The Golden Key

The Golden Key - great book with intriguing plot and well written so that you were engaged by the characters. Was surprised that it was co-written as it appeared seamless.

I was attracted to this book by Melanie Rawn's involvement, having enjoyed her Dragon Prince/Dragon Star trilogies a great deal for their dry wit, excellent characterisation and compelling plotting. I had only a vague idea of what it was about before I started reading - but once I did, I was completely entranced.The multi-generational novel is set in a world with a strong feel of Renaissance or early modern Spain. While never leaning too much on its real-world counterpart, the inspiration permeates all levels, immeasurably enriching the book. It is glimpsed most obviously in the characters' names, fashions and the oaths that pepper their speech. More subtly, it infuses the religious practices, behaviour (there is a strong emphasis on family honour and female modesty), and recent history - the novel opens a little after a long war with a religiously-inclined nomadic people, an obvious but not overstated parallel with the Moors.The central conceit of the novel lies in the social and administrative role of portraiture in the state of Tira Verte, where it is used to record everything from marriage contracts to wills to treaties between nations. Those whose paintings are most highly valued enjoy considerable political and personal influence, and their style becomes something to imitate by those who follow them. A few, in secret, are able to wield more than mere influence with their brushes.The story follows the fortunes of two noble families, and the consequences of one rashly destructive act (try to ignore the synopsis on the back of the book, which gives this act away), through several generations. Throughout, not only the story but also the world progress naturally and fascinatingly, as artistic fashions change and the society develops and diversifies. It is told in three parts, with each author taking one generation of characters - respectively: Roberson, Rawn, and Elliot. Melanie Rawn's section is the stand-out, but all three are highly accomplished pieces of writing, gripping and fluent as they tackle themes as varied as the relationship between art and artist, the moral responsibility of power, and the position of women in a highly-regulated society.Highly recommended.

In most cases, books written by more than one author are rarely my favourites, seeming to result in a dilution of everyone's style and skill, rather than a concentration. Having read Kate Elliott's recent Crown of Stars series, this may actually be the case here too. However, it does not make this book any less enjoyable, and the writing is seemless - only being familiar with one of the authors, I was unable to tell who had written what, which was a pleasant surprise.The story is set in an Italian-esque world, where formal legal documentation has been replaced by formal paintings which use symbolism to represent the legalese normally taken up by miles of paper. However, one family of painters has the secret of magic and uses it to bring their family to the front of power in the Court.The story centres around Sario Grijalva, a member of this family of painters, whose belief in his own gift is so strong that it leads him to discover additional magics to those already known to his family, and to use them to further his own position, extend his life, and wreak revenge on those who oppose him. The story spans several centuries, and includes many different characters. However, in one way or another, it always comes back to Sario's relationship with Saavedra, a fellow Grijalva who was his friend, but fell foul of him when she became fearful of his power, and was trapped within a painting. It encompases magic, tragedy, romance and murder - a heady combination!This book is beautifully written, stands well on its own, and is based on a concept I've not come across before in fantasy fiction (although the idea of people extending their lives at the expense of others is certainly not new, it does tend to occur more in science fiction) You are left with a real feeling for all the main characters, and it's a real page turner. Highly recommended.

I have loved Rawn's work for many years and found this book to be extremely satisfying. The three authors are very talented and this book seamlessly flows even though each wrote about 1/3 of the complete text. Sario is a character you want to love and want to kill. He has so much, but always wants more. He justifies his work by saying it is a service to his country, but is it really? Is he really a monster who only cares about himself? For 900 pages we are in awe of his gift and his hubris. Saavedra is tragic in a completely different way as her life is bound up in and by Sario. If you want to dive deep into a world of magic and politics, this will be a great way to spend many hours of your time.

I admit that I love reading fantasy books- but sometimes the blood and war and superficial characters , especially women , tire me. This book is complete in itself and is made better by being written by three women for each of the three time periods. I love how history was made then became dusty old memories. And the "magic" was wonderful and believable. I can't believe that I overlooked this one as long as I did! I recommend it highly to anyone interested in a long , complete , fascinating and fully realized book......

This book is amazing! I really, really wish all three authors would have come together again to write a full series, or spin off. This is a great book! Interesting, engaging, exciting, woeful, rejoiceful, harrowing at times, ... it has it all!

I've read this story at last five times now. It captures the Imagination as no other story has done before. I will continue to read this time and time again. absolutely a favorite.

I recently repurchased this book after misplacing my old copy. And why? Because the world described is SO VIVID. I had last read it when I was a teenager, and trust me, it's better when you are actually old enough to have experienced some of the romantic intrigues and family dramas that develop over the course of this centuries-spanning epic.It is well-written. It has great characterization (necessary, for there is a sprawling list of characters). It helps you learn about painting! It has great literary tension. BUT, I find the ending somewhat wanting. It is bittersweet, and that would be okay if it didn't feel so unresolved. Ms Rawn has written a prequel of sorts, but there has never been any mention of a sequel, so I'm left a bit unsatisfied.Overall, though, this book has the kind of delicious imagery and an almost-but-not-quite-historical feel that will stick with you in your imagination. It's been stuck in mine for over a decade, now.

A fascinating and unusual fantasy about a world in which paintings can impact lives in a visceral way. My one complaint is that there is some repetition of phrases and concepts; perhaps this is the result of the book being written by three people.

Foremost, this novel deserves high marks for originality. The plot and premise are very unique and unlike most anything else in fantasy over the past few decades. The nearest comparison I can make is to Guy Gavriel Kay's novels, which have at times incorporated artistic concepts into the central theme. The basic story involves painters (limners) who learn to incorporate magic into their paintings. Through this magic, political intrigue and maneuvering is the focus of this novel. There are no armies, battles, or non-human characters. However, the novel maintains interest and pace through engaging characters and political intrigue. The novel is divided into 3 distinct portions, each occurring a few hundred years apart. The main antagonist and protagonist live through all these centuries, extending life via the magic in paintings. Unfortunately, the entire middle third of the book, while well written and interesting, has almost no bearing on the novel. It feels forced and included simply to for the sake of including it. This 300 page section could have easily been deleted without any effect on the story. The other unfortunate aspect of the novel, is that after 900 pages and several centuries of surviving and working his malice, the main antagonist is brought to justice very easily and in the space of about half a page. This was anticlimactic for me after such an investment in very long novel. Overall, I gave this novel 4 stars. Its strengths are its completely unique plot line, ability to generate tension without battles and armies, and it's beautiful prose.

I love this book. The story is complex but very easy to follow and the characters are real and poignant.I strongly recommend it.

Very intricate and intriguing tale that spans several generations. Not exactly what I expected, but definitely a compelling story!

I would recommend this book to any lover of fantasy. It follows two entwined families through generations of love, art and darker mysteries. A great read.

needed it to finish this tale.

It starts out somewhat slow but then picks up in the middle section and then the momentum slows down a little (but not too much) in the last part. Readers who are accustomed to fast-paced stories may become impatient with the detailed descriptions of paintings and the process that goes into it but for the more literary-minded, this book is a rewarding treat.

Arrived on time & well pkd. A great read! Love this author's work & own many of the books, especially the series.

One of my favorite books!

The book was pristine. It exceeded my expectations. I love this book and had wanted it for my collection for a long time. The writing is fabulous, well fleshed out characters. The setting is unique and the plots are full of twists and turns. I have not read this copy, I have a copy for reading and never tire from reading it. It is an award winning book and deserves the awards it has won. Written by three authors, the book flows seamlessly through each of the portions they wrote to form a beautiful story.I highly recommend this book to anyone.