Genre: Modern fantasy
Description:
Some spoilers are inevitable here if you
haven’t read the first two books in the series. Four demi-elementals (half
human) have been brought together by The Powers That Be to foil a demon named Surgat – which translates as One Who Opens All Locks - who is determined to collect four Elemental Keys
which will open a mysterious door. So far Surgat has foiled them twice. Now
they are journeying to Hawaii to attempt to get to the fire key before Surgat
does.
Author:
Lynne Cantwell is a prolific author of short books in a
number of different fictional genres, from romantic to memoir. Apart from the
memoir, all the books have an element of what Cantwell calls ‘the woo-woo’, ie a
sixth sense in her protagonists, and an edge of otherworldliness which
manifests as creatures and gods out of myth and legend.
She is also a stalwart of Indies Unlimited,
where she contributes sensible advice for writers.
Appraisal:
Hot on the heels of the previous instalment,
when the demi-elemental quartet were in Ireland looking for the Earth key,
comes this even hotter instalment which has them scampering between volcanoes
on Hawaii. As the story unfolds their relationships deepen and we learn more
about what makes Rufus and Gail, in particular, tick. Raney and Collum’s more
intimate relationship is a joyful one, which almost makes this old cynic
believe in love again. Rufus turns out to have a quite delightful Auntie on
Hawaii and a cousin-by-marriage called Annie. These two help the four Key
hunters in all sorts of ways, and the reader gets a sense of Hawaiian life
through them. As I love to learn about new places (and am unlikely ever to get
to Hawaii) I enjoy this sort of local colour – especially when it is not at the
expense of page-turning quality. And the pages do turn!
Cantwell has a gift for relating the
quotidian, imbuing it with intrigue, and peopling it with characters who are
steeped in ‘woo-woo’ – in this case empaths, and people and creatures from
Hawaiian folklore. It is a compelling mixture, and keeps the little book
skipping along at a great pace. The information imparted about Hawaii is
fascinating – and not a word is extraneous: everything drives the story forward.
FYI:
If this sounds like your sort of book and
you haven’t read the first two instalments, it will be a good idea to do so
before embarking on this one. Although Cantwell does provide a ‘the story so far’
at the beginning of each why would you deny yourself the pleasure of the whole
story?
Format/Typo
Issues:
Nope.
Rating: ****
Four Stars
Reviewed
by: Judi Moore
Approximate
word count: 45-50,000 words
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