Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Cast (the House of Night series) kicks off the Towerfall series with this expertly genre-blended romantasy. Chicago marketer Hannah is trapped in a loveless relationship and on an--admittedly stalled--"self-help journey" when she stumbles upon a tarot shop and decides to venture in. A bizarre encounter with the fortune teller working there leaves her rattled--and soon thereafter she's transported by a tarot card to the fantasy world of Towerfall, which is governed by figures from the major arcana. There she meets alpha male protector Kane, whose help she needs to survive the machinations of the Tower and the Empress--and hopefully get home in one piece. Cast's sumptuously detailed worldbuilding combines themes from the tarot deck with elements of Regency romance, striking a perfect balance between fantasy and love story. The heroine makes some frustrating and unmotivated decisions and hero Kane's grizzled warrior shtick can be a bit much. Still, their chemistry is spicy and intense, and a cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for more. It's a promising start. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
A miserable day just gets worse when a tarot card pulls Hannah from the modern day into another realm, called Towerfall. After being rescued more than once by the deadly warrior Kane, Hannah is determined to find the missing Empress tarot card and return home, but she lost the card in the Kingdom of Pentacles palace. To gain entry, she and Kane pretend to be married and pose as ambassadors from the Kingdom of Cups. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Pentacles is on the brink of revolt with townsfolk starving because the king is controlled by a magick-wielding villain. Hannah is instantly smitten, if distrustful of Kane, who is hiding his own magic, so when things go south between them and Kane lands in the dungeons, she must decide whether to escape home or find a way to set things right with him and within Towerfall. Hannah's rash decisions and bumbling nature make her a near constant damsel in distress, which quickly turns from comedic to exasperating and may detract from the romance. VERDICT Cast (The Key to Fury) creates a uniquely magical otherworld based on tarot cards, excelling in depicting the passionate relationship between a dreamy, brooding hero and an impetuous heroine.--Eve Stano
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