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It's because of the key that Arthur doesn't die, but not all is well in the world anymore. In all, it's a bit bizarre, sometimes so far out there, it seems only an overimaginative child could have thought it up, and I mean this in the best possible way, children having some of the best imaginations out there. So on the day he suffers from what's supposed to be a fatal asthma attack, he receives a strange visitation and an even stranger gift--a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Arthur Penhaligon is the kind of boy who doesn't ordinarily stand out except for his medical condition. Lastly, it's clear that Arthur and the reader have only begun to delve into the new realms present in The Keys to the Kingdom series, and although much information about this new world was presented in this book, I still didn't feel like it was enough.This novel will be enjoyed by fans of Poison by Chris Wooding, Mirrorscape by Mike Wilks, and Darkside by Tom Becker, although I'm not quite sure it those who enjoyed The Abhorsen Chronicles, also by Nix, will be as quick to snatch this one up, as this type of fantasy is quite a bit more frivolous. From then on, the story is a mishmash of odd encounters, peculiar places, and curious characters.
The book opens with a scene that clearly belongs to another realm, so the jump from that to Arthur's tale, set initially in a reasonably earth-like place, is a little disconcerting.
Arthur is being pursued by strange and otherworldy creatures that cause a puzzling malady everywhere they do, creatures at the beck and call of a certain Mister Monday who will do anything to get his key back.
There are only two points that were somewhat bothersome to me.
That's precisely why he's picked.
I quite enjoyed Arthur's unusual adventures; they were completely engrossing even when they challenged my ability to suspend my disbelief.
Desperate to escape the deadly clutches of his adversaries and determined to put the world back into order, Arthur stumbles upon another realm in which a power struggle has endured for the better part of all time, a struggle Arthur is only beginning to understand his own part in.As a huge fan of Nix's The Abhorsen Chronicles, I was willing to give this unusual novel a chance.
The result is what I can only describe as nonsense that somehow makes sense.
Firstly, Arthur seems to be remarkably mature for a seventh grader, which I haven't decided fits with the theme or is just unrealistic.
Nonetheless, I look forward to catching the rest of the installments in this sure to be entertaining series.
Not to say that the books aren't fun to read, but I believe they could be fun to read and rich. The first book, especially, seems to move toward that path, but as the books progress, they seem to become more and more formulaic and lacking in substance.
However, sometimes the books themselves, although phenomenally imaginative, are hit or miss depending on how much Nix is able to flesh out the story. The Seventh Tower series, for instance, is deftly imagined, a two worlds drawn together through light and shadow, and the ability to use colored gemstones to create light beams that can do all sorts of interesting things.
There's certainly one thing to be said about everything Nix writes, and that is that it's rife with original creativity and completely new fantasy stories. I feel like the Keys to the Kingdom series is a mixture of both, and I'd love to see the world more fully explored.
Unfortunately for whatever reason, Nix doesn't explore the world and the story enough. It's much more like eating watery soup than it is like consuming a good meal.The Abhorsen Trilogy, on the other hand, is a great work, and although it's not a classic literature sort of story, the world itself is fleshed out well, so that the reader can really imagine the world and lose themselves in it.
Ultimately, Nix's imagination seems to know no bounds, but if he would slow down and put more life into these books, I think they would be much better. Hopefully his next fantasy series will be more like The Abhorsen Trilogy.-Lindsey Miller, [.].
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.
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