Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients

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Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients (Skulduggery Pleasant #1)

by Derek Landy, Tom Percival (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 12,898 ratings · 1,434 reviews

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant

Ace Detective
Snappy Dresser
Razor–tongued Wit
Crackerjack Sorcerer
and
Walking, Talking,
Fire-throwing Skeleton

—as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old.

These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.

The end of the world?

Over his dead body.

ebook, 215 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by HarperCollins (first published March 8th 2007)

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Community Reviews

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Apr 13, 2009 Qt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, fantasy, humor

I loved discovering this book; I thought it had a very fun mixture of magic, action, creepiness, and humor--plus, I really love the title character :-)

23 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2013 Booknut rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-love-dearly

"So you won't keep anything from me again?"
He put his hand to his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
"Okay then. Though you don't actually have a heart," she said.
"I know."
"And technically, you've already died."
"I know that too."
"Just so we're clear."

When Stephanie Edgley’s Uncle Gordon – a writer of horror novels – passes away, she meets his one-time friend Skulduggery Pleasant…who just happens to be a skeleton wizard-detective, that believes he is invincible and has the world’s bigg...more

14 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: funny, mystery-and-crime, horror, best-character-or-charachters, action-and-gore, adventure, fantasy, paranormal-and-myth, witches-wizards-and-magic, i-can-t-let-go-and-my-favourites

Mr Pleasant and his sidekick Stephanie (aka Valkyrie) came into my life by sure luck. One day, I was at my best friend's house. We sat down - drinking tea and chatting away - when her sister came barging in the door, book in hand. "This is awesome!" she shrieked and gave it to my friend/her sister. I was able to read the summery and thought it sounded cool. My friend said that she'd read it and after a while she gave it to me. She thought it was boring and didn't finish it. "I know you're big in...more

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-lit

"You eat a lot of passers-by?”
“Yes yes, yum yum.”

Summary

Twelve year old Stephanie Edgley’s uncle, Gordon, dies and she inherits his mansion and all the royalties from his bestselling novels. At the reading of Gordon’s will, Stephanie notices a stranger dressed in a scarf, wig and sunglasses.

One night while staying alone in her newly inherited mansion, a man breaks in and tries to kill Stephanie. The stranger from her uncle’s will reading comes to her rescue, saving her life and at the same time...more

16 likes · like · see review

Aug 17, 2010 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-ya-and-children, how-audio-book, what-fantasy, who-christmas-every-day, why-favorite-authors, why-favorite-series, why-favorites

One of the best children's urban fantasy books ever. The plot is interesting, the heroine strong and intelligent (and a girl!), and the book is genuinely funny. I listened to the audio version and the reader is exceptional. I laughed out loud many times and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Kaethe marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

I wish I'd loved this because the name Skulduggery Pleasant is probably the best name ever.

Library copy

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Mar 10, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

5* so I read more. "Skulduggery Pleasant" is a skeleton, magician, detective, and mentor to his just-murdered friend's heir, niece Stephanie Edgeley 12, "wise beyond your years" p318 on summer break, resident of small town Haggard, east coast Ireland. Author Derek Landry, karate black belt, teaches children self-defense "for his own munchkin army" (back fold blurb) so I'll back down on doubt when the girl runs, kicks, punches, and out-fights supernatural army led by wicked Adept Nefarian Serpine...more

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Oct 02, 2008 paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, audio, great-audio-books-for-the-whole-fam, favorites

Skulduggery Pleasant is Derek Landy's first book for children, and the second is already in the can, which is a Very Good Thing. His characters are broadly drawn, meaty, yet precise - like Chinese calligraphy done with a big fat brush dripping with ink. The dialogue is snappy, with some fun deconstructionist bits; and the plot is just twisty enough: not even the very close listener Mr. Four could find any holes.

But the real revelation here is Skulduggery Pleasant himself, a several-hundred-year-...more Skulduggery Pleasant is Derek Landy's first book for children, and the second is already in the can, which is a Very Good Thing. His characters are broadly drawn, meaty, yet precise - like Chinese calligraphy done with a big fat brush dripping with ink. The dialogue is snappy, with some fun deconstructionist bits; and the plot is just twisty enough: not even the very close listener Mr. Four could find any holes.

