The Keys to the Kingdom #6: Superior Saturday

by Garth Nix

Book Overview

The penultimate book in Garth Nix's masterpiece series The secret of his own identity.The identity of The Architect.The complete Will of the House.The fulfillment of his fate.Arthur Penhaligon is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439436591
• ISBN13: 9780439436595
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Am I Missing Something Here?

Why am I only getting half a book? This is what I thought when I first finished this. I mean I knew there was a cliff-hanger but this was just wrong. Other then that the book was great and I would like to see how the changes the characters are experiencing(especially Arthur and Dame Primus) effect the Sunday book. I highly recommend this and the rest of the books before this one.

The Exciting Adventures in Superior Saturday

Garth Nix makes a good, but exciting story with Superior Saturday. Garth Nix does one cruel thing to the reader, which is the end. I will list some of the bad guys and good guys of this book. 1. The Piper, an evil person that has brought back children from the secondary realms (earth). 2. The Will of the Architect, a sly, but serious, incomplete document that's become human, and only cares about itself and the house. 3. Arthur Penhaligan, a boy who's not supposed to be a hero, but soon will become the ruler of the universe, and just wants to get the keys and get over with this. 4. Susie Turquoise Blue (a Piper's child) has been friends with Arthur since the beginning of his journeys, and always wants to be in the thick of the journeys, and has always been loyal to Arthur. 5. Fred (Piper's child)who we know little about, but you will just have to read books #5 and #4 to know more. Cyrus Ogle, age 9

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Having read and loved Garth Nix's OLD KINGDOM books (SABRIEL, LIRAEL, and ABHORSEN) as well as his SEVENTH TOWER series, I had pretty high expectations when I started in on SUPERIOR SATURDAY. I wasn't disappointed. The action moves along quickly, with new and original presentations of magic at every turn, and major and minor characters worth cheering for (or, in the case of the antagonists, against). The sixth book in Nix's KEYS TO THE KINGDOM series picks up right where the fifth book left off, making it a little confusing to understand at first, especially if you're a newcomer to the series, like I was when reading this. The book is certainly good enough to merit your going to the library and checking out all of the previous ones in order to get up to speed, but in case your library is as negligent as mine, here's the background that I wish I could have had going in. Our protagonist, asthmatic twelve-year-old Arthur Penhaligon, through a series of complicated circumstances described in previous novels, is taken from his home on Earth and granted the power of being the Heir to the Kingdom. Nix's complicated but fascinating universe centers around a grand House that is the epicenter of all universes, and is ruled by seven Trustees, all named for the days of the week. Within the House, each Trustee has its own domain. As the Heir, Arthur's duty is to wrest the Keys to the Kingdom from the corrupt Trustees, and to recreate the Will of the Architect, which the Trustees have consistently disobeyed. The Architect is a mysterious figure responsible for creating both the House and the "secondary realms," including Earth. In this sixth book in the series, Arthur is up against one of the toughest of the Trustees: Superior Saturday, with her power to work great sorceries with the help of the sixth Key. With the help of friends and acquaintances throughout the House, Arthur attempts to infiltrate Saturday's portion of the House and find the sixth part of the Architect's Will. He's running out of time, though, as the dangerously corrosive Nothing eats away at the House's foundations. Arthur must retrieve the Key, and the next part of the Will, in time to ensure that the House is not destroyed--for if the epicenter of all universes is demolished, the secondary realms that depend upon its survival will also crumble and fall, making for the end of Earth and Arthur's home. Nix always has a unique perspective on magic, and this series is no different in that respect. His innovations draw heavily upon archetypes and numerous different branches of mythology that add a richness and texture to his world, even if the average reader does not see them all on the first read-through. I also enjoyed his characterization of Arthur, a young boy who is taking on increasingly difficult tasks and succeeding at them, so that although he is young, there is a strength and maturity to his outlook. Of course, this doesn't prevent him from h

"Superior Saturday" By Garth Nix

In this sixth installment in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix some readers might be disappointed some readers might be satisfied, I was the latter of the two. It's Saturday for Arthur Penhaligon and it's not getting any easier for him, The Lower House and Far Reaches are being eaten away by nothing and there's not much that can be done to stop it and as usual Arthur has too many things to do at once, but the most important of these things if finding the sixth part of the will and the claiming the sixth key this is easier said then done as Arthur will have to claim it from the great sorcerer Superior Saturday, while doing all these things away from earth Arthur can not forget the things that are happening there, between whats happening in the secondary realms and what's happening on Earth Arthur soon realizes that the Keys are changing making him angrier towards people among other things. Superior Saturday is a good book, to me it was not a definitely not a disappointment although one thing that did bother me was that we don't see much of Saturday since were hearing so much about this sorcerer it would be nice to see and learn more about beside that fact Garth Nix keeps us asking for more in this great series 5/5

No lack of excitement or strange characters and places for readers to discover

On the sixth day, there was sorcery... Saturday is about to arrive, (Lord) Arthur Penhaligon has managed to defeat Lady Friday, recover the Fifth Part of the Will, collect the Fifth Key, and has undergone some strange changes that may or may not indicate that he's becoming a Denizen. While he and Leaf are returning sleeping patients to their hospital rooms, Arthur receives terrible news. Now he must save numerous people, including his own family, from being victims of a sanctioned nuclear air strike. The only solution that government officials believe can eradicate it is a mysterious viral plague nexus located at the East Area Hospital. With mere minutes to spare, Arthur uses the power of the Fifth Key, but when the area is cast in a weird red glow and everything seems to be rendered motionless, Arthur decides to seek help from Dr. Scamandros. When Arthur arrives back at the House in Mister Monday's Dayroom, he discovers that the situation is quite serious there as well. Denizens are nowhere to be found, and an eerie calm has fallen over the place. He soon learns the reason why and barely manages to escape, as the Dayroom is engulfed in a wave of Nothing. After finding Dr. Scamandros and having a confusing meeting with Old One, Arthur and the doctor go to the Citadel to assess the dire state of affairs and meet with Dame Primus. The Piper's Army has withdrawn, and it becomes apparent that Superior Saturday is responsible for the unleashed Nothing. As Dame Primus turns her concerns to defending the foundations of the House, Arthur decides to confront Superior Saturday, locate the Sixth Part of the Will and collect the Sixth Key. With help from the power of the Fifth Key, Dr. Scamandros, some Raised Rats and, of course, (General) Suzy Turquoise Blue, Arthur finds himself in a dramatic adventure that includes some rather peculiar espionage, an assortment of Superior Saturday's associates (including a gang of grease monkeys) and lots of rain. However, time is precious and Arthur may have to say goodbye to his former life forever. There is no lack of excitement or strange characters and places for readers to discover in SUPERIOR SATURDAY, the sixth installment in Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series. Arthur has gone from a reluctant young hero to a determined, (almost) fearless young leader --- a change noted by his willingness to stand up and make his own decisions, even if he may regret the consequences. However, it's not all seriousness as readers will have a laugh or two at the odd behavior of the Denziens from the Upper House and some of Arthur's allies. In the midst of this adventure, Arthur also begins to uncover secrets concerning The House (such as its purpose to the Architect) and tries to find answers to lingering questions, including what his true destiny is. The journey is far from over, though, when Arthur finally meets (his foe or ally?) Lord Sunday in the seventh and final installment of the series. --- Reviewed by Sarah