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.
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"A good follow-up story. The characters still have the same voice as was the problem in the first book. All with the same sarcasm and quick wit. Some people are described to have accents, but they all seem to crack the same kind of jokes. The story was compelling and developed well. Hard-to-guess ending. Leaves you looking forward to the next book! I think the author's dedications at the beginning of the book was the funniest part!"
— Jessi (4 out of 5 stars)
“Author Landy writes a compelling fantasy/futuristic mystery that is certain to keep young readers’ attention and imagination...This is a great read.”
— Children’s Literature“Rupert Degas uniquely characterizes each villain, creating chills with gravelly and whispery voices. Degas’ flippant, quick delivery of witty lines brings to life Skulduggery’s friendly, hip manner, which is counterpointed with a flatness that only barely covers his core of coldness and a hint of protective fondness for Valkyrie. Degas doesn’t flag in his narration of the nonstop action. He keeps up with chases, fights, rescues, and high-speed dialogue and without a pause gives credibility to the characters and their relationships.”
— AudioFile“Landy, who has also written horror screenplays, is in his element here. His style is cinematic, and the action nonstop. Skullduggery’s subtle humorous asides lighten the mood, and magical details, such as Valkyrie’s ability to throw fireballs, add to the fun.”
— Booklist“Readers looking for a mix of magic and action will find it here.”
— School Library Journal“Landy gives the term ‘deadpan humor’ a whole new meaning; readers who prefer their heroes laconic and their action nonstop are in for a wild ride.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" Fast paced enjoyable read. Clever characters and written to entertain its demographics. "
— Frank, 2/20/2014" Again Amazing another master piece LURVE it. I love every chapter every character every word !!!! "
— Jess, 2/18/2014" The violence in this sequel struck me as more extreme than the first book. But the action and humor are excellent. "
— Jerilyn, 2/5/2014" Skulduggery Pleasant Book 2 continues with the fun, fantasy and mystery. Usually I'm not a fantasy fan nor a mystery fan but I do so love the Skulduggery Pleasant books. Go figure. "
— Carol, 2/3/2014" loved it. laughed and was shocked often "
— Inusgrrl, 1/23/2014" Thought it was better than the first book. Dialogue's still snappy and pace was good. "
— Qing, 1/19/2014" Book two of the series in the continuing saga with Skulduggery and Valkyrie fighting crime within the magical community. Loving this fun madcap series. "
— Mayrose, 1/18/2014" This book is really good. It's the sequel to the first book, "Skulduggery Pleasant." I must say that although it's not as good as the first one, it's still enjoyable to read. "
— Cindy-Lou, 12/26/2013" The series gets better and better. Love that Valkyrie Cain. "
— Piper, 12/17/2013" I would give this book a 3 1/2 stars. I liked it better than the first one. I can't wait to read the next one. "
— Erica, 12/13/2013" i was lots of fun and laid most on the floor laughing "
— Mono33, 9/29/2013" So in love with this series. "
— Holly, 9/25/2013" I just finished reading Playing with Fire by Derek Landy and I highly recommend this book to anyone. "
— Yvonne, 8/8/2013" Another thrilling adventure with Skulduggery, and a delicious sequel to the first :-) More freaky bad guys than you can shake a stick at, lots of action and magic, and plenty of humor made this another really fun ride. I'm looking forward to the third! "
— Qt, 7/18/2013" What fun! Review to come (well... hopefully). "
— Megan, 5/19/2013" I thought this was a very good book. It is action packed and very interesting to read. "
— Jakob, 4/24/2013" Another great offering from Derek Landy. More please? "
— Ryan, 1/24/2013" Another fantastic Skulduggery book! I love this kind of magic world and all of the hilarious characters (and their hilarious names). It reminded me a little of Terry Pratchett, but it's also very unique. "
— Merri, 10/3/2012" It was a really good book and it was surprisingly funny (judging by the cover). You have to actually read the book to see how funny it is. One of the best series I have read so far and I can say this even though this is only the second book. "
