Book Review: Keys to the Kingdom Series by Garth Nix

Keys to the Kingdom Series by Garth Nix.

The main character of this series Authur Penhaligon starts his first Monday at a new School. While in the middle of a Asthma attack a strange man approaches him named Mister Monday. He give him a Key, assuming that he will die, and it will be returned to him. Fortunately, for Authur, he lives, but unfortunately Authur is still in possession of the Key and strange things begin happening. He begins to notice that the key, shaped like an old clock hand has interesting powers, and that there is a house in the middle of his neighborhood. A house in which Mister Monday lives, he learned that The Arichtect that built the house left behind a Will to be fulfilled by seven trustees. The seven trustees ignore the request of the Will and split it up into 7 pieces, and hide them. The Will doesn’t take that lying down and begins to use Authur so it can put itself back together. Authur has to enter the house, defeat Mister Monday to keep his key and protect Monday’s part of the Will. On Tuesday (the next book) he must do the same. Confront Mr. Tuesday's part of the house get his key, and get his part of the will, and so the series continues….all days of the week.

I loves these series because it is so clever. I love all the new creatures and the quirky house that Authur has to travel through. Also, the time motif is brilliant. The book has so many cool details that I could go into, but won’t. Just go read the series because it is awesome cool! The book is a little bit random, more random that I would normally like, but still Garth Nix is an awesome world builder, and this series doesn’t disappoint. Doesn’t hurt that it has Latin phrases in it…and well, I’m obsessed with Latin.

Book Review:Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case by Garh Nix

Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case by Garth Nix (Harper Collins: UK, 2005)
Fantasy
12 and up

This novella is set in the same world as Abhorsen Trilogy that Nix wrote previously found in short story collection titled Across the Wall. Nick Sayre, a boy who lives in Ancelstierre, is recovering from his last encounter with magic, and his uncle takes him to Department Thirteen. Department Thirteen is an intelligence section of the government, which wants to question him about magic. While there Nick runs into a creature that is locked in a case. Nick knows that it feeds off of free magic that lives on the other side of the wall. He also knows that the creature is still alive, and only waiting for enough energy to get back home. Nick knows he his in trouble when the Department Thirteen agents start acting strangely around him. Nick finds himself in another predicament, which forces him to face the magical creature head on to protect the people around him.

Once again I loved this book on account of it's setting; It has a classic British feel to it that I adore. Nick Sayre is an interesting character that has lots of political connections in his world, and so is a bit prideful, but is a decent kid that understands that danger of the creature and bravely tries to protect people from it. I think that this is a good story on it’s own, but it probably disappointed fans of the series because they probably wanted to see more of their favorite characters, like Lirael, Touchstone, or Sabriel. I’m still trying to decide if the ending should be classified as a Deus ex Machina or not. The ending was unsatisfying to me in the way that, I didn’t get to see Nick achieve his goals, though the story implied that he would. Still, I loved reading more about Ancelstierre and the magic system. Certainly, this book is a fun read for Garth Nix fans.

As, a note people should probably be aware that Across the Wall is a collection of short stories along with the Novella, and one short story in particular is completely unappropriate for children, and not something that I'd read because of moral considerations. Each story is prefaced with an introduction of where it was previously published and other random information. So, the story can be easily identified and avoided this way, but parents(not to mention readers) may want to be careful and aware.

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Book Review: The Abhorsen Trilogy (Old Kingdom Trilogy) by Garth Nix.

Trilogy Review
The Abhorsen Trilogy (Old Kingdom Trilogy)
By Garth Nix
This series take place in two lands, which are divided by a heavily guarded wall. One land, Ancelstierre, is set in a WWI historical time period and the other land, which is equivalent to a medieval fantasy setting. In the Old Kingdom or medieval fantasy setting things have been declining for centuries. The Royal family has been defeated, charter stones that keep magic balanced are broken, and dead creatures roam the land, controlled by powerful necromancers. There is one, who is called the Abhorsen, who must put these dead to rest, forever.

Sabriel:
Is the daughter of the Abhorsen and she is currently being schooled in Ancelstierre until she is ready to return to the Old Kingdom and take up her role as Abhorsen in Waiting. Yet, she discovers that her father has traveled into death, and is trapped there. She needs to find him and bring him back to the land of the living before his soul becomes forever corrupted. She sets out on a journey to find and save her father, but soon realizes that while he is gone that she is the one responsible for keeping the Kingdom safe from dead creatures and their evil controllers, Necromancers. She meets Touchstone along the way and they must both find a way to keep their country from falling into ruin.

Lirael:
Lireal is a daughter of the Clayr, who just does not fit in. The Clayr have always secluded themselves in the cold mountains, where they gaze into the future, and try to keep the Old Kingdom safe from many arising dangers. She hasn’t received the sight yet, and feels that she is not apart of the small seer community. In the process of time she finds her place as an assistant librarian, in the largest, oldest library in the Old Kingdom. It is more than a simple library, but a complex labyrinth of hallways, and niches. Some that often have nefarious creatures, protecting or being protected. She finds a magical dog, who becomes her loyal companion; together they explore the dangerous and restricted parts of the library. During one night of exploration Lireal finds her true path and must set out into the world to find a young man in a reed boat. Soon Lireal finds out that her country is on the verge of destruction, but a powerful and Ancient free magic creature. She, as the new Abhorsen in Waiting, must help prince Sameth to stop the creature from being released.

Abhorsen:
Prince Samth discovered that his friend Nicholas is in a lot of trouble. Originally from Ancelstierre he believes that all the magic in the Old Kingdom can be explained by science. This gets him into trouble when a mysterious guide named Hedge helps him to set up a magical experiment. Little does Nick know that he is unwittingly letting an ancient creature escape, a creature which will destroy the entire world. He also doesn’t know that Hedge is a necromancer of the worst kind and his workers are dead hands. It is now up to Prince Sameth, his cousin Lireal, and her disreputable dog to save the world from this destroyer before it is too late.

I absolutely adore this trilogy! I usually like a lot of characterization in the books that I read. This series has just enough characterization to have round and interesting characters, and so that kind of bugs me, but it is the concept of the entire world that I love. There is the Old medieval fantasy Kingdom and the historical WWI era modern land, and the problems that happen when magic and science in the worlds try to interact. Then there is the land of the dead and Nix fleshes out his underworld so that it feels like an entirely different land. It is unique and new in Danteish type fashion, where it takes concepts from the traditional underworld scene and adds a whole bunch of creative imaginative new stuff. It is the world building talent that really makes him one of my favorite authors. Go read it!

Cool thing is that Nix recently announced that he plans to write two more books in the same world. Also, there are tentative plannings to make Sabriel into a movie. Go read the authors website to find out more info, and some links to read his fiction on-line for free.
Author’s Website: http://www.garthnix.com/