Official Review: Key to Eternity by Mallory M. O'Connor
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Key to Eternity" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]
[I]Indiana Jones meets The Dead Files in this creative crime thriller. Key to Eternity by Mallory M. O’Connor follows the adventures of Epiphany Mayall, a psychic who lives in Florida. Out of the blue, she has a strange vision of a man clutching a plant while two snakes encircle him. Then she gets a call from PI Maro Gaido, a handsome art theft detective. He wants her help with another case. Epiphany soon realizes that her vision revealed the same object that Maro is currently searching for – an ancient Mesopotamian tablet that depicts a scene from the famous Epic of Gilgamesh. The tablet was just one of thousands of artifacts pillaged from the Baghdad Museum in 2003. It is rumored that the carved image holds the key to eternal life. With dangerous and powerful art collectors desperate to get their hands on this priceless piece, Epiphany and her friends race to find it and uncover its age-old secret.
I really like the cover art, which features a hand-drawn ouroboros serpent surrounding one of the original Epic of Gilgamesh tablets. The photo of a starry night sky in the background further enhances the image. However, the bland title font does not fit in with the rest of the design. This is the second installment in the series, but it can be read as a standalone novel because the plot is self-contained. The book is separated into parts that chronicle different stages in the narrative. Each part begins with a relevant quote from the epic, and the parts are subdivided into chapters. The main themes of the story are crime, archeology, spiritualism, mystery, and romance. The text contains some f-bombs and moderately erotic scenes, but there is no gore. I only found a handful of errors, so it is well edited.
In addition to Epiphany and Maro, a few other characters contributed to the plot as it unfolded. At the start of the recovery mission, Epiphany is introduced to Rachel Springer and her husband, Gilberto Cabrera. Rachel is an archeology professor at the University of Miami, while Gilberto is an artist with valuable connections to savvy art dealers. Both of them played critical roles in cracking the case. Then there’s Derrick Rarian, a shady businessman and art collector. He often dabbles in the black market alongside his wealthy Russian associates. Derrick will stop at nothing to acquire the prized relic.
There were many things I enjoyed about this book. I liked the realism that was infused into the story. As an archeology enthusiast, I understood the significance of the Baghdad looting. I also learned more about ancient Middle Eastern culture. I read that the Assyrian creature with the midsection and lower body of a lion or bull, the wings of a bird, and the head of a human is called a “lamassu.” Additionally, I loved the author’s descriptive writing style because it gives readers a clear mental picture of the setting.
However, the novel is not flawless. First of all, the story dragged on with long lulls between the action sequences. Second, the dialogue during the last sex scene was so clichéd that it seemed like the author was trying too hard to make it romantic. Also, I didn’t expect a book that emphasized mystical concepts to be so carnal. Furthermore, based on the title and the blurb, I had assumed (and hoped) that this would be a profound story with revelations of some earth-shattering knowledge, but for me, the ending was lackluster and anticlimactic.
Apart from those issues, this was an entertaining read. With everything in mind, I rate Key to Eternity3 out of 4 stars because the concept was fascinating and the story was well written. Even though the conclusion did not live up to my expectations, I would still like to read the first installment to get a better understanding of Epiphany’s character and her rare abilities. After reading this book, I’m still not sure how I feel about the paranormal aspects that were mentioned, such as seeing auras, practicing remote viewing, and communicating with ghosts. Those who are opposed to such things may want to skip this one, but fans of historical fiction and mysteries should enjoy this novel.
******
Key to Eternity
View: on Bookshelves
I really like the cover art, which features a hand-drawn ouroboros serpent surrounding one of the original Epic of Gilgamesh tablets. The photo of a starry night sky in the background further enhances the image. However, the bland title font does not fit in with the rest of the design. This is the second installment in the series, but it can be read as a standalone novel because the plot is self-contained. The book is separated into parts that chronicle different stages in the narrative. Each part begins with a relevant quote from the epic, and the parts are subdivided into chapters. The main themes of the story are crime, archeology, spiritualism, mystery, and romance. The text contains some f-bombs and moderately erotic scenes, but there is no gore. I only found a handful of errors, so it is well edited.
In addition to Epiphany and Maro, a few other characters contributed to the plot as it unfolded. At the start of the recovery mission, Epiphany is introduced to Rachel Springer and her husband, Gilberto Cabrera. Rachel is an archeology professor at the University of Miami, while Gilberto is an artist with valuable connections to savvy art dealers. Both of them played critical roles in cracking the case. Then there’s Derrick Rarian, a shady businessman and art collector. He often dabbles in the black market alongside his wealthy Russian associates. Derrick will stop at nothing to acquire the prized relic.
There were many things I enjoyed about this book. I liked the realism that was infused into the story. As an archeology enthusiast, I understood the significance of the Baghdad looting. I also learned more about ancient Middle Eastern culture. I read that the Assyrian creature with the midsection and lower body of a lion or bull, the wings of a bird, and the head of a human is called a “lamassu.” Additionally, I loved the author’s descriptive writing style because it gives readers a clear mental picture of the setting.
However, the novel is not flawless. First of all, the story dragged on with long lulls between the action sequences. Second, the dialogue during the last sex scene was so clichéd that it seemed like the author was trying too hard to make it romantic. Also, I didn’t expect a book that emphasized mystical concepts to be so carnal. Furthermore, based on the title and the blurb, I had assumed (and hoped) that this would be a profound story with revelations of some earth-shattering knowledge, but for me, the ending was lackluster and anticlimactic.
Apart from those issues, this was an entertaining read. With everything in mind, I rate Key to Eternity3 out of 4 stars because the concept was fascinating and the story was well written. Even though the conclusion did not live up to my expectations, I would still like to read the first installment to get a better understanding of Epiphany’s character and her rare abilities. After reading this book, I’m still not sure how I feel about the paranormal aspects that were mentioned, such as seeing auras, practicing remote viewing, and communicating with ghosts. Those who are opposed to such things may want to skip this one, but fans of historical fiction and mysteries should enjoy this novel.
******
Key to Eternity
View: on Bookshelves
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