anne Davis
29books1,068followersJennifer Anne Davis graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. She is currently a full-time writer. Jennifer is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel (2013), winner of the Kindle Book Awards (2018), a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2014), and a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards (2014).
Visit Jennifer online at:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews
April 8, 2016
“The word is to be prepared.The key will arrive.We must all be ready.�
A conquered kingdom.
A nation on the brink of civil war.
A soldier prince tired of killing.
A lost heir.
And a court full of enemies.
The result?Young Adult fantasy at its finest.
“Surely,fighting for what was right and what one believed in was worth the risk.Because if no one stood up against this tyranny,it would continue until they eventually lost their land,livelihood,and homes.�
Seventeen years ago,Greenwood Island fell and the entire royal family was slaughtered.Or so they thought.The young princess survived,and grew up away from potential dangers,isolated and ignorant of her true heritage,until she crossed paths with Prince Darmik and everything changed.A series of events forced Rema to get engaged to his brother,the despicable Crown Prince Lennek,who chose her as his bride only to upset his brother.Rema ended up locked inside the palace,afraid of her betrothed and the king,trying to decipher the meaning of an important riddle,while Darmik tried to fight his feelings for her and find the rebels who threatened the peace of his kingdom.But some truths are better left hidden...
“You ruin everything you touch.�
What makes a YA fantasy book a good YA fantasy book
-An intriguing story
Do you know when I was certain I would love this book?When I read the first chapter,a chapter narrating how a soldier tried to protect the royal family and swore to the fallen queen he will keep her daughter alive.I got goosebumps and I could hear my loud heartbreat,my hands shook and my breath caught and I knew,I knew I just dived into an unforgettable reading experience.The rest of the story did not disappoint.Sibling rivalries,politics,a brewing uprising,hideous acts,mystery and a huge cliffhanger left me craving for more,and managed this without using magic and bloody battles,and it surprised me that I didn't mind at all.
-A good world-building
Even though the structure and the history of Greenwood Island and the Empire were gradually revealed,every necessary information was at your disposal,making you a part of this suffering,broken world,feeling for the poor and wanting to right everything that was wrong.Starting with murdering Lennek and feeding him to the sharks.Which brings me to the next entry.
-A villain that makes you thirsty for his blood (in a non-vampiric but homicidal way)
There are villains you love to hate,villains that cause you a pang of sympathy,Darkling who is a category all by himself, and villains that awaken your violent tendecies and make plotting their death a very satisfactory hobby.Lennek and the King belong to the latest category.If you're scared there's a love triangle rejoice! because there is not.Lennek is the jealous,ruthless brother who doesn't take no for an answer and wants to hurt Darmik however he can,and claiming a girl his brother likes is his sick pleasure.He and his father,two people who care only about their needs but leave their people starve,deserve to die in the most painful way possible.I am more than willing to help.
-A relatable heroine
Rema is not your typical kickass YA heroine who can do nothing wrong and handles a sword like a trained soldier.But she is strong and proud and dedicated to her family and willing to help people in need.There were moments she lost her courage and her faith,and she made mistakes,but those are the exact reasons I could relate to her,and assume I would follow the same course of action in her place.She's realistic.
-Swoony romance
Even though there was insta-attraction and connection between Rema and Darmik,things between them developed slowly in a burning-your-insides,turning-you-into-goo kind of way,and their moments were so sweet and adorable I couldn't help but puke unicorns.They had a fairytalish vibe I found deeply endearing.They have many things to resolve and trust to rebuild but I fiercely believe they're soulmates and they'll find their happy ending.If not,you know I'm available Darmik baby,right?
If you loved ,you have to try ASAP!And guys,it's free on !
You're welcome.
June 8, 2016
This book blew me away.
As a fantasy lover, this had it all. Kings, Castles, hidden princesses and a killer romance. Oh and the CLIFF HANGER AT THE END OMG JENNIFER HOW COULD YOU!
Jokes, love you and this book.
A engrossing fantasy with a kick ass female protagonist that would put Beyonce's confidence to shame. Wonderful world building and interesting story telling. Give me the rest of the series.
As a fantasy lover, this had it all. Kings, Castles, hidden princesses and a killer romance. Oh and the CLIFF HANGER AT THE END OMG JENNIFER HOW COULD YOU!
Jokes, love you and this book.
A engrossing fantasy with a kick ass female protagonist that would put Beyonce's confidence to shame. Wonderful world building and interesting story telling. Give me the rest of the series.
March 7, 2016
I am completely disappointed. What a one-dimensional story. Not everything is black and white. I didn't particularly like any of the characters. The mystery was too obvious and the insta-love made me want to stop reading it. I just...I just don't even know what to say. I don't want too sound too harsh or anything but the writing wasn't that good and the characters were either brave and perfect or evil and completely flawed. I am probably not going to read the sequel. Also, everyone who's saying that the ending was really intense and cliffhanger-y ... are you for real? It's obvious what's going to happen in the sequel. I'm giving it two stars simply because I loved how much Rema loves horses. I feel like this book would be pretty great for young readers who are getting into fantasy books (age 12-14).
April 13, 2022
Bloody hell..! How did I get into this situation again?!
....... 😒
It's not the only thing that's bothersome that there were no fantasy elements provided in this book. The story, characters, writing, everything was totally flat. Even after all this, I waited long enough to think that the book would improve, but it didn't happen.
It's really sad yet extremely irritating when the best thing about a book is only the cover.
....... 😒
It's not the only thing that's bothersome that there were no fantasy elements provided in this book. The story, characters, writing, everything was totally flat. Even after all this, I waited long enough to think that the book would improve, but it didn't happen.
It's really sad yet extremely irritating when the best thing about a book is only the cover.
October 19, 2016
4.5 Stars
Here’s a few things you need to know about The Key when you start it. It’s a series, so yes the book will end on a cliffhanger. I’m not spoiling anything from you because that warning was screamed at me prior to reading the book.
This is a YA book, so the steam is not there and the romance is mild, but plenty good in my opinion.
There’s a lot that goes on in the book, but it worked for me completely.
Reading YA fantasy books are something you have to be in the mood for and I was on the hunt for that type of book. I was recommended this read and I don’t know why I didn’t pick it up sooner.
Even though this was a YA read it’s not a “light� YA read, it’s kind of like the Hunger Games in the sense, people die and there are super villains in the book. At times I cringed and was really sad, but it worked for the book. It made it a story and it made the characters more emotional.
There’s Rema, she’s the spitfire of the book and I love her. She’s the type of Heroine I want to read in a YA book. She’s strong, smart and loyal. I love that she keeps to her word and she loves her family.
When you start the book the author does a great job in setting up the story. Get ready for a lot of oh my goodness moments. At times I had to put the book down and talk about it with my husband (mind you, he doesn’t have any interests in the books I read, but he was a good sport) because I had to talk about it with someone!
I don’t really want to give away too much of the story because it’s just best to be exposed on your own. There’s a war torn country, where the poor are SUPER poor and the rich are ruthless and rule all. There’s an evil Prince and a handsome good Prince. Both show interest in Rema.
There’s the power struggle between the rebels and the monarch. It’s highly political and highly addictive to read.
I read this book in one sitting and I was so happy there was two more books for me to read because I wasn’t ready for it to be over yet.
Here’s a few things you need to know about The Key when you start it. It’s a series, so yes the book will end on a cliffhanger. I’m not spoiling anything from you because that warning was screamed at me prior to reading the book.
This is a YA book, so the steam is not there and the romance is mild, but plenty good in my opinion.
There’s a lot that goes on in the book, but it worked for me completely.
Reading YA fantasy books are something you have to be in the mood for and I was on the hunt for that type of book. I was recommended this read and I don’t know why I didn’t pick it up sooner.
Even though this was a YA read it’s not a “light� YA read, it’s kind of like the Hunger Games in the sense, people die and there are super villains in the book. At times I cringed and was really sad, but it worked for the book. It made it a story and it made the characters more emotional.
There’s Rema, she’s the spitfire of the book and I love her. She’s the type of Heroine I want to read in a YA book. She’s strong, smart and loyal. I love that she keeps to her word and she loves her family.
When you start the book the author does a great job in setting up the story. Get ready for a lot of oh my goodness moments. At times I had to put the book down and talk about it with my husband (mind you, he doesn’t have any interests in the books I read, but he was a good sport) because I had to talk about it with someone!
I don’t really want to give away too much of the story because it’s just best to be exposed on your own. There’s a war torn country, where the poor are SUPER poor and the rich are ruthless and rule all. There’s an evil Prince and a handsome good Prince. Both show interest in Rema.
There’s the power struggle between the rebels and the monarch. It’s highly political and highly addictive to read.
I read this book in one sitting and I was so happy there was two more books for me to read because I wasn’t ready for it to be over yet.
March 27, 2018
The Key was an amazing book. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time.
This review will have a ton of spoilers - so don't read it if you haven't read the book yet.
I'm shook people.
This review will have a ton of spoilers - so don't read it if you haven't read the book yet.
I'm shook people.
November 21, 2013
I can pretty much sum up this book the following way: DAMNYOUCLIFFHANGERSBUTHOLYHELLTHATWASAMAZEBALLS.
I went into this book knowing it was outside of my typical genre. I honestly anticipated a bit of a fluffy Romeo and Juliet-esque type of read. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Jennifer Anne Davis absolutely blew me away with The Key. The character development was phenomenal, the plot was an absolute page turner and the heroine was probably one of my ALL TIME favorites. It is typically very hard for me to be taken by a female lead. In fact, they normally drive me bat shit crazy. Rema, however, was all kinds of sassy, independent, and strong. The hero was über swoon worthy (as every hero should be) and the villains were absolutely awful human beings. I wanted to storm the castle and kick their shins!
Jennifer did leave us hanging off of a huge ass cliff, but I simply cannot devour a book the way I devoured The Key and not give it 5 stars. Rest assured, the wait for book two will not be long. Until then, I suggest we gather a mob with pitch forks and demand Jennifer to put those typing fingers to work! Must. Have. Book. Two. Now!!!
Absolutely brilliant, fresh, engaging read. 5 stars!
I went into this book knowing it was outside of my typical genre. I honestly anticipated a bit of a fluffy Romeo and Juliet-esque type of read. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Jennifer Anne Davis absolutely blew me away with The Key. The character development was phenomenal, the plot was an absolute page turner and the heroine was probably one of my ALL TIME favorites. It is typically very hard for me to be taken by a female lead. In fact, they normally drive me bat shit crazy. Rema, however, was all kinds of sassy, independent, and strong. The hero was über swoon worthy (as every hero should be) and the villains were absolutely awful human beings. I wanted to storm the castle and kick their shins!
Jennifer did leave us hanging off of a huge ass cliff, but I simply cannot devour a book the way I devoured The Key and not give it 5 stars. Rest assured, the wait for book two will not be long. Until then, I suggest we gather a mob with pitch forks and demand Jennifer to put those typing fingers to work! Must. Have. Book. Two. Now!!!
Absolutely brilliant, fresh, engaging read. 5 stars!
February 27, 2021
I enjoyed this book, I really did. It wasn't as good as the Knights of the Realm series though, and here's a few reason why:
1) The main character of this book, Rema, was kind of weak. Yes, she was "feisty" (as we heard several times) but she didn't really do anything that made her seem strong. I really loved the strong, in control girl main character we had in the Knights of the Realm series, and I was hoping for something like that here, but it didn't happen. Also I'd like to point out that I noticed the "not like other girls" trope within this book, and the only reason I noticed it was because of ŷ. I never would have noticed this or thought anything of it before I joined ŷ, but I noticed it now. It doesn't really bother me at all though, I mean, everyone's unique, and with a book, which focuses on one person, it's easy to point out the differences between them and those around them as a whole. Anyways, there's that little side note.
2) The plot twists were incredibly predictable. I don't even know if I'd call them plot twists, because I was never really left guessing at what would happen next, as it was pretty clear how every event was going to end up. I don't think that the author intended it to be super surprising to the reader when things changed though, I feel like she purposefully made very light plot twists that weren't that twisty.
3) The characters were pretty black and white. They were either good or they were bad, with the main character or against her. There wasn't really an in-between, and I kind of wish that there were more characters who I was unsure about. I loved that aspect of the Knights of the Realm series, where it was kind of hard to tell what everyone's true motives were. But in this book, everyone's motives were laid out on the table for everyone to see.
Despite these three issues I had, I still liked the story. I feel like my reviews always just include the bad points of the book, but that's just because it's easier to put what I didn't like into words than what I loved. This book was really fun to read, and I enjoyed following the characters as they went through their (rough) lives.
Ok, now here are some side points that aren't super review-ish but I just have to say:
I have no idea how these people in books are able to solve all these complex riddles. Let me tell you, if it was me in their place and I had to solve a riddle to save my life, I wouldn't be able to do it. I'd be dead. Riddles are so confusing, and even me, the reader, who knew the background to this whole story (thanks prologue) and thus should have been able to figure it out, couldn't do it. The character, who knew nothing about her life and who she was, was literally able to figure out the riddle before me. I feel like that's a bit ridiculous, but I'm not sure if it says something about authors creating riddles that're too complex or just my lack of riddle solving skills. It's probably the latter.
Alrighty, so I just have to say this because I am so proud of myself so I'm writing it down here. I'm kind of cheap, so I don't like to spend money on books (unless I know I'll love them or I've already read them, and even then it's a maybe). So I've developed the skill of finding books for free online when they don't have them at my public library (I always check the library first). I can usually find almost any book online for free, and often in a pdf form at that. But I searched for this book for so long and couldn't find it anywhere. I was able to find the other books in this series, but not this one, which isn't very useful. However, as I was about to give up, I noticed that they had it on Kindle Unlimited. And it was free. Obviously, I don't have Kindle Unlimited and I've never even used a Kindle product before, so I was kind of skeptical at first. But I looked into it, and lo and behold, you can get a 30-day free trial! Before signing up for it though, I checked to make sure that it had (for free of course) all the books in this series and the Reign of Secrets series (which I'm planning on reading next), and they did! So I signed myself right up for that free trial and now I have all the books at my fingertips (for the next 29 days at least). I'm so excited and so proud of myself for figuring this out, and hopefully I can make good use of Kindle while I have it!
1) The main character of this book, Rema, was kind of weak. Yes, she was "feisty" (as we heard several times) but she didn't really do anything that made her seem strong. I really loved the strong, in control girl main character we had in the Knights of the Realm series, and I was hoping for something like that here, but it didn't happen. Also I'd like to point out that I noticed the "not like other girls" trope within this book, and the only reason I noticed it was because of ŷ. I never would have noticed this or thought anything of it before I joined ŷ, but I noticed it now. It doesn't really bother me at all though, I mean, everyone's unique, and with a book, which focuses on one person, it's easy to point out the differences between them and those around them as a whole. Anyways, there's that little side note.
2) The plot twists were incredibly predictable. I don't even know if I'd call them plot twists, because I was never really left guessing at what would happen next, as it was pretty clear how every event was going to end up. I don't think that the author intended it to be super surprising to the reader when things changed though, I feel like she purposefully made very light plot twists that weren't that twisty.
3) The characters were pretty black and white. They were either good or they were bad, with the main character or against her. There wasn't really an in-between, and I kind of wish that there were more characters who I was unsure about. I loved that aspect of the Knights of the Realm series, where it was kind of hard to tell what everyone's true motives were. But in this book, everyone's motives were laid out on the table for everyone to see.
Despite these three issues I had, I still liked the story. I feel like my reviews always just include the bad points of the book, but that's just because it's easier to put what I didn't like into words than what I loved. This book was really fun to read, and I enjoyed following the characters as they went through their (rough) lives.
Ok, now here are some side points that aren't super review-ish but I just have to say:
I have no idea how these people in books are able to solve all these complex riddles. Let me tell you, if it was me in their place and I had to solve a riddle to save my life, I wouldn't be able to do it. I'd be dead. Riddles are so confusing, and even me, the reader, who knew the background to this whole story (thanks prologue) and thus should have been able to figure it out, couldn't do it. The character, who knew nothing about her life and who she was, was literally able to figure out the riddle before me. I feel like that's a bit ridiculous, but I'm not sure if it says something about authors creating riddles that're too complex or just my lack of riddle solving skills. It's probably the latter.
Alrighty, so I just have to say this because I am so proud of myself so I'm writing it down here. I'm kind of cheap, so I don't like to spend money on books (unless I know I'll love them or I've already read them, and even then it's a maybe). So I've developed the skill of finding books for free online when they don't have them at my public library (I always check the library first). I can usually find almost any book online for free, and often in a pdf form at that. But I searched for this book for so long and couldn't find it anywhere. I was able to find the other books in this series, but not this one, which isn't very useful. However, as I was about to give up, I noticed that they had it on Kindle Unlimited. And it was free. Obviously, I don't have Kindle Unlimited and I've never even used a Kindle product before, so I was kind of skeptical at first. But I looked into it, and lo and behold, you can get a 30-day free trial! Before signing up for it though, I checked to make sure that it had (for free of course) all the books in this series and the Reign of Secrets series (which I'm planning on reading next), and they did! So I signed myself right up for that free trial and now I have all the books at my fingertips (for the next 29 days at least). I'm so excited and so proud of myself for figuring this out, and hopefully I can make good use of Kindle while I have it!
