Customer Reviews

Sir Thursday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 4)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Arthur Penhaligon's week just keeps getting worse.

The Keys of the Kingdom series hits a turning point in the fourth book, "Sir Thursday." People are killed, new creatures appear, and Arthur finds himself in a lethal power struggle with the Morrow Days. Garth Nix is in fine form in this book, one of the best of the series, and it only promises to get better.

When Arthur and Leaf try to return to Earth, they are stopped by Dame Primus -- it seems that a Spirit-Eater (the Skinless Boy) has taken Arthur's place on Earth. If he goes back home, he might destroy the world. To make matters worse, he is tricked into accepting Sir Thursday's shilling, which means he's been drafted into the army... for a hundred years.

Leaf goes back to Earth, and tries to destroy the Skinless Boy, with the unexpected help of Suzy. Meanwhile, Arthur struggles in the Army -- especially since part of it is being "washed between the ears." As he tries to remember to remember who he is, Arthur becomes a part of the regiment fighting a new breed of Nithling -- and under the command of the berserk Sir Thursday.

Unexpected twists are the order of the day on "Thursday" -- Garth Nix serves up mind-reading spores, assassinations, new Nithlings, and the Piper (often mentioned, but never before seen). With a stunning ending and some otherworldly battles, this is probably the best book since "Mister Monday."

And Nix's detailed, dark-edged writing is given a full workout here.He does a great job of describing battles against Nithlings and Nothing, as well as the creepy invasion into our own world. It takes awhile for Sir Thursday to even become part of the plot -- much of the book, actually -- but when he does show up, he's a suitably nasty Day. Think a demented drill sargeant.

Since Arthur has already come to terms with being the Heir, Nix lets him focus on something even scarier -- using the Keys is slowly turning him into a Denizen. Since he has amnesia for a good chunk of the book, he's most afraid near the end. And Leaf gets some further fleshing-out, as she tries to destroy the Skinless Boy without being taken over by it.

Perhaps the worst part of it is that "Sir Thursday" ends on a double cliffhanger. It's going to be awhile before we're introduced to Lady Friday, but "Sir Thursday" was worth the wait. Chilling and wonderfully dark.

This book, was an amazing entry in the series, and makes me wish Lady Friday were coming out so much faster than it actually will. This was my favorite book in the series since Mister Monday. It was action-pack and makes Arthur look like a real threat to the morrow days, and his trying to stay Mortal and not become a denizen is a great subplot to the series. I cant wait for the rest in the series, I wish he had stayed at the 6 month turn-around on them, but ah well they are all good, but this could make the series great.

Where is it all headed? I dont know, but I cant waith to hear about the other sins, left to face as we have already had Sloth, Pride/Greed(still not certain on Tuesday's), Gluttony, and Wrath. I can't wait for Lust, Envy, and Pride/Greed depending on what Tuesday actually is.

READ THIS BOOK, THIS AUTHOR, AND THIS SERIES, YOU WILL ENJOY THEM ALL.

On the first day, there was mystery.
On the second day, there was darkness.
On the third day, there were pirates.
On the fourth day, there was war.

It is Thursday. After their thrilling, high-seas adventure on the Border Sea, Arthur and Leaf are eager to return home to their families in the Secondary Realms. When they arrive at the Front Door, they discover that only Leaf can come home since someone --- or something --- has taken Arthur's place. Just when things couldn't seem to get any more complicated, Dame Primus holds a council of war in Monday's Dayroom. Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday have been assassinated by sorcery!

Arthur is stunned by the news but is in for another surprise when he's tricked by Sir Thursday and forced to join the Glorious Army of the Architect. Suzy Turquoise Blue offers to go with Arthur, much to the disapproval of Dame Primus, but is told by the recruiting officer that volunteers can't join. Arthur doesn't want to go and leave his family in danger, but luckily Leaf decides to go back through the Seven Dials and try to banish the Spirit-eater (Skinless Boy) herself until Dame Primus and the rest of Arthur's staff can figure out a way to shorten his proposed stint of a century.

Arthur and Leaf each must rely on magic and their wits to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. Leaf has to banish the Spirit-eater while saving herself and Arthur's families from being mind-controlled. (Fortunately, she has a bit of help from Suzy and an unlikely thrill-seeker.) Meanwhile, Arthur has to go undercover and survive his basic training, avoid getting posted to the Front, and work out how he can free Part Four of the Will and retrieve the Fourth Key from the psychotic Sir Thursday. All this while battling a couple of his own personal demons, a mysterious new force, and a few thousand New Nithlings in the Great Maze.

There is much suspense and action-packed adventure both in and outside the House. Many old and new characters are introduced in SIR THURSDAY who are sure to make the rest of the series even more interesting. There are a few violent scenes that some younger readers may find scary, but rest assured the book is definitely worth reading.

