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Keys and Guardians #1
The Order of the Key
Jacklyn Madison never expected to be attacked by a beast on an evening snack run.
Add a rescue mission enacted by a trained regiment of teenaged warriors, and her night officially becomes just like a scene from one of her beloved comic books. Turns out, her parents were once members of the Order of the Key, gifted humans that protect humanity from creatures spilling through inter-dimensional rifts. Unable to control her newfound abilities, Jacklyn and her family rejoin the Order.
After an attack on their headquarters leaves Jacklyn questioning their leadership, Kyp-the boy who led her initial rescue-reveals a darker secret. The Order's leader may be corrupt, and Jacklyn's questions could put her family in danger. Drawn into the search for proof, Jacklyn must use her guts and magical brawn to protect her family, her friends, and herself from the monsters spilling from rifts, and those hiding within the Order.
Add a rescue mission enacted by a trained regiment of teenaged warriors, and her night officially becomes just like a scene from one of her beloved comic books. Turns out, her parents were once members of the Order of the Key, gifted humans that protect humanity from creatures spilling through inter-dimensional rifts. Unable to control her newfound abilities, Jacklyn and her family rejoin the Order.
After an attack on their headquarters leaves Jacklyn questioning their leadership, Kyp-the boy who led her initial rescue-reveals a darker secret. The Order's leader may be corrupt, and Jacklyn's questions could put her family in danger. Drawn into the search for proof, Jacklyn must use her guts and magical brawn to protect her family, her friends, and herself from the monsters spilling from rifts, and those hiding within the Order.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 9, 2020
16 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Justine Manzano
11 books103 followersJustine Manzano is the geeky author of the geeky YA series Keys & Guardians, and geeky YA novel Never Say Never. Known as a Professional-Life-Ruiner-By-Antagonist, Justine’s fiction is tough on the outside and sweet on the inside, like an M&M or a hard candy with a gooey center, delivered with sass and snark. A freelance editor, she also serves as an Editor-in-Residence at WriteHive. She lives in Bronx, NY with her husband, teenage son, and a puppy! She can usually be found at her website, www.justinemanzano.com or all the usual social media haunts. If you’ve looked in all these places and can’t find her, she’s probably off reading fanfiction. She’ll be back soon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
October 4, 2020
Thanks to BookSirens for the free advanced review copy!
-Characters-
Unfortunately, I did not feel connected to Kyp or Jacklyn. While I appreciated how Jacklyn was unique in the sense of her enjoyment for comics and Superheros as well as how she would draw connections to fight scenes with them, I couldn't fall in love with her character. She didn't give me the deep internal thought process I so love in reading 1st person.
-Plot-
The plot would have been interesting, but the writing actually made it really hard to follow the story. Characters would act on a whim or when something planned would happen, I just couldn't follow the story, and there wasn't enough elaboration. The ending also felt awkward, and the big reveal at the end wasn't as climactic as I would have hoped.
-World-Building-
Now, this I did enjoy. Manzano crafted her world with great expertise, and it did very much remind me of the Shadowhunter books by Cassandra Clare. Keys and Guardians working to end the rifts of inter-dimensionals, elaborated history of the Arvokians and their relationship with the Order—this was a truly stellar aspect of this novel.
-Romance-
I didn't feel the connection between Kyp and Jacklyn. It wasn't much of a slow-burn, which I feel it was intended to be one. And their relationship was very strange in the beginning, with unexplained anger from Kyp and confusion from Jacklyn. Not a strong point, unfortunately.
-Writing-
The slow sentence pacing and rushed explanations throughout the story made it really hard to understand what was going on. It made the plot seem incomplete and the character relationships forced.
-Conclusion-
I enjoyed the world-building of this book, but it really didn't stand out, unfortunately.
Final grade: 2/5⭐
-Characters-
Unfortunately, I did not feel connected to Kyp or Jacklyn. While I appreciated how Jacklyn was unique in the sense of her enjoyment for comics and Superheros as well as how she would draw connections to fight scenes with them, I couldn't fall in love with her character. She didn't give me the deep internal thought process I so love in reading 1st person.
-Plot-
The plot would have been interesting, but the writing actually made it really hard to follow the story. Characters would act on a whim or when something planned would happen, I just couldn't follow the story, and there wasn't enough elaboration. The ending also felt awkward, and the big reveal at the end wasn't as climactic as I would have hoped.
-World-Building-
Now, this I did enjoy. Manzano crafted her world with great expertise, and it did very much remind me of the Shadowhunter books by Cassandra Clare. Keys and Guardians working to end the rifts of inter-dimensionals, elaborated history of the Arvokians and their relationship with the Order—this was a truly stellar aspect of this novel.
-Romance-
I didn't feel the connection between Kyp and Jacklyn. It wasn't much of a slow-burn, which I feel it was intended to be one. And their relationship was very strange in the beginning, with unexplained anger from Kyp and confusion from Jacklyn. Not a strong point, unfortunately.
-Writing-
The slow sentence pacing and rushed explanations throughout the story made it really hard to understand what was going on. It made the plot seem incomplete and the character relationships forced.
-Conclusion-
I enjoyed the world-building of this book, but it really didn't stand out, unfortunately.
Final grade: 2/5⭐
June 5, 2020
Thank you BookSirens for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Truth be told I'm not exactly a fan of this kind of writing style, however I enjoyed reading this book nonetheless.
In this story, you take on the life of Jacklyn Madison as she goes on a journey to save her loved ones from harm whilst battling with herself as she slowly finds out dark fragments of The Order's past. The entire plot line of the story was highly predictable and overdone by numerous authors; however, Justine Manzano has definitely made the reading ride worth the readers' time. The story was delivered in a refreshing, albeit predictable manner that honestly worked out quite well in the end. The pacing was balanced and the overall story and characters were delivered well.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Truth be told I'm not exactly a fan of this kind of writing style, however I enjoyed reading this book nonetheless.
In this story, you take on the life of Jacklyn Madison as she goes on a journey to save her loved ones from harm whilst battling with herself as she slowly finds out dark fragments of The Order's past. The entire plot line of the story was highly predictable and overdone by numerous authors; however, Justine Manzano has definitely made the reading ride worth the readers' time. The story was delivered in a refreshing, albeit predictable manner that honestly worked out quite well in the end. The pacing was balanced and the overall story and characters were delivered well.
December 14, 2020
If you are a fan of paranormal and fantasy with romance, “The Order of the Key” is a must read!
Read full review in the 2020 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2020 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.
December 21, 2021
Jacklyn Madison is a simple girl who likes geeky things and runs fast. She gets attacked by monsters, meets her former best friend who she doesn't remember, finds out she has powers and that her parents were part of a secret Order that helps keep the monsters at bay all in one day.
It's not safe to stay at home anymore so Jacks, her mother and her sister relocate to the Order's headquarters and officially begin training for their destined roles.
Jacks is a Key and her sister a Guardian. They're not very happy with the arrangement but prove to be good at controlling their abilities.
It's when Jacks starts questioning the Order's leader that things start going wrong. How many people are willing to take a stand with her? And what will it cost them?
This book hurt me with certain deaths, excuse me while I try to find a reason why both characters I liked the most had to die. Sigh.
I was only attached to three characters and the third was barely in it (but they'll play an important role in book two, I'm sure).
I will say that my judgement was wrong for a few of the characters. For example I didn't like Gana at first and I liked the Order leader at the beginning but both of those changed later in the book.
And Kyp? He was the most annoying, not sure what Jacks saw in him. As a friend yeah he could be cool but romantically ehhhh. Speaking of, they did say "I love you" a bit too fast.
The plot was okay, could've been better. We saw so little of Jacklyn's life before the attack that the transition to a completely different life wasn't very impactful (aside from no cell service and by extension no tumblr). And all the pop culture references... I usually don't mind, I even like it, but it was excessive.
