Sir Thursday (Keys to the Kingdom Series #4) by Garth Nix | eBook

After their Border Sea adventures, Arthur and Leaf return home, but there is no rest for the weary. Apparently, Arthur can't even get through the Front Door. Somebody or something has stolen his identity and taken over his life. But before he can get his bearings, our young hero is whisked off to join the Glorious Army of the Architect. An elegant, action-packed adventure series.

Children's Literature

Garth Nix's futuristic fantasy series, "The Keys to the Kingdom," continues the adventures of its eleven-year-old hero, Arthur Penhaligon, in Book 4. Already the unwilling holder of three keys to the missing Will of the Architect of the House—and its purported heir—Arthur only wants to go home. Unfortunately, he can't. His family in the Secondary Realm (Earth) is being held hostage with biological warfare by his evil simulacrum. To make matters worse, Arthur is drafted into the Glorious Army of the Architect. What to do? Send his friend Leaf back to Earth to foil the villain and learn how to march. Maybe the army will put him in contact with his next target, Sir Thursday, its general. Having already dealt with a Dante-like hell in Book 2, and pirates in Book 3, Nix takes on army life with aplomb. It is a readable choice, particularly since the Army is in the midst of its worse threat from the Nothing in eons. Mixing medieval fortresses and tactics with sci-fi "Not-Horses" and "New Nithlings," Nix is obviously having fun. It takes a while to get to the good parts, though, and entirely too much front matter sags with the necessity of replaying earlier story lines. And can Dame Primus, the current incarnation of the Will, really be trusted? Only Book 5 will tell. 2006, Scholastic, Ages 9 to 14.
—Kathleen Karr

VOYA

This new installment in Nix's fertile and outrageous Keys to the Kingdom series takes place immediately after Drowned Wednesday (Scholastic, 2005/VOYA August 2005). Having withstood the latest attack by the renegade Trustees of the Architect's Will, won the third Key to the Kingdom, and further strengthened his claim as the true Heir to the House (the primary universe to which the current world is a mere secondary appendage), Arthur wants nothing more than to return home. Unfortunately a Spirit-eater, an evil duplicate of Arthur, has taken his place in the real world, trapping this hero in the House. Things go from bad to worse, however, when simultaneously Arthur is suddenly drafted into the Army by Sir Thursday, one of the renegade Trustees who still remains at large, and the House itself is invaded by a large force of Nithlings, monstrous creatures who come from the Nothing that surrounds the Architect's entire creation. While Arthur's friend Leaf returns to the real world to do battle with the Spirit-eater, Arthur is first trained as a soldier and then sent on a near-suicidal mission by Sir Thursday. Nix's series is one of the more original and complex fantasies currently being published. It is well written, action packed, imaginative, and full of quirky memorable characters, but readers attempting to enter the series through this volume are likely to be quickly lost. It is best to begin with the first book, Mister Monday (2003/VOYA February 2004). VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Scholastic, 336p., Ages 11 to 15.
—Michael Levy

Karolinde Young

Arthur wants nothing more than to go home and lead a normal life. Unfortunately, nothing has been normal since he first encountered the mysterious Monday and found himself appointed heir to the architect. In book number four of The Keys of the Kingdom, Arthur's problems go from bad to worse. Not only is his leg still broken, but he finds himself unable to return home from the mysterious House, home of the immortal denizens. Just as things seem to be at their darkest, a messenger arrives with draft papers. While Arthur's friend Leaf battles an evil Arthur look-a-like on Earth, Arthur must try to keep his true identity hidden from Sir Thursday and his minions. Even more frightening, an evil army has managed to enter the House and is quickly taking over Sir Thursday's dominions. Just as in the previous three books in the series, Nix spins an intricate tale of deception and survival. The only caution: The series is best read in order to understand the complete story. Sir Thursday is sure to be popular with fantasy and action lovers in middle school and high school.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-The week just gets longer for Arthur Penhaligon in this fourth book in the series. After Drowned Wednesday's submission of the Will and her subsequent death, he is tricked into joining Sir Thursday's army as they fight a large group of Nithlings in a shifting maze. To complicate matters, Arthur must serve as one of the Piper's children, unable to use his powers as the Heir of the Will. Back on Earth, a Nithlin, disguised as Arthur, is infecting mortals with a plague that controls their minds. Old characters return, including Suzy and Leaf, to help Arthur in the fight against Thursday and his denizens of The House. Nix's new addition to the series is a good continuation of the story, covering two plots at once, with each chapter providing cliff-hangers. While the events move a little slower than in previous installments, there is satisfaction in the resolution, and, of course, a lead-in into the next addition, Lady Friday. Reluctant or "hard to fit" readers will find this series enjoyable, as Nix is able to create vivid pictures in the minds of his readers. Fans of the fantasy genre will appreciate these books for their strong continuity, believable characters, and edge-of-your-seat-action. This offering complements the series' well-established structure.-Richard J. Snyder, Inglewood Junior High School, Sammamish, WA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

