In this thrilling, action-packed sequel and conclusion to the critically acclaimed Ivory Key duology, royal siblings Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya battle vengeful enemies, centuries-old mysteries, and their own personal demons in order to save their country from ruin.
The search for the Ivory Key has brought royal siblings Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya closer than they have been in years as they try to restore magic and stability to Ashoka. But despite finally getting their hands on the long-lost key, uncovering its cipher has proved more complicated and dangerous than they ever expected.
Their missions force them to split up and disperse them across Ashoka and beyond. When a rash decision by the council strips Vira of her power, her journey to reclaim her throne takes on new meaning. Kaleb travels to the neighboring country of Lyria to uncover its emperor’s motives and meets a prince seeking answers of his own. Ronak’s efforts to escape his arranged marriage and exonerate his brother lead to a series of risky deals that only bring him closer to what he’s running from. And Riya’s newfound power has turned unpredictable, but her search for answers only raises more questions.
When their attempts at decoding the key release an ancient power, the siblings must align to face the past and save their future once and for all. In a quest that culminates in a deadly labyrinth, there’s only one way they will succeed: together.
This must be the first time I’m ranking the first in a series the same as the second book. Kind of insane, I know. But hear me out. I think the first book might have had more impact on me, but overall, considering that the second book usually does struggle with having more impact, I think this one really managed to give me everything I wanted and more, without letting me down on my main expectations.
When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it’s up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty—in a standalone novel featuring Molly Gray, from the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of The Maid, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick.
Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.
When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?
As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there’s one thing Molly knows for sure, it’s that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever…
Overall Recommendation:
Having thought the sensational novel, The Maid, was a stand-alone, I was delighted to be checking back into the Regency Grand Hotel and following the delightful Molly on another unfortunate incident resulting in a dead man at their fine establishment. This time around, we learn more about Molly’s history alongside her Gran’s, and the cozy mystery factor makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, akin to being wrapped up in the best blanket. This is the perfect fall read and has earned another top spot in my books!
**The Mystery Guest comes out November 28, 2023**
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review
Molly the maid is back at it again as we are warmly re-embraced into the staff and charm of the Regency Grand Hotel. Four years have passed since the events of The Maid so while references are made about what had occurred then, this can be read as a stand-alone.
For a five star hotel, yet another unfortunate murder has occurred on the premises of this fine establishment, right after they were fixing their reputation again from the last gnarly incident. This time, it’s a reclusive mystery novelist who was about to make a big announcement if not for his untimely demise.
I loved being back in Molly’s perspective as she’s hurled back into another murder investigation. While I know people’s frustrations from book 1 sometimes stemmed from the lack of explicit acknowledgment where Molly stood on the spectrum, personally it doesn’t take away from the story if she was officially diagnosed or not. For her character and the additional backstory we see in this book, if she was on the spectrum, i don’t think they had the means to get a proper diagnosis so Molly herself may not have a word to describe how she’s different from others. She knows she is but she works hard to read other people to live and function among them. And perhaps her ability to remember details the rest of us find irrelevant makes her the perfect amateur sleuth out there, albeit begrudgingly.
The cast of characters brings old friends I loved from book 1 (I love you, Mr. Preston!) and new ones alike. There was less Juan Miguel in this books, to the point he wasn’t even a secondary character, but I liked that the romance subplot wasn’t huge at all. There was no second book misunderstanding breakup or anything. This was purely a solid cozy mystery and I was all for that. I’m not normally a cozy mystery reader – I need that intense thrill of suspense to drive me forward – but Nita Prose continues to surprise me with her ability to make me love this world she’s created that’s more hopeful than most mysteries I read.
The story moves along at a fairly fast pace. There are two almost equally split timelines, present day with the mystery and Molly’s past when she was around ten years old. Her history and present surprisingly intermingle and I loved slowly learning what pieces were hidden in Molly’s mind that gave greater context to the present mystery. Seeing more of her Gran and their interactions was heartwarming, but I felt there was more insight into who Molly is as a person as we see more of her thoughts as a child in addition to her grown up self. I absolutely adore her as a protagonist which makes this book and series everything. There are not many characters I feel such a connection to even though we’re nothing alike. Leaving the book felt like losing a friend, because Molly was so well described it felt like I knew her by the end. (There’re also so many sayings she and her Gran have that they can fill a book for cheesy lines to remember.)