The world building was interesting, kind of a shame that most of the book happens in one place.
As for the ending, it was nice. I'm glad it's character number three (for spoiler sake) and not anyone else who's with her. But she did greet them rather coldly, I wasn't expecting that after all the dreams/memories. I thought she'd be happy.
*Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
It's not safe to stay at home anymore so Jacks, her mother and her sister relocate to the Order's headquarters and officially begin training for their destined roles.
Jacks is a Key and her sister a Guardian. They're not very happy with the arrangement but prove to be good at controlling their abilities.
It's when Jacks starts questioning the Order's leader that things start going wrong. How many people are willing to take a stand with her? And what will it cost them?
This book hurt me with certain deaths, excuse me while I try to find a reason why both characters I liked the most had to die. Sigh.
I was only attached to three characters and the third was barely in it (but they'll play an important role in book two, I'm sure).
I will say that my judgement was wrong for a few of the characters. For example I didn't like Gana at first and I liked the Order leader at the beginning but both of those changed later in the book.
And Kyp? He was the most annoying, not sure what Jacks saw in him. As a friend yeah he could be cool but romantically ehhhh. Speaking of, they did say "I love you" a bit too fast.
The plot was okay, could've been better. We saw so little of Jacklyn's life before the attack that the transition to a completely different life wasn't very impactful (aside from no cell service and by extension no tumblr). And all the pop culture references... I usually don't mind, I even like it, but it was excessive.
The world building was interesting, kind of a shame that most of the book happens in one place.
As for the ending, it was nice. I'm glad it's character number three (for spoiler sake) and not anyone else who's with her. But she did greet them rather coldly, I wasn't expecting that after all the dreams/memories. I thought she'd be happy.
*Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
August 30, 2020
Thank you BookSirens for giving me a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Actual rating: 4/10
Plot: ★★☆☆☆
Characters: ★★☆☆☆
Writing: ★★★☆☆
Romance: ★☆☆☆☆
Diversity/Rep: ★★☆☆☆
Does it get explicit?
nope
How intriguing was the first chapter itself? Did it set the tone/pace for the entire book?
The first chapter was definitely interesting enough to keep me curious, partly because i was an athlete back in high school and i could understand the emotions she felt as she ran.
"You've got this, you were born to do this."
We meet Jacklyn Madison, a runner living in Bronx when she is attacked by "slimy-oily" demons out of nowhere and is saved by a boy named Kyp as well as his friend Cass. She and her family are then taken to a regiment of trained warriors who save the world by battling demons. Yeah, it's the typical tropes of a fantasy world. What shocks Jacks is the fact that her parents were actually part of this and have known for a long time.
The plot was predictable and not very original but it was fast-paced which made it both an easy and fast read but also made it a little hard for me to form any emotional connection with any of the characters. I didn't really bother with Kyp and Jacks relationship because it didn't feel "there".
Overall, i did enjoy reading it, i just didnt form a connection with the characters so it might not be memorable for me.
Actual rating: 4/10
Plot: ★★☆☆☆
Characters: ★★☆☆☆
Writing: ★★★☆☆
Romance: ★☆☆☆☆
Diversity/Rep: ★★☆☆☆
Does it get explicit?
nope
How intriguing was the first chapter itself? Did it set the tone/pace for the entire book?
The first chapter was definitely interesting enough to keep me curious, partly because i was an athlete back in high school and i could understand the emotions she felt as she ran.
"You've got this, you were born to do this."
We meet Jacklyn Madison, a runner living in Bronx when she is attacked by "slimy-oily" demons out of nowhere and is saved by a boy named Kyp as well as his friend Cass. She and her family are then taken to a regiment of trained warriors who save the world by battling demons. Yeah, it's the typical tropes of a fantasy world. What shocks Jacks is the fact that her parents were actually part of this and have known for a long time.
The plot was predictable and not very original but it was fast-paced which made it both an easy and fast read but also made it a little hard for me to form any emotional connection with any of the characters. I didn't really bother with Kyp and Jacks relationship because it didn't feel "there".
Overall, i did enjoy reading it, i just didnt form a connection with the characters so it might not be memorable for me.
June 6, 2020
This book was a very entertaining read not only for the young adults that this book was intended for but for adults of all ages.
As I said, I enjoyed this greatly...for the most part.
This book hits all the right points for me. It was a very creative plotline; it had good character growth, a bit of romance and mystery, evil creatures, and even some very emotional areas. I loved the good VS the evil trope too among the humans also.
The only thing I took issue with is that so much was crammed into too few pages, so much information was given, that I had a difficult time keeping up with everything going on and everyone's powers.
I would recommend this book for those that like comic-book style action-adventure novels. I would also recommend this book to those that enjoy kick-butt heroines.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and BookSirens.
May 25, 2020
This was a quick and fun read, only about 220 ish pages. I really liked the plot and the characters. The story was great and I really like the pace it was being told at. But the end seemed really sped up and abrupt, and I wish it had the same pace as the beginning of the book, even if it would have made it longer! Actually maybe more so, because it would have made the book longer!
July 4, 2020
This was an exciting story. It's one where I could see the movie unfolding before my eyes ;) I liked the characters and the ideas. It's got a lot of "superhero" to it, but not necessarily a Marvel takeoff. I'm sure the sequel will be great!
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 15, 2020
Jacklyn Madison is the superhero teen-me needed.
There's so much to say about this book. Let's start with the cast. Jacks is our MC: tough yet vulnerable, with a quick mouth and more than her fair share of stubbornness. She turns out to be a part of the Order of the Key, a shadowy secret superhero organization designed to stop alien bad-guys from ruining our days, due to her parents also being in the Order. From her parents, she's been gifted special abilities just awakening which she needs to learn to use. But this isn't just any magic school story.
For one thing, Jacks' mom and sister Gana join her in the Order, though her mom has tried to keep them out of it since she ran away with them years ago. Why? Find out by reading the book. :D
For another thing, there's not as much emphasis on training and studying and testing and more emphasis on rules, safety, and when and how to break those rules to keep loved ones safe. Especially when questions are raised about the worthiness of following those in charge.
The cast is well-rounded, with each side character having a clear role, from Jacks' mom to her sister to other members of the Order, to Jacks's love interest, Kyp. Questions are even raised about Jacks' father and his loyalties, and family is a running theme through the book (as is running, and the comic book mentions all throughout that had me squeeing). The plot was easy to follow, with enough twists on familiar tropes and immersion into Jacks' fantastic character that I didn't want to put the book down at all. I totally screwed up dinner because I was reading instead...
I really enjoyed the magic system, and I'm a sucker for strong female protagonists (you can be strong and vulnerable or ignorant of a brand new system at the same time, and Jacks accomplishes that without being standoffish, making her super relatable). I'm trying to leave out spoilers, so suffice it to say I love the turns the plot took and the way it ended was thrilling, struck me deep, and also was so satisfying. I'd love to read more in this universe!
There's so much to say about this book. Let's start with the cast. Jacks is our MC: tough yet vulnerable, with a quick mouth and more than her fair share of stubbornness. She turns out to be a part of the Order of the Key, a shadowy secret superhero organization designed to stop alien bad-guys from ruining our days, due to her parents also being in the Order. From her parents, she's been gifted special abilities just awakening which she needs to learn to use. But this isn't just any magic school story.
For one thing, Jacks' mom and sister Gana join her in the Order, though her mom has tried to keep them out of it since she ran away with them years ago. Why? Find out by reading the book. :D
For another thing, there's not as much emphasis on training and studying and testing and more emphasis on rules, safety, and when and how to break those rules to keep loved ones safe. Especially when questions are raised about the worthiness of following those in charge.
