Lord Sunday: The Keys to the Kingdom #7

Hmm...I don't know what to say. As for the ending of a pretty cool series goes, this one felt really rushed. It was as if Garth got tired of writing in this universe and just wanted it to be over and done with as soon as possible.
All in all, it was an ok ending and an ok book. I think I just expected more. I mean, when the poop hits the fan, you don't expect things to be quickly cleaned up. You want some wallowing in the muck as things, some casting blame on others, bitter fights, drama, all before things are figured out and cleaned up. Instead, I felt as if he swept it all up under a rug and said "There, I finished it. All is well." as he tries to smile convincingly and hopes nobody notices the smell.

Overall, I'm left underwhelmed, yet satisfied (just barely).

That is all :)

Garth Nix is a favorite writer of mine, and I started with his series "The Seventh Tower" and "Abhorson" (with respective themes light and death, onto this series' theme of time) As the finale to the Keys to the Kingdom series, I hoped this book would tie up all the loose ends, and it did, more or less, while still keeping a good flow and plot. I think this last book did a great job tying up a lot of plot points, and was very interesting while doing it. Moreover, the book does not immediately end after the climax, which I like, since I like to know what happens after the "big finish." I would've liked to have seen a little more of that, but I can't fault the author for not wanting to. This book is worth the read or listen.

a wonderful and unique ending to the series. tied everything up nicely with a good twist. nice narration as well.

I love Garth Nix's writing in print, but this was the first of his solo books I heard from Audible. The Story was rather good, even if it felt that Nix might have been talking down to his readers at a few points when a child who had gotten so far in the book should have absolutely no trouble understanding. What made this listen bad enough that around the middle it became hard to finish was Allan Corduner's stiff performance. Characters that I've come to love in print faded into the background because his delivery made their thoughts and dialogue indistinguishable from the descriptions of the setting. a character in truly dire peril spoke with no more emotional pathos than the rock on which they crouched in terror.

Nix makes up for his tone pandering in the middle of the story with the climax, which leaves even mature readers with a moment of true disbelief, "Did he really just do what I think he did? but how will he end from here?" he walks you back towards the corner, painting away, till you look up realize he's taken a rope ladder into the rafters and left you holding the brush for one long scary moment... after which he firmly takes the brush away again and orders you to sit back while he completes his magic trick, but the moment is a part of the trick as well.

Corduner however, remains tree-like to the end. Not even a blossoming tree, so there would be some good born of the all stiffness, just a bare tree at the end of autumn. sitting there. being dull. waiting for someone more interesting to carve a name in it, or turn it into a wardrobe, or at least for spring to come along.When you see this name, take your credits and flee.