The Keys to the Kingdom is a fantasy–adventurebook series, written by Garth Nix; having started in 2003 with plans to span seven books, six books have been published thus far.
The series’ protagonist is an asthmatic 12-year-old boy, Arthur Penhaligon. The series begins on a Monday, with the main events starting a week later on the next Monday. Each book moves onto the next day of this week, concluding on Sunday. Each day features beings, collectively known as the Trustees, who each govern a portion of the House, which is the center of all Universes. The seven demesnes of the House are, in the following order: the Lower House, the Far Reaches, the Border Sea, the Great Maze, the Middle House, the Upper House, and the Incomparable Gardens.
In the beginning of the first book, Arthur lives a relatively normal life as an adopted child in a large and caring family. There is reference to biological terrorism in the recent past, hinting at the book’s temporal setting. An asthma attack on a Monday that should have killed him brings him to the Lower House, where he is to find the cure to a plague brought to his world by its agents. By convenience, he is declared Heir to the Kingdom, and given the Lesser Half of the First Key, which is shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Because of this Key’s magical properties, Arthur is relieved of his asthma, and proceeds to a strange and dangerous set of adventures.
As Arthur discovers, the Will of the Architect (Creator of the House and the “Secondary Realms” that surround it) was not fulfilled as it should have been. Instead, it was broken into seven pieces by the Architect’s Trustees, the Morrow Days. The Will was forced to act on its own, and its First Part chooses Arthur to be the Heir to the Kingdom. It thus becomes Arthur’s responsibility to recover each of the missing pieces of the Will, defeat each Trustee – each of whom has been afflicted with one of the seven deadly sins – and claim their domain by taking their respective Key.
Author Garth Nix’s approach to the narrative has drawn heavily on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, with continuous references to archetype and the number 7.
BOOK ONE: Mister Monday
BOOK TWO: Nix, Garth (2004). Grim Tuesday.
BOOK THREE: Nix, Garth (2005). Drowned Wednesday
BOOK FOUR: Nix, Garth (2006). Sir Thursday\.
BOOK SIX: Nix, Garth (1st July, 2008 (UK)). Superior Saturday.
Scholastic website for the series : http://www.scholastic.com/titles/keys/index.htm
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