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The Doorknob Society #5
Skeleton Key Guild
Her parents dead, her sister missing, and those she loves branded traitors to the Old Kind... Chloe Masters is on the run.
To fulfill a parent’s dying wish she will do anything to save the sister she has never met. Can she learn the secrets of the Artifacts before it’s too late? Surrounded by her friends; Slade, Edgar, Jess, Val and the man she loves James Nightshade, Chloe has never had so much to live for... but will her enemies let her?
To fulfill a parent’s dying wish she will do anything to save the sister she has never met. Can she learn the secrets of the Artifacts before it’s too late? Surrounded by her friends; Slade, Edgar, Jess, Val and the man she loves James Nightshade, Chloe has never had so much to live for... but will her enemies let her?
Unknown Binding
First published May 1, 2013
7 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Fletcher
20 books145 followersMJ Fletcher was born in New Jersey and now lives by the beach with his very understanding wife and daughter. He has been writing since he first stapled pages together as a child and called them a book. He finally realized his ambitions when his comic book series Adam Zero The Last Man of Earth was published by Ronin Studios. His other comic book work includes Digital Webbing Presents and The Hero Initiative. His first novel The Doorknob Society released in 2012 was nominated for a Cybil award in the young adult category. He has continued writing the Doorknob Society Saga his rollicking steampunk adventure series as well as working on numerous other writing projects.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 6, 2015
My original two complaints, editing and swearing, are still here. I would have to add for people that read my reviews that there is a non-descript sex scene. I was not all that bothered by it since it is a secular read and it was not explicit at all but I mention it since it is outside my scope of normal genres of books I read and review.
I like that Jess stands alone as a character, Slade is redeemed from his poor choices, Nightshade is back, Val has completely grown on me and Edgar is still the core, most enjoyable member of the ragtag crew. I appreciate that while the characters may have started out as archtypes, they didn’t stay that. They were flawed and at times unpredictable like people are in real life.
I maintain that Chloe’s development was more described than shown. Ex: “I’m broken” on repeat without really showing how. In fact, I would assert that she is not broken but quite resilient and walled off to prevent brokenness. I would also propose that she first experiences true brokenness in the third and fourth books and heals from it in the fourth and fifth.
This was a well wrapped up series though bittersweet. I loved the world that I was sucked into for about a week while I was reading the series and didn’t want to come back to the real world. Few books make me feel that way.
For me this whole series is about relationships in light of difficult circumstances. You can take away this particular world of intergalactic travel, steampunk gadgets, secret societies, and superpowers and the relational plot still stands for me. But those particular embellishments are what makes the The Doorknob Society series stand out.
I hate that this series came to an end. I would buy it in paper back if it were edited well.
I like that Jess stands alone as a character, Slade is redeemed from his poor choices, Nightshade is back, Val has completely grown on me and Edgar is still the core, most enjoyable member of the ragtag crew. I appreciate that while the characters may have started out as archtypes, they didn’t stay that. They were flawed and at times unpredictable like people are in real life.
I maintain that Chloe’s development was more described than shown. Ex: “I’m broken” on repeat without really showing how. In fact, I would assert that she is not broken but quite resilient and walled off to prevent brokenness. I would also propose that she first experiences true brokenness in the third and fourth books and heals from it in the fourth and fifth.
This was a well wrapped up series though bittersweet. I loved the world that I was sucked into for about a week while I was reading the series and didn’t want to come back to the real world. Few books make me feel that way.
For me this whole series is about relationships in light of difficult circumstances. You can take away this particular world of intergalactic travel, steampunk gadgets, secret societies, and superpowers and the relational plot still stands for me. But those particular embellishments are what makes the The Doorknob Society series stand out.
I hate that this series came to an end. I would buy it in paper back if it were edited well.
June 15, 2013
A great ending to an awesome series!
I’ve really been putting off writing this review. I’m not ready to admit that it’s over. The Doorknob Society Saga has been one heck of a ride, and I’m sad to see it end. But with all good things, I guess it was time.
