The First Key of Kalijor

Keys of Kalijor #1

by Paul Lell

An amazing story from a debut author, The First Key of Kalijor follows the adventures of Riana and her sister Katrina as they seek out their mother who has gone mysteriously missing. The twins learn a great deal as they chase across the mythical world of Kalijor, but nothing can prepare them for the reality of their world when it all, finally comes crashing down around them.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2007

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general this is a great book after the 1st third. It is obvious that Mr Lell is a new author. The first third book reads like a creative writing project after the author was heavily criticizedfor not being descriptive enough. The descriptions of people and things interrupt the narrative. He eventually hits his stride andcwrites a great story. The mistake is not going back and fixing beginning. All in all this is a satisfying book for fantasy and sci-fi fans alike

[Rick Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoy a book with twists and turns in it and was not disappointed by this one. Interesting characters and a good medium-paced plot that kept you moving, without flying by and losing you. Fantastic first book by a novice author. Book one of seven if I am not mistaken and I look forward to book 2 very shortly.

[Tawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book that never turns out quite how you thought it would. (I can't wait for the second book ~_~!) definitly recomed for any lovers of fantasy books!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly original fantasy series! A must read!

[Mark Engels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise! I came to the book having read the first couple chapters on the author's web site. I had all settled in for a decent "sword and sorcery" piece, but my expectations were certainly subverted at the plot twist and genre change right about at the halfway point. The main character demonstrates no small amount of resourcefulness throughout, but what drew me most was the relationship she builds (and then has to rebuild) with her "sister". While I believe the cliffhanger this book ends on does set up nicely for the next one, I came away wanting a greater sense of closure. A TV series might have a season finale end on a cliffhanger, but I think of a novel series like this more like a movie with several sequels planned. Each movie with sequels I've enjoyed has given the audience something to look forward to in the next one but also gave some sense of closure of the story arc within. At the time of the closing scene of this book, I observed no reflection by any of the characters regarding great victories or triumphs or even deep insights or appreciations. There was some pretty heavy stuff laid on our heroine right at the end. I would have liked to have read more about how it impacted her emotionally at a guttural level, driving her to set forth anew at the start of the next book with a renewed sense of purpose (and an axe to grind!)

[Catherine Fitzsimmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stick this one out. It's not bad, but the first half of the book reads very much like a D&D game, while also being fairly passive and not connecting to the characters well; while there is a reason for the style, I feel like it could have been better done. Still, it was a fascinating story with very interesting twists and turns and was overall a lot of fun, and I quite enjoyed it.

[Sheila L · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't tell if it's good or not

Double spacing, poor editing, I'd like to read it, but two pages in and I'm hating it. the breaking up of the sentences. If an edited version comes out I'll give it a shot .. I have to put one star for now. :(

[Rhiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great ideas, but has numerous issues which I think the author is in the process of growing out of.
The switching back and forth from fantasy to sci-fi is a very fun idea. The worlds are interesting, but simultaneously too deeply described, and quite simple. If you think of playing World of Warcraft from a space station, you'd have it set decently.
The characters are pretty typical, except for what the main character is put through.
An editor is desperately needed. There are lots of typos, and places that could just use smoothing out. It also needed to be a bit longer, because the punch lines in the last 20 pages are rather vexing, and made it feel like a prequel.
So why a 4/5? Because it is enjoyable. I'll probably read the rest of the series at some point. Also, the author's skill seemed to improve further into the book. It is a unique idea, it is fun, and easy to read. I feel like if the author was to rewrite the book in hindsight, it could become a masterpiece.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book a few years ago, and was happily impressed. Paul's writing is extremely fast paced, and this book was a real page turner. I found myself 100 pages in before I knew it. The story, mixing Dragonlance-style high fantasy with cyberpunk-esque sci-fi was a refreshing break from the rest of the fiction out there. I would recommend this to any reader of either sci-fi or fantasy. Well worth the read.

[J.L. Zenor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

The story was interesting from the beginning but it took a while before it seemed like it actually got started. And the ending was abrupt, leaving a cliff hanger. I did enjoy the book but am having a hard time figuring out what to make of it.

I guess it all boils down to this: if you want an interesting story that mixes a fantasy and sci-fi worlds, this book is worth the read.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! For me it was the perfect mix of fantasy and sci-fi. The concept and worlds created were so much fun to explore. I stumbled on this book on Amazon as a free download and after reading first book I had to read the whole series. The characters and interactions are great, the plot is very engaging. I highly recommend this book and author to anyone who wants to go on an awesome adventure!

[Rubiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started out slower than I expected, and after twists and turns that I was very happy to see it really picked up. I found myself reading whenever possible, trying to find out what was going to happen next!!!

I will say, make sure you have book two ready after finishing this one, you WILL want to jump right in!

[ron wix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

the book started out as fantasy then developed in a intriguing science fiction novel.the story is very good and the suspense kept me turning the pages unable to stop