Review : Grim Tuesday by Garth Nix

Title : Grim Tuesday Author : Garth Nix Reading Dates : 27 Aug - 28 Aug 2010
Keys to the Kingdom
The books in the series include : Mister Monday Grim Tuesday Drowned Wednesday Sir Thursday Lady Friday Superior Saturday Lord Sunday
From goodreads :
The second remarkable installment in The Keys to the Kingdom, from spellbinding bestseller Garth Nix. Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world--where one boy is about to venture and unlock a number of fantastical secrets. Arthur doesn't think he will ever have to return to the strange house that nearly killed him on Monday--the house that contains an entire world. But Tuesday brings new challenges--in the form of an enemy named Grim Tuesday, who threatens the well-being of both Arthur's family and his world. Arthur must retrieve the Second Key from Grim Tuesday in order to save everything--an adventure that will include stealing a Sunship, surviving a very weird work camp, befriending a bear-like spirit, fighting the void-like Nithlings, and traveling in the scary Far Reaches for the ultimate showdown.

Book Review of Grim Tuesday.
Grim Tuesday isn't as exciting a read as Mister Monday but it is still an enjoyable one.

I found the idea of the House at the centre of creation being faced with an accounting problem rather funny. Especially since there is spill over into the rest of the universe, one which affects the economy of the Secondary Realms and especially Arthur's family's livelihood. And all because the Lower House Arthur wrested from Mister Monday is supposedly in debt to Grim Tuesday.

I also liked how Arthur always finds help whenever he needs it. The Far Reaches is a terrible place and most of the denizens who end up there keep to themselves and prioritize their own survival. Even Arthur has a hard time keeping up his spirits in the bleak landscape. But he refuses to give up and gets plenty of assistance from old friends like the Lieutenant Keeper of the Front Door and Suzy Turquoise Blue as well as encountering new ones like the former Thesaurus, Japeth and the Mariner, the imprisoned second son of the Architect and the Old One.

Finally, it was also nice to see growth in Arthur's character. It would have been rather irritating if he had continued to pretend the rest of the Morrow Days would leave him alone until he was ready for them. Fortunately, Arthur realizes this won't be the case by the end of this second book and is already considering what he needs to do next.

My conclusion : An enjoyable read for fantasy fans.