If you loved The Maid, this one is a beautiful story that is as good as the first, which is always hard to do when the first was already so well written. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but I can honestly say I never want to leave the Regency Grand and Molly for long. If that means 30 more books featuring this cast and place, I will happily dive into every single one.
Magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology.
Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.
Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.
They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.
This is book one of a duology, and the newest book, The Crimson Fortress, drops tomorrow, November 14! I saw this book, skimmed the synopsis, and I knew I had to get my hands on book one. Luckily, it was available in the library so I completely devoured it in one day. And wow was I impressed. The depth of characters, the thrilling journey, the heist! This book really had everything. I cannot wait for book two to drop tomorrow (I already have it on hold!).
The Ivory Key is a story that takes place in an India-inspired fantasy world, except that it has something called magic that can be mined and forged into objects. However, after her mother’s tragic death, Vira is thrust into her position of maharani (queen) of the land. The country’s biggest secret? Their quarry is almost out of magic. And without this magic, the land’s economy grows poor, people grow desperate, and the borders of their land grow week. Vira, just barely 18 years old, must navigate her new position and save her land. But that’s not all, the story also takes place through the POV of her siblings, who each have their own battles to face, very different from Vira.
The characters were truly so amazing in this book. Considering how many siblings there were, each one really felt unique and had their own struggles to triumph over. It really had that YA coming-of-age feel that really drove the story forward. While yes they had immature and petty moments as any young adult would, it felt very real, and the weight of each character’s burdens of being in their positions was really well executed, and I think it really brought me into the story. I was so invested in each character, and their development arc, which is a sign of great writing. For me, Vira’s position was especially enthralling, being thrust so young into a position of power where there is no way to please everyone, yet there is only so much you can do.
The plot was also marvelous. The multiple POVs were very well-coordinated, and the tying of the plotlines back together was absolutely excellent. Even though it had me looking this way and that way, I found it really easy to follow, and I was truly invested in all the different stories, which is not something I can usually say for this kind of book. The final heist that takes place is also extremely exciting and fast-paced, I simply couldn’t put it down like some sort of thriller. It had that Indiana Jones sort of feel and I was truly living for it. I can’t say enough good things about this exciting plot.
I really enjoyed the world building in this book too. While it wasn’t crazy amounts of world building and expansion, it felt like it had just enough to keep the mechanics and story clear, while providing a lot of mysterious just-beyond-your-reach aspects that keep things intriguing. The history that was built into the world too was also very thought out, and I thought there weren’t too many loopholes, and the way the country came to the point that we find the story was plausible, and I really felt for the rulers who had to make all the tough choices to get to the situation they found themselves in.
This book had a surprising amount of twists, turns, and reveals, it was actually very much written like a thriller, except that it was more of a fantasy/adventure type of story. It was a really interesting balance and it made for a (rare) quickly absorbable fantasy that I couldn’t help getting invested in. A search for a magical object for the future of the land, and siblings each with their own hidden agendas. How will they work together? Who will be the one to double-cross? Or triple-cross? One simply cannot know.
The ending was also incredibly exciting, and the epilogue was one of those rare ones where I found it really added a lot to the story, so that’s a nice bonus at the end of a book. I seriously can’t wait for the book to come out tomorrow and I really hope that I’ll be able to get my hands on it soon. I can’t recommend this one enough!
Overall Recommendations
The Ivory Key is an India-inspired fantasy in which magic is a fast-depleting resource. The new young ruler, Vira, must find a legendary ivory key in order to save her land. She forms an unlikely team with her siblings, who all have their own agendas, and each looking to prove and achieve something. This is an exciting fantasy adventure, with plenty of thrills, intrigue, and twists and turns to boot. This is one I definitely recommend!
Down the Rabbit Hole 