ARC Review | The Key - Sara B. Elfgren & Mats Strandberg


Series: Engelsfors #3
Publisher: Random House UK, Cornerstone
Release Date: January 29, 2015
Page count: 864
Genre: Fantasy | Paranormal 
Age Bracket: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley eARC

Everything is about to change.



From Netgalley:
It’s been over a month since the tragedy in Engelsfors High School. But the Chosen Ones have no time to recover before their world is turned upside down again. 
 In this final instalment that started with The Circle and continued with Fire, questions will be answered; secrets revealed and loyalties tested to the limit. 
 Time is running out for the Chosen Ones to fulfil the prophecy and save the world, but whether they succeed or not, one thing is certain: Everything is about to change….

 ~ • ~

*Note: May contain spoilers for The Key and previous books in the trilogy*

If you have never heard of the Engelsfors books before, they're a paranormal trilogy set in the run-down town of Engelsfors, Sweden. When a bloodred moon brings six highschool girls together, they discover they are The Chosen Ones, a Circle of witches with incredible powers, who, combined, have the means to stop demons from breaking through into the modern-day world. All with very different and clashing personalities, the girls must learn to put their differences aside to work together to fight the evil that is at work in the town.

The Key is the final incredible installment in the trilogy. We follow Ida, now trapped in the Borderlands, and the remaining members of the Circle left in the town of Engelsfors as they overcome new challenges and difficulties in their final battle. 
With only a year left to find and shut the portal that, otherwise, will bring about the reign of demons and the end of all life on Earth, Anna-Karin, Minoo, Linnéa, and Vanessa have to figure out exactly how to close the portal once and for all, with little information to go by and with conflicting ideas. They must also confront foes old and new, all while under the scrutiny of the Council, a group who are not wholly convinced The Chosen Ones are capable of completing the task at handAt the same time, the girls are juggling their own personal problems. They face loss; relationships are both built and broken; alliances are questioned, and friendships are tested and pushed to the very limit.


I'm experiencing so many feelings. ALL OF THE FEELINGS. I'm so happy that this is an even more perfect conclusion than I'd hoped for, but I'm also super sad that one of my most favourite trilogies has come to an end. It was everything I wanted and more and, yay, all my favourites are still intact.

As always, these characters are so realistic. Their struggles - the non-paranormal ones - are true to life and, at times, heart-breaking. I'm going to miss them so much, but ... maybe we'll see them again sometime? I hope so. I absolutely adore these characters and would love to read more about them, especially Anna-Karin; she has grown so much since we first saw her in The Circle and has become such a strong young woman - as have all of the girls, really.
I also loved the introduction of new characters - we meet some nice ones and, of course, some you'll love to hate. I spent a lot of time wondering will I or won't I get attached to this person? IS IT WORTH THE PAIN? because you really have no idea who is trustworthy or not.

The Key isn't fast-paced; a lot of the time, it's heavy and slow-going. You're going to get some action, but it's not going to be full-on. If you're expecting a quick, light read - you're not going to get that. You gotta COMMIT. This is 850+ pages where everything is covered; all of the questions we've had are answered, all of the secrets are revealed, everything that needs to happen (and more) happens - nothing is left unsaid or open-ended. So, whatever you do, please don't let 864 pages put you off. It's worth each and every single page. And, if you've never picked up the trilogy before, please do; it's a fantastic YA paranormal that doesn't sugarcoat life, is very character-driven, and is just a downright awesome read. 


ALSO: the Swedish film adaptation of Cirkeln (the first book) will be released next month! If you get the opportunity to go see it, do, so I can live vicariously through you; I will most probably have to wait until the DVD release to see it ;_;
You can take a peek at the trailers here.


The world might collapse around us tomorrow. Every day might be our last.

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