— Celine, 7/22/2012" great audio book! so entertaining! i can't wait to hear the third one! :-) "
— essteajay, 7/5/2012" Loved it, but not quite as much as the first book. Can't really quantify why. "
— Nilchance, 3/12/2012" Great story. I am really getting into this world. Still having trouble thinking of this girl as so young, so I just solve that with my mind by telling myself that she is older. "
— Tams, 11/3/2011" An amazing sequel to the amazing first book. "
— Nukeyeti, 10/20/2011" War ein gutes Buch :) "
— Zilan, 7/29/2011" This one's even more violent than the first book, with the same dry humor to go along with it. The plot was a bit sequely but, all in all, good fun. "
— Alia, 7/4/2011" it was one of the best books i've every read!and i've read a lot of books "
— Kendall, 5/22/2011" Soren read this in one day. Said it swore a couple times and that it was really exciting and some funny too. "
— Rebecca, 5/16/2011" So good! I loved it! Worth reading! Give it a go. "
— Caitlin, 5/12/2011" Quick, entertaining read. "The Lost Art of World Domination" short story is golden! "
— Verniboomboom, 5/1/2011" I generally like a snarky silver-tongued detective story. "
— Stacey, 4/30/2011" The story is good but the audio book is a must listen! Fantastic and Skulduggery's voice game me chills. "
— Melissa, 4/30/2011" My favorite book series! Great book! "
— Leah, 4/23/2011" Listened to this on CD and laughed all the way to work and back. "
— Julias14, 4/22/2011" This is a brilliant humorous book that not only I enjoyed but my younger brother as well who I often have top bribe to get him to read. But not with this book! "
— Michelle, 4/22/2011" One of my very favorite fantasy series. <br/> <br/>Brilliantly combines flat-out action adventure with heavy doses of humor and witty dialog. <br/> <br/>What could be better than a world-coming-to-an-untidy-end halting duo that includes a gal with ninja skills and a....skeleton? "
— Suzy, 4/21/2011" SUper fun, especially if you listen to the audio version. The reader is brilliant. "
— Dana, 4/21/2011" i thought this book was great and recommend it to people that like action and mistory. "
— Madie, 4/14/2011" Not as good as I would have hoped given it had a type of protagonist which appeals to me. I imagine this is because it is a book aimed at preteens so it all felt very simple. It is just that the synopsis was something I've been eyeing for awhile. "
— Fiore777, 4/14/2011Derek Landy is far too modest to talk about any accolades his books may have garnered. He will not, for instance, mention that his first book, Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients, was named a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, or that it appeared on Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List, or that it was indeed a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Similarly, he gets downright embarrassed when he has to admit to the awards won by the follow-up Skulduggery novels: Playing with Fire and The Faceless Ones. It’s simply all too much for a simple lad from Ireland. Derek lives in Dublin with a variety of cats, a German Shepherd, and two arthritic Bull Terriers who keep peeing on his floor because they think it’s funny.
Rupert Degas is an award-winning narrator and a 2022 recipient of the AudioFile Golden Voice Award. He has won numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, has recorded the works of Peter Carey, Haruki Murakami, Andy McNab, Darren Shan, and Derek Landy, among others. He has also recorded over fifty radio productions including The Gemini Apes, The Glittering Prizes, This Sceptered Isle, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He has appeared on film and television in Dead Romantic, EastEnders, Waiting for God, Passport to Murder, Over Here, Fatherland, The Cappuccino Years, Exorcist: The Beginning, Love Soup and Shoot the Messenger. He has also lent his voice to numerous animated films and series including Mr. Bean, Bob the Builder, Robotboy, and The Amazing World of Gumball. Along with several stints in Newsrevue at the Canal Café Theatre and in Edinburgh, he has appeared on the London stage in The Boys Next Door, Are We There Yet?, Becket, Stones in His Pockets, and Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of The 39 Steps. He lives in Sydney, Australia.