The Key to the Kingdom: Vol. 4

by Kyoko Shitou

Synopsis
Thanks to the manipulations of Gaius the Dragon Man, Leticia witnesses her bodyguard Alex declaring his love for the beautiful Latona. How will she cope with the heartache? Meanwhile, Asta finds the first of the Invisible Towers and learns the shocking secret of how to gain entry. The news he unearths must be shared with the other participants in the quest, but his way is blocked -- first by the elements, and then by a Dragon Man!

Review
This series is getting really good. It sucked me in and I just want to keep reading until I finish the series, which thankfully, is only six books long. I really appreciate, too, that's it's fantasy, because it's been a long time since I've read some really good fantasy.

Well, the revelation in the last volume about Gaius and Ceianus might still be true, but I've come to think that perhaps there's two Gaiuses, something I thought of before the last chapter really hints it at the reader. It seemed like the Gaius that Asta met didn't tell lies, like one that the others met. This is an interesting turn of events.

A lot is revealed about the nature of the "key to the kingdom" in this volume, specifically that those who go to the invisible towers are probably going to be sacrificed so that the key can appear. This is really bad news for everyone but Asta, as the tower he found already has a sacrifice. Of course, it's almost too late now, as this volume ends on the day of the summer solstice. It still hasn't been explained why Gaius wants to kill Baddorias, but I'm sure we'll learn in the next volume. And, as much as I like the other characters, I want to see Asta become king, as he's grown so much, and is a much stronger person than he started out as.

There's more character development for Leticia in this volume, as well. In the beginning of the series, I liked her, as I thought she was strong and cute, but now, seeing how easily manipulated she is, and how petty and pathetic her "dreams" are, my opinion has changed. She's just an immature little girl, acting out on her emotions, hurting others in the process. Pathetic.

Final thought: I have to read the next volume!