Locke & Key V.3: Crown of Shadows HC [Hardcover]

A family lost, a house gained, secrets revealed from a father's childhhood - all of these things and more have worked their way into the previous chapters of Locke and Key. In the last book we saw the way specific doors could allow one to float free of their body and accomplish so many other oddities like playing around in one's head. This makes the house desirable - especially to something that resides in the wellhouse.
In Crown of Shadows these keys and a new key are being sought after, and the key that is found here is one that does quite a bit. In the hands of the wrong user, it could allow them to do unspeakable thing. In the hands of the right person, it might allow them to protect thei house and home. There are many a slip between a cup and a lip - or a key and door to be accurate. Along with this, there is also the story that talks about the wellhouse's resident and the way it has controlled so many people. It also reveals its link to the killer that mowed through part of the family we've been following before he was stopped, and how he is stil there. He knows things, too, things that could benifit anyone seeking keys, but talking - he doesn't seem to want any of that. So, its on with the search and with the accidents and, in some ways, revenge.
There is so much that could be said but i do not want spoilers in this.

Hardbound = Sexy in the world of Locke and Key. And the Crown of shadows is an interesting addition to what has been happening in the house that has keys hidden here and there and everywhere. Considering what has happened thusfar that isa powerful thing to say, but the truth behind the matter is that this book is a great book. It has more pieces of what you want to know and spends episodes answering things here and there, not to mention the fact that we see a large key and something in the shadow of the one enigma we have been following (that caught me off-gaurd when I saw it because it never crossed my mind).

As far as the story goes, you can count on this to only get better because there is so much left to tell. And that has to be the plan - any good writer knows that there are cards (or keys) to keep out of sight because everyone wants to know about them. They also have more in store for us with regard to the key that allowed the head to be opened - you can feel that every time they bring that item out.
Me, I love this story thusfar and think that the twists and turns have been great. When it started I never thought "Welcome to Lovecraft" would house so much complexity, but I was thankfully wrong. Any reader of the series can tell you that this thing is a masterpiece coming together.

The art is a great thing, too, as well as the coloring job they decided to use. i have yet to find a problem with the way things have been showcased, and I love the way the art shows emotion and things like panic. When the heads were opened, for example, the "fear" portion that was shown was really horrific. I could see that being something that anyone, myself included, would fear. And the mother and her problems - they have been great in both the story and art department.

Sometimes you feel sad for the family and sometimes you want to celebrate their small victories, but the prices they seem to pay - these are sad things indeed. That is a sign of a great story - feeling something for the characters involved - because feeling is not easy when you think about it. So many books just make a figure and expect you to want them to succeed when it is so much more rewarding to see the characters you love either fall or float if you are attached. And attached I am - to the point that I cannot get enough. Start at the beginning and see what I mean; you'll be on the line in no time at all.

This series is amazing from the beginning and only keeps getting better, and the 3rd volume is no exception. I have to force myself to not read them in one sitting. Both the storytelling and art are unique practically flawless, and there is something about this series that I just feel a special connection with. I don't know how I'm going to wait 'til late spring/early summer for the 5th volume to be released!
I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys graphic novels, as long as you don't mind a little horror! I find that there are sometimes bits of humor discretely stuck in between the horror, almost so that you're not even sure if the humor was intentional or not. It's a very nice touch and everything fits nicely.

This is the 3rd graphic novel in the Locke and Key series. The 4th, Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom HC, comes out July of 2011. This was an excellent installment in this series; this story just keeps getting more and more interesting. I think this was my favorite one yet, which is really saying something since I have loved them all. I should also mention that the hardback version of this is just beautiful; even has a lovely ribbon to keep track of your place in the book.

As the Locke children's mother is incapacitated by grief and forced to deal with yet another loss, the Locke children are left to fend for themselves in a house where things are becoming increasingly strange. Dodge continues his search for the Black Door Key and summons an army of shadows to torment the Locke children. The Locke children are forced to fight for their lives against the shadows within.

This is just such an interesting, if profoundly creepy, series. Every installment introduces new mystery to the storyline and every installment introduces strange new keys that do fantastical things. I am so excited to see what each new key does, and so interested in how this battle between the living and the dead, between Dodge and the Locke children will play out.

This is definitely a novel for adults, some of the things in here are disturbing. The mother of the Locke children continues a rapidly increasing descent into misery and spends a lot of time drinking and being generally useless and tragic. The Locke kids struggle along as well as they can. It is interesting to see some of the affects from Locke & Key: Head Games and how they played out in this book.

I was thrilled by the fact that this installment cranks up the level of fantasy quite a bit. When Dodge uses the Key of Shadows and summons and epic army of shadows things get really awesome.

The artwork is incredibly beautiful and the shadow army lets the illustrators show off even more of their considerable talent. The story ended well enough, but I am still desparate to see what will happen next.

Overall just an outstanding addition to this series. These books just keep getting better and better; more and more engaging and interesting. I can't help but feel that this is all building up to something incredibly tragic and I am desparate to know what will happen next. This is one of the few graphic novels I will go out and buy new in hardback; they are definitely keepers. The hardbacks are very beautiful with a lot of attention to detail to the quality of the book; making this book something that is a pleasure to hold in your hands and read. I can absolutely not wait to read Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom HC!

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