Sir Thursday

Allan Corduner is once again impressive in his reading of the fourth installment of the Keys to the Kingdom novels. SIR THURSDAY may be the best yet, thanks to the fast pace of the action and the depth of the characters. Corduner portrays young Arthur Penhaligon, Rightful Heir of the Architect, with just the right touch of growing confidence in his new leadership. Through Corduner's pliant voice we hear Arthur's determination to survive as a draftee in Sir Thursday's army and his bewilderment after he has been "cleaned between the ears." Nix's vivid descriptions of the thorny predicaments of Arthur and his longtime compatriots, Leaf and Suzy, are well served by Corduner's impeccable timing. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

July 1, 2006
Gr 6-8 -Allan Corduner does a masterful job of narrating the audio version of the fourth book (Scholastic, 2006) in Garth Nix -s "Keys to the Kingdom" series. Two parallel stories keep the action moving, as Arthur Penhaligon, disguised as a Piper -s child named Ray Green, is compelled to join other denizens of the House in Sir Thursday -s army, now fighting a large contingent of Nithlings, who are unexpectedly clever and numerous. Meanwhile, his friend Leaf is back in Arthur -s real world, trying to retrieve a piece of cloth that has allowed someone to create a duplicate Arthur, known as the Skinless Boy, who is infecting all the mortals with a sort of mold that allows him to control their minds. There are many characters, but Corduner creates a unique voice for each of them. His pace is perfect, quickening as the story gets more intense in the later chapters. This is an exciting fantasy/adventure story in its own right, but will be appreciated most by those who have read or listened to previous volumes. -"Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, CA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.