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Superior Saturday (The Keys To The Kingdom)
written by Garth Nix
Studio : Scholastic Press
by Scholastic Press
Publisher : Scholastic Press
Released : 2008-08-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780439700894
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 10 reviews)
List Price : $17.99
Our Price : $11.68
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Product Description |
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The secret of his own identity. The identity of The Architect. The complete Will of the House. The fulfillment of his fate. Arthur Penhaligon is getting closer and closer to these things... but not without risks, conflict, and adventure. |
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The Penultimate Book? |
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I was very excited when Superior Saturday first came in and I got it. I will say right now that this book had all the imagination, action, and suspense that Garth Nix's previous Keys to the Kingdom books possessed. Yet, the over all story of the book seemed a litte 'rushed'. Like Garth Nix wanted nothing more than to just get this book over with already. I also thought that this book would give out more answers, but instead presented more mysteries (if you read the previous books you'll agree that the last thing we need is mysteries). And like the previous books Superior Saturday ends with a clincher. I will recommend reading Superior Saturday only to those that read the earlier novels, and I can hardly wait until Lord Sunday comes out. |
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"Superior Saturday" By Garth Nix |
In this sixth installment in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix some readers might be disappointed some readers might be satisfied, I was the latter of the two.
It's Saturday for Arthur Penhaligon and it's not getting any easier for him, The Lower House and Far Reaches are being eaten away by nothing and there's not much that can be done to stop it and as usual Arthur has too many things to do at once, but the most important of these things if finding the sixth part of the will and the claiming the sixth key this is easier said then done as Arthur will have to claim it from the great sorcerer Superior Saturday, while doing all these things away from earth Arthur can not forget the things that are happening there, between whats happening in the secondary realms and what's happening on Earth Arthur soon realizes that the Keys are changing making him angrier towards people among other things.
Superior Saturday is a good book, to me it was not a definitely not a disappointment although one thing that did bother me was that we don't see much of Saturday since were hearing so much about this sorcerer it would be nice to see and learn more about beside that fact Garth Nix keeps us asking for more in this great series 5/5 |
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No lack of excitement or strange characters and places for readers to discover |
On the sixth day, there was sorcery...
Saturday is about to arrive, (Lord) Arthur Penhaligon has managed to defeat Lady Friday, recover the Fifth Part of the Will, collect the Fifth Key, and has undergone some strange changes that may or may not indicate that he's becoming a Denizen.
While he and Leaf are returning sleeping patients to their hospital rooms, Arthur receives terrible news. Now he must save numerous people, including his own family, from being victims of a sanctioned nuclear air strike. The only solution that government officials believe can eradicate it is a mysterious viral plague nexus located at the East Area Hospital. With mere minutes to spare, Arthur uses the power of the Fifth Key, but when the area is cast in a weird red glow and everything seems to be rendered motionless, Arthur decides to seek help from Dr. Scamandros.
When Arthur arrives back at the House in Mister Monday's Dayroom, he discovers that the situation is quite serious there as well. Denizens are nowhere to be found, and an eerie calm has fallen over the place. He soon learns the reason why and barely manages to escape, as the Dayroom is engulfed in a wave of Nothing.
After finding Dr. Scamandros and having a confusing meeting with Old One, Arthur and the doctor go to the Citadel to assess the dire state of affairs and meet with Dame Primus. The Piper's Army has withdrawn, and it becomes apparent that Superior Saturday is responsible for the unleashed Nothing. As Dame Primus turns her concerns to defending the foundations of the House, Arthur decides to confront Superior Saturday, locate the Sixth Part of the Will and collect the Sixth Key.
With help from the power of the Fifth Key, Dr. Scamandros, some Raised Rats and, of course, (General) Suzy Turquoise Blue, Arthur finds himself in a dramatic adventure that includes some rather peculiar espionage, an assortment of Superior Saturday's associates (including a gang of grease monkeys) and lots of rain. However, time is precious and Arthur may have to say goodbye to his former life forever.
There is no lack of excitement or strange characters and places for readers to discover in SUPERIOR SATURDAY, the sixth installment in Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series. Arthur has gone from a reluctant young hero to a determined, (almost) fearless young leader --- a change noted by his willingness to stand up and make his own decisions, even if he may regret the consequences. However, it's not all seriousness as readers will have a laugh or two at the odd behavior of the Denziens from the Upper House and some of Arthur's allies. In the midst of this adventure, Arthur also begins to uncover secrets concerning The House (such as its purpose to the Architect) and tries to find answers to lingering questions, including what his true destiny is.