But the real revelation here is Skulduggery Pleasant himself, a several-hundred-year-old living skeleton working as a freelance detective. He's urbane. He's competent. He's noble. He knows it. And his wit is very, very, very dry. He puts me in mind of James Bond, if Clive Owen had gotten the job. Or Indiana Jones, perhaps as played by Hugh Grant.

It's fairly unusual in contemporary children's literature to find a leading man per se: that is, an adult male that carries the book. Adult males are villains (say, Voldemort), or guides (Dumbledore), or surrogate fathers who aren't around much either (Sirius Black), but it's usually the eleven-year-old orphan who is the center of attention. Skulduggery Pleasant is written from the point of view of its main female character, an eleven-year-old girl named Stephanie Edgely, but it's Skul who drives the action. He's more than a mere guide for Stephanie. It's interesting, and I think it's because Derek Landy's background is in screenwriting rather than children's literature. My guess is that nobody told him.

Which is not to say that Stephanie falls by the wayside. More than your usual preternaturally resourceful girl protagonist, she is written from the inside out, and feels very real, though a bit devoid of background. Even her parents, bit players for sure, are people who you feel you kind of know.

A word about the audio edition - GET THE AUDIO EDITION. Like the Lemony Snicket books read by Tim Curry, it has original music: deep, jazzy bass, thumps of percussion, fingersnaps and distant screams; and, also like those books, it is read by a MASTER of vocal characterization.

Rupert Degas is apparently a voice superstar in the UK, with everything from Bob the Builder to Haruki Murakami on his resume, but this is the first time I've heard him. He reads an Irish tween girl as convincingly as an adult woman from London, and he has a vast repertoire of deep, hoarse, whispery, creaky, etc. that he gleefully applies to everyone else in the book. The cackling, gibbering, transforming Troll under Westminster Bridge should win this guy an Audie all by itself. We've played that chapter "about a hundred and sixty-seven times, and it KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY SINGLE TIME"!

When we finished the audio book this afternoon, my two boys and I were left craving more Skulduggery, and there it was! a bonus track featuring an interview with the man himself: relaxed, egotistical, coy, and dead-on funny. Can't wait for the sequel.(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2007 Kadrin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everybody

This book is absolute fun from beginning to end. It has a sweepingly fast pace without feeling rushed, all kinds of epic drama without feeling melodramatic, horrific monsters (I'm thinking of one in particular, but it's a spoiler) without being too dark, and brilliant banter without not having brilliant banter. While a children's book, it can definitely be enjoyed by all ages. The strong female characters (both Stephanie and Tanith Low are my heroes), warnings against violence and revenge, and i...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Janis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 2008 Odyssey Honor Audiobook

Shelves: best-in-2007, recommend-to-joann, read-in-2007, own-on-audio, preteens, childrens-fantasy, given-to-john, evelyn-ideas, given-to-joann, tricia-kati-next-year, given-to-susan

Detective story with a fantasy twist. Skulduggery Pleasant is a sentient skeleton, detective, who also can do magic. He's good natured, with a delightfully dry wit. He teams up with 12 year old Stephanie to find out who killed her beloved uncle. Stephanie is spunky, clever and pretty quick witted herself. Their good natured bickering and conversations often had me chuckling out loud. Their relationship is what I liked best about this story.

"Being a detective isn't all about torture and murder an...more

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Oct 07, 2007 Eboni rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Slightly disturbing- I enjoyed it!

I initially picked this book up to return it to it's rightful division -glancing at the cover, I doubted it was a children's book. I decided to read the first sentence...then the first paragraph...first page...

The dialogue was witty (you can tell Landy has a background in screenwriting) and the protaganist Stephanie is the first twelve year fictional female character I've enjoyed in a while. This would be a great book-talk.

