Keys to the Kingdom: Lady Friday

Lady Friday just seems a bit pitiful to me. She has her Noon (or possible Dawn or Dusk -- I can't quite recall) do her fighting while she sits about eating human experiences. Plus, she goes a bit mad with her desire for the experiences. It begins to seem that there will never be enough. I'm pretty sure if she could gain weight from eating them, she'd be as big as Drowned Wednesday.

And this is when my poor, dear Arthur finally ends up losing his humanity. No, it doesn't happen right away. In fact, he goes through quite a bit of struggle before he's forced to use the Keys or else lose the House to Nothing then and there. I almost cried when he realized he was no longer human, but I have to applaud him for managing to find a silver lining to it all.

In all, probably one of my lesser favorites of the series simply because 1)Arthur is a bit grouchy due to the fact that he's nearly lost his humanity and 2) while plenty does actually transpire, it feels like not too much important happens.

Reader reviewed by 3holidaybabies

Ok maybe no on will agree with me but i gotta say that Lady Friday is just WRONG! To me she is the worst of all thus far!Is Lady Fri. really giving up her place or is it just a trick? Author is getting into in too deep. He despertly just wants to go home...but must finish what he started...but is in danger of turning Dez. for good, which means he can never return home! Will Author remain human enough throughout the rest of the series to return home?
Ok now that I am through w/ Fri. I can't wait to read the last 2!

Reader reviewed by EshInoBi

Lady Friday is evil! Of course, that is what makes this book so interesting. Lady Friday got humans -humans!- and practically ate their memories. She savours them. I could not help but compare this book to Drowned Wednesday. Arthur gets a message from Lady Friday, and so does Saturday and The Piper, who are all in search for the key. However, Arthur catches the catch first and discovers that the place where she said the key would be is fake, and that she meant for them to fight among each other. Of course, Arthur wouldn't have known this without the Will. Meanwhile, Leaf is trying to save her aunt from Lady Friday. Actually, the Key was with Lady Friday the whole time. It was her brush. Will Arthur Penhaligon be able to retrieve what is rightfully his (as Heir to the House)? Read about it in this exciting book!

Reader reviewed by Matt Hill

In this fifth novel of the Keys to the Kingdom series, Arthur, heir to the Architect, sets out to capture the fifth key, held by Lady Friday. He gets lured into Friday's Trap by believing that she really has abdicated the Key to whoever can get there first. But, as Arthur soon realises, she hasn't really abdicated, and he must defeat her himself.

This is a good novel overall, but I wouldn't say it was great. It didn't seem to live upto Garth Nix's standards recently; for a beter read try his Old Kingdom Series. Overall, however, it was still a rather likeable book!

Reader reviewed by Mary

Arthur is about to die when it happens. When two strange figures come to him, have a mysterious chat and then give him a key. And Arthur's about to be thrust into a whole different world. Arthur is soon declared the Rightful Heir to the House, a completely different realm...

Garth Nix is an amazing storyteller who possesses the remarkable ability of creating new worlds that seem completely real. Any fantasy lover would adore this book.