Garth Nix recently confirmed his reputation as Australia’s top fantasy writer when Abhorsen deservedly made the New York Times bestseller list.  No resting on laurels, however, but straight back to business with the opening episode in a new seven-part series The Keys to the Kingdom. 

Mister Monday takes many of the standard fantasy tale elements – uncertain teen hero, parallel universe, world threatening forces, determinedly evil enemies – and weaves them into an intricate pattern where time is the key. 

Arthur Penhaligon is given this Key in the form of a clock’s minute hand by the sinister Mister Monday, waiting for him to die from an asthma attack.  Arthur survives, upsetting Mister Monday’s plans for universal domination, and starting a chase through the parallel universe for control of the matching hour hand. 

Garth Nix has created an intriguing possible world where time and writing become a range of real characters. Monday’s Dawn, Noon and Dusk all become involved on one side or another of the battle, along with scenes and people from history.  Arthur is never sure who to trust, especially the escaped fragment of the Will of the Great Architect (in the shape of a small green frog!) which is obviously using him for its own purposes. 

There is a real danger throughout that the story could become just another churned-out, good-versus-evil, magic-will-solve-it exercise, but Nix’s skill with personalities and tension manages to avoid that.  

One little jarring note though is the gratuitous inclusion in the first few pages of references to Math at school, a brother at College playing Basketball, and hanging out at the Shopping Mall.  You can hear the publisher ticking off the list – “That’s the American audience done. Now a British reference, hmm, Arthur Penhaligon, that’ll do.”  After that the story goes its own way quite successfully with no particular reference to any market.  It looks like the cultural cringe is alive and well! 

The pattern is set for the next six episodes – Arthur must deal with Tuesday, Wednesday and so on.  Mister Monday is a promising start, but maintaining the story over such a distance will be a real test of Garth Nix’s great talents.

Other titles in the series:
Grim Tuesday (Allen & Unwin, 2004)
Drowned Wednesday (Allen & Unwin)

Other books by this author:
Sabriel (Allen & Unwin, 1995)
Lirael (Allen & Unwin, 2001)
Abhorsen (Allen & Unwin, 2003)
Shade's Children (Allen & Unwin, 1997)
Very Clever Baby's first reader: a simple reader for your child featuring Freddy the Fish and easy words (Nix Books, 1997)
Bill the Inventor (Koala Books, 1998)
Blackbread the Pirate (Koala Books, 1999)
The Fall (Scholastic, 2001)
 

 Review by David Beagley

© 2003 David Beagley