The cast is well-rounded, with each side character having a clear role, from Jacks' mom to her sister to other members of the Order, to Jacks's love interest, Kyp. Questions are even raised about Jacks' father and his loyalties, and family is a running theme through the book (as is running, and the comic book mentions all throughout that had me squeeing). The plot was easy to follow, with enough twists on familiar tropes and immersion into Jacks' fantastic character that I didn't want to put the book down at all. I totally screwed up dinner because I was reading instead...
I really enjoyed the magic system, and I'm a sucker for strong female protagonists (you can be strong and vulnerable or ignorant of a brand new system at the same time, and Jacks accomplishes that without being standoffish, making her super relatable). I'm trying to leave out spoilers, so suffice it to say I love the turns the plot took and the way it ended was thrilling, struck me deep, and also was so satisfying. I'd love to read more in this universe!
July 19, 2020
I have received an ARC from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a short read but that does not mean we did not get enough of the story.
The pace was decent. I've got to be honest I did fall asleep a couple of times reading it but that's probably just me since I did pick it up in the middle of my exams and I was just tired in general haha.
The end was a bit rushed, but, it is sort of expected given the size of the book. I do wish it was just a little bit longer.
I did enjoy the book in the end, but I just wish it was a bit more developed and just a bit longer - I think I would have connected a bit more with the characters and it would've made the story a bit more memorable.
This book was a short read but that does not mean we did not get enough of the story.
The pace was decent. I've got to be honest I did fall asleep a couple of times reading it but that's probably just me since I did pick it up in the middle of my exams and I was just tired in general haha.
The end was a bit rushed, but, it is sort of expected given the size of the book. I do wish it was just a little bit longer.
I did enjoy the book in the end, but I just wish it was a bit more developed and just a bit longer - I think I would have connected a bit more with the characters and it would've made the story a bit more memorable.
April 17, 2024
This book follows Jacks and her family being thrown into the world of Keys and Guardians and monsters. Not only are we getting lore for the world building but we're also getting monster fights as they are learning about what they are capable of. I love that aspect of the book. The more we read the book the more we realized just how twisted everything is and how the dean of the academy, Lavinia is seemingly evil. Kyp, the son of the dean is starting a rebellion against her. The ending was so so good! Fast paced and leaves you wanting to read the next book right away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2024
First i want to thank netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book.
I gave this book/series 2 stars.
I stopped at the halfway point of book 2. I couldn't handle it anymore.
Characters:
I hate almost all of them. Out of all of them i hated Kyp the most. His mood switches were insane. Out of nowhere he would start screaming at Jacklyn and sometimes he isn't even sorry. He also gets angry at everyone else if they don't do things like he wants them to do things. What i think is also really annoying is that Kyp talks to other people like their children because he is so smart. This asshole is literally one of the dumbest characters in this book. He just makes the most dumb decisions. I just hate him with my whole heart. I hoped it would get better and he would get some character development but no. He keeps being an asshole.
I have a love hate relationship with Jacklyn. She could be fierce and strong and funny. But when it comes to Kyp she has the backbone of a doormat. She would be angry at Kyp for saying super mean stuff at her and she keeps forgiving him event though a lot of the times he doesn't even say sorry.
I loved Gana. She is my favourite character ever. She just didn't give a f*ck. She did not forgive Kyp and she threatened him at multiple occasions and i loved it. She was so sweet and caring for her sister. This character was amazingly written. (next sentence will be a spoiler). This author had to kill the only person i found enjoyable in her books. Well i did like Jacklyns mother but she also died. I don't get why. Couldn't they just kill Kyp.
Okay im done with throwing hate at the characters.
plot:
the plot in book one was alright. almost no plot holes. It was a well written plot and an interesting story. The plot from book 2 i don't what to think yet. At the point where im at i hate it but it might get better.
World building:
Very good. This is something i really loved about this book. The world felt a lot like the shadow hunter realm but its own interesting twist. I really want to complement the author for this. I think it was really well done.
Romance:
Just no. Married by blood ritual at 5 years old. Just no. I find that weird and icky. The connection they immediately felt when they were near each other was just no and he wasn't even nice to her. Like girl you can get better. In book 2 the love interest is even thinking about divorcing her because he thinks she doesn't love him anymore. In the meantime this girl is severely traumatised and just doesn't have the mental capacity to deal with this idiot.
writing:
It was okay. Sometimes i had trouble with the dialogue. I couldn't figure out who was talking. In the action scenes i sometimes couldn't figure out what was happening. The writing was overall not bad.
Conclusion
To be honest i didn't like it. especially book 2. Book 1 was better. i do not want to say i recommend it but i also don't want to say i don't recommend it. This is a book that you will love or hate there is no in between.
I gave this book/series 2 stars.
I stopped at the halfway point of book 2. I couldn't handle it anymore.
Characters:
I hate almost all of them. Out of all of them i hated Kyp the most. His mood switches were insane. Out of nowhere he would start screaming at Jacklyn and sometimes he isn't even sorry. He also gets angry at everyone else if they don't do things like he wants them to do things. What i think is also really annoying is that Kyp talks to other people like their children because he is so smart. This asshole is literally one of the dumbest characters in this book. He just makes the most dumb decisions. I just hate him with my whole heart. I hoped it would get better and he would get some character development but no. He keeps being an asshole.
I have a love hate relationship with Jacklyn. She could be fierce and strong and funny. But when it comes to Kyp she has the backbone of a doormat. She would be angry at Kyp for saying super mean stuff at her and she keeps forgiving him event though a lot of the times he doesn't even say sorry.
I loved Gana. She is my favourite character ever. She just didn't give a f*ck. She did not forgive Kyp and she threatened him at multiple occasions and i loved it. She was so sweet and caring for her sister. This character was amazingly written. (next sentence will be a spoiler). This author had to kill the only person i found enjoyable in her books. Well i did like Jacklyns mother but she also died. I don't get why. Couldn't they just kill Kyp.
Okay im done with throwing hate at the characters.
plot:
the plot in book one was alright. almost no plot holes. It was a well written plot and an interesting story. The plot from book 2 i don't what to think yet. At the point where im at i hate it but it might get better.
World building:
Very good. This is something i really loved about this book. The world felt a lot like the shadow hunter realm but its own interesting twist. I really want to complement the author for this. I think it was really well done.
Romance:
Just no. Married by blood ritual at 5 years old. Just no. I find that weird and icky. The connection they immediately felt when they were near each other was just no and he wasn't even nice to her. Like girl you can get better. In book 2 the love interest is even thinking about divorcing her because he thinks she doesn't love him anymore. In the meantime this girl is severely traumatised and just doesn't have the mental capacity to deal with this idiot.
writing:
It was okay. Sometimes i had trouble with the dialogue. I couldn't figure out who was talking. In the action scenes i sometimes couldn't figure out what was happening. The writing was overall not bad.
Conclusion
To be honest i didn't like it. especially book 2. Book 1 was better. i do not want to say i recommend it but i also don't want to say i don't recommend it. This is a book that you will love or hate there is no in between.
July 24, 2020
3.5 stars
I was given this by a family member to read so we could compare opinions on the book. I have never heard of the author before so was pretty open minded going in.
The blurb sounded ok, I like fantasy style books so it looked like it would fit my tastes, but I was surprised by how much was given away, it tells you straight away that the leader is corrupt - this is something that could have been used as a shock reveal within the book, but here you go into the story knowing that it's going to end up in fights and danger. This kind of ruined it a little bit for me, I like to figure out what a character is like from how well they are written, this was just handed across on a platter.
