The landscape is covered in snow and you can feel the cold. Rodríguez is so skilled that through the backgrounds and the characters he conveys that sharp sensation of freezing air. You see it in what they wear, in the way they move, in how the snow settles on their clothes, and best of all, in the contrast that emerges whenever they step into a warm interior. I deeply appreciate this detail, the decision by Hill to alter the aesthetic and, together with his artist, to add so much white into a story otherwise drenched in black, whatever that may symbolize. Of course, other colors are present as well, I speak more metaphorically than literally. In any case, we are now at the fourth volume, and some changes are necessary, not only in the development of the story but also on a visual level. It is a clever addition that refreshes the reading experience, not that it had ever become dull. On the contrary, there is not a single uninteresting page in this work.
Furthermore, at a certain point the rhythm shifts, as the children discover one key after another, each granting a different power. The choices available to them, combined with their imagination, their recklessness, and the many repressed feelings and traumas they carry from their lives, create a composition where from page to page the reader never knows what to expect. This, naturally, becomes addictive. I would say it works almost like a microcosm of society itself: when opportunities are presented, not everyone handles them with restraint. Some exploit them, and the result can be irreversible.
One of the elements Hill has steadily built upon, and which has become one of the most frightening, is the notion of having your enemy close to you, someone who appears to be a friend but secretly intends to harm you. This idea, however, is not confined to the narrative motif alone. It reflects the fact that danger can exist nearby without our awareness, and at any given moment, depending on our actions and how the day unfolds, our lives can be drastically altered. You walk outside, moving through the world, conversing, wondering, sometimes growing angry or joyful, while only a few steps away someone might have just committed the most heinous crime. It is yet another confirmation of the chaos that reigns and of how the abundance of possibilities makes anything possible.
Keys to the Kingdom is, I would argue, a pivotal volume, because in the two that follow, we clearly move toward the climax of the drama, which means (more) terrible things are ahead. I hope at least some of the characters find a happy ending, though that hope may be in vain, for Hill has shown throughout his career that he spares no one, yet never sacrifices consistency or honesty toward his creations.
We shall see.
We are now very close. I am almost afraid to discover what he has prepared for us.
Until next time — be well, and keep reading.
It’s important!
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