Review of Key to Eternity

[Black Jewel]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Key to Eternity" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Epiphany Mayall and her psychic abilities are called on again by her acquaintance, Maro Gaido, a former FBI Agent working as a private investigator. Maro has been tracking art artifacts stolen from the Baghdad Museum sixteen years previously, and now he’s on the trail of the missing tablets of Gilgamesh. Though unsure if he believes Epiphany’s abilities are real, she has the uncanny knack of providing crucial information and Maro finds himself doubting his doubt while he and Epiphany become more closely involved as the case advances. In spite of Epiphany being old enough to be his mother, she and Maro become romantically involved. They fight the attraction, but find themselves giving into it all the same.

Key to Eternity by Mallory M. O’Connor is the second book in a series, but it is easily read as a stand alone novel. Past events that occurred in the previous book were alluded to just enough to catch a new reader up to speed, but not spoil the plot. I felt like this was very well done. The concept of this story was also quite intriguing. I feel as though I learned quite a bit about the art world just by reading this book.

I only found a few typos in this book, so I believe it to be well edited. However, the formatting of this book did leave quite a lot to be desired, as did the phonetically spelled words indicating a character’s accent. I often found myself wondering just exactly what the character was intended to be saying. My biggest complaint would have to be the minimal indentations at the start of each new paragraph, however. It was difficult for me to tell where one paragraph ended and the next began. The plot also had quite a few points where the story bogged down and made for very slow reading.

It is because of the slow plot that am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. I feel as though the story can be tightened up a little more to make for a more pleasant reading experience. The psychic abilities Epiphany are gifted with also come across as a little too convenient. There is no building tension because any obstacle that comes to light is easily and quickly hurdled by these abilities.

Due to the sexual tension, the few erotic scenes, and the scattering of profanity, I recommend this book to older teenagers and a more mature audience. The sexual scenes are not explicit, so I do not believe the majority of readers would find the content offensive, though the f*bomb does show up periodically as the book progresses. A few readers might find this distasteful during their reading.

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Key to Eternity
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[Aarti Jha]

The review has been written honestly and in a thorough manner. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[markodim721]

Based on your review, I would say that the book is exceptional. I especially like the historical-cultural framework in which the story is set.

[Josephe-Anne]

I also read this book and found the concept fascinating. I agree with your point that the plot gets very slow at times. But overall, the story was entertaining. I enjoyed learning about the Epic of Gilgamesh and other famous artifacts.

Thank you for your honest review.

[Kira Bonita Reece]

I have never read this book but based on your review, I think I want to give it a try. Can this book be read as a stand alone?

[Black Jewel]

I have never read this book but based on your review, I think I want to give it a try. Can this book be read as a stand alone?

Absolutely. There's enough information given about the previous book to catch a new reader up on who the characters are.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

Thanks for your insightful and honest review. Seems to hav some new lessons to derive from this books.

[Rayah Raouf]

This sounds fantastic! I know you didn't give it a full rating but I am extremely curious about the story. Thank you!

[Black Jewel]

I keep telling myself I need to make the time to read the other books in this series, but I keep putting it off. Has anyone else picked up another book by this author?