The book starts by introducing Jacklyn, a typical high school girl - a bit of a nerd but also quite athletic, someone who doesn't really fit in and wonders why, but also doesn't take any rubbish from others and at least has the courage to stand up for herself against the bullies - even if that does mean taking a few punches. Things then escalate pretty quickly - on her way home from school she gets attacked by strange monsters and mysteriously saved by a duo who seem to know everything about her. They save her, but not before she kicks a bit of butt herself, but with her new found powers acting like a beacon to every monster in the area, her family pack up and move to the 'Orders' headquarters.
Once there, Jacklyn is put through all sorts of tests and trained in the ways of the Order. But problems build up and there are plenty of fights between the members of the Order and the leader, and between extra monsters that seem to be able to break through the protection wards - 'i wonder how that could happen'? Oh yeah, the leader is corrupt!
There are a host of characters, Jacklyn herself who I feel has the potential to be quite a good lead heroine but just needs a bit more substance. We then have Kyp - the guy who rescues her, again he has the whole mysterious, broody teen thing going on and comes across quite interesting but I want to know more about him. You learn a little bit about their childhood but not a lot overall, it just leaves them all feeling a little bit 2-dimensional. Of course, we also have the traditional love angst, one minute Kyp and Jacks are madly in love, then they are arguing, then one of them is disappearing or giving the silent treatment or acting like an ass, and then they are in love again. It's a bit too much turmoil for such a short book.
I liked Cass as a character, she is Kyp's guardian, but unfortunately she doesn't feature that much which leaves you wanting to know more about her and a bit frustrated that she only appears when it's convenient for the story. It's pretty much like that for all the other characters, Gana, Juliana, Kylie, Ross etc.
The story is quite well paced for the first half, just revealing enough to keep you interested then throwing you into a bit of action. The second half of the story then seems to go into overdrive and suddenly everything is happening, people are dying, fighting and running. It was just a blur of action.
For the most part, I would say that the story was pretty predictable, I could guess who would die, who would run, who would return etc. Nothing about this book surprised me.
At only 220 pages it was an easy enough read and fairly enjoyable, but I think that it could do with some more background, more character development and more variety of pacing. Change the synopsis to take out the reveal of the leader being corrupt and this could be a winning story. Just feels like it needs a bit of work at the moment.
But if you want a really easy, quick fantasy escape this is still worth giving it a go.
I was given this by a family member to read so we could compare opinions on the book. I have never heard of the author before so was pretty open minded going in.
The blurb sounded ok, I like fantasy style books so it looked like it would fit my tastes, but I was surprised by how much was given away, it tells you straight away that the leader is corrupt - this is something that could have been used as a shock reveal within the book, but here you go into the story knowing that it's going to end up in fights and danger. This kind of ruined it a little bit for me, I like to figure out what a character is like from how well they are written, this was just handed across on a platter.
The book starts by introducing Jacklyn, a typical high school girl - a bit of a nerd but also quite athletic, someone who doesn't really fit in and wonders why, but also doesn't take any rubbish from others and at least has the courage to stand up for herself against the bullies - even if that does mean taking a few punches. Things then escalate pretty quickly - on her way home from school she gets attacked by strange monsters and mysteriously saved by a duo who seem to know everything about her. They save her, but not before she kicks a bit of butt herself, but with her new found powers acting like a beacon to every monster in the area, her family pack up and move to the 'Orders' headquarters.
Once there, Jacklyn is put through all sorts of tests and trained in the ways of the Order. But problems build up and there are plenty of fights between the members of the Order and the leader, and between extra monsters that seem to be able to break through the protection wards - 'i wonder how that could happen'? Oh yeah, the leader is corrupt!
There are a host of characters, Jacklyn herself who I feel has the potential to be quite a good lead heroine but just needs a bit more substance. We then have Kyp - the guy who rescues her, again he has the whole mysterious, broody teen thing going on and comes across quite interesting but I want to know more about him. You learn a little bit about their childhood but not a lot overall, it just leaves them all feeling a little bit 2-dimensional. Of course, we also have the traditional love angst, one minute Kyp and Jacks are madly in love, then they are arguing, then one of them is disappearing or giving the silent treatment or acting like an ass, and then they are in love again. It's a bit too much turmoil for such a short book.
I liked Cass as a character, she is Kyp's guardian, but unfortunately she doesn't feature that much which leaves you wanting to know more about her and a bit frustrated that she only appears when it's convenient for the story. It's pretty much like that for all the other characters, Gana, Juliana, Kylie, Ross etc.
The story is quite well paced for the first half, just revealing enough to keep you interested then throwing you into a bit of action. The second half of the story then seems to go into overdrive and suddenly everything is happening, people are dying, fighting and running. It was just a blur of action.
For the most part, I would say that the story was pretty predictable, I could guess who would die, who would run, who would return etc. Nothing about this book surprised me.
At only 220 pages it was an easy enough read and fairly enjoyable, but I think that it could do with some more background, more character development and more variety of pacing. Change the synopsis to take out the reveal of the leader being corrupt and this could be a winning story. Just feels like it needs a bit of work at the moment.
But if you want a really easy, quick fantasy escape this is still worth giving it a go.
July 3, 2020
MY OPINION: ***
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review!
For some reason, this book took me forever to read. It's probably because I was reading about three other books at the same time. Nevertheless, I'm glad I finished it.
I personally found this book hard to get through because I wasn't too invested in the plot. It was fairly cliche, and I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy plots. I've been going through a fantasy binge lately and I think I've realized that it's just not for me.
Jacklyn is a normal girl living in the Bronx when suddenly one day she is attacked by demons out of nowhere. She is saved by a boy named Kyp and she and her family are brought to a regiment of trained warriors who combat the demons and save the world. It turns out that her mother already knew and was always a part of this group of people along with her father.
Lavinia is the leader of this organization and is also Kyp's mom. We soon find out she's a tough, brutish, almost cruel woman who rules with a firm hand. I felt an instant dislike towards her and for good reason. We soon find out the extent of her cruelty through a "punishment" that almost gets Jacklyn and her entire family killed.
Kyp and Jacklyn start a romantic relationship that I personally did not ship. I felt zero chemistry between them and I felt that they were better off as friends. Throughout the entire book, they learn more and more about each other, Jacks especially as she learns more about her new world. Kyp acts like a jerk a lot of the time when they're in front of others and I personally didn't like his character.
Besides the romance, I found the book sort of confusing. The world building was well-written but I would have liked a little more clarification as to what was going on. Half the time I had to go back and reread just to see what was happening and try to figure out what was going on. It followed a similar format to most other books where a seemingly-ordinary girl or boy finds out that they aren't as normal as they think and are suddenly introduced to a brand new world. I'm currently rereading Harry Potter which follows a similar format and there I can decipher what is happening because it is shown very well. However, there were times in this book where I couldn't figure out who was a Key or a Guardian, what their purpose was, what the demons looked like, etc.
I liked the writing style. It added enough description and details with just the right amount of humor and levity that makes a good young adult book. While there were a few errors here and there, it was mostly flawless in terms of structure and flow. I liked the pacing of the book and it was quite engaging. I wish it was a bit longer or slower towards the end because the ending felt rushed and disjointed.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fun, refreshing, interesting fantasy read with a little bit of romance and a little bit of action.
Main Character: Jacklyn
Sidekick(s): Kyp, Gana, Jaina, etc
Villain(s): Lavinia, etc
Fantasy Elements: This book was based in a fantasy world with fantasy characters and creatures.
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review!
For some reason, this book took me forever to read. It's probably because I was reading about three other books at the same time. Nevertheless, I'm glad I finished it.
I personally found this book hard to get through because I wasn't too invested in the plot. It was fairly cliche, and I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy plots. I've been going through a fantasy binge lately and I think I've realized that it's just not for me.
Jacklyn is a normal girl living in the Bronx when suddenly one day she is attacked by demons out of nowhere. She is saved by a boy named Kyp and she and her family are brought to a regiment of trained warriors who combat the demons and save the world. It turns out that her mother already knew and was always a part of this group of people along with her father.