After the long wait, Nightshade and Chloe finally had a shot together, and just as I hoped, they were the prefect team. The characters that I’ve come to love, worked alongside my favorite couple in this last battle against the First Kind. Will they all survive? Well, you’ll just have to pick up The Skeleton Key Guild to find out.
This final segment of The Doorknob Society Saga was just as action packed as the others. Fletcher threw in some twists that I hadn’t seen coming, and pulled all the loose ends together nicely.
If I didn’t like the ending, it was only because I wanted more. Like I said, I’m sad to see this series end, and I know I will be re-reading it over and over.
I highly recommend these books to everyone!
I’ve really been putting off writing this review. I’m not ready to admit that it’s over. The Doorknob Society Saga has been one heck of a ride, and I’m sad to see it end. But with all good things, I guess it was time.
After the long wait, Nightshade and Chloe finally had a shot together, and just as I hoped, they were the prefect team. The characters that I’ve come to love, worked alongside my favorite couple in this last battle against the First Kind. Will they all survive? Well, you’ll just have to pick up The Skeleton Key Guild to find out.
This final segment of The Doorknob Society Saga was just as action packed as the others. Fletcher threw in some twists that I hadn’t seen coming, and pulled all the loose ends together nicely.
If I didn’t like the ending, it was only because I wanted more. Like I said, I’m sad to see this series end, and I know I will be re-reading it over and over.
I highly recommend these books to everyone!
January 19, 2014
I loved this whole series of books. The ending worked well for the series, not totally unexpected, but very fitting. I enjoyed the characters, and their interaction. Well written. I look forward to the spin-off series The Grimm Chronicles.
July 1, 2014
I couldn't put this series down! And because I tore through all five books right after each other, let me do a review on the series as a whole.
First, I'm glad a friend suggested these books to me, because I probably never would have found them otherwise. The world was totally unique and intriguing - humans with connections to the powers of the universe, allowing them to slip in and out of all the dimensions ever. It's not really time travel or magic, more dimension travel and universal energy.
And after reading so many paranormal books, it's nice to have found something that's actually different than anything else.
Second, the author's writing style is easy to follow and (fairly) easy to read. From the first chapter to the very last, I was sucked in, unable to put it down until it was entirely over; it was just so easy to keep going.
That said, the part that made the reading difficult was all of the frigging typos. I thought Kristen Ashley was bad (and I say that as a fan of KA); MJ Fletcher is by far the worst grammar/typo culprit ever, and that's not a distinction an author should have. All of the typos made the first book incredibly hard to read.
Some typos are understandable, like mixing up "past" and "passed", "your" and "you're", and "their" and "they're", because maybe he was writing fast and spell check didn't catch them. But the sheer number of those kinds of typos, along with mixing up verb tenses within the same sentence, using the wrong word completely (like "insured" for "assured"), and misusing punctuation, makes these books frustrating from a reader's point of view.
Look, I love and support self-published authors, and recognize that most may not be able to afford top notch editing or proofreading. But honestly, this writer NEEDS a proofreader; there are just too many writing and grammar mistakes here. And from someone who claims to have been a lifelong writer, I'm confused how he got to this point in his life without knowing how to structure a sentence properly, or knowing basic definitions of words. Harsh, maybe. But damn . Even a read through by a friend familiar with American English could have helped immensely.
The good news is that as the series progresses, these mistakes lessen. That doesn't excuse them, but it does get easier to read. Which is great because the stories are absolutely fantastic. Without such distractions, I was able to really focus on Chloe's saga.
Chloe herself is exactly the kind of heroine I enjoy reading. She's a badass with attitude, but what makes her lovable and real is that MJ Fletcher also shows us her insecurities. She's at times a little clueless, and she makes big mistakes, but we also get to see her make up for them. She gets scared and nervous, but she doesn't let that hold her back from doing what she feels is the right thing. She's not afraid to challenge the status quo and speak up for herself and others, and she knows her mind. With so many heroines being so wishy washy, I appreciate a strong one like Chloe so much, and seeing her growth was awesome.
As for the secondary characters, they were fantastic, too. They were fleshed out and distinctive, and complemented Chloe wonderfully. From snarky Nightshade to Boy Scout Slade, each brought something wonderful to the story. It was nice to see their friendships develop from nothing to something strong and true.
