Series Rating: 4.5 stars
Books
Cronin’s Key I – 5 stars
Cronin’s Key II – 4.5 stars
Cronin’s Key III – 4.5 stars
Kennard’s Story – 3.5 stars
Likes:
- Hooked me fast.
- The entire cast.
- The questions about what Alec is and what he’ll become.
- Cronin and Alec’s relationship.
- Historical figures as vampires.
- Vivid scenery.
- Good fight scenes.
- A little bit of mystery in every story.
- Most vampires gained a unique skill.
Dislikes:
- Got to be formulaic.
- Not the best series to binge read.
- Cronin and Alex’s relationship stopped progressing after a point.
- Disappointed that Kennard and Stas weren’t the main focus of the final book.
- Alec ended up overpowered.
- I stopped worrying that anything bad would happen to the main cast.
I initially picked up the first book because of a reading challenge involving vampires, and I’m glad I did. The first book really impressed me, and I knew right away that I’d be reading more from Walker. I was hooked fast for a lot of reasons, but what I really liked was that Alec’s reaction to finding out about vampires and fated mates felt realistic. He wasn’t panicking or thinking he was dreaming, but it took him a while to really come to terms with everything.
Cronin and Alec had a pull between them right from the start, even when Alec wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Their romance was fun to watch develop. The series doesn’t have a ton of smut, but there are plenty of tender moments. Unfortunately, by book three, Alec and Cronin’s relationship was so stable that there wasn’t much room for anything more to happen. That did make book three feel a little lacking for me.
The rest of the main cast were amazing. Enji and Jodis were a blast, often adding a much-needed dose of humor or rationality, respectively. Kennard was also a fun character, and while I was excited to see that he got his own story, I was disappointed that he and his mate, Stas, weren’t the main focus. I wanted to see them build their relationship and new lives together the way we got to see that with Alec and Cronin.
The non-romantic plot is really where these books shine the most. There’s always a mystery surrounding who the newest villain is, which leads to an information gathering montage. That montage helped flesh out the world and history of the vampires. I loved that so many historical figures ended up being vampires.
When the battle happened, the fight scenes and scenery were really well written. Unfortunately, for the final two books in the series, I was no longer worried that anything bad would happen with the central cast. They were simply too experienced and, eventually, overpowered.
Alec’s position as the key was central to each book. Watching him learn about what it meant to be the key, and the first human key at that, was fun. There were twists and turns, with a fair amount of unexpected reveals along the way.
I really liked that most vampires gained a unique skill when they were turned. It made these vampires unique.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a great series to binge read. The books definitely rely on a formula. An ancient villain that wants to rule the world needs to be defeated, the good guys make a plan, and then eventually go into battle. By the final book, I was really hoping for something new and different because Kennard was the main character, but that didn’t happen.
Overall, I’m really glad I picked up this story. N.R. Walker has several other series out, and I’ll have to give them a shot some day.
Love is Love Reviews 