Lavinia is the leader of this organization and is also Kyp's mom. We soon find out she's a tough, brutish, almost cruel woman who rules with a firm hand. I felt an instant dislike towards her and for good reason. We soon find out the extent of her cruelty through a "punishment" that almost gets Jacklyn and her entire family killed.
Kyp and Jacklyn start a romantic relationship that I personally did not ship. I felt zero chemistry between them and I felt that they were better off as friends. Throughout the entire book, they learn more and more about each other, Jacks especially as she learns more about her new world. Kyp acts like a jerk a lot of the time when they're in front of others and I personally didn't like his character.
Besides the romance, I found the book sort of confusing. The world building was well-written but I would have liked a little more clarification as to what was going on. Half the time I had to go back and reread just to see what was happening and try to figure out what was going on. It followed a similar format to most other books where a seemingly-ordinary girl or boy finds out that they aren't as normal as they think and are suddenly introduced to a brand new world. I'm currently rereading Harry Potter which follows a similar format and there I can decipher what is happening because it is shown very well. However, there were times in this book where I couldn't figure out who was a Key or a Guardian, what their purpose was, what the demons looked like, etc.
I liked the writing style. It added enough description and details with just the right amount of humor and levity that makes a good young adult book. While there were a few errors here and there, it was mostly flawless in terms of structure and flow. I liked the pacing of the book and it was quite engaging. I wish it was a bit longer or slower towards the end because the ending felt rushed and disjointed.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fun, refreshing, interesting fantasy read with a little bit of romance and a little bit of action.
Main Character: Jacklyn
Sidekick(s): Kyp, Gana, Jaina, etc
Villain(s): Lavinia, etc
Fantasy Elements: This book was based in a fantasy world with fantasy characters and creatures.
July 30, 2020
When I received the review request for this book, I noticed the comparison to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Immediately intrigued, I accepted the request for this novel and am so happy that I did! I was definitely entertained from cover to cover!
Let's start with a few of the positives.
Manzano absolutely kills it with characterization in this novel. She makes it so very easy for her audience to picture each of the characters right down to the sounds of their voices. I was blown away. I had a lot of fun with this because I created a voice for Lavinia and was able to hear it in my mind throughout the novel. Manzano put true effort into her characters and it shows!
In addition to fabulous characterization, she does a great job with world building as well. This book is set during modern times, so the audience starts with a wonderful understanding of the world presented to them. Where Manzano truly drives it home, however, is when she introduces the world of The Order. Now, even though she is discussing modern times, she is forced to introduce bureaucracy, monsters, training, and even intrigue and jealousy. Although so much of the novel takes place within The Order's home base, I truly felt like I had been plucked from one world and placed in another.
When combined, the world building and characterization make a fun, easy to read piece. By choosing to make her story fast-paced and exciting, Manzano left me no option but to hang on to the edges for dear life and turn pages as quickly as I could.
Unfortunately, there were a few things that I took issue with as well.
Too much of the novel was predictable. I could not have predicted the entire novel, but I would have appreciated a few more twists and turns as well. I think a larger number of surprises would have fit this fast-paced novel much better than the ones the audience is given.
Throughout the novel, a certain level of confusion accompanied my reading. This is due, in part, to Manzano choosing to put so much information into such a short novel. She would have lost quite a lot of substance had she chosen to cut information out. It would have been very helpful to have had a dramatis personae or other way to keep track of characters and important monsters.
I had truly hoped for a more spectacular end to this novel. Instead, the ending feels rather rushed. I believe Manzano chose to end it this way in order to set up for a sequel. I wish she would have found a different way to do it. This novel needed an ending that tied up at least one loose end.
Overall, I freaking loved this book! I can't wait to see what Manzano brings us next!
Let's start with a few of the positives.
Manzano absolutely kills it with characterization in this novel. She makes it so very easy for her audience to picture each of the characters right down to the sounds of their voices. I was blown away. I had a lot of fun with this because I created a voice for Lavinia and was able to hear it in my mind throughout the novel. Manzano put true effort into her characters and it shows!
In addition to fabulous characterization, she does a great job with world building as well. This book is set during modern times, so the audience starts with a wonderful understanding of the world presented to them. Where Manzano truly drives it home, however, is when she introduces the world of The Order. Now, even though she is discussing modern times, she is forced to introduce bureaucracy, monsters, training, and even intrigue and jealousy. Although so much of the novel takes place within The Order's home base, I truly felt like I had been plucked from one world and placed in another.
When combined, the world building and characterization make a fun, easy to read piece. By choosing to make her story fast-paced and exciting, Manzano left me no option but to hang on to the edges for dear life and turn pages as quickly as I could.
Unfortunately, there were a few things that I took issue with as well.
Too much of the novel was predictable. I could not have predicted the entire novel, but I would have appreciated a few more twists and turns as well. I think a larger number of surprises would have fit this fast-paced novel much better than the ones the audience is given.
Throughout the novel, a certain level of confusion accompanied my reading. This is due, in part, to Manzano choosing to put so much information into such a short novel. She would have lost quite a lot of substance had she chosen to cut information out. It would have been very helpful to have had a dramatis personae or other way to keep track of characters and important monsters.
I had truly hoped for a more spectacular end to this novel. Instead, the ending feels rather rushed. I believe Manzano chose to end it this way in order to set up for a sequel. I wish she would have found a different way to do it. This novel needed an ending that tied up at least one loose end.
Overall, I freaking loved this book! I can't wait to see what Manzano brings us next!
June 13, 2020
The description alone drew me to this novel and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.
This isn't a story readers will be bored with when it is jam-packed full of action, romance, family banter, and a hell of a lot of monsters. A secret order of ninja-like teenagers wielding weapons with kickass fighting techniques? Sign me up!
Right from the beginning, this story was a whirlwind of adventure and mystery, immediately drawing me into the action. Jacklyn's character is so realistic that it didn't take much to like her for her wit and ability to speak out against people she doesn't agree with. Like her sister Gana, she's not afraid to do what it takes to protect those she cares for, even if it puts herself in danger.
The two sisters pulled me into the chaos of their lives as they are drawn into the same secret society their parents were once a part of: the Order of the Key. It's a group of gifted individuals who are trained to use their abilities to fight off nasty creatures who've stumbled onto earth from another dimension. Jacklyn and her sister discover the order is corrupt and their leader is heading down a dangerous path that will get many killed if they aren't stopped, forcing Jacklyn and Gana to risk their lives doing what they know is right.
Overall, I thought this was a thrilling and suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept trying to figure out who the bad guys were and how Jacklyn was going to get herself out of one sticky situation after another.
One thing I truly appreciated about this story was the villain who, unlike in other YA novels, had a strong motivator behind their evil deeds. It made the character much easier to comprehend and made me appreciate the author's desire to prevent a strong reason for the character's poor actions, rather than make them another stereotypical, power-hungry fool. The only problem I did have was their speech felt cliche in parts, taking away from the character's authenticity. Even the character, Kyp, could've been fleshed out a bit more. I would've loved to have known more of his backstory so the connection between him and Jacklyn could feel a bit more natural.
I definitely recommend this book to people who love a fast-paced read that involves horrific monsters, an original plotline, and a whole lot of witty characters. Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a free copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
This isn't a story readers will be bored with when it is jam-packed full of action, romance, family banter, and a hell of a lot of monsters. A secret order of ninja-like teenagers wielding weapons with kickass fighting techniques? Sign me up!
Right from the beginning, this story was a whirlwind of adventure and mystery, immediately drawing me into the action. Jacklyn's character is so realistic that it didn't take much to like her for her wit and ability to speak out against people she doesn't agree with. Like her sister Gana, she's not afraid to do what it takes to protect those she cares for, even if it puts herself in danger.
