2008-05-15 A slight lull in a usually amazing series

Barcode: 9780007175093

So, we had the series kicking off to a great start with Mister Monday before confirming its amazingness with the awesome Grim Tuesday (still the best one in my opinion) and adding a new depth and maturity in Drowned Wednesday. But with Lady Friday we have something of an enigma. It is still the same series we know and love, still the same characters and overall feel... but somehow, the energy and pace that made the other books such a joy to read isn't present as much here.

There is still plenty to enjoy here though, by the time you get to the middle of the book where Arthur is well stuck in to the conflict between the various factions and Denizens of the Middle House, things perk up and the 5th part of the Will and the welcome return of the Mariner in particular add a much needed solidity to the events. For that reason, even though it didn't grip me as much as the rest of the series, I'm still going to give this book five stars as taking it more on its own it still holds a great capacity to entertain, Garth Nix's imagination and writing still on top form as he picks out the weird mechanics of the Paper Pushers and the Winged Servants of Night among other things.

The book overall has grander scale than the previous ones which actually gives it a lot of substance, well thought out and while the chapters alternate, sometimes slightly confusingly between Arthur and Leaf, Nix ensures that both are treated with equal respect and attention. Later on, the way Friday's experience draining capabilities and her barren crater of a home are described sees the series taking a more chilling route and if weren't for the ease at which Friday is eventually defeated, this would add real gravitas to this novel.

The Piper is a thoroughly threatening menace lurking in the background of the novel as does the theme that Arthur must avoid using too much magic or he will turn into a Denizen forever.

Ultimately, if you're reading the series, Lady Friday is an essential link in the chain and there are enough moments of that fantastical wonderfulness that we have come to expect from Nix to make it memorable. And with two more books to go in the series, things look promising - I can't wait for Superior Saturday!