November Keys

Authors Brian and Michael Turner gave me an e-version of November Keys in exchange for a review (honest of course).

I liked this book, it didn't blow me away, but it was a pretty good read over all. First of all, and most important, the story was good, most characters were well developed, and interesting. There were fantasy beings that I had never heard of, always a good thing, and some very sneaky bad guys. Many of the characters were quirky and quite funny.

The story is set in England. Surprise for me as Keys immediately makes me think of Florida. Some of the colloquialisms were not familiar to my American ear. Not a bad thing by any means, just different.

My biggest problem with November Keys was a lack of balance. This is a story with a strong fantasy/mythological aspect still set in the "real" world. While the mythology was hinted at early in the story, it was so downplayed as to almost pass unnoticed. They didn't really appear in force until halfway through the book, then they were center stage. It just read a little abrupt for me. This may in fact have been the authors plan, but for me it was too much of a turn all at once.

The other thing that bothered me is a convention used by many authors, so I chalk it up to personal choice. When events in a story are leading to an important even climactic moment, many authors will then skip past the moment and reveal it in the past tense. Not my favorite story telling device: Here comes a big event and oops, it's over. Again, personal preference.

This is the debut offering from this father and son team. I think they show potential. November Keys is a good book, if a little clunky at times. I did enjoy it and I think other fantasy readers will as well. So, enjoy!


Mike