The two sisters pulled me into the chaos of their lives as they are drawn into the same secret society their parents were once a part of: the Order of the Key. It's a group of gifted individuals who are trained to use their abilities to fight off nasty creatures who've stumbled onto earth from another dimension. Jacklyn and her sister discover the order is corrupt and their leader is heading down a dangerous path that will get many killed if they aren't stopped, forcing Jacklyn and Gana to risk their lives doing what they know is right.
Overall, I thought this was a thrilling and suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept trying to figure out who the bad guys were and how Jacklyn was going to get herself out of one sticky situation after another.
One thing I truly appreciated about this story was the villain who, unlike in other YA novels, had a strong motivator behind their evil deeds. It made the character much easier to comprehend and made me appreciate the author's desire to prevent a strong reason for the character's poor actions, rather than make them another stereotypical, power-hungry fool. The only problem I did have was their speech felt cliche in parts, taking away from the character's authenticity. Even the character, Kyp, could've been fleshed out a bit more. I would've loved to have known more of his backstory so the connection between him and Jacklyn could feel a bit more natural.
I definitely recommend this book to people who love a fast-paced read that involves horrific monsters, an original plotline, and a whole lot of witty characters. Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a free copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2020
Thanks to BookSirens for an advance copy of Justine Manzano's YA novel The Order of the Key in exchange for an honest review (and happy pub date, which was yesterday July 9, 2020 from Black Rose Publishing)--
Jacklyn "Jacks" Madison feels like she doesn't fit in at her high school: she's an athletic runner as well as a comic book geek, raised in The Bronx. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she starts seeing monsters.
Turns out Jacklyn's family (her mom Jaina, her younger sister Gana, and her absent dad Raymond) are members of The Order of the Key: a secret army that trains soldiers to fight inter-dimensional creatures. There are two types of soldiers--Keys, who possess multifaceted special powers (called an "aegis") and lesser-powered Guardians, who protect Keys. Jacklyn and her family are rushed out of the city, by a young Key named Kyp Franklin and his Guardian Cass, and brought to The Order's headquarters, run by Kyp's mom Lavinia. Here, Jacklyn trains as a Key--learning how to fight and harness her aegis's body-related powers, and uncovering crucial information about The Order's history and her family's past connections with the Franklin family. Along the way, she realizes that the biggest danger to The Order is coming from inside the headquarter walls. Jacklyn and her allies must figure out how to stage a dangerous rebellion before more people get hurt.
The Order of the Key is a fun, fast-read young adult adventure with complex characters and plenty of excellent commentary about oppression and the importance of questioning authority within established systems. Jacklyn is a fierce and quick-witted strong female lead, but I struggled a bit with Kyp's role as her romantic partner. Subterfuge and lies deemed necessary for Jacklyn's protection allow Kyp to get away with some toxic relationship behaviors, which makes him difficult to like. The ending of this book does feel a little rushed, but overall this is an enjoyable novel with a solid cliffhanger setup for a sequel.
Jacklyn "Jacks" Madison feels like she doesn't fit in at her high school: she's an athletic runner as well as a comic book geek, raised in The Bronx. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she starts seeing monsters.
Turns out Jacklyn's family (her mom Jaina, her younger sister Gana, and her absent dad Raymond) are members of The Order of the Key: a secret army that trains soldiers to fight inter-dimensional creatures. There are two types of soldiers--Keys, who possess multifaceted special powers (called an "aegis") and lesser-powered Guardians, who protect Keys. Jacklyn and her family are rushed out of the city, by a young Key named Kyp Franklin and his Guardian Cass, and brought to The Order's headquarters, run by Kyp's mom Lavinia. Here, Jacklyn trains as a Key--learning how to fight and harness her aegis's body-related powers, and uncovering crucial information about The Order's history and her family's past connections with the Franklin family. Along the way, she realizes that the biggest danger to The Order is coming from inside the headquarter walls. Jacklyn and her allies must figure out how to stage a dangerous rebellion before more people get hurt.
The Order of the Key is a fun, fast-read young adult adventure with complex characters and plenty of excellent commentary about oppression and the importance of questioning authority within established systems. Jacklyn is a fierce and quick-witted strong female lead, but I struggled a bit with Kyp's role as her romantic partner. Subterfuge and lies deemed necessary for Jacklyn's protection allow Kyp to get away with some toxic relationship behaviors, which makes him difficult to like. The ending of this book does feel a little rushed, but overall this is an enjoyable novel with a solid cliffhanger setup for a sequel.
July 9, 2020
Jaclyn AKA Queen geekdom just turned 18 and her birthday present appeared in the form of a freaking Gorvhan monster out to destroy her. She is thrust into the strange, but familiar world, of “The Order of the Key” who battles interdimensional creatures using their Guardian and Key soldiers. Jackie soon finds herself struggling to find her place as the daughter of a rebellious traitor. She soon learns maybe she may be a rebel at heart as well.
While her character was a sassy, sarcastic delight and I loved her witty humor, my favorite character was by far her little sister Gana with her feisty, tell it as it is, badass attitude who challenges everything without fear.
The story had a Cassandra Clare- The Mortal Instruments vibe and while there were some great highlights I felt like it was a bit cliche “boy saves girl, girl learns about the new world, boy has a fancy sports car, forbidden love relationship etc etc.” I truly wanted to connect with Jackie and the characters of the order but the story seemed to have been rushed and I didn’t necessarily relate to some of her decisions.
I believe this book has the potential to be extraordinary but some fine-tuning on the flow of the story and more so how the characters were written and the justification for their decisions needs to be reviewed.
Huge thank you to the author as I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/
While her character was a sassy, sarcastic delight and I loved her witty humor, my favorite character was by far her little sister Gana with her feisty, tell it as it is, badass attitude who challenges everything without fear.
The story had a Cassandra Clare- The Mortal Instruments vibe and while there were some great highlights I felt like it was a bit cliche “boy saves girl, girl learns about the new world, boy has a fancy sports car, forbidden love relationship etc etc.” I truly wanted to connect with Jackie and the characters of the order but the story seemed to have been rushed and I didn’t necessarily relate to some of her decisions.
I believe this book has the potential to be extraordinary but some fine-tuning on the flow of the story and more so how the characters were written and the justification for their decisions needs to be reviewed.
Huge thank you to the author as I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/
September 17, 2020
Thank you so much to BookSirens for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
"You think warning me you can be an asshole excuses you from being one? Don't make me choose between you and my sister. You'll lose. Every time."
This book gave me Shadowhunters vibes, so I was very excited to read it!
Writing:
The writing in the first half of the book wasn't my favourite. It felt a little clunky and robotic at times - especially the dialogue. The first couple chapters were definitely paced a little weird, but then by halfway the pacing evens out. By the second half the writing seemed to improve drastically (maybe because we were past the set up and world building?) and I found the book incredibly enjoyable!
Characters:
I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Jacklyn at first. I think her character just fell a bit flat for me. That said, by the end of the book I think I started to understand her a little better and I began to really love her as a heroine! I also loved the relationship between her and Kyp and the way they disagree and sacrifice for each other.
"Love is sacrifice, baby. And it goes both ways."
Plot:
The plot was definitely slow to set up. I would have liked to see the revolt come in a bit sooner. However, once we got the ball rolling, the book became a fast paced, action packed story that I couldn't put down! And that ending! Oh boy!
This book started a bit slow for me, but it really finished incredibly strong!
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
"You think warning me you can be an asshole excuses you from being one? Don't make me choose between you and my sister. You'll lose. Every time."
This book gave me Shadowhunters vibes, so I was very excited to read it!