January 7, 2021
6 out of 10
Eighteen years ago, there was a revolution in the Green Isles. The local Romanovs and everyone who was close to this family was destroyed inside and out. But would I have mentioned the last Russian monarchs if I hadn't had a local Anastasia? Actually, her name is Rema and of course she was saved. True, it's difficult for her to hide - the islanders have dark hair, skin, eyes while Rema looks more like a Norwegian. She lives in a forest, doesn't really see people (which, in general, simplifies everything) and considers one elderly couple to be her family, and still does not know a damn thing about how noble her blood is.
Once our maiden meets the prince. But, firstly, the boy is the son of the same usurper who keeps the whole country in fear and poverty. And, secondly, Darmik (the author is consistent but bad with names, ask Mako and Neko) an evil brother Lennek (the future king, by the way) who hates the younger bro. Long story short: Rema is suddenly Lennek's fiancée.
Naturally, R. and D. (do you smell Shakespeare?) immediately fell in love with each other. R. doesn't want to marry L. She wants to ride horses, dive off cliffs and kiss D.
As I said, there is an eternal struggle between the prince brothers. The king loves the firstborn, and he sent the youngest to command the army. like out of sight and to protect the royal asses. D., by the way, is aware that some of the "Romanovs" survived, he is looking for Princess Amer (I swear, everything is as obvious as it seems) to ill an stop people from hoping for the best. Darmik, by the way, is a hypocrite. Daddy is bad, Lennek is the embodiment of evil, but he took pity on the hungry girl and immediately ordered the execution of a dozen men. In comparison to his evil brother he's a sweetie, but in fact he's an asshole too. Especially at the end.
The story, though, is ok. Reading (especially the Rema part) was quite engaging. But the devil is in the little things. For example, a tattoo. The necks and shoulders of the royal family are inked in childhood, I will tell you more - in infancy. And the author is unaware that a person is growing, the skin is stretched and instead of a clear pattern we'll have some faded shit. It seems to her that the tattoo is growing with the child. Otherwise, why should they be so bright and clear, eh? Or here's another example: the usurper ordered to cut out the skin with tattoos from the killed members of the former royal family (those tattoos were small and located on the shoulder), and then hid them in boxes as a proof for centuries. Doesn't the "dead" skin decompose? There are plenty of similar flaws.
I will definitely not recommend the book. I'll finish the episode just because... Remember the review of "The Cage of Deception"? Remember the MC? Her parents? Here they are. I must know how these assholes got along, got over to the mainland and gave birth to a chick from another series.
PS: We'll never find out the secret of the king's dislike for his own son even at the end of the book, but we'll see the true cliffhanger in all its glory; if I hadn’t known in advance that the MC has a future, I'd be mad about such an ending.
True Reign (Истинная власть):
� The Key (Ключ) #1/3
� ЯED (ЙЫНСАРК) #2/3
� War (Война) #3/3
Reign of Secrets (Царство тайн):
� Cage of Deceit (Клетка обмана) #1/3
� Cage of Darkness (Клетка тьмы) #2/3
� Untitled (Без названия) #3/3
April 2, 2016
DNF at 60%
Okay.. I really tried to finish reading this book. There were so many great reviews, but this didn't work out for me. I really hoped it would, but there were so many tropes and cliches I couldn't handle. So I really don't want to be harsh while reviewing this, but at the same time, I must explain few reasons why this didn't work out for me.
� The inta-love is so instant that the moment they looked at each other they were in love. They barely spoke, and directly afterward, the MC's thoughts went back to their meeting, repeatedly.
� The main character's 'braveness' went overboard. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read this book yet, so I have to explain this carefully. The MC was supposedly brave, but during a specific part, her braveness was more of stupidity. Her actions were foolish, and she acted like a child. There is a difference between being brave and knowing the consequences, and being stupid and reckless.
In one scene, the heroine basically jumped from a high cliff to a river when she was a child. It was stated that she didn't even check whether the water was deep or not, and only wished that she wouldn't get hurt. Now this isn't the situation I'm talking about here. Its just and example.
� I didn't care about the heroine, but that may only be me.
� There were many tropes such as:
� Forced marriage.
� The unloved childhood friend.
� I don't want marriage because I'm different.
� insta-love.
� The lost princess.
� The psycho, evil king.
� Ok, there were many, so I'll stop here!
There were honestly great things I found in this book such as:
� The writing style is very engaging. When I started reading this, I just wanted to try reading a fantasy novel, but the book surprised me by how it was easy to get through. If it wasn't for the heroine, I might've enjoyed this book more.
� The politics was enjoyable. I really liked Darmik's side. How he was sympathetic and nice to people, but when it came to making decisions for the kingdom, he became strict. The politics was the strong part in this book, but it wasn't the big part, so I couldn't complete reading it for these few scenes.
� � � � � � �
I might've not enjoyed this as much as others did, so yes, this is my opinion. There are many readers who loved this book and gave it five stars, which only proves that this book might've not worked for me, but maybe it will for others. Enjoy!
Okay.. I really tried to finish reading this book. There were so many great reviews, but this didn't work out for me. I really hoped it would, but there were so many tropes and cliches I couldn't handle. So I really don't want to be harsh while reviewing this, but at the same time, I must explain few reasons why this didn't work out for me.
� The inta-love is so instant that the moment they looked at each other they were in love. They barely spoke, and directly afterward, the MC's thoughts went back to their meeting, repeatedly.
� The main character's 'braveness' went overboard. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read this book yet, so I have to explain this carefully. The MC was supposedly brave, but during a specific part, her braveness was more of stupidity. Her actions were foolish, and she acted like a child. There is a difference between being brave and knowing the consequences, and being stupid and reckless.
In one scene, the heroine basically jumped from a high cliff to a river when she was a child. It was stated that she didn't even check whether the water was deep or not, and only wished that she wouldn't get hurt. Now this isn't the situation I'm talking about here. Its just and example.
� I didn't care about the heroine, but that may only be me.
� There were many tropes such as:
� Forced marriage.
� The unloved childhood friend.
� I don't want marriage because I'm different.
� insta-love.
� The lost princess.
� The psycho, evil king.
� Ok, there were many, so I'll stop here!
There were honestly great things I found in this book such as:
� The writing style is very engaging. When I started reading this, I just wanted to try reading a fantasy novel, but the book surprised me by how it was easy to get through. If it wasn't for the heroine, I might've enjoyed this book more.
� The politics was enjoyable. I really liked Darmik's side. How he was sympathetic and nice to people, but when it came to making decisions for the kingdom, he became strict. The politics was the strong part in this book, but it wasn't the big part, so I couldn't complete reading it for these few scenes.
� � � � � � �
I might've not enjoyed this as much as others did, so yes, this is my opinion. There are many readers who loved this book and gave it five stars, which only proves that this book might've not worked for me, but maybe it will for others. Enjoy!
July 18, 2015
4.5 Stars
I loved THE KEY so much! I was actually very surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Not because it didn't sound fantastic, because it did, but I kept putting it off for years, thinking it was one of those books that sounded fantastic, but turn out to be a load of junk. But I am so happy to say that was NOT the case here with THE KEY! Not at all, the complete opposite to be exact!
The world-building is what captivated me from the very beginning. I love a thick-plotted world with evil kings and a kingdom of the verge of self destruction. And then you throw in conspiracies and political intrigue, with a forbidden romance and a hot love interest, and a determined heroine, and you have one hell of a book. And that's exactly what I found here! So I was instantly drawn into this world and the outcome of their situation. Davis created a thrilling plot to go along with her epic world building! BRAVO Jennifer Davis, BRAVO!!
The characters were just as amazing as the world-building. The story was told in dual POV's, with Rema and her love interest Prince Darmik as the main characters. And they were both developed and fun characters for their own reasons. Rema was the mystery of the novel, and though we knew her true identity, she didn't, and that made for a thrilling ride to watch her discover all the little hints along the way to revealing the truth behind it all. She was spunky, and I really liked that about Rema's character. She wasn't quickly knocked down, and I don't mean physically I mean mentally. She could take whatever was thrown at her and turn it into not as bad of a situation as it really was. She was also smart and tough, even though she really didn't know how to physically fight, she still wouldn't let that defer her from standing up for herself. She was just a well-rounded, awesome protagonist that I just loved.