I also appreciate that MJ Fletcher doesn't pull his punches. He puts his characters through the wringer, and he doesn't hold back the bad stuff like other YA authors do. He trusts that his characters can handle the not so great parts of life, which made it feel more realistic to me. Instead of perfect happy endings, we get real life examples of people dealing with situations like grief, betrayal, and manipulation.
All of that just added to the story for me, which was incredibly action packed. My Kindle versions didn't include page numbers, so I don't know exactly how long these books were, but it seemed like MJ Fletcher managed to wring every bit of action he could out of every scene. I was never left bored or waiting for something to happen; there was always something going on. Ordinarily, that would have been exhausting, but MJ Fletcher manages to do this in a way that only makes you anxious for more.
It helped that the characters weren't perfect or complete superheroes. We see them get hurt and fail as much as we see them succeed. Basically, the characters never seem to do more than what they can reasonably do for their skill level at that point in time in the story.
Beyond the typos, the only other quibble I had was that sometimes we're told something instead of shown it. Like with Chloe learning to control and use her abilities - we're told that, not shown it, and I think that was a missed opportunity to add a little bit of depth. It probably would have bogged down the pacing to have shown every training session, but at least a few in the beginning might have been nice. But maybe that's just me wanting to see more of this world.
Overall, this was such a great series that I would have no problems recommending them to others (though I would mention that the typos are ridiculously out of hand at times). So far, it's my favorite read of the summer.
First, I'm glad a friend suggested these books to me, because I probably never would have found them otherwise. The world was totally unique and intriguing - humans with connections to the powers of the universe, allowing them to slip in and out of all the dimensions ever. It's not really time travel or magic, more dimension travel and universal energy.
And after reading so many paranormal books, it's nice to have found something that's actually different than anything else.
Second, the author's writing style is easy to follow and (fairly) easy to read. From the first chapter to the very last, I was sucked in, unable to put it down until it was entirely over; it was just so easy to keep going.
That said, the part that made the reading difficult was all of the frigging typos. I thought Kristen Ashley was bad (and I say that as a fan of KA); MJ Fletcher is by far the worst grammar/typo culprit ever, and that's not a distinction an author should have. All of the typos made the first book incredibly hard to read.
Some typos are understandable, like mixing up "past" and "passed", "your" and "you're", and "their" and "they're", because maybe he was writing fast and spell check didn't catch them. But the sheer number of those kinds of typos, along with mixing up verb tenses within the same sentence, using the wrong word completely (like "insured" for "assured"), and misusing punctuation, makes these books frustrating from a reader's point of view.
Look, I love and support self-published authors, and recognize that most may not be able to afford top notch editing or proofreading. But honestly, this writer NEEDS a proofreader; there are just too many writing and grammar mistakes here. And from someone who claims to have been a lifelong writer, I'm confused how he got to this point in his life without knowing how to structure a sentence properly, or knowing basic definitions of words. Harsh, maybe. But damn . Even a read through by a friend familiar with American English could have helped immensely.
The good news is that as the series progresses, these mistakes lessen. That doesn't excuse them, but it does get easier to read. Which is great because the stories are absolutely fantastic. Without such distractions, I was able to really focus on Chloe's saga.
Chloe herself is exactly the kind of heroine I enjoy reading. She's a badass with attitude, but what makes her lovable and real is that MJ Fletcher also shows us her insecurities. She's at times a little clueless, and she makes big mistakes, but we also get to see her make up for them. She gets scared and nervous, but she doesn't let that hold her back from doing what she feels is the right thing. She's not afraid to challenge the status quo and speak up for herself and others, and she knows her mind. With so many heroines being so wishy washy, I appreciate a strong one like Chloe so much, and seeing her growth was awesome.
As for the secondary characters, they were fantastic, too. They were fleshed out and distinctive, and complemented Chloe wonderfully. From snarky Nightshade to Boy Scout Slade, each brought something wonderful to the story. It was nice to see their friendships develop from nothing to something strong and true.
