The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis Pages: 342
Published by Clean Teen Publishing on November 16, 2013
Series: True Reign #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Romance
Source: ecopy from Author
Within these pages lie kingdoms with castles and princes who fall in love with fair maidens, but make no mistake-this is no fairytale.
His father’s kingdom is on the brink of upheaval and at the center of it all is an ordinary girl who could be the key to its undoing. When faced with the ultimate choice, will he choose the girl he’s falling in love with or the kingdom he has sworn to protect?
An ordinary girl with an extraordinary past. All she wants is to be free. What she doesn’t realize is that freedom comes with a price she can’t afford to pay. She’s forced to accept the proposal of a prince she despises, even though her heart belongs to someone else . . . his brother.
Seventeen-year-old Rema lives in a brutal kingdom where travel between regions is forbidden, people are starving, and looking at someone the wrong way can mean death. Nineteen-year-old Darmik is the king’s son and Commander of the King’s Army. He spends his days roving the island, doing his father’s bidding and trying to maintain control over the people.
When a chance encounter throws Rema and Darmik together, they share an instantaneous connection, but any sort of relationship between them is strictly forbidden. Darmik’s brother, the Crown Prince, notices Darmik’s interest in Rema and, in a calculated, political move, blackmails her. Faced with an impossible choice, Rema is forced to sacrifice her heart in order to save her family.
As Rema is taken to the palace with the Crown Prince, Darmik confronts the growing rumor that a legitimate blood heir to the throne exists and is trying to overthrow Darmik’s family. In Darmik’s quest to hunt down and kill the threat, he discovers that nothing is as it seems. Locked in the king’s castle, Rema finds herself a key player in a massive power struggle. When Darmik shows up, she’s not sure if she can trust him. The line between friends, enemies, and loyalty becomes blurred. As truths are unlocked, Rema understands that she just might be the key to finding the rightful heir and restoring peace to the kingdom… if she can manage to stay alive long enough.
The Key is the first book in the True Reign series by Jennifer Anne Davis. The True Reign series is a young adult fantasy series. Jennifer Anne Davis’ Reign of Secrets series is my all time favorite young adult fantasy series. The Reign of Secrets series is the story of Princess Alyssa, which is the daughter of the couple in the True Reign series. So even though the two series can be read separately and can stand on their own, they are set in the same world and revolve around the same family of characters. I knew that because I am loving the Reign of Secrets series so much, I needed to read the True Reign trilogy. Plus, I knew I would love it as well because I am such a huge fan of Jennifer Anne Davis’ writing style. I am halfway through book two right now, and I am totally hooked.
I love reading the story of Darmik and Rema, Alyssa’s parents. But in The Key, they are just 17 years old. Darmik is a prince and Rema is a long lost princess, only she has no idea. There are lots of secret movements in place, and the book takes place at a very pivotal time in the country’s history. I really loved the set up, because it gave me a totally different look at the countries. The world that Jennifer Anne Davis has created is so rich and detailed. I love that in both of the series. In the Key, the story takes place at a different location than the Reign of Secrets series, so that gave an interesting and very different perspective of the world. Darmik’s father is a harsh ruler, as his Darmik’s older brother. I loved seeing the two prince’s different personalities. They could not be more different, but surprisingly even with as awful as his brother is, Darmik was still caring towards him. (I’m not sure if I would have been able to be as nice.)
I loved being able to see Darmik and Rema, not as parents, but as their own love story. And their love story is not all roses and sunshine. There are secrets around every corner, and the countries are on the brink of war, both with each other and within their own walls. The Key is a highly charged novel. I love the intense atmosphere, and I loved the riddles and secrets that all of the characters needed to unravel. I love this world and these characters so much. The second book is even better than the first book! (In fact, I am itching to finish this review and go back to my reading of book two.)
The Key does an excellent job setting the stage for the next two books, and the ending was intense. I immediately grabbed for the second book in this trilogy, because I had to keep reading. Jennifer is evil with her cliffhangers in all of her books. This is a series that you will want to have all the books on hand because if you are like me, you will want to binge read them. (and you can! Because the trilogy is complete!) I am so happy that I have found Jennifer Anne Davis’ books because they are so beloved by me. I could re-read them over and over again and not get sick of the characters or the world. I love Alyssa so much and the Reign of Secrets is still my all time favorite fantasy series, but the True Reign series helps flesh out the world even more! If you are new to both of these series, I recommend starting with The Key, and the True Reign Trilogy, and then immediately jumping into the Reign of Secret series. Books one and two are already out, and book three is forthcoming. These series are incredibly good! They will always be favorites of mine. Everyone should read them. Everyone.
Books in the True Reign Series:
Books in the Reign of Secrets Series:
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Thank you for reading and reviewing! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series.
I have this book on my kindle, but haven’t read it yet! Wow, from your review I need to read it this summer. I love cliffhangers that make me want to jump right into the next book.
Great review – this sounds like an awesome series! Thanks for sharing 🙂