And Darmik, the other main POV was so dam hot!!! He drove me crazy when it was his POV! I loved him to pieces for many reasons. And though he was doing the evil kings bidding's, he knew it was wrong and did not take pleasure like his brother, the Crown Prince did. He was strong, skilled, loyal, determined, and viciously lethal when he need to be. Yet he was gentle, sweet, compassionate, and just wanted the best thing for his people. And he was slowly starting to see that it was not his father and brother that the people needed. I thought Rema and Darmik were awesome protagonist, and together they would be unstoppable...
THE PLOT
SEVENTEEN YEARS IN THE PAST:
Greenwood Island is ruled by a just king and queen, with two sons and one daughter. All is well in the land, citizens are feed and treated fairly, and though their not the riches kingdom, their content and happy with their Monarch and the lives they provide.
But all that changes when Emperor Hamen, ruler of Emperion on the mainlands wants to open up trade with Greenwood Island. But the king and queen of Greenwood refuse the Emperor for their own good reasons, and thus sentenced Greenwood to their deaths at the hands of the Emperion army. An army vastly larger and highly more skilled then Greenwood's soldiers. And on one eerie, blood-filled night, the Emperion army invades Greenwood Island, and slaughtered the Royal family, killing anyone who gets in their way. Royals, civilians, guards, woman, children-babies, anyone who posed a threat was executed on site. But the Commander of Greenwood Island manged to slip the castle undetected, taking with him the only remaining heir to the Greenwood throne.
So hiding within Greenwood Island, the legitimate heir grows strong and healthy everyday, and is unknowingly the only hope Greenwood has of ridding itself of the false royal family, taking them from power and saving the people from a horrifying life, or death.
And this is how their story begins...
SEVENTEEN YEARS LATER:
Rema is just a commoner in a kingdom ruled by brutality at the hands of a viscus king and his two sons. She has been shielded from the harsh reality of what really lies in the kingdom. She's content with raising horses and thrillingly riding them with her best friend Bren. Until one day all that changes, and Rema is quickly pulled into a viscus game she knows nothing about, and becomes the pawn in her ultimate downfall.
While out on one of her runs through the forest, Rema meets Darmik, one of the kings sons and commander of the kings lethal army. And what she sees in him is not a brutal, arrogant, blood thirsty prince like she thought him to be, but as a sweet, caring, and very handsome man, who seems to want the best for his people, but is forced by the king to do his evil bidding's. But the other prince, Crown Prince Lennek is the one she has to worry about. He is the opposite of Prince Darmik. He's evil, conning, vindictive, and is very quick to shed blood if it pleases him. And Rema has just unknowingly caught his eye and sealed her fate...
Rema is forced to marry the vile Prince Lennek, becoming the princess and future queen of Greenwood Island. Something Rema would rather die then become. But with no other option if she wants to save her family from a torturous death at the hands of Prince Lennek, she has to obey, and look pleased about it.
The kingdom of Greenwood Island is on the brink of civil war.
With the king rapidly increasing taxes, and quick to kill anyone he pleases, and the people quickly starving from the increase, and not having the means to support themselves, death has become a for sure thing on Greenwood Island. But their are some people who are fighting for peace and freedom, fighting for a new way of life, fighting to overthrow the king and his sons, and they claim the have just the key to do it...
The Key is coming...
That's the whispers in the streets, the hope that swells in peoples hearts, that's the words the rebels spread. The rebels are fiercely rousing the people to stand up for themselves and fight for their freedom. But with little hope of defeating the kings army, the people are quickly knocked down. But what if The Key to their salvation has been right in front of them all along? And what if their really is a rebel force that may just be strong enough to stand up to the kings army? What then?
Doesn't that sound fantastic? It was, it truly was!! I've never read anything by Davis, but she's quickly climbing the ladder into my favorite authors! THE KEY was an amazing start to an absolutely wonderful series that I'm actually almost finished reading, and loving! While writing this review I'm already reading the third and final book in this series! THE KEY was just that good that I instantly had to pick up it's sequel and see what happened after that terrifyingly wonderful cliffhanger Davis threw at us with full force! And book two and three is just as good, if not better then THE KEY!
Overall, I am highly satisfied with this book and the way it all played out. Davis has a way to grab the reader from the very beginning and keep hold until the very end. If you enjoy a spunky, quick-witted main character, with a hot love interest, and a kingdom on the brink of civil war, with evil kings and princes, and a great drama with plenty of action and adventure, then THE KEY is definitely one book you should check out!!
August 17, 2019
Alright, I'm confused. This book was a star rating roller coaster. It started at a solid 3 stars, I was enjoying the plot it was moving along at a decent pace and then things really started to hit the ceiling. I was 4 stars all the way...until the ending.
Personally, and this might just be me, but ending during the climax feels like such a wrong thing to do. Secrets were being discovered and it was building up and then it all came crashing down with that to be continued...
Shame.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this book! It was well written, the plot and its mysteries were enjoyable. It was a constant: when is he going to find out, what's his reaction going to be, sort of thing.
There were parts of the romance that I didn't enjoy. I felt like Darmik and Rema were moving a little too fast. Rema's best friend was murdered and now she was engaged to Darmik's brother Lennek (who is evil) and somehow they had time to fall in love. Eh, I think a slow burn would have been better.
I also wanted more from Lennek. Why is he so evil to his brother? Why does he feel he has to constantly prove his power and position? As crown prince, first in line to the throne, he shouldn't have to. But he does.
More than likely I'll finish this series, but I'm undecided. I've put them on my TBR shelf but we'll see.
Personally, and this might just be me, but ending during the climax feels like such a wrong thing to do. Secrets were being discovered and it was building up and then it all came crashing down with that to be continued...
Shame.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this book! It was well written, the plot and its mysteries were enjoyable. It was a constant: when is he going to find out, what's his reaction going to be, sort of thing.
There were parts of the romance that I didn't enjoy. I felt like Darmik and Rema were moving a little too fast. Rema's best friend was murdered and now she was engaged to Darmik's brother Lennek (who is evil) and somehow they had time to fall in love. Eh, I think a slow burn would have been better.
I also wanted more from Lennek. Why is he so evil to his brother? Why does he feel he has to constantly prove his power and position? As crown prince, first in line to the throne, he shouldn't have to. But he does.
More than likely I'll finish this series, but I'm undecided. I've put them on my TBR shelf but we'll see.
May 11, 2018
This book definitely could have used some more editing and I would have enjoyed it infinitely more if it had felt more...eloquent. It's supposed to feel medieval, with castles and sword-fighting, but the dialogue is so modern, with the exception of a "my lady" thrown in here and there. But otherwise, I loved the sassy heroine and the prince whose loyalty was being tested and just the overall premise, though it's definitely not the first time I've read about a kingdom overthrown by another power-hungry king who thinks he's annihilated all of the previous royal family and any potential heirs only to discover that, oops, one survived sparking a revolution in their name. This first installment left off on such a cliffhangerbut I ain't even mad because the series is finished and I can pick up the next book when I get home...or, ya know, sneak some in at work today. ;)
February 18, 2015
Rating: 1.5 Stars
I'm being generous with my grade. Yes, the premise was interesting and the writing made it easy to breeze through the book. However, there wasn't much book to breeze through. Not much happens in my opinion. The characters were not very complex and it was obvious who the good guys and bad guys were. No real character development. No world building outside the bare minimum. Not enough description overall.
I was very intrigued about 'the key' but the author didn't delve into that mystery at all. It seems the author is just saving it all up for the subsequent books. There was a bout of insta-love, which I hated. The heroine blushes and flushes way too much.
This book is all bone and no meat. Not very satisfying at all.
I'm being generous with my grade. Yes, the premise was interesting and the writing made it easy to breeze through the book. However, there wasn't much book to breeze through. Not much happens in my opinion. The characters were not very complex and it was obvious who the good guys and bad guys were. No real character development. No world building outside the bare minimum. Not enough description overall.
I was very intrigued about 'the key' but the author didn't delve into that mystery at all. It seems the author is just saving it all up for the subsequent books. There was a bout of insta-love, which I hated. The heroine blushes and flushes way too much.
This book is all bone and no meat. Not very satisfying at all.
October 20, 2015
Are you in the mood for an all-absorbing fantasy series? This book has EVERYTHING I wanted in an easy-to-binge and pick up novel.
-Relatable, fierce, and admirable characters
-Enticing plot
-Stellar writing
-Plot twists galore
-Action
-Court politics
-Searing romance
Pick this one up!!
-Relatable, fierce, and admirable characters
-Enticing plot
-Stellar writing
-Plot twists galore
-Action
-Court politics
-Searing romance
Pick this one up!!
July 31, 2015
I somehow stumbled upon this freebie yesterday. Holy hell, this book is fantastic!! I love finding these unknown gems.
And bonus...the trilogy is complete! On to book two!
And bonus...the trilogy is complete! On to book two!
February 9, 2021
This was a fantastic read!!!
I finished the Knights of the Realm trilogy just a couple of days ago as well and seeing the author's writing is super engaging, fast-paced and the synopsis of The Key had me super intrigued, I just couldn't Not buy the e-book of it immiately and start reading.
And I'm sooo happy I did, because this book was such a great read to me. The characters are awesome and their progressing relationships and their dialogues/banter is to die for. I also really like the brutality and evilness of other characters, which gives the entire book such a thrilling vibe. The (political) story line is interesting and there's yet again enough excitement to be found. Not a single dull moment present really. I finished the book before I knew it and then I immediately bought book 2 as well haha. I'm so hooked on this series that I can't find the time to write a proper review now because I just need to continue reading haha.
If the synopsis is something that has you excited, I recommend to pick up this book asap! I'm definitely be adding a physical copy of this trilogy to my shelves as well at one point in the future.
I finished the Knights of the Realm trilogy just a couple of days ago as well and seeing the author's writing is super engaging, fast-paced and the synopsis of The Key had me super intrigued, I just couldn't Not buy the e-book of it immiately and start reading.
And I'm sooo happy I did, because this book was such a great read to me. The characters are awesome and their progressing relationships and their dialogues/banter is to die for. I also really like the brutality and evilness of other characters, which gives the entire book such a thrilling vibe. The (political) story line is interesting and there's yet again enough excitement to be found. Not a single dull moment present really. I finished the book before I knew it and then I immediately bought book 2 as well haha. I'm so hooked on this series that I can't find the time to write a proper review now because I just need to continue reading haha.
If the synopsis is something that has you excited, I recommend to pick up this book asap! I'm definitely be adding a physical copy of this trilogy to my shelves as well at one point in the future.
Read
June 16, 2018DNF at 20% - it was just too annoying. annoying characters, annoying plot, annoying world ... got no time for bad books
January 3, 2014
The Key is a riveting and breath-taking journey of an ordinary young girl who turns out to be anything but ordinary. Her story is one of bitter betrayal, profound love, and fierce determination. It is not one to be ignored or taken light, so heed this warning. Now, enter this story at the risk of your own heart, but don’t let that make you shy away from the adventure and passion that awaits you.
Rema could be considered as just another peasant girl. She was raised by her aunt and uncle into the simple life of a horse merchant. While she has always loved her family, she still longs for travel and adventure before settling down. Her wild heart hasn’t been tamed like the horses her uncle trains. It longs to ride free unrestrained by the shackles of everyday life. However, her dreams like her freedom are about to be dashed onto the jagged edge of a cold and heartless mountain known as the Crowned Prince. She risks her life and her heart as she is unwittingly made a pawn in the shift of allegiance in her kingdom. Does Rema have the courage to walk the unseen line that is set before her, or will she falter and fall into despair at seeing all that she has lost?
After recently finishing a fantastic medieval trilogy, I was afraid I would not find another of equal or greater brilliance. I will freely admit that I was very wrong. This tale is absolutely wonderful. It claimed my attention immediately and never let it go. The stunning landscape, the vibrant characters, and the bone-chilling yet intriguing plot created a dream world that I was able to truly love and appreciate. Once this story started, there was not stopping it. It raced forward at record speed and never let up. Even the ending has you on pins and needles waiting to see what happens. You don’t often come across an ending that leaves you with multiple emotions choking in your throat at the same time. That takes a lot of heart and soul from a very talented author to pull that off.
Rema is a beautiful character who is independent, devoted, and loving. To her family, she is the ideal niece who loves her uncle and aunt with all her heart and would go as far as resigning herself to an arrangement marriage to make them happy. She is wiling to push aside her dreams of traveling the countryside and keeping her freedom to remain true and faithful which speaks volumes about her character. I ached to watch what she was forced to go through at the hands of the Crowned Prince, but my heart soared at the love and kindness that his brother Darmik showered her with.
No matter what trials and hardships you face, always remember that there is always something worth fighting for, something worth living for, and something worth dying for. While Rema had no idea of the nightmare that her life would become, she refused to give up, lay down, and let it take her without a fight. While darkness tried its best to destroy her, Darmick was the hope, the love, and the light in her life that fueled her decision to not give in. He became her foundation stone, and she in turn brought his heart back to life. What lay before them was engulfed in shadow and uncertainty, but Rema pressed forward knowing with everything in her that things would get better either by her own hand or with help from another.
Responsibility and privilege were two notions that echoed throughout this story. The current King and Crowned Prince were ruthless and cruel. They lived only for their own pleasure and personal gain. They ignored their responsibility to take care of their people while indulging in what they saw as their privilege. As with any leader, the people under them need to be confident that the decisions made will be to their benefit and not their detriment. People will follow a good leader as long as they continue to make wise decisions, but they will overthrow a dictator whose only concern is making his life easier and his stores richer. In stark contrast Prince Darmick wanted nothing more than to see his people fed, happy, and prosperous. He cared little for the life of luxury and indulgence that he saw his father and brother partake in. They repulsed him, and yet he was forced time and again to protect them at any cost. He longed for a simple life with simple pleasures that included Rema and a family. He wanted to see his father and brother change into better people, but he also knew that was a dream that would not come true.
I am in awe of this amazing story! It is filled with wondrous beauty and ravishing love that is pitted against depraved cruelty and dark deception. There is action, adventure, mystery, romance, and lots of drama. What is there not to love?! Jennifer Anne Davis is a fantastic writer who has such a captivating ability to draw you into what seems like a stunning fairy tale before unleashing the unyielding evil that tries every way possible to destroy the hope and love that begin to grow. Hold onto your seat for what feels to be the beginning of a heart wrenching and action packed tour de force that you will not want to miss out on!
Rema could be considered as just another peasant girl. She was raised by her aunt and uncle into the simple life of a horse merchant. While she has always loved her family, she still longs for travel and adventure before settling down. Her wild heart hasn’t been tamed like the horses her uncle trains. It longs to ride free unrestrained by the shackles of everyday life. However, her dreams like her freedom are about to be dashed onto the jagged edge of a cold and heartless mountain known as the Crowned Prince. She risks her life and her heart as she is unwittingly made a pawn in the shift of allegiance in her kingdom. Does Rema have the courage to walk the unseen line that is set before her, or will she falter and fall into despair at seeing all that she has lost?
After recently finishing a fantastic medieval trilogy, I was afraid I would not find another of equal or greater brilliance. I will freely admit that I was very wrong. This tale is absolutely wonderful. It claimed my attention immediately and never let it go. The stunning landscape, the vibrant characters, and the bone-chilling yet intriguing plot created a dream world that I was able to truly love and appreciate. Once this story started, there was not stopping it. It raced forward at record speed and never let up. Even the ending has you on pins and needles waiting to see what happens. You don’t often come across an ending that leaves you with multiple emotions choking in your throat at the same time. That takes a lot of heart and soul from a very talented author to pull that off.
Rema is a beautiful character who is independent, devoted, and loving. To her family, she is the ideal niece who loves her uncle and aunt with all her heart and would go as far as resigning herself to an arrangement marriage to make them happy. She is wiling to push aside her dreams of traveling the countryside and keeping her freedom to remain true and faithful which speaks volumes about her character. I ached to watch what she was forced to go through at the hands of the Crowned Prince, but my heart soared at the love and kindness that his brother Darmik showered her with.
No matter what trials and hardships you face, always remember that there is always something worth fighting for, something worth living for, and something worth dying for. While Rema had no idea of the nightmare that her life would become, she refused to give up, lay down, and let it take her without a fight. While darkness tried its best to destroy her, Darmick was the hope, the love, and the light in her life that fueled her decision to not give in. He became her foundation stone, and she in turn brought his heart back to life. What lay before them was engulfed in shadow and uncertainty, but Rema pressed forward knowing with everything in her that things would get better either by her own hand or with help from another.
Responsibility and privilege were two notions that echoed throughout this story. The current King and Crowned Prince were ruthless and cruel. They lived only for their own pleasure and personal gain. They ignored their responsibility to take care of their people while indulging in what they saw as their privilege. As with any leader, the people under them need to be confident that the decisions made will be to their benefit and not their detriment. People will follow a good leader as long as they continue to make wise decisions, but they will overthrow a dictator whose only concern is making his life easier and his stores richer. In stark contrast Prince Darmick wanted nothing more than to see his people fed, happy, and prosperous. He cared little for the life of luxury and indulgence that he saw his father and brother partake in. They repulsed him, and yet he was forced time and again to protect them at any cost. He longed for a simple life with simple pleasures that included Rema and a family. He wanted to see his father and brother change into better people, but he also knew that was a dream that would not come true.