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Jan 19, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, children-s, middle-grade

This was a very enjoyable adventure story. I loved, loved, loved the witty dialog between the two main characters. I wasn't completely engrossed by it, though. I think that's because it seemed like the girl in the story was along for the ride just because her life was normal and boring and she wanted some adventure and magic to spice it up. That's exciting and all, but for me to have cared about her as a character, I think I needed to see more depth--for example, her feelings about her recently...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: odd-humour-tale, fantasy-humour

I really enjoyed this book. I wanted a genre change from the YA Vamps & Werewolves, so I went for a 9+ yr's funny skeleton detective book *laughing*...

Landy really nailed it from the start with his zappy writing style that draws you in. If you're ever going to judge a book by it's cover, then this is the one that lives up to the cover and then some. The skill of the writer to pull you into a story well told, seemingly without effort, is what makes for a good book. You don't get any pauses, o...more I really enjoyed this book. I wanted a genre change from the YA Vamps & Werewolves, so I went for a 9+ yr's funny skeleton detective book *laughing*...

Landy really nailed it from the start with his zappy writing style that draws you in. If you're ever going to judge a book by it's cover, then this is the one that lives up to the cover and then some. The skill of the writer to pull you into a story well told, seemingly without effort, is what makes for a good book. You don't get any pauses, or slow parts, where you wonder about the writer losing the thread. It's not laugh out loud funny (at least not for me, maybe that 9-11 year old) but it's not dull, and the deadpan wisecracks are part of it's charm...

We're really following young Stephanie into the more exciting world of magic that she's sure she wants. It's as though she was made for it, and not a mundane young teenage life that she often finds tedious. After her uncle's untimely death Stephanie is left the bulk of his estate, probably because she genuinely liked him and was also much like him. Enter Skulduggery Pleasant, now there is an interesting character, then Stephanie talks him into tagging along as his detective side-kick. Which is fortunate for Skulduggery as he's got some major enemies and apparently needs the help. So with young Stephanie we enter a magical world that most humans are oblivious to. There's a good selection of bad guys, action, and wise-cracks, with good supporting characters. But we're really following the adventures of Stephanie with Skulduggery and their forming relationship.

Stephanie is often in danger, a way of life for Skulduggery, but even when she's scared or terrified she has the bravery and determination to stick to her chosen path. They're both trying to solve the murder of her uncle and recover a magical sceptre before Skulduggery's arch enemy can utilize it's power. There are myths and magic in abundance, and plenty of original idea's which I really like when they work. And in this book Landy appears to make them work with ease.

I think writing books for such a young audience is a certain gift, and Landy has it. Great care has gone into what he writes and how he writes it, though the flow of the book makes it seem effortless.

I don't think you have to be 9-12 years of age to appreciate this book, or to enjoy it (though it may be worth bearing in mind who just made that comment *laughing*). It's a fun book, a really well written story with stand-out characters, and I loved the originality...

4 stars means it's a damn good read that I may well read again sometime.(less)

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Jan 19, 2011 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, dark-fantasy, action-adventure, loved, whodunit-supernatural

I will freely admit that a good part of the consideration of this 4-star rating is that I'm really enamored with the whole idea and premise of the thing - the animated skeleton, who's also a wizard, and a detective? It's like Harry Dresden and Bob all rolled into one snarky, crime-fighting, bad-guy-stopping-pacakge. So, if the execution faltered here and there - the idea is just too cool.

Another part of the 4-star rating is that I like the characters. I like Skulduggery and Stephanie, and I can...more I will freely admit that a good part of the consideration of this 4-star rating is that I'm really enamored with the whole idea and premise of the thing - the animated skeleton, who's also a wizard, and a detective? It's like Harry Dresden and Bob all rolled into one snarky, crime-fighting, bad-guy-stopping-pacakge. So, if the execution faltered here and there - the idea is just too cool.

Another part of the 4-star rating is that I like the characters. I like Skulduggery and Stephanie, and I can see how she has great potential to grow as a character. Tanith Low is really cool, too - a nice mix of age and ability, with a sometimes youthful openness. And Mr. Bliss and Ghastly are interesting additions. Where the story is strongest is in the character interactions - their banter and the wit and humor peppered through-out made it enjoyable.

That said - I had trouble following the action sequences. And there's a lot of action. (One of the blurbs for the book says it's movie ready, and I agree, but I don't necessarily see this as a good thing - because I'd like, at times, a bit more depth.) But I couldn't always quite get a handle and "see" what was going on in my head. The action is also a bit repetitive - they sneak about, get found, fight it out, get overwhelmed, run away... only to repeat the pattern again. And again.

Also, the plot is pretty standard good vs. evil kind of stuff - complete with hokey villian and annoyingly incompetent good guy council, whom the rouge, and mistrusted agent, must work around to defeat the bad guy.

I think, for the target age group, they'll be so caught up in the characters, the banter, and the downright cool magic tidbits unique to this world (like the reflection thing), and they won't care a wit if the villian's cartoony. But, for me, while I still enjoyed it, it was weak in places.

That said - I'm still itching to get my hands on the next in the series. I hope that the pros stay strong, and the weaknesses get fleshed out a bit more, because this has the potential to be a really good, and really fun series.

p.s. There's a short story at the end, in the Extras section, which is really good and funny, and which gives me a lot of hope for the possible future of the series.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

[Note: from the charming Georgina's comments on this review, I've come to believe I am too far outside the age range. I still believe what I wrote, it's just that the concerns of my review are mostly irrelevent to the book's average reader. Cheers!]

Disappointing. The title/name and the cover illustration really appealed to me, but the book was generic and unbelievable from the start. I suppose some could be forgiven considering that the intended audience appears to be maybe 11 year olds (?), but...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Cathy by: Shanon from Witches, Were & Vamps

Shelves: audiobook, zz-challenge-bcc-fantasy-2010, zz-challenge-library-borrowed-2010, zz-challenge-new-author-2010, fantasy, humor, juvenile, magic-users, mystery, paranormal, read-in-2010, urban, young-adult, favorites

I loved this book! I found it listed on one of Goodreads' best audiobooks lists, and boy were they right. I'm sure I would have enjoyed the story in print as well. It's the kind of story I like, with a plucky but slightly snarky kid and a cool magical mystery. And Skulduggery just takes it over the top with his cool lines and risky moves. But listening to the book as read by the incredible Rupert Degas made it extraordinary. He made every character feel totally real. Skulduggery is cool, funny a...more

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Sep 21, 2008 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephanie has been thrown into a world out of one of her dead uncle horror novels. Well not really, rather she has been thrown into a world that was what her uncle has base his horror novels upon. A world where magical creatures are co-existing right along side our world. Where a secret war was being battle right under our noises so many years ago.

Stephanie hadn't meant to walk into this oh-so dangerous world. No, this world literately blasted down her door and tried to kill her. That was until...more

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Mar 07, 2008 Terri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: grades 6-9

Recommended to Terri by: Kristi Hazelrigg

Shelves: highly-recommended

Take one sudden death and a hard-boiled detective. Add a preteen sidekick, an evil sorcerer, and a massive infusion of magic, and you have a sure-fire recipe for a great read.

At the funeral of her recently deceased uncle, a writer of highly successful horror novels, twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgely meets a mysterious gentleman totally swathed in a scarf, hat, and overcoat even though it is summer. They meet again at the reading of her uncle's will, where it is revealed that Stephanie has inheri...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Interesting odd little book, a dead wizard...sort of. Well, I mean he's a skeleton, and you know, no skin or organs...but he's not really dead. Sort of.

Is this a kids book? It did strike me as odd how the reaction to a walking, talking skeleton didn't freak Stephanie out more completely.

Not a bad book, help track down the Faceless ones...if you dare. hee hee hee ... (or is that bwa-ha-ha?)

Some have suggested that there are some similarities between the Faceless Ones and Lovecraft's Great Old One...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, funny, supernatural

It's about a skeleton detective and this girl called Stepanie, the skeleton can do magic and stuff. It's very funny, especialy as I'd seen the author on world book day some time before reading the book. In fact I had seen the books before in the local libary though I would never have ever read them if I had not seen the author!