From the Publisher

VOYA
This new installment in Nix's fertile and outrageous Keys to the Kingdom series takes place immediately after Drowned Wednesday (Scholastic, 2005/VOYA August 2005). Having withstood the latest attack by the renegade Trustees of the Architect's Will, won the third Key to the Kingdom, and further strengthened his claim as the true Heir to the House (the primary universe to which the current world is a mere secondary appendage), Arthur wants nothing more than to return home. Unfortunately a Spirit-eater, an evil duplicate of Arthur, has taken his place in the real world, trapping this hero in the House. Things go from bad to worse, however, when simultaneously Arthur is suddenly drafted into the Army by Sir Thursday, one of the renegade Trustees who still remains at large, and the House itself is invaded by a large force of Nithlings, monstrous creatures who come from the Nothing that surrounds the Architect's entire creation. While Arthur's friend Leaf returns to the real world to do battle with the Spirit-eater, Arthur is first trained as a soldier and then sent on a near-suicidal mission by Sir Thursday. Nix's series is one of the more original and complex fantasies currently being published. It is well written, action packed, imaginative, and full of quirky memorable characters, but readers attempting to enter the series through this volume are likely to be quickly lost. It is best to begin with the first book, Mister Monday (2003/VOYA February 2004).-Michael Levy.

Booklist
Nix, Garth. Sir Thursday. Mar. 2006. 336p. Scholastic, $16.99 (0-439-70087-6).
Gr. 5–8. In the fourth of a projected seven-book series, young Arthur Penhaligon (also known as Lord Arthur, Rightful Heir of the Architect) wants nothing more than to return to his own world. Instead, he is drafted into Sir Thursday's army and led into battle. On the homefront, his friend Leaf fights against a stealth invasion. The pace lags initially, but picks up considerably along the way. This isn't for readers unfamiliar with the Keys to the Kingdom series; those kids should begin at the beginning, with Mister Monday (2003). –Carolyn Phelan

SLJ
Gr 6-8–The week just gets longer for Arthur Penhaligon in this fourth book in the series. After Drowned Wednesday's submission of the Will and her subsequent death, he is tricked into joining Sir Thursday's army as they fight a large group of Nithlings in a shifting maze. To complicate matters, Arthur must serve as one of the Piper's children, unable to use his powers as the Heir of the Will. Back on Earth, a Nithlin, disguised as Arthur, is infecting mortals with a plague that controls their minds. Old characters return, including Suzy and Leaf, to help Arthur in the fight against Thursday and his denizens of The House. Nix's new addition to the series is a good continuation of the story, covering two plots at once, with each chapter providing cliff-hangers. While the events move a little slower than in previous installments, there is satisfaction in the resolution, and, of course, a lead-in into the next addition, Lady Friday. Reluctant or “hard to fit” readers will find this series enjoyable, as Nix is able to create vivid pictures in the minds of his readers. Fans of the fantasy genre will appreciate these books for their strong continuity, believable characters, and edge-of-your-seat-action. This offering complements the series' well-established structure.–Richard J. Snyder, Inglewood Junior High School, Sammamish, WA

Sir Thursday (Keys to the Kingdom Series #4)

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