I am in awe of this amazing story! It is filled with wondrous beauty and ravishing love that is pitted against depraved cruelty and dark deception. There is action, adventure, mystery, romance, and lots of drama. What is there not to love?! Jennifer Anne Davis is a fantastic writer who has such a captivating ability to draw you into what seems like a stunning fairy tale before unleashing the unyielding evil that tries every way possible to destroy the hope and love that begin to grow. Hold onto your seat for what feels to be the beginning of a heart wrenching and action packed tour de force that you will not want to miss out on!
January 10, 2016
This book was like a pot of all the books I love. It was a bit slow, but the story made up for it.
April 19, 2018
“Surely,fighting for what was right and what one believed in was worth the risk.Because if no one stood up against this tyranny,it would continue until they eventually lost their land,livelihood,and homes.�
Well that was a quick read! Even though not much happened in this first book, it got me really invested in the story and the characters pretty much right from the beginning! With that said, I’m curious to see how things will play out in the next books *give me all the character development please*
Now I’m jumping right into the sequel because that ending left me definitely hanging!
3.25/5★★�
Well that was a quick read! Even though not much happened in this first book, it got me really invested in the story and the characters pretty much right from the beginning! With that said, I’m curious to see how things will play out in the next books *give me all the character development please*
Now I’m jumping right into the sequel because that ending left me definitely hanging!
3.25/5★★�
December 10, 2020
O.5, because THE KEY doesn't even deserve a whole star, but I sadly had to round up because ŷ sadly forgets how truly terrible some books can be.
Yes. Terrible.
I'd like to mention that I've been on a streak of bad books lately, so I was being pretty nice while reading this since my standards were pretty low. Still, it was bad. Real bad.
Would it have been nice for this book to be one of those under the radar, non-mainstream, undiscovered YA fantasy gems that are actually quite great? Yes. It has happened several times to me, but it most definitely did not happen this time.
I did not have super high expectations for this novel. I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking or innovative. I knew I wasn't gonna get attached to this series, and I was just in it for a fun ride. In other words, I was planning on having a little fling with these books. I thought this series would be a fun read, with nothing too crazy and nothing that would make these my new favorites. Yet, I thought they'd be something that I'd find a bit entertaining since I love YA fantasy. I knew this book would have a good amount of tropes and stereotypes from this genre. However, that didn't bother me because I personally don't mind these patterns and generalizations too much because they can be a little unavoidable. Plus, in some books these tropes can be done pretty well and actually end up being enjoyable to an extent.
Was that the case in this book?
HELL TO THE NO.
This author took every YA fantasy trope and stereotype out there, cranked em up to a thousand percent, forgot everything about what makes good literature good, blended it all up in a highspeed bender of disaster, and threw that heinous concoction on to the pages.
First of all, everything about the plot and the so-called mystery was predictable. In fact, everything in the plot was so incredibly convenient to the author, and it was so basic, absurd and unintelligent. The events were painstakingly boring. The writing was terrible as well. It was so ridiculously awful that I was laughing at so much of the narrative, the dialogues and etc. Also, the word building had no creativity. On top of that, the characters were bland as hell. The villains couldn't possibly get more stereotypical than they were. Similarly, the supposedly wonderful main characters were excruciating to read. Rema and Darmik didn't have even a single ounce of personality. They were the epitome of dull and boring. Their romance made zero sense as well. The insta-love was extremely cringeworthy, and they had no chemistry. There's literally no reason in the world for them to be in love, and yet they are, because this book does not care about logic in the slightest. There wasn't a single feature THE KEY that could be qualified as being even vaguely good, or even vaguely mediocre.
I could go on and on about how bad this book was...but it's getting late, I have to go to bed and I've already wasted way too much time. Overall, THE KEY was written like a bad Wattpad novel, and is fitting for 12-13 year old tweens. Basically every aspect of this book was borderline idiotic.
*deep breath*
I know I'm being harsh, and I'm sorry, but it really was that bad.
SO...the question remains....will I be reading the next novel? The answer from any sane person would be 'no'. However, I am a crazy idiot with a severe need to finish what I started, and a severe fear of missing out. Plus, despite how disgustingly terrible this was, I really love the topic of long lost heirs and true rulers. I'm pretty sure this series, by its end, will ruin this subgenre for me....so I'm really going to regret continuing this- I mean, I already have so many regrets for even starting it. At least I'm really good at skimming, which I will definitely will be doing.
Please pray for me.
UPDATE:
Just kidding, I lied. I really genuinely tried to read the second book. Sometimes books can get better, but RED somehow managed to get worse. This series is so bad. Even my extreme need for completion won't be enough for me to finish these. While reading this book, there wasn't a single sentence that didn't make me cringe in pain, so after a couple chapters I started skimming because I realized that thoroughly reading this book would be bad for my health.
I was really persistent in finishing RED that I ended up reading over half of the novel in hopes that some of it might be even slightly good because I hate leaving things unfinished. However, it just kept on getting more moronic and pathetically stupid. Then finally, for the sake of my mental and physical wellbeing, I gave up. I'm honestly shocked I even came this far.
There are so many underrated and undiscovered YA fantasies out there that are so fantastic. What the hell was this though? Why was this stuff even allowed to get published?
The TRUE REIGN books were appalling, unoriginal, brainless, dreadful, an absolute embarrassment to the genre, and a complete waste of time.
I hate these books so much, and I hate myself even more for coming across them.
Yes. Terrible.
I'd like to mention that I've been on a streak of bad books lately, so I was being pretty nice while reading this since my standards were pretty low. Still, it was bad. Real bad.
Would it have been nice for this book to be one of those under the radar, non-mainstream, undiscovered YA fantasy gems that are actually quite great? Yes. It has happened several times to me, but it most definitely did not happen this time.
I did not have super high expectations for this novel. I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking or innovative. I knew I wasn't gonna get attached to this series, and I was just in it for a fun ride. In other words, I was planning on having a little fling with these books. I thought this series would be a fun read, with nothing too crazy and nothing that would make these my new favorites. Yet, I thought they'd be something that I'd find a bit entertaining since I love YA fantasy. I knew this book would have a good amount of tropes and stereotypes from this genre. However, that didn't bother me because I personally don't mind these patterns and generalizations too much because they can be a little unavoidable. Plus, in some books these tropes can be done pretty well and actually end up being enjoyable to an extent.
Was that the case in this book?
HELL TO THE NO.
This author took every YA fantasy trope and stereotype out there, cranked em up to a thousand percent, forgot everything about what makes good literature good, blended it all up in a highspeed bender of disaster, and threw that heinous concoction on to the pages.
First of all, everything about the plot and the so-called mystery was predictable. In fact, everything in the plot was so incredibly convenient to the author, and it was so basic, absurd and unintelligent. The events were painstakingly boring. The writing was terrible as well. It was so ridiculously awful that I was laughing at so much of the narrative, the dialogues and etc. Also, the word building had no creativity. On top of that, the characters were bland as hell. The villains couldn't possibly get more stereotypical than they were. Similarly, the supposedly wonderful main characters were excruciating to read. Rema and Darmik didn't have even a single ounce of personality. They were the epitome of dull and boring. Their romance made zero sense as well. The insta-love was extremely cringeworthy, and they had no chemistry. There's literally no reason in the world for them to be in love, and yet they are, because this book does not care about logic in the slightest. There wasn't a single feature THE KEY that could be qualified as being even vaguely good, or even vaguely mediocre.
I could go on and on about how bad this book was...but it's getting late, I have to go to bed and I've already wasted way too much time. Overall, THE KEY was written like a bad Wattpad novel, and is fitting for 12-13 year old tweens. Basically every aspect of this book was borderline idiotic.
*deep breath*
I know I'm being harsh, and I'm sorry, but it really was that bad.
SO...the question remains....will I be reading the next novel? The answer from any sane person would be 'no'. However, I am a crazy idiot with a severe need to finish what I started, and a severe fear of missing out. Plus, despite how disgustingly terrible this was, I really love the topic of long lost heirs and true rulers. I'm pretty sure this series, by its end, will ruin this subgenre for me....so I'm really going to regret continuing this- I mean, I already have so many regrets for even starting it. At least I'm really good at skimming, which I will definitely will be doing.
Please pray for me.
UPDATE:
Just kidding, I lied. I really genuinely tried to read the second book. Sometimes books can get better, but RED somehow managed to get worse. This series is so bad. Even my extreme need for completion won't be enough for me to finish these. While reading this book, there wasn't a single sentence that didn't make me cringe in pain, so after a couple chapters I started skimming because I realized that thoroughly reading this book would be bad for my health.