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Jun 01, 2010 Colleen McGlashen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-fiction, supernatural, derek-landy

I was hoping to give this book a 5 star rating. A living skeleton who is a detective, a magical hidden world, a scepter with untold power...what's not to love. I like all the characters in the book, even the bad guys. They're deliciously evil! But the book didn't grab me like I hoped it would. The writing is just not compelling enough. I will read the other books in the series in hopes that the writing gets better.

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Nov 27, 2008 Anika Ferguson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book out loud to my kids starting at Halloween time. It was recommended by that same librarian – who I think has creepy taste. Stephanie is a normal twelve-year-old who gets thrown into extraordinary circumstances by inheriting an estate, magical friends and a mystery to solve from her recently deceased uncle. She teams up with her uncle’s friend and partner, a skeleton detective named Skulduggery Pleasant who shows her around the new magical world. She joins forces with others to ov...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Sam Piper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read Landy's The Faceless Ones - the third in the Skulduggery Pleasant series - and, I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it: a smart and sassy heroine; an enigmatic and intriguing (possibly anti-) hero; a wide range of engaging characters. So I have taken the fact that the current seventh book, The Kingdom Of The Wicked is longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2013 to catch up on the series starting with this, number one.

And it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Skulduggery, the eponymous s...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

I once worked with someone who rather reminded me of a tragic pelican. He had this strange, gulping way of speaking, almost as though his words were fish that he was trying to choke down, and these sad, sad eyes that are endemic amongst those employed within the public sector. He would speak at length about his rebellious past working in a library; and at any point would be reading Proust, and only Proust. So when he informed me one...more This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

I once worked with someone who rather reminded me of a tragic pelican. He had this strange, gulping way of speaking, almost as though his words were fish that he was trying to choke down, and these sad, sad eyes that are endemic amongst those employed within the public sector. He would speak at length about his rebellious past working in a library; and at any point would be reading Proust, and only Proust. So when he informed me one day that he was leaving work early to go to Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant signing I was just a touch surprised.

“Oh,” he said. With a pelicanical gulp. “My daughters really like the books. And they’re…not so bad.”
What was this? A would-be Proust scholar and tree-change snob reading books about a hero apparently afflicted with some terrible flesh eating disease? Perhaps those stats about children’s literature being bought largely by–and for–adults are actually meaningful. (Perhaps, too, adults have children as a sort of smokescreen to justify these reading habits.)

A week or so ago I was at Melbourne Central’s Little Library, a lovely little venture where patrons donate, borrow or swap books from their own collections (and which at this point is largely stocked by the enormous overflow from my own bookshelves), and happened across the distinctly colourful cover of Mr Landy’s first literary outing with his bone-headed detective hero. I nabbed it and went home to have a read.

Now, I’m not entirely as enamoured of the series as my colleague apparently was (“not so bad” was no doubt a euphemism for “best book evar!”, a phrase this fellow would likely never allow to pass his lips, not even for Proust), but it is a bit of rampaging fun incorporating endless flight and/or fight scenes, dastardly betrayals and a rather disturbingly narcissistic skull-faced man. Fans of Michael Scott’s Nicholas Flamel books will no doubt adore these, but although I can see why these appeal so much to readers (bonus points for having a villain called Nefarian Serpine, a chortle-worthy name which makes Voldemort look delightfully subtle), I struggled to engage on an emotional level with the story or its characters.

I tend not to connect with books that rattle along at a speed that seems to involve increasing G forces (I dislike the feeling of having my skin stretched back against my face when reading a book; you know how it is), and I think in large part it was the lack of breathing space in Skulduggery Pleasant that prevented me from embracing it whole-heartedly. In contrast, I do wonder whether my Proust-obsessed colleague was struck by the astonishing brevity of the novel could you imagine how a Proust-penned fight scene might play out? Over five hundred pages, probably.

