Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom series is a set of seven books that follow what is, at the start at least, a fairly standard young adult fantasy sort of plot: there’s a mystical realm over our world and the elements of power created by The Architect have been unjustly seized by embodiments of the seven days of the week (Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, Drowned Wednesday, and so on). A young boy, Arthur Penhaligon, is chosen seemingly at random by the Will of the Architect and must free the Keys from the Days in order to save the universe. For the first several books, things trundle along in a fairly predicable sort of video-game-quest format: Arthur makes friends, is reasonably clever, and defeats the days by pluck-and-luck and the help of his new friends. But as the series goes on, the intertwining interests of a variety of parties come into play and moral choices become less clear. And while the books are all separated into Days, by the end of the series, the action is coming fast and furious and if you do get into the series I’d recommend having Lady Friday, Superior Saturday, and Lord Sunday all lined up to read in a row.

FuzzyCo grade: A-