I was really persistent in finishing RED that I ended up reading over half of the novel in hopes that some of it might be even slightly good because I hate leaving things unfinished. However, it just kept on getting more moronic and pathetically stupid. Then finally, for the sake of my mental and physical wellbeing, I gave up. I'm honestly shocked I even came this far.
There are so many underrated and undiscovered YA fantasies out there that are so fantastic. What the hell was this though? Why was this stuff even allowed to get published?
The TRUE REIGN books were appalling, unoriginal, brainless, dreadful, an absolute embarrassment to the genre, and a complete waste of time.
I hate these books so much, and I hate myself even more for coming across them.
February 15, 2015
I devoured this book but OMG that ending!!! I was left dumbstruck that it ended how it did! I hate cliffhangers in books but this book is too good to hate! Everything about it was amazing!
I'm not going to say too much about the plot for fear of ruining it so I'm going to just start with everything I loved!!
Rema was such a sweetheart and I loved her character. She is so nice and sweet but she isn't afraid to stand up for herself and what she thinks is right. My heart broke for her when she was "requested" to visit the palace. She wanted a quite life and was due to marry her childhood friend when the chance encounter with Darmik changed everything. I loved that no matter what was thrown at her, she stood strong and was sure of herself. She put everyone she cared about first and was willing to sacrifice everything for her family.
I wasn't sure of Darmik at first because he is so unsure of things but I eventually grew to like him, though I did want to shake him and tell him to wake up and small the coffee!! How could he miss what was going on??
Prince Lennek is pure evil! He picks Rema simply to get one up on Darmik. He is a womaniser and all round horrible person. Then we have the King. He is as bad as Lennek and so hard to find anything nice about. Both of them treat Rema like she is nothing and poor Rema has no choice but to grin and bear it, though she is in no way passive with them!! She stands up to them many times but with the treat to her family, she has to play it safe till she can come up with a plan.
The world building was amazing. The prologue sets the scene for a plot that's very fast paced and intriguing. The book is full of treachery, heartache, betrayal, adventure, secrets and enough twists to keep your mind reeling! It has everything a great read should.
There is a little romance thrown into the mix. Rema finds herself drawn to Darmik no matter how much she tries not too. He can't stop thinking of her either but has to stay away because if his brother found out, he would be accused of treason.
Anyway, The Key was so so good. I listened to the audio and absolutely devoured it. I couldn't turn it off because I needed to see what happened next. I listened to it in 2 days and hated that it had to end. Its the type of book that once you start, you will not want to finish. Be warned though, there is a massive cliff hanger and you will need book 2 to read straight away after! I have book 2 and 3 on my kindle and just need to clear some more review books before diving back into this amazing world, believe me it's hard to stay away!!
A brilliantly written and executed book and one that everyone needs to read. The audio was fantastic and Michelle Michaels did an amazing job of bringing Rema to life. The narrator made you feel her heartache and struggle and she pulled you into the story. All the books need to be brought to audio, and for me, the sooner the better!!
I'm not going to say too much about the plot for fear of ruining it so I'm going to just start with everything I loved!!
Rema was such a sweetheart and I loved her character. She is so nice and sweet but she isn't afraid to stand up for herself and what she thinks is right. My heart broke for her when she was "requested" to visit the palace. She wanted a quite life and was due to marry her childhood friend when the chance encounter with Darmik changed everything. I loved that no matter what was thrown at her, she stood strong and was sure of herself. She put everyone she cared about first and was willing to sacrifice everything for her family.
I wasn't sure of Darmik at first because he is so unsure of things but I eventually grew to like him, though I did want to shake him and tell him to wake up and small the coffee!! How could he miss what was going on??
Prince Lennek is pure evil! He picks Rema simply to get one up on Darmik. He is a womaniser and all round horrible person. Then we have the King. He is as bad as Lennek and so hard to find anything nice about. Both of them treat Rema like she is nothing and poor Rema has no choice but to grin and bear it, though she is in no way passive with them!! She stands up to them many times but with the treat to her family, she has to play it safe till she can come up with a plan.
The world building was amazing. The prologue sets the scene for a plot that's very fast paced and intriguing. The book is full of treachery, heartache, betrayal, adventure, secrets and enough twists to keep your mind reeling! It has everything a great read should.
There is a little romance thrown into the mix. Rema finds herself drawn to Darmik no matter how much she tries not too. He can't stop thinking of her either but has to stay away because if his brother found out, he would be accused of treason.
Anyway, The Key was so so good. I listened to the audio and absolutely devoured it. I couldn't turn it off because I needed to see what happened next. I listened to it in 2 days and hated that it had to end. Its the type of book that once you start, you will not want to finish. Be warned though, there is a massive cliff hanger and you will need book 2 to read straight away after! I have book 2 and 3 on my kindle and just need to clear some more review books before diving back into this amazing world, believe me it's hard to stay away!!
A brilliantly written and executed book and one that everyone needs to read. The audio was fantastic and Michelle Michaels did an amazing job of bringing Rema to life. The narrator made you feel her heartache and struggle and she pulled you into the story. All the books need to be brought to audio, and for me, the sooner the better!!
June 19, 2022
That was a cliffhanger alright 😰😰
Wow this was full of tension and drama and loved every second of it.
I feel so bad for wishing this but I kept hoping Lennek fell in love with her at some point :( even tho he was a literal psychopath and disgusted me at some times. I just wanted him to suffer after she didn't reciprocate his feelings.
Darmik was so hot and a true gentleman but I was so hurt with the end :( miscommunication is literal hell in books.
The story overall was fast pacing and interesting.
Wow this was full of tension and drama and loved every second of it.
I feel so bad for wishing this but I kept hoping Lennek fell in love with her at some point :( even tho he was a literal psychopath and disgusted me at some times. I just wanted him to suffer after she didn't reciprocate his feelings.
Darmik was so hot and a true gentleman but I was so hurt with the end :( miscommunication is literal hell in books.
The story overall was fast pacing and interesting.
January 23, 2014
4 1/2 stars: The Key (True Reign #1) is the story of Rema, the lost princess hidden as a commoner and the face of a revolution against the evil King. Only problem, Rema does not know her royal status and she is in love with the King's son Prince Darmick and engaged, against her will, to the King's wicked eldest son Prince Lennek. This story is a tangled web of secrets hidden in royal tattoos and anagrams. It is an easy, clean read that I would highly recommend to all ages and it is totally appropriate for young teens. The Key is a breath of fresh air in the YA genre that is often polluted with sexuality, vulgarity and violence. The ending leaves readers hanging in anticipation for the next book and I for one appreciate a good cliffhanger.
November 28, 2013
I love when an author can go from writing one style to another and Jennifer Anne Davis did it beautifully! This book is so different from The Voice and that would be a difficult book to top. But she accomplished that goal! This book is full of action, suspense, and my favorite, love. Her writing is so beautiful, it made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I felt the bonds that were created between the characters and the pain of the secrets that were kept from each other. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a great classic novel.
April 17, 2015
I found this little gem while cruising Audible and was instantly hooked! If you're a fan of YA Fantasy, I can't recommend this one enough. It has a tough but likable heroine, a strong hero, and villain I loved to hate. The storyline flows really well and found myself unable to put it down. It has a great cliffhanger, and I'm diving right in to book 2.
Thanks to Paula for confirming this book's greatness!
Audible Notes: Loved the accent of Michelle Michaels! She is an excellent narrator.
Thanks to Paula for confirming this book's greatness!
Audible Notes: Loved the accent of Michelle Michaels! She is an excellent narrator.
June 2, 2022
The word is to be prepared.The key will arrive.We must all be ready.
The opening to this book broke my heart. Then a little later on around 72% an incident happens which I will spoil because it’s one of those that needs to be spoiled. I had to skip a couple pages due to this incident. Rema speaks out against Lennek in front of important people and the king makes her watch a horse get whipped to death. Um, sick. Even though I didn’t read the full incident I lost sleep over that. And I personally want to warn someone in case they like me can’t stomach that. So here is your warning.
To be honest, if I had read that this incident happened I would not have picked up this book. I don’t do animal cruelty nor do I like to read about what happens in the prologue. But I finished this book.
Rema is seventeen and is at the proper age to get married. The two princes are Lennek and Darmik. Lennek the crowned prince and Darmik the younger brother. Rema is not happy with a marriage proposal to her closest friend, she runs through the forest where she meets Darmik. Darmik shows an interest in her which perks up Lennek. Lennek forces Rema to go to the castle with him. She just wants to be home with her aunt and uncle raising horses.