The journey is far from over, though, when Arthur finally meets (his foe or ally?) Lord Sunday in the seventh and final installment of the series.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle |
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The rain keeps coming down |
Arthur Penhaligan's week is almost over, but unfortunately it's not getting any better. Not for him, and not for the House.
In fact, just about everything is tumbling down in the penultimate book of Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series, "Superior Saturday," in which Arthur finally encounters the malevolent sorceress who's been messing things up throughout the series. It's a suitably chaotic and haunting story, and Arthur's internal struggles and new discoveries are a pretty fascinating read -- but don't expect it to really end on anything but a massive cliffhanger.
Arthur receives an emergency call from his brother, who warns him that the Army is about to nuke their entire town. Desperate, Arthur tries to shield the town, but instead ends up slowing time. Unfortunately that is only one of his worries: the magic of the Keys is transforming Arthur's body and mind into something inhuman, and Nothing is eroding away the very foundations of the House. To stop it, he must somehow steal away Superior Saturday's power, and he has to rely on one of the less reliable forces in the House to smuggle himself and Suzy into Saturday's domain.
While Leaf and her pal struggle to save Friday's sleeping victims, Arthur explores Saturday's realm. Turns out Saturday is building a vast tower built by Piper's Children and overseen by sorcerers, so she can reach the Incomparable Gardens that Lord Sunday rules -- and what's more, Arthur is having a lot of trouble locating the Will. His only hope is to climb the tower with Saturday's sorcerous army -- but what awaits them at the top?
"Superior Saturday" is not just saturated in rain, but in desperation. A lot of bad things are happening all at once, since the House is about to collapse, the town is about to be bombed by the Army, all the Piper's rats and children are suspect, and Arthur has found that he can't even trust Dame Primus anymore. There are a lot of bad things going on in "Superior Saturday," but Nix also unfolds some intriguing new revelations about the House and its purpose, during another visit to the imprisoned Old One.
And Nix somehow loads all of this into the plot without making it feel clunky or infodumpy. He spins a suitably dark and gloomy atmosphere over Saturday's domain, full of steampunk-style machinary and lots of ever-drizzling rain. It moves pretty gradually for awhile, but speeds up after Arthur locates the Will, and bumps into another old enemy. And Nix isn't afraid to throw in some horror moments, such as an unfortunate Denizen whose body was dissolved by Nothing, or the chaotic attacks on Saturday's army during the climax.
The biggest problem is that "Superior Saturday" doesn't really end -- the action and tension slowly build for a long time, only to snap like a recoiling spring... on a cliffhanger. Rather than being story unto itself, it's the first half of a story that "Lord Sunday" will finish.
While Arthur seems to accept his transformation a bit too easily, his struggles with his inhuman thoughts ("For a moment he even felt like striking Scamandros, or forcing the Denizen to prostrate himself and beg forgiveness") and rapidly changing body are well-drawn. And Nix raises some intriguing questions about just what it is that Arthur is turning into, since it's made quite clear that he's not transforming into a run-of-the-mill Denizen.
While it has no real ending, "Superior Saturday" is a dark, mildly horrific ride through what is left of the House, and promises a spellbinding finale in the final Keys to the Kingdom novel. An enthralling little book, so long as you don't mind waiting for what comes next. |
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It doesn't have much, but what it's got is good. |
This is the shortest book in the series, both in pages and in content. In all of the other books, at the end, Arthur has fought the title character and taken his or her key. In this one, Arthur begins to do both of those things, but is suddenly cut off by the book ending. There really isn't much warning; the book simply ends. It is as if Garth Nix ran out of time and published a partially finished book. What's more, the first two thirds of the book feel like introduction--and they are about the length of the sections of the previous books that had the same feeling. It's all very strange.
On the other hand, the ideas introduced in this installment are fascinating. They literally kept me up at night for several days after finishing it. It should also be mentioned that this one has all of the intensity of the previous five books--I finished it in a day, or arguably two days considering how late I stayed up reading it. It feels like this book is all buildup to the next one, as if Garth Nix cut this one off short because he wanted to put some of what would be covered into the next book, perhaps in some sort of final fight. I am reminded of the sixth Harry Potter book; it was the only one that didn't have a clean ending.
All in all, the book was far too short, but it was really good stuff (as always), and the shortness may or may not be for a good reason. |
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