I also appreciate that MJ Fletcher doesn't pull his punches. He puts his characters through the wringer, and he doesn't hold back the bad stuff like other YA authors do. He trusts that his characters can handle the not so great parts of life, which made it feel more realistic to me. Instead of perfect happy endings, we get real life examples of people dealing with situations like grief, betrayal, and manipulation.
All of that just added to the story for me, which was incredibly action packed. My Kindle versions didn't include page numbers, so I don't know exactly how long these books were, but it seemed like MJ Fletcher managed to wring every bit of action he could out of every scene. I was never left bored or waiting for something to happen; there was always something going on. Ordinarily, that would have been exhausting, but MJ Fletcher manages to do this in a way that only makes you anxious for more.
It helped that the characters weren't perfect or complete superheroes. We see them get hurt and fail as much as we see them succeed. Basically, the characters never seem to do more than what they can reasonably do for their skill level at that point in time in the story.
Beyond the typos, the only other quibble I had was that sometimes we're told something instead of shown it. Like with Chloe learning to control and use her abilities - we're told that, not shown it, and I think that was a missed opportunity to add a little bit of depth. It probably would have bogged down the pacing to have shown every training session, but at least a few in the beginning might have been nice. But maybe that's just me wanting to see more of this world.
Overall, this was such a great series that I would have no problems recommending them to others (though I would mention that the typos are ridiculously out of hand at times). So far, it's my favorite read of the summer.
May 23, 2018
I have enjoyed this series. Put this book down for a while but came backand finished in 1 day.
December 2, 2019
Great book. I wish they could have been together throughout the series, I would have loved the series and bought it. It was only this book. Loved this book.
August 19, 2013
Review: 5 out of 5 stars
** Please note this review contains possible spoilers from the first 4 books **
I have to admit, I was kind of hesitant about starting on the Skeleton Key Guild by M.J Fletcher because it is the final book in The Doorknob Society Saga {sob} and I dread it when a much loved series comes to an end, but I have to say this was a fantastic finale in what has been an amazing thrill-ride.
Chloe Masters has been through hell and back over the course of the five part series and has experienced much heartache and loss but it has also been a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about herself, her family, friends, the secret society and her polymorph abilities. She has always been a kick-butt, fabulous characters who cares deeply for those closest to her but her rash decisions at times could also be quite infuriating.
In this action-packed installment we see Chloe, along with the fabulous team of Nightshade {swoon}, Slade, Edgar, Jess and Val try to save and protect her sister who she never knew existed or has met. It was go go go right from the onset with ongoing dramas and twists and turns to keep things exciting; the villains are each written perfectly and played a pivotal role in the overall story and I have loved the way the whole cast has interacted and worked together despite the many obstacles they have faced, it made for a riveting read.
The romance is amazing! I haven’t cheered for a couple as much as I have for Chloe and Nightshade and at one point in the series I never thought we’d see a HEA for them but I’m pleased to see how everything has come together for this loved up couple. The secondary characters are awesome! Edgar has always been my favourite with his wit, humour and knowledge.
The plot flowed well and I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid settings. M.J. Fletchers writing is amazingly detailed and wonderfully entertaining; he brings to us many unique adventures and the character growth from the very first book has progressed at a steady, believable pace; the way in which the overall story has come together is creative and brilliant.
As much as I am saddened to see this series conclude, I am also pleased to see there is a spin-off which will have Jess as the main heroine – I can’t wait!
Overall, I highly recommend the Skeleton Key Guild and The Doorknob Society; it has been a series that has thoroughly entertained and captivated me. Highly recommended for fans of Fantasy and Steampunk.
Books in order:
The Doorknob Society
The Impossible Engineers
The Mapmakers Union
The Detective Inspectors
Skeleton Key Guild
** Please note this review contains possible spoilers from the first 4 books **
I have to admit, I was kind of hesitant about starting on the Skeleton Key Guild by M.J Fletcher because it is the final book in The Doorknob Society Saga {sob} and I dread it when a much loved series comes to an end, but I have to say this was a fantastic finale in what has been an amazing thrill-ride.
Chloe Masters has been through hell and back over the course of the five part series and has experienced much heartache and loss but it has also been a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about herself, her family, friends, the secret society and her polymorph abilities. She has always been a kick-butt, fabulous characters who cares deeply for those closest to her but her rash decisions at times could also be quite infuriating.