My secondary issue with the book was that I felt that Stephanie (our key point of view character and Skulduggery’s new sidekick, not me talking about myself in the third person) was underdeveloped. She’s essentially the lens through which the story plays out and a backboard for Skulduggery’s endless lobbing of zingy dialogue. Hopefully given the Big Reveal regarding Stephanie’s character, we’ll see her a little more fleshed out (although the same surely can’t be expected of Skulduggery, badoom tsh) in the subsequent books, although I suspect that the forces of Supremely Action-Oriented Narrative may undermine that somewhat. Finally, I’d love to see more made of the Dublin setting: the book’s sense of place is so amorphous that it could really be set anywhere at all.

Although a Proust-Landy mashup is unlikely to be on the horizon, I would love to see the next outing involve the nibbling of madeleines over dialogue such as:

“Are you looking for a secret passageway?”
“You watch too many haunted-house movies,” [Skulduggery] said.
“But are you looking for a secret passageway?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “But that’s just a coincidence.”(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, let me just say, this book is definitely worth a read. You just can't avoid it.
Derek Landy is overall a great writer. The book is almost entirely action, though - he focuses on getting to the point. If there is a description, it is usually humorous or spooky. That is probably why I enjoyed the book so much. It is witty, the dialogue is fantastic, and the plotline guides you smoothly along. Overall, the book is very gripping and you just can't put it down.
Unfortunately, I gave up on the s...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Marieke Bosman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this book! I found it at a good quick pace but the pace it was at was not like a quick pace that those trashy adventure novels are at. Also the plot was extremely well thought out and very creative. Also I loved the world that it was in, you know how every book has their own world. Harry Potters world is Hogwarts and witches and wizards, Percy Jacksons world is Greek based and about Demigods and like them this book is about magic in the modern day world. And along with being m...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Addison Shupe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Skuldugery Pleasant

Spoiler alert:
Genre: Fantasy, adventure
In the book Skuldugery Pleasant, he was a skeleton who had magical powers! He was also a detective who solved crimes. He one day saved a young girl named Stephanie and she soon bacame interested in the magical world. She became his side kick, and learned how to use magic. They defeted the bad guy, Serpine, who wanted to bring back the Faceless Ones. They saved the world from a bad magic that should never be awakened.
This book was very...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Maddy green rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book Review
Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Spoiler alert.
Skullduggery Pleasant is a fiction book it is fiction because it is about ¬-magic and sarcasm. The book is about a detective that is a bit rogue in the way that he goes about his work. He meets a twelve year old girl named Stephanie Edgley who has the potential to become a great magician. The book tells about them and how they go about solving crime and saving the world.
The story begins when Stephanie’s uncle dies and she meets a tal...more Book Review
Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Spoiler alert.
Skullduggery Pleasant is a fiction book it is fiction because it is about ¬-magic and sarcasm. The book is about a detective that is a bit rogue in the way that he goes about his work. He meets a twelve year old girl named Stephanie Edgley who has the potential to become a great magician. The book tells about them and how they go about solving crime and saving the world.
The story begins when Stephanie’s uncle dies and she meets a tall handsomely dressed man at his funeral and later on again at the reading of his will. She later learns that this man is a magician named Skullduggery Pleasant and he is trying to save the world. The story then explains a bit about the world of magic that lives on the same planet as them and is just hidden from normal people much like in the book Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. The people are called mages and live pretty normally. As she learns more about him and the magic world she helps him to solve the case about saving the world. After some time she finds out that she might be able to do magic like the other hidden world of mages. The book ends as she begins her apprenticeship with Skullduggery to learn to be a great magician
This book is a memorable book for its sarcastic humor and awesome events. This book is great however I do wish that sometimes it would put more of the parents into it. I think that it could use a bit more of concerned parents. Their daughter is missing half the time and is filled in with a fake girl with no emotions that fills in for her. I think that the parents should notice this change in their daughter and take more interest in it. In many other books where there is a change in the child the parents will notice it. For example in the Avalon the web of magic series the parents notice something is different and talk to their kids about it.
I however thought that despite the interesting relationship with the parents the book was great, I think that the book was had the perfect form of dry sarcastic humor and I think that this book can be related to life in a ironic way the situations in life are not as extreme as in the book. However they are related in the category that bad things happen.
I would read this book for fun if you either a bit down or if you want some good laughs at sarcastic jokes and hilarious scenarios. The book is great over all and will relate to life in some ways. It also has a wonderful plot line; I hope that my review has been helpful and that you will read this book.
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Oct 05, 2012 Will Hogarth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is best described as a Y.A. novel or even a kids book, but why let that get in the way of a good story, as a lot of adults have read books about a certain boy wizard aimed at a similar audience.

