Member Reviews
4 Stars!
Beth Overmyer returns with another work of sorcery and adventure in Death’s Key, the third book in the Goblets Immortal series. I was captivated by this series in the previous books as Flame Tree Press has helped restore my faith in fantasy with some of its recent releases including the previous books in this series. I was eager to slip back into this world of magic and see what intrigue Overmyer had in store for the reader in this newest installment.
Meraude is poised to launch a war to rid the world of wizards and any creature that she cannot control. The flaw in her plan, though, lies in Aidan, a Summoner that Meraude had recruited but who now turned against her. He teams with Slaine to find a way to defeat Meraude as the duo seeks an alliance with Meraude’s twin to prevent her from taking over the world. To accomplish this, though, they must find the Goblets Immortal. Find them and destroy them.
Aidan and Slaine have one major problem, though: they are trapped in the tower of the Wizard Hex and his cursed house. Aidan begins to expand his skills as he moves beyond being a Blest to becoming a sorcerer, but it may be too little too late. The only way to stop Meraude and save the world as they know it is to find the Goblets Immortal and destroy them. The duo finds themselves and their unlikely allies in a race against time to gain their freedom, find the goblets, and destroy them. They must pull out all the stops to achieve their goals and find that saving the world may be possible, but is it worth the price of putting one’s very soul at risk?
In Death’s Key, Overmyer continues building the lavish world that she has worked on over the previous two books. This is a world of many layers that overlap and grow as the story develops and the reader is taken between different plains of existence and realms of sorcery. While the bulk of the story takes place inside of Hex’s cursed castle, there is still a sense that there is something much greater going on. The novel is essentially a quest story without an actual physical quest as Slaine and Aidan must unravel the secrets of the goblets. They may be stuck in one place physically, but their minds are free to roam the world through magic and their search for understanding is much more than simple problem solving. This is a story of a journey of the mind more than the body, but the perils are just as real as those on any physical quest. Overmyer has a keen understanding of her characters and complete control of the story, and this is what makes the novel shine.
Death’s Key is the end of the trilogy but there still feels like there is much more to explore. The novel has a satisfying ending that does not beg for a sequel, but the world that Overmyer has created is rich enough that there is room for many more stories to come if she chooses to do so. This is a strong novel of high fantasy that is sure to please fans of the genre. If you have not read the first couple books of the series, do yourself a favor, pick up all three, and prepare yourself for the journey of a lifetime. Overmyer has proven that she has the talent and vision to be a force within the genre and Death’s Key is a prime example of this skill.
I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Death’s Key is available now.
Each book in this series is better than the previous and this one is the and an excellent conclusion.
It kept me hooked and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The end is satisfying and I found it entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine