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The author really had good ideas when he wrote this one. Although hard to follow in places, this book is a good thriller for kids around the age of 10. I would get this book from your library, and if you like it, buy the rest in the series.
Minute Hand Key in hand, Arthur entered The House, in search of Monday and the Hour Hand of his key. In the beginning, there was Nothing. But she left, leaving The Will toiSee her will be done. But he was slothful, forgetting his duties,And the First Part of The Will escapedAnd found Arthur, a dying boy, and Plotted its escape. Also, designed for a younger age group, it is neither as thick or "heavy" as his other books. There were Seven Trustees also, Four men and three women, who wereTo watch over each part of The House.
Could he succeed andHelp The Will find the other six parts of itself. From the Nothing came the Architect, And she made the Secondary Realms and The House to record the doings of her creations. Was he the rightfulHeir to the Kingdom. They were not to be trusted, and dividedThe Will into seven and keeping The Keys to the Kingdom to themselves. Monday ruled over the Lower House. With the help of Suzy Turquoise Blue,The First Part of the Will, and braveryHe did not know he had, Arthur just mightbe able to defeat Mister Monday and gainThe Keys to The Kingdom.* * *While not the most sophisticated of books, not immediately hinting at the depths readily apparent in Nix's Sabriel or Seventh Tower series, Mister Monday does hint at it.
But it is still an innately interesting and enveloping start to a wonderful, must-read series.
These forces have been twisted and are currently being used for no good by those very beings who were put in place to protect them.Mister Monday is very fast moving. After a complete reading, I have decided that this series isn't for me. I whole-heartedly enjoyed the Abhorsen Trilogy. After two days, I'm still unable to provide a concrete reason, except to say that I found the premise a little difficult to follow.
I immediately checked it out from the library and gave it a whirl. This was not my first Garth Nix novel. There are plenty of great moments in this book, and it really never lags. All I can say is, give this book a whirl and see if you like it any better. To provide another viewpoint, I am posting a link to the review that got me interested in the book in the first place, here.Mister Monday (the first in the Keys to the Kingdom series) is the story of Arthur Penhaligon, a serious asthmatic, and the adopted son of a brilliant medical researcher and musician.
After I finished reading, it was hard for me to put my finger on what I didn't like about the book. I have a feeling I am in the minority after reading other reviews.One caveat, I would not recommend this book to those who are offended by novels which have plot lines involving the creation that may differ from a Christian perspective, such as the His Dark Materials series (which I enjoyed very much). So I was very intrigued when this book came to my attention. It is difficult to talk too much about the parts of the book I found somewhat confusing without giving plot details away, so I will refrain. Arthur is thrust into adventure, rather unwillingly, when he suffers what should be a fatal asthma attack but is saved by the appearance of a mysterious key which is literally thrust into his hands.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away, so all I will say is that this key is related to the original forces which created the world. Basically, I felt that Nix tried to paint a grand canvas with this story, but it came out a bit jumbled. I will definitely continue to look for new novels by Nix, but I won't be continuing on with the Keys of the Kingdom.
It is an awesome and thrilling bookMister Monday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1)
But one piece has escaped, and it's determined to set things right again. It works remarkably well. Readers are introduced to the fact that things have gone horribly wrong in the universe. Because, if he fails, friends and family may pay the price.
It's been a bit of a wait for the series conclusion, but I've managed it with Harry Potter, I can manage it with this series. An unlikely hero transformed, a multifaceted quest to retrieve magical items and embody a written destiny, good vs. Yet, due to a set of remarkable circumstances, and a destiny that insists on being realized, this contemporary teenager finds himself given items of power he can hardly understand, and taking part in a quest he never volunteered for. Things move along very quickly as Arthur inherits half the key to the house of Monday. Character development may be light, but Nix is allowing seven books to completely create his characters.
As the first book in the septet, it's a great kick-off and made me hungry to read the second. The Will, a document, and a force of some power, has been broken up and locked away by the Seven Trustees. But in order to gain the full key and save his friends and family, Arthur must enter another world entirely and find a way to avoid the clutches of Mr. What makes it all work again is Nix's ability at storytelling and imaginative new spin.
Arthur Penhalion isn't supposed to be alive, let alone be the chosen heir for a remarkable Key and a dangerous quest. And while there may not be a great deal of time spent on narrative description, there's enough worldbuilding and imagination to create the kingdom of the House vividly enough. Nix pulls in more than a few of his own monsters, giving the story a fresh feel, and keeping things interesting.On it's own, this is a delightful read with vivid characters and nonstop action. The quest and adventure themselves are not incredibly new--most of the themes covered in this story have been touched on in fantasy before. If this were a different kind of book, for a different audience, I might have more of a problem with the pace. I have to admit, I had my doubts about picking up this author again after Lirael and Abhorsen, but this book has renewed my interest in Garth Nix as an author.Any fantasy fan, and especially young readers who cut their teeth on Harry Potter will likely enjoy this adventure series. Mister Monday is the first book in Garth Nix's new Keys to the Kingdom seven-book series.Garth Nix's fast-paced new fantasy series for teens opens with a bang.
Happy Reading. Monday and gain the second half of the key.The author has created a book that rarely stops to take a breath and certainly never drags or bogs down in narrative. But for a teen adventure fantasy story that will be seven books long. evil, unusual allies and dangerous enemies. ^_^
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