Nora Roberts is an international bestselling author. She lives in the USA.
Although Key of Light (see Audio Reviews, LJ 4/1/04) effectively set up these two subsequent romances, Roberts completed the trilogy without losing the suspense. Knowledge is Dana's story: the librarian-cum- bookstore owner is determined to cling to the misery of her failed romance with author Jordan Hawke, but it is he who holds the key to her heart. Valor is Zoe's mission: she will protect her son at all costs, but after that she is willing to risk almost anything to save the Daughters of Glass. But both Dana and Zoe must offer up their hearts in order to free their souls. Susan Ericksen only improves as a narrator; she is as comfortable with Zoe's Southern charm that masks a will of iron as she is with Dana's prickly nature. All of Roberts's heroes have their flaws, but under Ericksen's guidance they are very appealing. Public libraries would want these even if Roberts weren't a powerhouse.-Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Adult/High School-Roberts treats readers to entertaining tales that revolve around a quest to free the trapped souls of three Celtic demigoddesses. Legend states that they must be freed by three mortal women. Thus, three women get an invitation for cocktails and conversation that reads in part, "you are the key, the lock awaits." They are three very different people with different talents and strengths but, ultimately, strong wills and a determination to succeed unite them. Though the women frequently appear in one another's story, each book centers on one of them. In the first book, Light, the scene is set as readers meet the key players. The book then focuses on Malory, whose strength is an eye for beauty. In Knowledge, Dana's passion for books is a vital part of her story. In Valor, Zoe completes the quest and finds her special key. Readers are never really in any doubt that the women will be successful but that doesn't matter. How and where their key is found and how they get to know themselves better in the process make for entertaining reading. Fantasy aficionados who also enjoy a good love story will no doubt be the prime audience for these books.-Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Following hot on the heels of the first installment in Roberts's Key trilogy, this second book (following Key of Light) continues the story of three contemporary female friends chosen to free the souls of ancient demigoddesses called the Daughters of Glass. This time, the heroine is Dana Steele, a librarian who is sure that the key she's seeking lies in a book. As she begins her search, Dana renovates Indulgence, the gallery-cum-salon-cum-bookstore she is opening with her friends Malory Price and Zoe McCourt. She also spends sometimes passionate, sometimes vexing time with Jordan Hawke, the thriller writer who broke her heart years earlier when he abandoned her and their small Pennsylvania town of Pleasant Valley to seek fame in New York. Dana slowly realizes that the love they once felt for each other has not died-and that Jordan's writing is inextricably entwined with her supernatural quest. In the end, Jordan must join with Dana to fight the spells of the sorcerer Kane and fulfill the terms of her quest. Despite lots of special effects, Kane isn't powerful enough to create much suspense, and Dana is a surprisingly inefficient detective for one so bright. But Roberts's zesty characterizations and fresh, energetic style succeed in drawing readers into this far-fetched tale. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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