The book ends on a cliffhanger. I plan to buy both of the remaining books. I really hope that I don’t run into more of what happened in this book. I’m okay with battle scenes but not okay with unnecessary cruelness to animals.
The opening to this book broke my heart. Then a little later on around 72% an incident happens which I will spoil because it’s one of those that needs to be spoiled. I had to skip a couple pages due to this incident. Rema speaks out against Lennek in front of important people and the king makes her watch a horse get whipped to death. Um, sick. Even though I didn’t read the full incident I lost sleep over that. And I personally want to warn someone in case they like me can’t stomach that. So here is your warning.
To be honest, if I had read that this incident happened I would not have picked up this book. I don’t do animal cruelty nor do I like to read about what happens in the prologue. But I finished this book.
Rema is seventeen and is at the proper age to get married. The two princes are Lennek and Darmik. Lennek the crowned prince and Darmik the younger brother. Rema is not happy with a marriage proposal to her closest friend, she runs through the forest where she meets Darmik. Darmik shows an interest in her which perks up Lennek. Lennek forces Rema to go to the castle with him. She just wants to be home with her aunt and uncle raising horses.
The book ends on a cliffhanger. I plan to buy both of the remaining books. I really hope that I don’t run into more of what happened in this book. I’m okay with battle scenes but not okay with unnecessary cruelness to animals.
May 5, 2018
This ebook was free on Amazon at the time that I bought it...but I just checked and it's $3 now. Oh, well. It's still a good buy! The plot itself was extremely engaging - albeit not particularly original - to the point where I found myself speed-reading toward the end because I was breathless with wanting to know what was going to happen next. My main gripe with this book was while the story might have been entertaining, the actual execution of it was marked by young-sounding narrative and prose.
THE STORY
Princess Amer/Rema is a bit like Anastasia - her entire royal family was slaughtered during a takeover by an enemy kingdom. The only way she survived was by a Commander switching his murdered infant daughter with her, thus smuggling her out as a commoner and leaving the rest of the kingdom believing the entire royal line had been extinguished.
Fast forward seventeen years. Rema lives with her aunt and uncle with no idea who she truly is. She catches the attentions of Prince Darmik and Crown Prince Lennek, the former who falls in instant love with her and the latter who only wants her to spite his younger brother. Rema is forced into an engagement with Prince Lennek while also falling for Darmik. Darmik, as the Commander of the army, is tasked with suppressing the riots and uprising from unhappy subjects who despise the royal family and who spread rumors that the lost royal heir has returned to claim her true throne. Dun-dun duuun.
THE GOOD
"Are you not entertained?!" The plot moves extremely quickly and covers a lot of ground: an arranged marriage, escape attempts, another arranged marriage, killings and violence, wicked kings and impoverished civilians, ball gowns, military efforts to hunt down the source of the uprising, political scheming, falling in insta-love again, prison, and cliffhangers.
I also thought Rema was a decent heroine. She's clearly a damsel in distress but she's not completely without a spine. It's her determination to keep her chin up even when she's terrified that makes me respect her. Not bad for a heroine in a book that's probably targeted toward the 12-14 year old range.
THE BAD
Poorly crafted language that doesn't build a credible time period. The first clue I had to what the writing was going to be like was this line from Darmik to Lennek:
Call me nitpicky, but if the writing was going to be more mature and try to pass itself off as more serious, Darmik would have phrased his question more along the lines of, "I'm going hunting. Do you wish to join me?" or "Will you join/accompany me?" I nitpick this because these guys are royals in some sort of medieval/fantasy time. Lingo would be different for folks such as themselves in a time period such as these...more formal, ya know? Word choice is everything when it comes to subtly shaping characters.
And here's another one: “Oh, honey. Are you all right? We were so worried when you didn’t come home last night.� Lemme tell ya - Catelyn Stark would never "oh, honey" Ned Stark or anybody else because it's such a modern thing to say. Yet another example of a distracting element that takes away from the believability of the moment.
And this entire book was like that. Cheesy plot lines or young-sounding writing that glossed over serious moments - murder, torture, sexual tension - and treated them instead with the depth of a middle grade book. That's probably why our story moved so fast - we didn't have the patience to take our time and scrape deeper into the psyche of these characters.
The weakest link? That insta-love.
THE VERDICT
Despite the cheese and corn and cliches, I greatly enjoyed this book! Sure, the insta-love and romance were astonishingly grating and unbelievable and sure, this isn't a deeply dramatic or serious book...but I was entertained! I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.
THE STORY
Princess Amer/Rema is a bit like Anastasia - her entire royal family was slaughtered during a takeover by an enemy kingdom. The only way she survived was by a Commander switching his murdered infant daughter with her, thus smuggling her out as a commoner and leaving the rest of the kingdom believing the entire royal line had been extinguished.
Fast forward seventeen years. Rema lives with her aunt and uncle with no idea who she truly is. She catches the attentions of Prince Darmik and Crown Prince Lennek, the former who falls in instant love with her and the latter who only wants her to spite his younger brother. Rema is forced into an engagement with Prince Lennek while also falling for Darmik. Darmik, as the Commander of the army, is tasked with suppressing the riots and uprising from unhappy subjects who despise the royal family and who spread rumors that the lost royal heir has returned to claim her true throne. Dun-dun duuun.
THE GOOD
"Are you not entertained?!" The plot moves extremely quickly and covers a lot of ground: an arranged marriage, escape attempts, another arranged marriage, killings and violence, wicked kings and impoverished civilians, ball gowns, military efforts to hunt down the source of the uprising, political scheming, falling in insta-love again, prison, and cliffhangers.
I also thought Rema was a decent heroine. She's clearly a damsel in distress but she's not completely without a spine. It's her determination to keep her chin up even when she's terrified that makes me respect her. Not bad for a heroine in a book that's probably targeted toward the 12-14 year old range.
THE BAD
Poorly crafted language that doesn't build a credible time period. The first clue I had to what the writing was going to be like was this line from Darmik to Lennek:
Taking a deep breath, Darmik said, “I’m going hunting. Want to come?�
Call me nitpicky, but if the writing was going to be more mature and try to pass itself off as more serious, Darmik would have phrased his question more along the lines of, "I'm going hunting. Do you wish to join me?" or "Will you join/accompany me?" I nitpick this because these guys are royals in some sort of medieval/fantasy time. Lingo would be different for folks such as themselves in a time period such as these...more formal, ya know? Word choice is everything when it comes to subtly shaping characters.
And here's another one: “Oh, honey. Are you all right? We were so worried when you didn’t come home last night.� Lemme tell ya - Catelyn Stark would never "oh, honey" Ned Stark or anybody else because it's such a modern thing to say. Yet another example of a distracting element that takes away from the believability of the moment.
And this entire book was like that. Cheesy plot lines or young-sounding writing that glossed over serious moments - murder, torture, sexual tension - and treated them instead with the depth of a middle grade book. That's probably why our story moved so fast - we didn't have the patience to take our time and scrape deeper into the psyche of these characters.
The weakest link? That insta-love.
THE VERDICT
Despite the cheese and corn and cliches, I greatly enjoyed this book! Sure, the insta-love and romance were astonishingly grating and unbelievable and sure, this isn't a deeply dramatic or serious book...but I was entertained! I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.
April 7, 2018
Seventeen year old, Rema, has been raised by her aunt and uncle in the woods. She is young and a little wild and loves horses. Fate puts her in the paths of the brother princes of the kingdom. Darmik is the younger. He is commander of the king's army and surprisingly kind. Lennek is the Crown Prince, cruel and sadistic. Lennek is ordered by the King to choose a commoner as a wife, and to spite his younger brother (who showed mild interest in her), chooses Rema. Of course, he kills her fiance and threatens her family to ensure that she says "yes" despite her independent nature.
Darmik is rather busy trying to stifle an uprising within the overtaxed kingdom. A rumor is spreading that a long-lost heir exists from the former royal family that Darmik's cruel father massacred before taking over the island kingdom. Darmik is also rather distracted by falling for Rema, even though she is off limits as his brother's future wife.
This was a great first book for a series. It had plenty of action, a little romance, and plenty of intrigues. The ending was WOW, a cliffhanger. I can't get my copy of the next book fast enough!
Darmik is rather busy trying to stifle an uprising within the overtaxed kingdom. A rumor is spreading that a long-lost heir exists from the former royal family that Darmik's cruel father massacred before taking over the island kingdom. Darmik is also rather distracted by falling for Rema, even though she is off limits as his brother's future wife.
This was a great first book for a series. It had plenty of action, a little romance, and plenty of intrigues. The ending was WOW, a cliffhanger. I can't get my copy of the next book fast enough!
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