The Keys to the Kingdom

[Nalaris]

Has anyone ever read Garth Nix's 'The Keys to the Kingdom'? It's about a kid named Arthur who goes into the epicenter of the universe in order to stop an evil plague sent by one of the seven trustee's of the architects will (are you still with me?), the architect is the person who created anything. Mister Monday, the trustee of the Lower House, has sent this plague in order to retrieve one half of the Key of the Lower House from Arthur. Well, the plague is mostly to make him want to cough it up, Monday's Noon is the actual collector. Arthur enters the House (the epicenter referred to earlier) and defeats Mister Monday, then returns with a magic cure for the Sleepy Plague.

Complex, huh? Well, Mister Monday has let work pile up in the Lower House for a couple of millenia, and so is not exactly what the Architect had been hoping for. The architects Will (as in a document) helps Arthur defeat him...but at the beginning of the big, Arthur was attempting to avoid running a race for fear it would trigger his asthma (which dissapears inside the House, by the way). Arthur shows, to a lesser degree, the Deadly Sin that Mister Monday basically embodies: Slothliness. At the beginning of the next book, Arthur is running around and facing his fear of asthma (helped by the fact that the Key to the Lower House healed some of it). The Sin of Slothliness is conquered.

The next book, Grim Tuesday, is about a guy who runs a slave driven mining operation in the Far Reaches, and sends his little servants to gum up Arthur's families finances. Arthur's family may soon be on the street, but physically speaking they're in no danger. Arthur fears the loss of his material wealth, again a minor exhibition of the Deadly Sin Greed, which Tuesday embodies. At the end, Arthur manages to stop any further financial trouble, but his family is still going to have to cut back here and there. Arthur doesn't care as much. The Sin of Greed is conquered.

The third book, the last one I've read, Drowned Wednesday, is about Drowned Wednesday, Trustee of the Border Sea, who has extreme hunger due to a curse placed on her by the other Days when she tried to free her section of the Will. She eventually turns into a Leviathan whale and begins eating vast amounts. Arthur is also eating a small feast at the hospital where he's staying due to his having broken his leg in the previous book. A small touch of Gluttony. At the end, food is the farthest thing from his mind: he doesn't even get home. I guess you could say the Sin of Gluttony is conquered.

The fourth book I've heard of, but not read. Sir Thursday is Trustee of the Great Maze, which has one thousand tiles, each of which is one mile square, and they shift around a lot. He and his men like to let a couple thousand Nithlings through to fight wars with every couple of decades. I think this is a reference to Anger, but I haven't read it so Arthur's more subtle weakness to Anger is unknown to me.

The website, where the Seven Sins were mentioned, also tells you the names of all the days and gives synapses of each book that's been released so far. Lady Friday probably rules the (Insert adjective here) Garden (I forgot the first part), and most likely embodies Lust (for Arthur?).

Superior Saturday is most likely Vanity (Superior Saturday) and rules the Middle House. Superior Saturday betrayed Drowned Wednesday and told the Morrow Days about her 'Let's-free-the-will-and-live-according-to-the-Architects-grand-design' plot.

I'm positive Lord Sunday rules the Upper House and embodies the Sin of Envy: Envy of the Architect herself!

Well, anyone get anything from my rant?

[Leo Luncid]

I find that story interesting, though I keep thinking of Arthur as "King Arthur." I don't know why.

[Nalaris]

Probably because it's yet another reference? The name Arthur is really popular for a hero from our world, because Arthur sounds all noble and heroic and yet it is, in fact, a name.

[Leo Luncid]

Yes, I know all about King Arthur. It's just that other than that I don't know why I'm thinking of your "Arthur" as "King Arthur."

Anyhow, I find the story pretty unique. Like a combination of Harry Potter, Angels and Demons, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.