Writing:
The writing in the first half of the book wasn't my favourite. It felt a little clunky and robotic at times - especially the dialogue. The first couple chapters were definitely paced a little weird, but then by halfway the pacing evens out. By the second half the writing seemed to improve drastically (maybe because we were past the set up and world building?) and I found the book incredibly enjoyable!
Characters:
I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Jacklyn at first. I think her character just fell a bit flat for me. That said, by the end of the book I think I started to understand her a little better and I began to really love her as a heroine! I also loved the relationship between her and Kyp and the way they disagree and sacrifice for each other.
"Love is sacrifice, baby. And it goes both ways."
Plot:
The plot was definitely slow to set up. I would have liked to see the revolt come in a bit sooner. However, once we got the ball rolling, the book became a fast paced, action packed story that I couldn't put down! And that ending! Oh boy!
This book started a bit slow for me, but it really finished incredibly strong!
June 8, 2020
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Jacklyn Madison is an ordinary superhero loving, track running girl until the day of her 18th birthday. When inter-dimensional monsters attack, the past her mother was trying to protect her from catches up to them. The Order of the Key is made up of supremely gifted humans that protect the rest of the world from inter-dimensional horrors. But... all is not as it seems on the surface as corruption is rife in the Order and Jacklyn finds herself at the heart of it all.
This has the makings of a fantastic YA novel- strong, female characters, great action, some romance and fairly good pace. There are parts of the novel where I found the pacing a little rushed, particularly towards the conclusion of the story. There were also moments where I found the characters other than Jacklyn, falling flat. I would have loved to be able to connect more with Gana and Kyp as their stories are so heavily intertwined with Jacklyn's. This lack of connection sometimes made me question loyalties and become apathetic to the character's fates. In regards to other characters, they sometimes felt like background noise rather than contributors to the story.
I did enjoy the overall story and would be intrigued to read more about Jacklyn and the Order of the Key. I love that the character of Jacklyn encourages girls to be who they want to be and demonstrates that strong can be sexy too.
Jacklyn Madison is an ordinary superhero loving, track running girl until the day of her 18th birthday. When inter-dimensional monsters attack, the past her mother was trying to protect her from catches up to them. The Order of the Key is made up of supremely gifted humans that protect the rest of the world from inter-dimensional horrors. But... all is not as it seems on the surface as corruption is rife in the Order and Jacklyn finds herself at the heart of it all.
This has the makings of a fantastic YA novel- strong, female characters, great action, some romance and fairly good pace. There are parts of the novel where I found the pacing a little rushed, particularly towards the conclusion of the story. There were also moments where I found the characters other than Jacklyn, falling flat. I would have loved to be able to connect more with Gana and Kyp as their stories are so heavily intertwined with Jacklyn's. This lack of connection sometimes made me question loyalties and become apathetic to the character's fates. In regards to other characters, they sometimes felt like background noise rather than contributors to the story.
I did enjoy the overall story and would be intrigued to read more about Jacklyn and the Order of the Key. I love that the character of Jacklyn encourages girls to be who they want to be and demonstrates that strong can be sexy too.
June 10, 2020
I received a free advanced copy from Book Sirens in exchange for a fair and honest review.
As I quickly get that piece of lint that's been jammed in my eye for the last few chapters, I can admit that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It started off in a rush of excitement, with Jacklyn being ambushed - quite literally - by a truth she's been forced to forget. Her world is turned completely inside out as she's faced with monsters she's only ever read about in the comics she so enjoys - whose references are littered here and there throughout the pages.
There was a great deal of action in the story, considering it wasn't altogether that long of a book. There was a nice slice of slow burn, and relatively clean heat to enjoy as well, but there was also enough language in there that might caution younger readers. The last quarter of the book was an absolutely wild onset of emotions, where I couldn't bring myself to put it down until complete.
The ending... it left a bit to be desired. While it read as a "hero rides again another day" sort of cliffhanger, I don't know whether or not that's the author's intention. I fear that, considering the amount of information that was put into this sole book, that a longer series isn't likely in the cards.
Overall, I would most certainly recommend this book. It had all of the elements of a fun, quick fantastical tale and I'd give it a solid (and rounded upward) 3.5 stars.
As I quickly get that piece of lint that's been jammed in my eye for the last few chapters, I can admit that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It started off in a rush of excitement, with Jacklyn being ambushed - quite literally - by a truth she's been forced to forget. Her world is turned completely inside out as she's faced with monsters she's only ever read about in the comics she so enjoys - whose references are littered here and there throughout the pages.
There was a great deal of action in the story, considering it wasn't altogether that long of a book. There was a nice slice of slow burn, and relatively clean heat to enjoy as well, but there was also enough language in there that might caution younger readers. The last quarter of the book was an absolutely wild onset of emotions, where I couldn't bring myself to put it down until complete.
The ending... it left a bit to be desired. While it read as a "hero rides again another day" sort of cliffhanger, I don't know whether or not that's the author's intention. I fear that, considering the amount of information that was put into this sole book, that a longer series isn't likely in the cards.
Overall, I would most certainly recommend this book. It had all of the elements of a fun, quick fantastical tale and I'd give it a solid (and rounded upward) 3.5 stars.
July 17, 2020
**Thank you BookSirens for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review**
OKAY. FIRST THING - did anyone else feel like they were on information overload? Because I sure did! I feel like I got a ton of information in very few pages - it's basically thrown at you. At under 300 pages I was a little bit overwhelmed because of this!
I did enjoy the book and found it very entertaining, it has a creative plot, romance, mystery, excellent and well thought out characters that do experience growth and most of all, my favorite, EVIIIIILLL.
This does have the makings of an amazing YA novel despite the information overload and I very much appreciate that the book features strong female characters as I have read so many things lately that put women on the back burner and I'm just not a fan of that!
The ending was a bit disappointing but did fit the typical superhero trope that our main character would have loved - my only fear is that this book will never see a series come to life as it feels like we know everything already. Don't get me wrong, everything doesn't have to be a series but I feel at least a second book would give you the satisfaction that this book did not.
OKAY. FIRST THING - did anyone else feel like they were on information overload? Because I sure did! I feel like I got a ton of information in very few pages - it's basically thrown at you. At under 300 pages I was a little bit overwhelmed because of this!
I did enjoy the book and found it very entertaining, it has a creative plot, romance, mystery, excellent and well thought out characters that do experience growth and most of all, my favorite, EVIIIIILLL.
This does have the makings of an amazing YA novel despite the information overload and I very much appreciate that the book features strong female characters as I have read so many things lately that put women on the back burner and I'm just not a fan of that!
The ending was a bit disappointing but did fit the typical superhero trope that our main character would have loved - my only fear is that this book will never see a series come to life as it feels like we know everything already. Don't get me wrong, everything doesn't have to be a series but I feel at least a second book would give you the satisfaction that this book did not.
August 1, 2020
I was very intrigued by this book with the mention of a secret order who fights inter dimensional beings, and of a girl discovering her destiny, but I didn’t really get what I expected to get. I felt this book could have been longer to hash out some ideas and add world-building, especially in the areas relating to the history of the Order (the society in which our main character, Jacklyn, joins). I wanted to know more about what am Aegis was, what the history of the Order was, and what these inter dimensional creatures were.
The personalities of the characters were often confusing to me, especially the dynamic between Jacklyn and Kyp. All of the characters (aside from Gana) would be friends with someone for one minute only to hate them the next. I think I partially felt this way because it felt like I was missing dialogue.
I did really like to see the character growth from Jacklyn, and I would have liked to see some this development a little more obviously in other characters.
This book was such a whirlwind. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t feel super connected with what I was reading. I think that some people would really enjoy this book, I just don’t think it was for me.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and in exchange am giving this a review.