In this action-packed installment we see Chloe, along with the fabulous team of Nightshade {swoon}, Slade, Edgar, Jess and Val try to save and protect her sister who she never knew existed or has met. It was go go go right from the onset with ongoing dramas and twists and turns to keep things exciting; the villains are each written perfectly and played a pivotal role in the overall story and I have loved the way the whole cast has interacted and worked together despite the many obstacles they have faced, it made for a riveting read.
The romance is amazing! I haven’t cheered for a couple as much as I have for Chloe and Nightshade and at one point in the series I never thought we’d see a HEA for them but I’m pleased to see how everything has come together for this loved up couple. The secondary characters are awesome! Edgar has always been my favourite with his wit, humour and knowledge.
The plot flowed well and I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid settings. M.J. Fletchers writing is amazingly detailed and wonderfully entertaining; he brings to us many unique adventures and the character growth from the very first book has progressed at a steady, believable pace; the way in which the overall story has come together is creative and brilliant.
As much as I am saddened to see this series conclude, I am also pleased to see there is a spin-off which will have Jess as the main heroine – I can’t wait!
Overall, I highly recommend the Skeleton Key Guild and The Doorknob Society; it has been a series that has thoroughly entertained and captivated me. Highly recommended for fans of Fantasy and Steampunk.
Books in order:
The Doorknob Society
The Impossible Engineers
The Mapmakers Union
The Detective Inspectors
Skeleton Key Guild
October 27, 2015
A very exciting conclusion to the Doorknob Society Series. There were many times I wondered just how devastating the events of this book would turn out to be, but I managed not to bite my nails. At this point in the series, the characters have all grown up so much that they seem so very different from the characters the reader met and grew to love in the first 2 books. These characters are mature, fierce, determined, and undeniably changed by all they have faced.
I will continue to read any related Doorknob Society offerings...there is a spin-off in the works, and I am excited!
My only complaints were these: #1. The continued poor editing (Mr. Fletcher really needs to invest in someone with a red pen) & #2. What exactly was the point of Hawk?
I will continue to read any related Doorknob Society offerings...there is a spin-off in the works, and I am excited!
My only complaints were these: #1. The continued poor editing (Mr. Fletcher really needs to invest in someone with a red pen) & #2. What exactly was the point of Hawk?
June 3, 2013
I finished this book a couple weeks ago, and purposely waited to write the review. I wanted to take time and try to process my thoughts so I could give a "worthy" review. I think I've failed, as I still don't have the words to convey just how....well, captivating, exciting, intriguing, touching this book (and series as a whole) is. From book 1 (Doorknob Society) to the final installment (Skeleton Key Guild), MJ creates a world that is so fantastically outrageous that you want to be in the middle of it, even during the not-so-pleasant moments. The characters have depth and for me personally, I tried to pick a favorite character but they are all so likable. Even the villains you just have to love-to-hate them. The ONLY negative thing I have to say, is that I hate that there had to be an end.
So, that is my review, such as it is. I can't recommend this series enough. If this genre is your thing, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!!!
So, that is my review, such as it is. I can't recommend this series enough. If this genre is your thing, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!!!
May 19, 2013
Wow. It's over. The 5 book series is finished. I'm happy and sad at the same time. I feel like I'm saying 'goodbye' to old friends. I've watched Chloe grow from a high school student to a great leader. I've watched her fall in love and go through all sorts of trials you can only imagine.
The writing is superb. The character growth and development is fantastic. The storyline is impressive.
Everything now makes sense. We see twists and turns I couldn't have imagined. MJ Fletcher has an incredible imagination.
I loved the entire series. I loved the way the books seamlessly connected from book one to book five. I love all the characters (especially Edgar).
Highly recommend this as fun summer reading, get all five and bring them to the beach with you. You'll laugh, you'll cry. You won't be sorry you read this amazing saga.
The writing is superb. The character growth and development is fantastic. The storyline is impressive.
Everything now makes sense. We see twists and turns I couldn't have imagined. MJ Fletcher has an incredible imagination.
