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Locke and Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows (Locke & Key #3)

by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez (Illustrator)

4.43 of 5 stars 4.43 · rating details · 5,657 ratings · 289 reviews

Sam Lesser may be dead and gone, but Dodge still has uses for him, and in the first chill days of October, will make contact with him again. The dead know things the living may not, and Sam's restless spirit has had time to discover the thing Dodge wants to know most of all... where to find the key to the black door.

Hardcover, 152 pages

Published August 24th 2010 by IDW Publishing (first published 2010)

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Jul 10, 2012 mark monday rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comikon

oooooo... the eeriest of the eerie, The Crown of Shadows! and what exactly is a crown of shadows? well, the wearer of this fell crown becomes the Dread Lord of All Shadows. and what exactly does that mean? well, shadows become solid and are now at your beck & call - to dance, to fight, to search for magic keys, to battle man and woman (and poor little children and headstrong teenagers as well), to wreak havoc and to bring down terror amongst your enemies. i want one! i can think of a lot of...more

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May 01, 2013 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

I have really enjoyed this series. Each new installment has new keys and it keeps you wondering what each new key does. The mysteries around the keys alone is enough to keep me going in this series. The story is really interesting, and I keep reading to get what little answers I can in each new chapter.

When it comes to this book I was not as impressed with this one. I kind of expected to see more of what the Shadow key had to offer. We find out what it does towards the very end. It is a very bri...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

It is getting increasingly difficult to continue to merely borrow the books in this series from the library. That is not to say that I have a difficult time in procuring them, but out of the many many many books that I currently own, it seems more that with each passing day the majority of them don't seem to quite cut the butter, in comparison to this series. I really wish that I owned my own copies of this series, and I believe that I may have to keep my eyes open for a deal on the series at so...more It is getting increasingly difficult to continue to merely borrow the books in this series from the library. That is not to say that I have a difficult time in procuring them, but out of the many many many books that I currently own, it seems more that with each passing day the majority of them don't seem to quite cut the butter, in comparison to this series. I really wish that I owned my own copies of this series, and I believe that I may have to keep my eyes open for a deal on the series at some point in the future.

This comic book series makes me come back, time and again, to relive the story, the characters and the dazzling magic at work that I had read the night before. Yes, before writing this review, I flipped through this book, wondering at the beautiful artwork (I find the faces of the characters to be mesmerizingly beautiful and full of an almost alive expression, especially the eyes, and especially Bode's) the dialogue that seems so much more natural than most writing that I've seen and, finally, to read the plot twists that kept me glued to the couch the night before like a child being read a riveting bedtime story.

It's fair to say that as good as Head Games was, and, indeed, Welcome to Lovecraft, for that matter, Crown of Shadows proves what I've thought to be true, since I read Head Games; this series gets much, much better as it goes on, the subtle but vibrant layering of every character's point of view and story truly weaving a tapestry - or, more fitting, perhaps, each adding it's own room in a sort of massive mansion, constantly and consistently morphing and growing, so that none are exactly the same as the last time that you saw them.

Whereas the last book was focused on allowing the reader to see what Dodge meant in Welcome to Lovecraft as the "story" that poor Bode was not privy to understand. Dodge does not go away from the main story, but his looming shadow shrinks to allow the light from the Lockes to shine a bit brighter, so that we can see Kinsey as she makes new friends, Tyler as he seems to become more mature under the weight of his burden as the oldest sibling and Nina as she starts to stumble and possibly crumble under the unbearable weight of her pain.

The whole book is one bumpy, rollercoaster ride full of intrigue and drama, and I am looking forward to seeing how Keys to the Kingdom improves on the story and leaves me even more astounded than this entry in the series did.(less)

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Apr 01, 2013 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, graphic-novel

I’m still not 100% on board with this series, but this was one of the stronger volumes. They need to get away from the supernatural/horror elements as the main storyline because they make no fucking sense and also the Bad Guy is a million times smarter and better prepared than the heroes and it gets depressing how often and how badly they lose.

Also, Bode needs to be in this WAY MORE. He is by far the best character in the series. He is in fact the only one I consistently like. Kinsey has gotten...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Booky rated it 3 of 5 stars

This time I didn't have a lot of problems with the kids (except Bode, he doesn't stop being an idiot – I don't care if he's still a small child, he's an idiot for any age). The new powers/keys introduced in this book are, again, interesting but not much is done with them. I like how some of the characters have changed, (view spoiler).
The big fight...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

Volume after volume, the Locke and Key series continues to impress. So far, each volume has been an incredible combination of writing and artwork that results in an absolutely top notch piece of entertainment.

I just finished Locke and Key, Volume 3: Crown of Shadows written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. This volume did not have the graphic violence of previous volumes. Instead, Crown of Shadows opts for creepiness, sadness, and outright terror, mixing them in a very careful m...more Volume after volume, the Locke and Key series continues to impress. So far, each volume has been an incredible combination of writing and artwork that results in an absolutely top notch piece of entertainment.

I just finished Locke and Key, Volume 3: Crown of Shadows written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. This volume did not have the graphic violence of previous volumes. Instead, Crown of Shadows opts for creepiness, sadness, and outright terror, mixing them in a very careful manner to produce a great emotional payoff for the reader.

Building off the events of Volume 2, readers get to see how the Locke family continues to deal with the bad memories haunting their family and the ghosts that haunt Key House itself. Nina pushes further and further into her depressed, alcoholic spiral. Kinsey gets into serious trouble without her fear to check her actions. Tyler looks forward to the day he can leave his past behind him (even though I suspect he knows he could never really leave his family). And Bode, although young, is starting to show the stresses of living with such a damaged family.

Joe Hill continues to write a great story. His dialogue is pithy, natural, and emotionally deep. Not only is Locke and Key a fantastic story to read, but Joe Hill also offers an incredible example of storytelling. He makes me want to tear through these volumes, as fast as I can turn the page. But Gabriel Rodriguez slows me down. The artwork is sharp, evocative, and really quite beautiful. I hold off on turning the page because I want to take in every little detail of the art Rodriguez has created. And if, like me, you are a fan of Rodriguez, this is a great volume. There are several dialogue-free pages here that let the knockout artwork shine (puns intended). And when you combine the efforts of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, the result is stellar. This series should sit at the top of the industry, and it’s deserving of all the accolades and awards.

There are also some really big reveals in this volume (another pun intended–you’ll see). Some are obvious, while others are more subtle. Be sure to pay attention to all the extra goodies contained in the hardback version. There are some fantastic hints there. But all together, Locke and Key is primed for some really fantastic conflict between the Locke family and Dodge. I can’t wait to read the next volume.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Ronyell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 6-star-reads, action-adventure, alternative-worlds, best-books-of-2012, book-series, books-i-want-to-own, drama, fantasy, favorites, family-situations, graphic-novels-comics, horror, idw-comics, joe-hill, monster-books, my-blog-reviews, mystery, read-in-2012, reviewed-books, sexy-good-hero, strong-hero, strong-heroine, surreal, young-adult-teen-books, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews

6 stars!!!

Oh my goodness! This series just keeps getting better and better every time I pick up a new volume on Joe Hill’s fantastic “Locke and Key” series! In the third volume “Crown of Shadows,” we are introduced to the more mysterious and haunting adventures of the Locke kids and how well they are trying to get on after the death of their father. “Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows” is definitely a brilliant follow up to the second volume “Head Games” that fans of the “Locke and Key” series wil...more 6 stars!!!

Oh my goodness! This series just keeps getting better and better every time I pick up a new volume on Joe Hill’s fantastic “Locke and Key” series! In the third volume “Crown of Shadows,” we are introduced to the more mysterious and haunting adventures of the Locke kids and how well they are trying to get on after the death of their father. “Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows” is definitely a brilliant follow up to the second volume “Head Games” that fans of the “Locke and Key” series will love!

Now that Kinsey has ridden herself of all her fears and pain in “Head Games,” she is now a new person as she takes dangerous dares without fear and no longer mourns over the death of her father. Also, it seems that Zack Wells has found the Shadow Key and is planning on using the key to find the legendary key to the well house while dealing with the Locke kids.

I have to say that I enjoyed this volume even more than the first and second volumes (although I still loved the first two volumes just as much). After reading “Head Games,” I wanted to see what Kinsey would be like once she removed the fear and the pain aspects of her nature from her head. What I got was a truly unbelievable and a bit unnerving experience from seeing the change in Kinsey’s character. When Kinsey was first introduced in “Welcome to Lovecraft,” she was a wreck after the death of her father and it was sad seeing her be all moody and upset at everything life threw at her. Joe Hill however has done an excellent job at portraying Kinsey’s new personality as Kinsey is now a confident and brave girl, which was a huge change from her moody personality early on. I also loved the way that Joe Hill crafted the mystery surrounding Zack Wells and his ambition in finding the key to the well house that could possibly put his plan to fruition. Since we still do not know what Zack’s true plans are regarding the keys, it was interesting seeing Zack collecting most of the keys in the Lovecraft house and discovering what each key does and in this volume, we are introduced to the shadow key which brings people’s shadows to life and boy, was it truly a terrifying experience in seeing the powers of the shadow key! Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is truly effective in this volume as the colorings on the artwork are bleak, which is a perfect mood for a story that is based on horror elements. Probably my most favorite images in this volume were the images of the shadow creatures as they look frightening and they have sleek dark skins that make them look beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Zack

For anyone who does not like strong language and disturbing content, this volume has extremely strong language and it might be best to skip over the dialogues that have strong language if it is troubling to read through. Also, there is some disturbing content in this volume regarding the scenes where the shadows start overtaking the Locke kids’ house and that might be a bit disturbing to some readers.

Overall, “Locke and Key: Crown is Shadows” is a truly awesome volume that brilliantly develops the characters even further and would keep any reader in suspense throughout the whole volume! Now, I am off to read the fourth volume, Locke and Key, Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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May 10, 2012 Hillary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How this pilot did NOT get picked up is still beyond me!! Giant victories and depressing defeats! Rooting for these characters is not enough! I feel I should be praying for them! The enemy against them is so powerful and intelligent and yet the Locke children hold together and overcome. Mrs. Locke on the otherhand is sinking deeper into her depression. The children have succeeded with most of their challenges, but Mom is failing in everyway! And yet, I can't hate her. Can she ever recover from w...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, fiction, comix, 2012

Locke & Key has been nothing but spectacular since it's inception. Hill and Rodriguez, despite crafting a series about keys that literally do the impossible, have created these very relatable characters that are both memorable and seemingly real. You hurt when they hurt, cheer when they overcome and anticipate what happens next when the story ends. These are all feelings that an author wants to pull from their audience and Hill does it so well that it's hard to believe that he's still so you...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Fox rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, graphic-novel, horror, mars-book, own, series, 2012, favorites

My only complaint about the Locke & Key series is that each new volume is just too short. I want these stories to go on forever, but alas, the quality would probably deteriorate if they did. Either that or I simply would be incapable of processing the sheer cleverness of such a fantastic series. One or the other, I'm sure.

The third entry is both darker than the last two and a bit more fantastic. The incredible artwork of The Tempest performance in Volume 2 is formed into the evil shadows in...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Julie Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tyler’s mother is troubled by shadows in the night, so she wakes Tyler, bending his ear with her drunken outpourings, as well as the news that she has to go to Provincetown for a while, as Duncan’s lover was hit by a car. The patient Tyler listens to her ramblings, promises her to take care of things while she’s gone and puts her to bed. Little does he realize that there are indeed problems in the shadows—in the form of Zach/Lucas, and his many keys. But he’s still missing at least one key that...more Tyler’s mother is troubled by shadows in the night, so she wakes Tyler, bending his ear with her drunken outpourings, as well as the news that she has to go to Provincetown for a while, as Duncan’s lover was hit by a car. The patient Tyler listens to her ramblings, promises her to take care of things while she’s gone and puts her to bed. Little does he realize that there are indeed problems in the shadows—in the form of Zach/Lucas, and his many keys. But he’s still missing at least one key that he really wants

For once, Tyler is on top of his game, and his paper for his ethics class is done. But when he learns that Jordan’s isn’t, he doesn’t hesitate to let her have his. He figures that he can get by because everyone will let him skate, based on his family life being so fucked up, so that technically he is displaying ethics of a sort in letting her have his paper. She happily accepts his offer and thanks him with a kiss. Score one for Tyler!

Kinsey and Zach seem rather cozy these days. She makes the acquaintance of Scot Kavanaugh, whom she almost threw up on before, who has some observations to make regarding Zach. He tells her about the cave, a local place where kids have died trying to get out of the flooded lower levels, and where he says Rendell Locke’s name is written on a wall there. So naturally, Kinsey wants to see it, and a group sets out to do just that. Because you know teenagers have no sense of mortality—they know they’ll live forever, right?

A furious Tyler chases his little brother underneath his bed, and thus discovers the strangest key yet, which is in the floorboard, and has a human figure on it. What the hell are they supposed to do with that?

Kinsey is losing patience with their mother and her alcoholism, while Tyler is trying to help, but nothing is getting through to her, and she refuses to discuss what happened to her the day Rendell died. Meanwhile, Zach is still intent on getting the black key, but he manages to discover the shadow key, and doesn’t that open up a whole new can of worms? One that might just destroy the Lockes!
While Mom is busy pickling herself, Bode hurts himself, trying to retrieve something he thought he saw. With Mom’s help, she retrieves it; it turns out to be another key. This one is to the cabinet in the bathroom. It turns out to have some very interesting properties. Will Mom press her luck in seeing what it can do?

More battle lines are drawn as the Locke children find themselves getting in deeper and deeper, and their foe just keeps on coming. Mom is worse than useless, caught up in the depths of her own self-pity, unable to come to grips with what has happened. Potential allies are dropping like flies. Ultimately, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode will only have themselves to rely upon, I think.

The lines between dark and light, good and evil, are certainly blurred here, as the action continues to get more and more intense. Another great volume in the series, with a surprising twist towards the end that will have you cheering—I know I did! Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have certainly raised the bar for graphic novels, and continue to do so. Can’t wait for the next one!

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May 19, 2011 Bludhaven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, comics-and-graphic-novels, horror

This continues to be a very interesting and gripping story. The pacing of the story is amazingly thought out and the art really enhances the strenght of the story. There is a part of action without text that visibly punctuates the scenes from the dialouge heavy scenes that come before and after.

This entry to the series doesn't only introduce more key and hints a little more at the bigger picture and Dodge's role on everything, it also does a big deal to tell the reader more about the characters...more

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Sep 04, 2010 Mollymillions rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, comics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This entire series is great and Crown of Shadows is no exception.

In previous volumes Hill has focused on the secrecy inherent in the symbol of a lock and key. His characters had secrets locked away and other characters had the keys to release these dark secrets, both metaphorical keys and physical keys. In this volume Joe Hill focuses on the theme of responsibility. He shows us an alcoholic mother neglecting her children and Kinsey's cave adventure that almost left her responsible for the death...more

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May 19, 2011 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the 3rd graphic novel in the Locke and Key series. The 4th, Keys to the Kingdom, 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 incapa...more This is the 3rd graphic novel in the Locke and Key series. The 4th, Keys to the Kingdom, 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 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 Keys to the Kingdom!(less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Jeffrey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, library-copy

This series just keeps getting better and better. The artwork and writing is consistent throughout the series so far, so nothing there going wrong to drag things down. As such the rating rides entirely on the writing and story development, and that just keeps improving volume to volume. I can't speak for other readers, but I have really become emotionally invested in these characters, and as such really want to know more about them and where they are going as characters. This is not something th...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Dawn Peers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, amazon-reviewed

"Amazing story, amazing art, amazing price - for hardcover!"

It should go without saying, that if you haven't already read Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft HC and Locke & Key Volume 2: Head Games HC then you must before purchasing this.

Volume 3 faultless continues Hill's story and Rodriguez' amazing complimentary artwork about the Locke family, and the happenings around the Keyhouse. I'm not going to spoil it all for you - if you've got to volume 3, I'm guessing you already know...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Oh wow... this volume did not let me down. I am really loving the edition of new keys. And uncovering more and more mysteries. For those that don't know this graphic novel series is by Stephen King's son! It is about a family living in a mansion that has all these keys that do magic things. Ok that is not the best explanation but I have never been one who is good at recapping what a book is about only how I feel about it. Unfortunately I can't find anywher...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Sue Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2013, graphic-novel

The plot line in this episode of the Locke and Key series is imaginatively twisted ...... with deeper glimpses into the jumble of emotions that makes you tick ... and makes you do what you do and how you handle what gets thrown at you. It's a great story with lots of intrigue that makes it hard to wait for the next installment.

The graphics are fantastic. It must be incredibly rewarding to see your story brought to life with such great illustrations. The tension and menace of the Locke home is re...more

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Jan 26, 2013 David Sven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-graphic-novel, horror

Another great entry in the continuing saga of the Lockes and Keyhouse. There's a lot more focus on developing (or deconstructing) the Locke's. In particular the Mother and Kinsey. Kinsey finds some new friends and Mrs Locke continues her path of self destruction leaving the kids to pretty much fend for themselves.

Zack of course is still looking for the black key and we find out about a few new keys that have some interesting effects. But with a mostly absent mother, when the shadows start closin...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Nicolas Ronvel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, contemporary, dark

La série continue d'être toujours aussi bonne. Je me demande même si je ne commence pas à l'apprécier de plus en plus.

Le scénario continue de révéler quelques nouveaux secrets, quelques nouvelles clés, mais le gros point fort vient de l'évolution des personnages. Les relations entre Tyler, Kinsey et leur mère sonnent terriblement vraies et terriblement angoissantes. Le drame qu'ils ont vécu les a chacun marqué d'une manière différente, et c'est parfaitement retranscrit.

A côté de ce drame "intimi...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Gef rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, graphic-novels, haunted-houses, horror, young-adult, personal-favorites

I have been waiting over a year to get back into the Locke & Key series. I was wowed by the first volume, Welcome to Lovecraft, and I thought the followup, Head Games, was nearly as great. I'll just say right off the bat that Crown of Shadows is my favorite in the series thus far. I'm just amazed at what Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have done with this book.

The hardships the Locke family has had to face in the wake are finally taking their toll, especially on the mother who had started dri...more I have been waiting over a year to get back into the Locke & Key series. I was wowed by the first volume, Welcome to Lovecraft, and I thought the followup, Head Games, was nearly as great. I'll just say right off the bat that Crown of Shadows is my favorite in the series thus far. I'm just amazed at what Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have done with this book.

The hardships the Locke family has had to face in the wake are finally taking their toll, especially on the mother who had started drinking quite regularly towards the end of the second volume, and at the beginning of this third volume she is a wreck. She is not coping well at all with the murder of her husband, and she's nearly lost her children to a madman again, so it's kind of a wonder she can function at all. As for the three Locke children, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode, they are coping remarkably well considering the absolute shit-twister they have each been through ever since their father was murdered.

In Crown of Shadows, Nina's depression and alcoholism have taken a toll on her, to the point where she's barely functioning as a mother and guardian for her three kids. Her oldest son, Tyler, wants to be her rock, but even he is being worn down by picking up her slack. Kinsey, meanwhile, has nearly given up on her mother and is instead focusing her time in learning about her father's past when he grew up in Lovecraft. As for the youngest, Bode, he's still actively looking for the keys in Keyhouse and for ways to thwart Dodge's plans to find the Black Key.

I already love this series, so maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder in this case, because I thought Crown of Shadows was about as close to a masterpiece as the series has reached. Gabriel Rodriguez's artwork is spellbinding yet again, aided greatly by Jay Fotos and Robbie Robbins who did coloring and lettering respectively. Almost every page crackles with a electric tinge that gives the characters life, and there's a fight scene in the first chapter between two ghosts that exemplifies that--loved that scene. Joe Hill's writing meanwhile is captivating in a way in another medium would be very good, but in the comic book settings seemed to have found its home. Some of the stuff involving the alcoholism threatened to get overwrought and a bit maudlin at one point, but it was saved by the end of the book.

And I haven't even mentioned the awesomeness that is the variety of fantastical keys that have emerged inside Keyhouse. The two that take center stage in this volume were monumental and helped an already riveting climax hit an epic level. I mean, when the third chapter reveals a giant wooden key hidden in the floorboards, you can't help but wonder what kind of crazy-ass door it's supposed to open--and then when that door finally does open, you're jaw drops. Mine did.

You might not be the kind of person who reads comic books, but if you love fantasy and wonder and discovery and suspense, then you need to read Locke & Key. (less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Buried In Print rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, graphic-works, read-in-2012

The discovery of the keys is an ongoing pleasure of this series; I don't see that appeal fading anytime soon. It's a great storytelling hook to keep the readers engaged in the story.

Sometimes the clues are broad enough that you have a sense of what the newly discovered key will unlock, but sometimes, as with one of them in this volume, it's truly surprising. And what's not fun about being surprised in a creepy, spooky story like this one?

There are some horrific elements in this volume (though...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is by far the best Locke and Key book yet. There is so much suspense and action that it outshines the others by miles. It feels good enough to be the last in the series. There’s more emotional stress between the family, and more background to the story, but it’s still unclear. The plot thickens and then like any story gets resolved. At the end of the book you feel like the major crisis has been adverted now, but much worse is to come.

Book Rating: 5/5
Reviewed by Kole for Book Sake.

Yep, bette...more

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May 05, 2011 Dara Naraghi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic entry in this series. The story is truly cranking, and Hill turns up the danger factor, as well as the heartwrench, in this volume. I've been impressed by how well, and how effortlessly, Hill ties together quiet character moments, action scenes, emotional assaults, and horror, while retaining an overall cohesion to the feel of the book. There are scenes in this book that will make you cheer for the Locke keys, and in turn feel pity and sadness for the tragedies they have to end...more

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May 21, 2012 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, horror, read-in-2012

Crown of Shadows is yet another awesome installment in this series. Joe Hill is at the top of his game telling the story of this family, and Rodriguez is quickly shooting to the top of my list as the illustrator.

This one deals with horror from the paranormal, and horror from personal crisis. The mother, Nina, is sinking quickly into alcoholism to cope with the tragedy that took her husband. Naturally, her problems are seeping into the children's lives. While you want to hate Nina for what she is...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Jared Millet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, horror, supernatural

This series just keeps trucking along without losing steam. For volume 3, Hill ditches some of the narrative complexity of the previous installment in order to provide some flat-out action. The change of pace makes this volume a faster read than either of the previous two, but that kind of variety is perfectly okay.

Book 2 involved the nefarious and sneaky Dodge insinuating himself into the other characters' lives and doing bad things to anyone who might suspect that he's other than he seems. In...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Graham Bailey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Not the best place to start (it's Volume 3 for a reason) but another great addition to the Locke and Key series. The reader and writer team on this book seem to be able to do no wrong, and Crown of Shadows is another success.

In a nutshell, this book is about a family who moves into an old house after suffering a horrible family tragedy. It's not long before they discover that the house is home to a series of magic doors and keys, each with their own special properties. One door can lead you to a...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, comics-graphic-novels, fantasy, fiction, mystery, relationships, thriller

This third issue was just what I needed. Tyler, Kinsey and Bode finally acknowledge the evil that's attacking their house and take a stand against it as it tries to destroy their family. They finally use the keys in a useful and manage to strike a blow against Luke, whom they still don't know is a traitor. Watching Kinsey and Nina deal with their problems has also been really interesting and I'm enjoying the former's relationship with Jamal and Scot. I just hope that Kinsey's decision to remove...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

This series is so hard to read at times, mostly because, save for all the supernatural business, this family's struggles could happen to anyone I know. The mother's depression and alcoholism, particularly. But what I really love is that Tyler and Kinsey are fully formed - they're imperfect, and they both make some pretty idiotic decisions at times, but they also care deeply and are slowly but surely finding their identities again, in the wake of such crisis. There's apparently a good amount of d...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Ottery StCatchpole rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Brian K. Vaughn's introduction is cute, but unlike some I've read it isn't a good enough reason to buy the book. Way too many of these things praise the book, and to someone who already loves the book, that seems like a complete waste, especially considering this is volume 3 and most people are not likely to start reading the book from there.
Gabriel Rodriguez brings his usual artistic genius to the book, and its all well and the story progresses, so why am I giving this book a measley 3 stars?...more Brian K. Vaughn's introduction is cute, but unlike some I've read it isn't a good enough reason to buy the book. Way too many of these things praise the book, and to someone who already loves the book, that seems like a complete waste, especially considering this is volume 3 and most people are not likely to start reading the book from there.
Gabriel Rodriguez brings his usual artistic genius to the book, and its all well and the story progresses, so why am I giving this book a measley 3 stars? Because quite honestly, it seems to be like the Wednesday of the week. Not much happens. More mysteries are laid out, which is a plus. Keys are lost and found, and characters explode on each other so there is drama and danger. But nothing seriously dangerous.
The author has established the characters, and the story is progressing but given all that the Locke kids have survived, it would be nice to see one of them bite the dust or maybe their mother. Instead, no one dies in this whole book. Not one death. Wow. Introduce a new character just to kill him please, but for a horror story no one dies and this is a massive fail. Also, Bode, who is the most interesting character in the story, like why is he the one who always finds the keys? Also, the character that least gets any screentime in this book.
Mr. Hill could do better. The book ends with yet another key found, which is awesome, and more fractured relations between characters but still I can't help but feel as if the story is stuck in midgear and we are not progressing.
That said, it is still one of the best written comics out there, and the art is beautiful and I am still going to stay with the book. This is the weakest of the volumes so far but it is still vastly superior to most of the comic books out there. I just really hate Dodge and though he loses again and again in the story I can't help feeling the little sh*t should have his comeuppance sooner and more violently. If not, then sacrifice someone to the story please. The danger levels should go up, not down.
Great book, but it could have been awesome. Next up, Adventure Time. I have to clean the palate of all this darkness.(less)

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About Joe Hill

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Joseph Hillstrom King (born 1972) is an American writer of fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill.

Hill is the the second child of authors Stephen King and Tabitha King. His younger brother Owen King is also a writer. He has three children.

Hill's first book, the lim...more

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Locke and Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

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Quotes from Locke and Key, Vol. 3:...

“Don't ever have children, Tyler, unless you're ready to be afraid everyday for the rest of your life.” — 25 people liked it

“Oh, now don't act like the idea is so terrible. When you come down to it, what could be more romantic than a few hours of scrambling around in a cold, dripping hole known for occasionally flooding and drowning people?” — 1 person liked it

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title link	preview: Locke and Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows
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Locke and Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows (Locke & Key #3)

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