The personalities of the characters were often confusing to me, especially the dynamic between Jacklyn and Kyp. All of the characters (aside from Gana) would be friends with someone for one minute only to hate them the next. I think I partially felt this way because it felt like I was missing dialogue.
I did really like to see the character growth from Jacklyn, and I would have liked to see some this development a little more obviously in other characters.
This book was such a whirlwind. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t feel super connected with what I was reading. I think that some people would really enjoy this book, I just don’t think it was for me.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and in exchange am giving this a review.
July 7, 2020
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntary.
When Jacklyn turns 18 she can't get away fast enough from those bullies at school after she wins against all odds a running race. But turning 18, she got more then she bargained for. When she encounter monsters she gets backed up by a boy where she has the feeling she knows him.
When she is told that she is a key gifted with Aegis, that is highly wanted by the inter-dimensional's, she finds herself and her family on the run. As more secrets are revealed when she arrives at the mansion of the Order, she encounters that not all is what it seems.
For me the story is to violent but from the beginning there is so much action and it ends with more action that makes your head spin. This story revolves around death,torture, betrayal, friendship,romance,power struggles and family. I have mixed feelings, because the story is an emotional roller-coaster from the beginning to end.
The landscape where it all happens was entertaining enough with some fantasy elements in it. It is a good book to read but personally not my kind of style.
When Jacklyn turns 18 she can't get away fast enough from those bullies at school after she wins against all odds a running race. But turning 18, she got more then she bargained for. When she encounter monsters she gets backed up by a boy where she has the feeling she knows him.
When she is told that she is a key gifted with Aegis, that is highly wanted by the inter-dimensional's, she finds herself and her family on the run. As more secrets are revealed when she arrives at the mansion of the Order, she encounters that not all is what it seems.
For me the story is to violent but from the beginning there is so much action and it ends with more action that makes your head spin. This story revolves around death,torture, betrayal, friendship,romance,power struggles and family. I have mixed feelings, because the story is an emotional roller-coaster from the beginning to end.
The landscape where it all happens was entertaining enough with some fantasy elements in it. It is a good book to read but personally not my kind of style.
July 23, 2020
Rating ~ 4 / 5 stars
I received and E-ARC of The Order of the Key through BookSirens and the following review is based solely on my opinions. Thank you for E-ARC!
I read this book in one sitting and I really enjoyed it! The basic plot of the story is often represented through most stories like the popular series The Mortal Instruments but you could tell that this story is unique and entertaining in its own way. I loved how Justine Manzano clearly took the time to take a well-known basic storyline and made it her own while adding her own twists and turns. I did however got confused at times because the phrasing of the story wasn’t as clear as I would like it to be but the dynamics of the story totally makes up for it. A good writer is able to make you feel certain emotions at the right time and for Justine Manzano did that for me! I can’t wait to read the next book and see how Jacklyn will evolve after the shocking development that happened at the end!
I received and E-ARC of The Order of the Key through BookSirens and the following review is based solely on my opinions. Thank you for E-ARC!
I read this book in one sitting and I really enjoyed it! The basic plot of the story is often represented through most stories like the popular series The Mortal Instruments but you could tell that this story is unique and entertaining in its own way. I loved how Justine Manzano clearly took the time to take a well-known basic storyline and made it her own while adding her own twists and turns. I did however got confused at times because the phrasing of the story wasn’t as clear as I would like it to be but the dynamics of the story totally makes up for it. A good writer is able to make you feel certain emotions at the right time and for Justine Manzano did that for me! I can’t wait to read the next book and see how Jacklyn will evolve after the shocking development that happened at the end!
March 28, 2024
I received a review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
The premise a fun one about a girl discovering she and her sister have powers and are taken away to a school to learn how to fight the monsters crawling into their world. The pacing is fast but the emotional seesawing between Jacklyn and Kyp was really disorientating and ultimately why I stopped reading ~30% into the first book. They were friends talking late into the night, catching up on their years apart and then suddenly enemies the next page. It felt like too much wiplash and I could not understand why it had happened (I defaulted to "needed emotional drama" for lack of another explanation.) It also felt like it felt into a few too many cliches - like an unfair system of protecting one group considered "more valuable" at the expense of another and only these new outsiders are questioning it.
The premise a fun one about a girl discovering she and her sister have powers and are taken away to a school to learn how to fight the monsters crawling into their world. The pacing is fast but the emotional seesawing between Jacklyn and Kyp was really disorientating and ultimately why I stopped reading ~30% into the first book. They were friends talking late into the night, catching up on their years apart and then suddenly enemies the next page. It felt like too much wiplash and I could not understand why it had happened (I defaulted to "needed emotional drama" for lack of another explanation.) It also felt like it felt into a few too many cliches - like an unfair system of protecting one group considered "more valuable" at the expense of another and only these new outsiders are questioning it.
July 4, 2020
At first, it took me a bit to get into it. I started reading the very end of May. Don’t take my delay as fault of the book - I had just finished a book I fell in love with, and was sad that it was over so i was dragging my feet. So I’d read a few pages at a time. But a few days ago I finally started plowing through it, and I’m really glad I did.
This book had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. There were things here and there that made me raise an eyebrow but overall it’s a good read, an interesting story, and I look forward to reading the next installment - which there better be!!!! I love the plot twists, they hit you when you least expect it. The character development is relatively good. There’s some spots where I had to go back a few pages to see if i had missed something, but overall the story telling is well-maintained. I definitely recommend reading this book!
This book had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. There were things here and there that made me raise an eyebrow but overall it’s a good read, an interesting story, and I look forward to reading the next installment - which there better be!!!! I love the plot twists, they hit you when you least expect it. The character development is relatively good. There’s some spots where I had to go back a few pages to see if i had missed something, but overall the story telling is well-maintained. I definitely recommend reading this book!
June 4, 2020
The Order of the Key is about a girl called Jacklyn Madison who was an ordinary girl living in Bronx, until one day she comes home and gets attacked by monsters. Her life changes and she finds out her percents were apart of The Order of the Key.
I enjoyed this book. The plot was very engaging while being fast paced. I also enjoyed having the little romance thrown in there. The characters were very relatable and realistic. Justine Manzano did a great job making you care for the characters in short amount of pages. I felt like the ending was rushed, and maybe if the book had been a bit longer that would have helped.
I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to BookSirens, the publishers and Justine Manzano for approving me a copy.
I enjoyed this book. The plot was very engaging while being fast paced. I also enjoyed having the little romance thrown in there. The characters were very relatable and realistic. Justine Manzano did a great job making you care for the characters in short amount of pages. I felt like the ending was rushed, and maybe if the book had been a bit longer that would have helped.
I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to BookSirens, the publishers and Justine Manzano for approving me a copy.
July 9, 2020
A secret Order protects this world from creatures who move through dimensional rifts...or do they. The old saying, "power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely" rears its ugly head among the members of the Order and the Head of it. So, is it an uprising just to overthrow the leader or a necessary step to protect the Order.
Various characters in the story were so duplicitous that it was hard to tell the good ones from the bad ones. And that made for a tremendously complicated storyline which was a kick to read. Guess you can call that depth of character. I call it fun!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Various characters in the story were so duplicitous that it was hard to tell the good ones from the bad ones. And that made for a tremendously complicated storyline which was a kick to read. Guess you can call that depth of character. I call it fun!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 30, 2020
Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Jacks finds herself in a battle against supernatural creatures on her way to the store and is saved by a boy who seems familiar and his friend. She learns that her family has had a place in the Order of the Key for generations and it is their duty to fight off interdimensional beings and keep the world safe. But everything is not as it seems, and as Jacks fights back against the injustice she perceives, she puts herself and the ones she loves in danger. Will it be worth it in the end? I found the story very engaging and can’t wait to see what happens next!
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