I loved the entire series. I loved the way the books seamlessly connected from book one to book five. I love all the characters (especially Edgar).
Highly recommend this as fun summer reading, get all five and bring them to the beach with you. You'll laugh, you'll cry. You won't be sorry you read this amazing saga.
June 18, 2013
In the final installement of the Doorknob Society saga, Chloe's adventure has finally came to a somewhat happy and peaceful ending which left me with a smile on my face. Nonetheless, I now know that I am gonna miss the whole thing; the characters, Chloe's world and the constant adventures. It was a journey of 5 amazing books, that I honestly enjoyed. In addition, I had a strong connection with Chloe and Nightshade, most of the characters actually and their developement through the five books was clear.
Overall, it was a nice, peaceful ending to the series and I truly enjoyed it. And I can say nothing except that I really do recommend this series, all of it. MJ Fletcher's vivid imagination will take you to a world like no other. Heartfelt characters, action-packed adventures, something that fantasy readers will definitely enjoy.
Overall, it was a nice, peaceful ending to the series and I truly enjoyed it. And I can say nothing except that I really do recommend this series, all of it. MJ Fletcher's vivid imagination will take you to a world like no other. Heartfelt characters, action-packed adventures, something that fantasy readers will definitely enjoy.
January 25, 2014
I would buy ALL these in paperback IF HE'D GET AN EDITOR!!!! This series is a "steampunk Harry Potter". But the poor editing/total lack of editing damn near kills it all! I want to pass these along to my sons, but do not want to subject them to the errors. I want to get them INTO reading, not frustrate the crap out of them. As an adult, I can look past the errors, but when I spend more time highlighting errors than reading, it makes it hard to stay in the book. Seriously, get an editor!!! I would recommend this series to everyone within my world IF they get edited! As part of the series, the editing issues in THIS one were the worst
January 25, 2014
I would buy ALL these in paperback IF HE'D GET AN EDITOR!!!! This series is a "steampunk Harry Potter". But the poor editing/total lack of editing damn near kills it all! I want to pass these along to my sons, but do not want to subject them to the errors. I want to get them INTO reading, not frustrate the crap out of them. As an adult, I can look past the errors, but when I spend more time highlighting errors than reading, it makes it hard to stay in the book. Seriously, get an editor!!! I would recommend this series to everyone within my world IF they get edited!
March 23, 2015
This is a satisfying conclusion to the fight against Tower and his wanting to bring back the people who created such a mess in the first place. You got to love Nightshade during this book and Slade makes up for his wishy washy beginning, but really, who comes out the best? Edgar is quite outstanding and it is a little funny how his character is portrayed as someone so intelligent that he misses the social comings and goings, but in fact knows exactly what is happening. Great story- I enjoyed the series.
June 4, 2013
Wow what an ending to a great series! MJ Fletcher out does himself in "The Skeleton Key Guild" with his fantastic writing and the way his characters grow and develop. In this final book, everything just came together and made sense where all my questions were answered. I totally enjoyed and fell in love with this series and highly recommend it to all.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
July 24, 2015
Except for the editing and the few swears throughout this book, it is a great finish to a wonderful series.
With the powers of the Artifacts and the help of her friends and family, Chloe just might be able to win this war. Read to find out if she is successful and just who makes it out alive.
With the powers of the Artifacts and the help of her friends and family, Chloe just might be able to win this war. Read to find out if she is successful and just who makes it out alive.
March 31, 2016
Great series
I have loved this series, it has kept me reading wanting to know what happens next. The characters are great, Chloe, James, Jess, Edgar and I even liked Slade again. They are a wonderful group of friends, who had to have each others back.
I have loved this series, it has kept me reading wanting to know what happens next. The characters are great, Chloe, James, Jess, Edgar and I even liked Slade again. They are a wonderful group of friends, who had to have each others back.
July 1, 2013
Loved this series1
September 17, 2013
Sad to see it end, but I feel very satisfied how it ended. It was wonderful to see the characters develop from book one till the end. Cannot wait for the spin off!!!!!
January 11, 2025
This book was a great sum up of the series. I couldn't put it down!!
May 14, 2017
I love this series..
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews