Garth Nix's amazing series continues on the high seas!
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Barcode: 9780007175055
Drowned Wednesday continues where preceding book, Grim Tuesday, left off. As with all of Nix's work it is some of the best contemporary fantasy on offer at the moment and his imagery is pure magic. On the whole, i felt Drowned Wednesday lacked some of the carefree charm of Grim Tuesday but made up for it with a more mature feel. It shows the series progressing, both Nix and his characters only adding to the appeal and power of the series.
Arthur comes across as a far more interesting character in this book, beginning to realise just what he has to do, his mission becomming ever more dangerous through the course of this book and seeing him taking up a sword and riding the waves in various boats and even a submarine. The delightful Suzy takes more of a backseat here although we have a good new companion in the form of Dr. Scaramandos.
The magic and lore of the House also sees lots of devolpment in Drowned Wednesday and the idea of the semi-immortal Denizens still fascinates me. The plot is exciting and tense from start to end, never letting up in what is wholeheartedly a fantastic addition to the Keys To The Kingdom series.
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Cool!!!
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I loved this book, its the second best in the series after Mister Monday. Garth Nix imagination knows no bounds. He is amazing.
Arthurs is off on his adventures again and must free part 3 of the Will of the Architecht and claim the 3rd key to the kingdom.
This is a bit tricky as Arthur is only 12 years old and a chronic Asthmatic! But along with Leaf and Suzy Turquoise Blue, he will fight his way through the House and sail the Border Sea with pirates (on a bed at one point)
Seriously good book BUY IT!
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Pirates ahoy!! The best book so far!
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In the third book of the series Garth Nix comes back in full form, introducing and using brilliantly concepts and ideas for the next books.
In this book, Arthur is invited to meet with Drowned Wednesday, the keeper of the third Key, that allows control over the Border Sea domain of the House. Drowned Wednesday is affected by the sin of Gluttony and has eaten so much she has become a huge whale 126 miles long!!
Arthur will find himself against the pirates using magic, traveling in submarines and some other interesting locations, escaping from pirate ships, and introduces a lot of new friends like the sorcerer Dr. Scamandros or the Mariner, that will appear again and again the next books.
This book is in my opinion the best of the first five (ok, many used ideas perhaps, but beautifully blended) as it offers more of the same in a magical way. Nix's writing style is, as usual, fluid and immersive.
A real must read!
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Here we go again
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I don't think theres any point in wasting my time - and yours - explaining the plot of the third book in Garth Nix' Keys to the Kingdom series. Mostly because it is exactly the same as the first two. Having read the Old Kingdom trilogy I can't quite believe I'm giving a book by the same author only three stars, but there you go. Life is full of these little disappointments.
The biggest problem with "Drowned Wednesday" is that the reader finishes with the awful impression that Garth Nix has absolutely no idea where this series is going or what he is really writing about. There seems to be no planning behind this book (or the first two); it feels as if Nix has taken a vague idea for a seven-book series and simply padded it out with action to make it look as though he knew what he was doing without ever developing either the plot or the setting or even the characters. Arthur does nothing but whine, Leaf we hardly see and Suzy Blue gets more and more irritating every time she opens her big mouth. As for the whale! Did it remind anyone else of a certain Disney film? One with a puppet that wants to be a real boy?
My final conclusion: Nix makes his idea work for the first three books: they are quick and entertaining, the literary equivalent of silly action films, but with all the downsides as well: no real content, forgotten in ten minutes flat, and worst of all no characters likeable enough for the reader to put up with them for longer than two-and-a-half books (I simply can't be bothered to read the rest of the week). If you've read the Old Kingdom series, you will be sadly disappointed.
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The Tale of the Whale
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Wednesday being the third day of the week (if you don't start at Sunday of course), there are no prizes for guessing that this is book three of The Keys to the Kingdom series. If you haven't read Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday, please look no further - without the two preceding books you'll be up a creek without a paddle if you try this one on its own.
Arthur is still recuperating in hospital from his adventures in book two when he is summoned for lunch by Lady Wednesday, Trustee of the Architect and Duchess of the Border Sea. A ship is dispatched to pick him up, which is an unusual mode of transport seeing that he is in a hospital far away from any major body of water. Arrangements are made to resolve this minor inconvenience, and soon Arthur is adrift on his steel bed accompanied by his friend Leaf who was visiting at the time.
Unfortunately the crew of the Flying Mantis picks up the wrong passenger, and Arthur is left adrift, broken leg and all, and with sinking bed and spirits. His spirits are "buoyed" in the nick of time when he discovers a convenient flotation device, but this turns out to be a not a blessing in disguise, but a disaster in the making.
Caught red-handed fooling around with pirate treasure, he is picked up by the crew of a ship named the Moth, and barely escapes being captured by the dread pirate Feverfew (owner of said treasure) and his ship of bone, the Shiver. Soon it's time for lunch with Lady Wednesday, who is cursed with the sin of gluttony, and has been transformed into a creature worthy of her voracious appetite. Barely escaping being a part of the menu, Arthur agrees to an alliance for ownership of the third key and sets off on his third quest of the week in the name of the Will. This proves to be a huge pill to swallow, and gives him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The most exciting adventure of the series so far, this one is heavily laden with sea-faring rats with both two and four legs, sorcery and heroic deeds, and the humor is at its very best. It will be very difficult for Garth Nix to top this one.
Amanda Richards
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