Grim Tuesday by Garth Nix
Rate and review Grim Tuesday! | What does everyone else think?
Review by Indra
With Monday defeated Arthur thought he had escaped the house and left it all behind him, however a couple of hours after releasing the Nightsweeper and finally getting some sleep, Arthur is awoken by a phone call from Dame Primus. In the six months of house time that have passed, Grim Tuesday has found a loophole that allows him to take control of the Lower House, that Arthur has just taken from Mister Monday. Arthur returns to the house and to the area controlled by the Grim, the Far Reaches, however he is mistaken as a worker and set to work in the pit.
In order to claim Tuesday's key, and the second part of the Will, Arthur must encounter a tortured ancient being, a creative contest against the Grim himself, the threat of the entire house falling into a pit of pure Nothing and finally an attack from Saturday's dusk. With all this against him, will Arthur be able to gain the title of Lord of the Far Reaches and save the House?
Grim Tuesday is the second book in the Key's to the Kingdom series and continues both the adventures of Arthur Penhaligon, and the excellent writing style of Garth Nix. A darker novel than Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday has an even faster pace with thrilling scenes of fights, a haunting description of a tortured being and creatures that threaten to remove your eyes if they catch you.
The book can definitely be seen as a progression, the description involved allows to reader to clearly visualise the unfolding scenes, leaving them to linger in the mind after the book has been closed, begging you to abandon what ever it is that you should be doing, and return to reading.
This book, and indeed the series, is a perfect example of why books shouldn't have age groupings. This isn't a children's book, but simply good reading for a reader of any age.
Grim Tuesday (The Keys to the Kingdom) (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: Garth Nix
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 400
Publication date: 2004-06-07
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
RRP: £6.99
Lowest new price: £0.98
Lowest used price: £0.01
Grim Tuesday (The Keys to the Kingdom) (Amazon.com)
Author: Garth Nix
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 400
Publication date: 2004-06-07
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
RRP: $12.40
Lowest new price: $3.99
Lowest used price: $0.02
Second title in Garth Nix's gripping new fantasy adventure series. Arthur Penhaligon didn't think he would ever have to return to the strange house that nearly killed him on Monday -- the house that contains a fantastical and sinister realm inside. But the next day brings new challenges -- in the form of an enemy named Grim Tuesday, who threatens the safety 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 force him to steal a Sunship, survive a very weird work camp, befriend a bearlike spirit and fight the void Nithlings. Even after all that, he will still have to venture into the scary Far Reaches for an ultimate showdown.
Product Description
Submit your own mini-review
Let people know what you think about Grim Tuesday. You can write your own mini-review and give the book the rating that you think it deserves. Your reviews will go towards giving Grim Tuesday its overall rating that will decide where Grim Tuesday finishes in the top 100 fantasy books of all time.
Books you may also enjoy...
The Spook’s Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and has been apprenticed to the local Spook. The job is hard, the spook is distant and many apprentices have failed before him. Somehow Thomas must learn how to exorcise ghosts, contain witches and bind boggarts. But when he is tricked into freeing Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the Country, the horror begins… ... read the full review
Summary: Chilling, memorable and full of wonderful characters.
The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
When Pepper Roux was born his aunt foretold that he would not live past 14 years of age. Throughout his childhood his parents haven't bothered with him much, knowing that his life would be short-lived. So when Pepper wakes up on his 14th birthday he knows this will be the day that he'll die. But as the day wears on, and Pepper finds himself still alive, he decides to set off to sea in an attempt to try and avoid death for as long as possible. As time goes on Pepper steps into many roles and personas and has numerous outrageous adventures. But can he stay one step ahead of death? Or will fate catch up with him? And, if he does live, which of his many lives will he choose to adopt? This riot of a story is a wonderful adventure, and Pepper is an unforgettable character who stays with you long after his story has been told. ... read the full review
Summary: A delightful and whimsical book that highlights the power and wonder of imagination.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella is given a blessing at birth by a very stupid fairy: She gets the gift of obedience! but the blessing turns into a horror for Ella who literally has to do what anyone and everyone tells her, from sweeping the floor to giving up a precious necklace! She has to battle with ogres and wicked stepsisters, make friends and loose them, and even deny she loves her Prince Char to save his life and his kingdom. The story overthrows the stereotypes of the original Cinderella when Ella breaks the curse -- not the prince -- saving not only herself, but Prince Char as well. And Ella rejects his proposal of marriage, at least until she decides herself to propose to him! And the curse is only broken because she's said 'No!' rather than 'Yes!'. ... read the full review
Summary: Ella Enchanted is an enchanting re-telling of the Cinderella fairy tale.
Also in this sub-genre...
- The Spook’s Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
- The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
- Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
- Who is Charlie Keeper? by Marcus Alexander
- The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
- Abhorsen by Garth Nix
- The Spook’s Mistake by Joseph Delaney
- Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
- The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
- The Prophecy Keepers by Melaine Bryant
- The Spook’s Curse by Joseph Delaney
- The Spook’s Secret by Joseph Delaney
- The Spook’s Battle by Joseph Delaney
- The Spook’s Stories: Witches by Joseph Delaney
- Lirael by Garth Nix
- Once Upon A Time In The North by Philip Pullman
- The Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan
- Mister Monday by Garth Nix
- The Spook’s Tale by Joseph Delaney
- Dragon Horse by Peter Ward
- The Spook’s Sacrifice by Joseph Delaney
- Sabriel by Garth Nix
Book of the Month
Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson
On the Letherii continent the exiled Malazan army commanded by Adjunct Tavore begins its march into the eastern Wastelands, to fight for an unknown cause against an enemy it has never seen. The fate awaiting the Bonehunters is one no soldier can prepare for, and one no mortal soul can withstand - the foe is uncertainty and the only weapon worth wielding is stubborn courage.
Latest interviews
Interviews plus question and answer sessions with authors, narrators and publishers.
Must-reads
The following reviews are of books that begin the very best fantasy series available.
Special Feature: Fantasy Book Review talks to the Book View Cafe
Book View Cafe is a cooperative site created by a group of writers - including internationally renowned authors Katharine Kerr, Ursula Le Guin and Vonda N. McIntyre - who want to take advantage of the internet's possibilities for reaching a wider audience and to distribute their work directly to their readers. The Book View Cafe is a place where you can find free, original fiction plus the authors' best and out-of-print work for a fee. Fantasy Book Review spoke to Book View Cafe member, science fiction author and memoirist Chris Dolley in February 2010.
Special Feature: Understanding the author of Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll, the elusive author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, has been the subject of enduring fascination for the past hundred years. The destruction of many major documents about his personal life by his descendants has only magnified the mystery. Jenny Woolf's biography, published to coincide with the release of the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland film, lays waste to the myths and suspicions that have obscured Carroll's reputation by placing him firmly in the context of his own time.
