I jumped at the chance to get an early copy of Kristin Cast’s latest novel, The Key to Fear. At the time, I was intrigued by the strong science fiction, dystopian setting because it was so different from reality and so different from what I normally read. But with current events, this outlook changed. Although it no longer provided a much needed escape from reality and at times it felt too real to be true, I ended up interested in wanting to know more. The way they embrace technology in this book as a sort of response to the pandemic was interesting and I liked how Cast incorporated a new trend in technology as a response to their no touching rule in her story by using VR as it made so much sense and it really fit well with the theme and the story!
“Gwen’s blue eyes twinkled, in stark contrast to the acid spilling from the lips below, plump with fresh filler.”
Right away I was smacked with this glorious depiction of the main character’s mother and I knew at this moment that this was going to be good. This is a great example of incredible description written with few words, but loads of impact!
“I knew you were still reading those books. Getting lost and daydreaming about those ridiculous stories. All books do is cause problems. And they’re banned, Elodie.”
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this main character because she seemed hell-bent on following all the rules, out of fear of the virus, but she wasn’t completely and I loved this rebellious nature, especially since she was pretty ballsy reading banned material out in public. She was dancing with danger and all she saw was a girl who loved to read. Then I realised how clever Cast was as she created books as a weapon and the threat they posed was rightly represented. Books are powerful because they contain ideas, ideas that some don’t want out. They actually take the time to rid these books and lock them up. This was a great connection to make and it only worked better with the story as it served as a great contrast to all of the new and growing technology that this society runs on. Sometimes the most dangerous things are the ones that seem the most harmless. This society was learning that lesson but for Elodie they weren’t quick enough in stopping her from thinking otherwise.
“This morning was turning to shit. But at least he hadn’t walked into a door.”
Talk about a great meet cute, am I right? Elodie is an introvert and Aiden, well he’s not. I loved his chapters and his voice possessed a brooding yet charismatic nature that I was loving. It’s hard to explain but his soft, dry-ish humour became addictive and Cast managed to sprinkle one liners in at just the right moment. Pure genius! And to top it off, he resorts to handwritten notes as a way to communicate with Elodie and although there are other reasons for it, I found it cute and romantic. It was an ode to the days of old and this hopeless romantic was eating it up! They also bond over showers because apparently in this world they go back to baths, which I found really odd to bond over, but I guess it adds a quirky angle on their relationship. That whole scene was awkward! I’m still not sure how I felt about it but him and Elodie are perfect!
“Elodie was striking, noticeable. But her true beauty surfaced as her layers of protection flaked away and she unfurled, bloomed into herself.”
This is how Aiden sees her! Enough said! But wait guys, Aiden isn’t who she is with. Cue the twist! In this society, people are matched and there’s no touching so everything is really detached and it’s kind of like an extreme arranged marriage. Rhett is matched with Elodie, and he is a soldier with a dumb, violent jock personality and 100 % believes in what the Key has told him about the Cerberus virus and what ways are the most effective in battling it. Throughout this entire book, it was clear these two were incredibly different and as he came into more and more scenes, he only proved that right.
“That’s probably for the best. His chest puffed and he waggled his left brow. ‘You’ll want to watch the master at work for a little bit. Really get a feel for how it should be done.’ He picked up the gun and fit the curved box magazine into the receiver. ‘We might want to start you off with something a little smaller. You can’t handle this bad boy.”
I couldn’t believe Rhett said this to Elodie and she is definitely better off without him. With so little scenes with him actually present, it seemed like he got worse and worse as the story continued to progress. But this isn’t the worst of it as he likes to be condescending since he sees the male gender as superior.
“Aiden was a good person. Elodie knew that. She felt it in the way he spoke to her. The way he looked at her. The way he interacted with the world and the people around him. Kindness clung to him like skin. Not like Rhett and his pretentious, self-important ramblings, or the way he looked at her when she wasn’t wearing the exact right outfit, or how he spoke at her instead of with her. And then there was the way Rhett did nothing at all. Nothing at all when she needed him the most. Nothing at all when she needed a shield against the storm that was her mother. Rhett kept his career safe, his image safe, himself safe, but he never kept her safe.”
And this is why I hope she gets a happy ending in the romance department because unlike many other books, Elodie has realised that her current relationship isn’t a good one and she acknowledges it early! So let’s hope she can turn things around and with how things ended I’m really curious to see what she does.
There were a lot of zingers at the end of the book which I will not spoil because they will have you on the edge of your comfy seat begging for answers by the time you finish. The sequel, The Key to Fury, is set to release towards the end of 2021.
The Key To Fury is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up The Key To Fury? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
To Health. To Life. To the Future.
We are The Key.
‘No touching today for a healthy tomorrow.’
Elodie obeys The Key. Elodie obeys the rules. Elodie trusts in the system. At least, Elodie used to…
Aidan is a rebel. Aidan doesn’t do what he’s told. Aidan just wants to be free. Aidan is on his last chance…
After a pandemic wiped out most of the human race, The Key took power. The Key dictates the rules. They govern in order to keep people safe. But as Elodie and Aidan begin to discover there is another side to The Key, they realise not everything is as it seems.
Rather than playing protector, The Key are playing God.
