Breathtaking magical adventure series from the author of Sabriel.

Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world - where one boy is about to venture and unlock a number of fantastical secrets.

Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock.

Arthur is safe - but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with bloodstained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back - even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him.

Desperate, Arthur escapes to the mysterious house that has appeared in town - a house that only he can see. Maybe there he can unravel the secrets of the key - and discover his true fate.

This is volume 1 in Keys To the Kingdom .

This book has been graded for interest at 10-14 years.

There are 448 pages in this book. This book was published 2009 by HarperCollins Publishers .

The two Australian authors, Anna Fienberg and Garth Nix, live in Sydney. Anna is known for her popular stories for all age groups. Garth is known for his teenage fantasy novels.