Unfortunately there's no tidy ending, so readers may have to take their time reading SIR THURSDAY (or reread the first three books in the series first) because it's going to be a while until we find out what happens next when LADY FRIDAY makes her presence known.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

Another exciting installment in this series from the outrageously creative and slightly warped mind of Garth Nix, where Lord Arthur, Rightful Heir of the Architect etc. etc. finds himself drafted into the Glorious Army of the Architect under the command of the highly strung Sir Thursday. Starting at the bottom, Arthur changes his name to Ray, and undergoes basic training in weaponry and warfare before being led off to battle.

There are actually two stories going on simultaneously in this book. In one of them, Arthur has been replaced in the real world by a doppelganger, which has used a personal item of Arthur's to spawn the perfect image. Having infiltrated, the Arthur-copy is running around infecting people with a gray mould, which allows it to read their minds gathering information to complete the take-over. Arthur is much too busy to deal with this matter, so his friend Leaf steps up to the plate and goes on a clone-hunt.

Back to Arthur, he's a pawn on a chessboard-like battlefield, with one significant difference - the squares move around at dusk. (Pity the unfortunate soul who's stuck half-way on the boundary of two squares when this happens.) The enemy is a horde of souped-up nithlings who've undergone extreme make-overs to become battalions of uber-nithlings, led by a mysterious yet familiar figure.

There's fighting and bloodshed and lots of other good stuff in this one, which should make an excellent adventure movie. Although a little slower than Drowned Wednesday, this one is an equally entertaining read, but should not be attempted without reading the first three (each sold separately)


Amanda Richards, July 9, 2006

Sir Thursday, the fourth of seven in The Keys to the Kingdom, is most likely the best so far. I was a little hesitant about reading it, seeing as I thought Drowned Wednesday was a little weak for my liking.But it surpassed all of my expectations.

Sir Thursday literally starts right after the end of Drowned Wednesday, with Arthur and Leaf heading towards the Front Door. They soon discover that Leaf can make it through, but Arthur can't , because something or someone has taken over his place in the Secondary Realms. Leaf goes through and vows to find whatever has taken Arthur over. Arthur, soon after handing over the third part of the Will and the Third Key, is drafted into Sir Thursday's army. He soon becomes a soldier, and the central plot of the book begins.

Sir Thursday is an amazing entry in The Keys to the Kingdom, obviously the best one yet. The ending is jampacked and brings back some characters mentioned in previous books. (Hint Hint)
The very last chapter introduces Lady (or Doctor) Friday, much to the dismay of Leaf. This is the best one in the series so far, and definitly should be bought and read!

By now the basic premise of Garth Nix's seven-part "The Keys to the Kingdom" series is well established. Arthur Penhaligon has been thrown into an extraordinary world: the epicenter of the universe, known as "the House". Ruled by the treacherous Morrow Days (named after the days of the week and each personifying one of the seven deadly sins: Mister Monday/sloth; Grim Tuesday/greed; Drowned Wednesday/gluttony and now Sir Thursday who appears to be pride), Arthur has been given the task of reassembling the missing pieces of the Will that will strip these characters of their power and return it to the Rightful Heir - himself!

Perhaps a bit more exposition is needed: the Will is the written word of the creator of this world; a mysterious female-deity known as the Architect. Each piece of the Will takes the form of an animal before each is enveloped into Dame Primus; the embodiment of the Will itself. She grows stronger as Arthur returns each part of herself, and armed with the keys of the Morrow Days, the two stand a chance against the awesome power that each Morrow Day wields. So far Arthur has been successful, though the reluctant hero is getting nervous about his chances of returning home to his ordinary life, not to mention the dangers posed to his own world thanks to the upheavals taking place in the House.

In particular, Arthur is terrified about "the Skinless Boy", the doppelganger that has taken his place in the real world and who has the power to infect those about him with a grey mould that renders them his mindless servants. Sending his friend Leaf (her parents were hippies) back home to attempt to find the source of the Skinless Boy's power and destroy it, Arthur turns his attention to matters in the House. He has unknowingly been drafted into the Glorious Army of Sir Thursday, who has arrogantly released several thousand Nithlings (creatures made from Nothingness) into his province, the Great Maze, in order to train his troops. Feeling that it is the best hiding place for Arthur, Dame Primus encourages him to enlist so that he might seize the opportunity to get close find the forth piece of the Will. Moving between the two plots is the irrepressible Suzy Turquoise Blue, easily Nix's most vivacious character.

Garth Nix spent a few years in the Australian Army Reserve, which explains why so much of the routine and regulations of army life is so vividly captured in Arthur's stint as a soldier. Long hours of tedious training, yelling drill sergeants, heavy marches through difficult terrain, endless inspections, being shuffled from officer to officer, and then the heat and confusion of battle itself - it's enough to put you off war for good.

Arthur is gradually growing up as the stories go on, willingly taking more and more responsibility on his young shoulders as his emotional investment in the House and its inhabitants grow (not to mention the symbiotic effect it has on his own world). Even if it means loosing his own humanity and becoming a Denizen of the House, Arthur is now fully committed to his cause, foregoing a way out at what seems like a great personal cost. Likewise, pieces of the master-plan at work behind the Morrow Days are beginning to show - could it be that the Days of the Week are not behind some of the chaos? Arthur finds himself relying more and more on himself to find his own path through the turmoil of the political intrigue. At one stage he finds himself caught between three morally ambiguous characters: the self-righteous Will, the tyrannical Sir Thursday and the mysterious Piper that considers himself the Rightful Heir. Event the Architect herself - supposedly the creator of the universe - is thrown into some doubt in this installment. How Arthur wades through these murky waters makes for challenging and thought-provoking reading.

Unfortunately, much of the story feels a bit like padding. Arthur gets "cleaned between the ears", that is, his memory is wiped, but this somewhat clichéd amnesia-device adds little to the plot itself save as a minor inconvenience that he soon overcomes. Likewise, although the action-sequences of Leaf attempting to thwart the designs of the Skinless Boy are tense and fast-paced, it is ultimately a subplot that has no real bearing on the central thread of the story. Garth Nix's vivid imagination is firmly intact when it comes to atmosphere - particularly in his portrayal of the Great Maze as a moveable checkerboard, with each square covered in a different terrain - but although I enjoyed this installment better than "Drowned Wednesday", it still doesn't quite live up to the intense imaginative tour-de-force of "Mister Monday" and "Grim Tuesday." Nevertheless, I'll be on the lookout for "Lady Friday!"

Another great book by Nix!
Yet another imaginatively developed foe(Thursday), another mysterious part of the house, a huge twist in the story line and more adventure and peril for Arthur and his friends. Garth Nix did a wonderful job inventing the story line for the fourth book in the series the keys to the kingdom. I cant wait for 'Friday'!!! The strength of the series is imagination, suspense and again imagination!

After 3 adventures in the house, even Arthur has to admit he is the heir to the keys. Arther wants to go home and see his family, but a body snatcher nicknamed the "Skinless Boy" has taken his place on earth, so if Arther returns, he will destroy not only earth, but much of the secondary realms as well. As Leaf battles the Skinless Boy on earth, Arthur is drafted into the "Glorious Army of the Architect" led by Sir Thursday, the fourth of the Morrow Days. After a "Wash between the ears" or mindwiping, Arthur must remember who he is and what he needs to do.

Full of Shocks and suprises, and ended with the most cliffhanging cliffhanger of them all, Sir Thursday is a wonderful addition to the series. On the fourth day, there was most definitely war.

it keeps getting better for the keys to the kingdom books and sir thursday proves the series is still kicking. after the outcomes of wednesday, arthur finds himself drafted by sir thursday, over lord of the great maze, into the glorious army of the architect were he must stay out of the dangerous trustee's way and survive the oncoming war in the maze. not only that but a mystirous nithling is taking over arthur's life back on earth and only leaf can stop it before it turns everyone into mindless zombies. this book keeps you on the edge right up to its thrilling climax that will surley lead into the next book, lady friday. so, if you loved monday, tuesday, and wednesday, then thursday will be a great edition to your week.

Garth Nix is an amazingly inventive writer, and in this series he really pushes the envelope. Arthur Penhaligon, who has been reluctant in the past to admit that he is the Architect's Heir, must now face the possibility that if he continues to use his power he may never be able to return to his family and his own world. He also must recognize, by the end of the book, that he HAS to use the power of the Keys, or his family will be destroyed along with everything else in existence.

Arthur is drafted into the army of Sir Thursday, who is responsible for protecting the House from an unusually organized influx of Nithlings. In the army, he must avoid either being killed in battle or having his cover as a Piper's child blown, while searching for the Key and the portion of the Will in the custody of Sir Thursday. In the meantime, his friend Leaf returns to his own world in an attempt to destroy the Skinless Boy, an evil clone who effectively prevents Arthur himself from returning while threatening the people he cares most about.

Nix keeps up the suspense throughout the book, posing several puzzles that will keep the reader turning the pages. Who is organizing the Nithlings and allowing them through in such large numbers? Was Arthur's conscription a bureaucratic error, or a devious ploy on the part of Sir Thursday? When he gets "washed between the ears," will he regain his memory in time to fulfill his mission? These questions may be answered, but I for one am anxiously awaiting Lady Friday.

Sir Thursday may work on its own, but I think it would be very difficult to follow if not read in conjunction with the earlier books in the series. Highly recommended for adventuresome readers who like the outlandish and bizarre, but also want a strong storyline and sympathetic characters. Younger readers may find Arthur's grim world, set in the indefinite but presumably near future, as well as the House and its bizarre Denizens, to be somewhat disturbing.