Being aimed at a younger audience, this book will be an easy read for adults and as such does not take long to read, but this is not just from the fact it is a younger persons book, the major factor in this, is it is such a good story that it is hard to put down until you get to the end.

The plo...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Emmanuel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Raising Cain
Skuldudggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy.

If you’re reading this review, there are chances you already read the book or that you are planning on doing so. If that’s the case then you must admit that deep down, inside of every and each of you there is the hope that one day you will stumble onto a marvelous universe of magic, power, danger and mystery ; or simply that you hope you may have some superpower waiting for the right moment to awaken.
Either way, there are...more Raising Cain
Skuldudggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy.

If you’re reading this review, there are chances you already read the book or that you are planning on doing so. If that’s the case then you must admit that deep down, inside of every and each of you there is the hope that one day you will stumble onto a marvelous universe of magic, power, danger and mystery ; or simply that you hope you may have some superpower waiting for the right moment to awaken.
Either way, there are chances you will not like what’s in store for you if such events were to take place. But I’m getting sidetracked here, or am I ?
Derek Landy’s Scepter of the Ancients is such a tale. A tale of unraveling mysteries, unraveling reality, and unraveling apocalyptic schemes. Stephanie Edgley is an Irish twelve year old girl whose uncle in passing away leaves her a lot to inherit: a sizable wealth, a big house and a strange acquaintance : Skulduggery Pleasant.
She is not the kind of character I’m used to, she lacks fighting power, stamina and the pure sense of menace I like my characters spiced with, but she is only twelve years old. And all that is made up for by her nimble mind, her up-front personality and the friendly banter she exchanges with the other main character. In short, she is the kind of brat I would enjoy spending a moderately short amount of time with.
Skuldudggery Pleasant is even more unique. He has a great charisma, a polished set of manners, a winning sense of style, an impressive ego and a rich sense of humor that death could not dampen. Yes, Skuldudggery Pleasant is very much dead and very much bent on revenge. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be charming about it.
The plot is what one would expect from an introductory tome to any series. We are introduced with a hidden world of magic and wonder, its peculiar inhabitants, its villains and the precarious truce that has been kept for a long, long time. And we are invited to witness the breaking of that order and the birth of new heroes called to uphold peace and justice alongside the old legends.
One more interesting note to this book is the system of magic. There are elemental mages who can call upon and control the elements, and adepts with particular abilities – shape-shifting, superhuman strength, necromancy and the likes.
All things considered Scepter of the Ancients is an entertaining read and albeit its lack of gore and brain-damage inducing scenes, there is a lot to enjoy in there and a lot to learn on the value of secrets, myths and names.

“Life is a cycle, isn’t it, Skulduggery? We are all destined to repeat ourselves, over and over. You, at my mercy. Me, merciless.”
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About Derek Landy

Derek Landy is an Irish writer and kenpo karate black belt. Two screenplays are films: IFTA award winning Dead Bodies and the IFTA nominated Boy Eats Girl. Landy himself was nominated for an IFTA for Best Script.
Derek Landy is far too modest to talk about any awards or accolades his books may have won, for instance, Skulduggery Pleasant won the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book of the Decade Award AND...more

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Books by Derek Landy

Playing with Fire (Skulduggery Pleasant, #2)

The Faceless Ones (Skulduggery Pleasant, #3)

Death Bringer (Skulduggery Pleasant, #6)

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Quotes from Skulduggery Pleasant

“Doors are for people with no imagination.” — 416 people liked it

“What is it?' Stephanie whispered.
'That, my dear Valkyrie, is what we call a monster.'
She looked at Skulduggery. 'You don't know what it is, do you?'
'I told you what it is, it's a horrible monster. Now shut up before it comes over here and eats us.” — 212 people liked it

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