The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #9)

Hello, my darling readers!
This is it, the end of Skulduggery Pleasant. Or not? Originally the series ended with this book. However, since Landy has rebooted the series and there are novels for me to read. In the mean time, let’s take a look at The Dying of the Light, the finale to the first bunch of Skulduggery books!

The Dying of the Light on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

The FINAL shocking, heart-wrenching book in the jaw-droppingly stupendous Skulduggery Pleasant series

Valkyrie. Darquesse. Stephanie. The world ain’t big enough for the three of them. The end will come…

The War of the Sanctuaries has been won, but it was not without its casualties. Following the loss of Valkyrie Cain, Skulduggery Pleasant must use any and all means to track down and stop Darquesse before she turns the world into a charred, lifeless cinder.

And so he draws together a team of soldiers, monster hunters, killers, criminals… and Valkyrie’s own murderous reflection.

The war may be over, but the final battle is about to begin. And not everyone gets out of here alive…

The Rating:

What. A. Novel.
While I didn’t love every single little thing about The Dying of the Light I am overall really happy with how this turned out. It was a thrilling ride and an intriguing conclusion to the series. I think the main thing that bothered me is that several characters/plot lines kind of fell to the wayside and weren’t properly addressed at the end. There simply are things that could have used just a few sentences to round things off considering this was supposed to be the final ever Skulduggery book.
I am aware that as it is now we do have some more novels, but I don’t know how much will be addressed in those. I feel like I ought to treat this as the final novel this was initially supposed to be. So, while it was a decently satisfying conclusion for Valkyrie and Skulduggery I just wish other characters had gotten that treatment as well.
*spoilers after the read more*

Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #8)

Hello, my darling readers!
We’re almost there! I just finished novel #8 out of the original 9-book run Skulduggery Pleasant. Let’s find out what this one contributes to Landy’s oeuvre and whether it got me hyped for the final novel!

Last Stand of Dead Men on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

War has finally come.

But it’s not a war between good and evil, or light and dark – it’s a war between Sanctuaries. For too long, the Irish Sanctuary has teetered on the brink of world-ending disaster, and the other Sanctuaries around the world have had enough. Allies turn to enemies, friends turn to foes, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie must team up with the rest of the Dead Men if they’re going to have any chance at all of maintaining the balance of power and getting to the root of a vast conspiracy that has been years in the making.

But while this war is only beginning, another war rages within Valkyrie herself. Her own dark side, the insanely powerful being known as Darquesse, is on the verge of rising to the surface. And if Valkyrie slips, even for a moment, then Darquesse will burn the world and everyone in it. 

The Rating:

Guys. GUYS. GUYS!!!
This was so freaking good. Landy threw a lot at us with Last Stand of Dead Men, and there is quite some stuff that I have not yet come to terms with. (If you read the book, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!)

Although the story might have been the tiniest bit convoluted and the reasoning not 100% sound and logical, I still found this to be a gripping read that held my interest from first to last page. I know many people dislike it when novels like this drift off into politics. In Last Stand of Dead Men global politics are certainly an important factor, but Landy managed to balanced that well with action and wit.

There are a few things I need to discuss that include huge spoilers for the book, so click on the read more button at your own peril! 😉

Kingdom of the Wicked by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #7)

Hello, my darling readers!
The end is near. I just finished book 7 out of 9. How is the story holding up so far? Am I still thrilled and amused? Let’s find out!

Kingdom of the Wicked on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

The seventh installment in the biggest, funniest, most thrilling comedy-horror-adventure series in the universe – and the follow-up to 2011’s number-one bestseller, Death Bringer…

Magic is a disease.

Across the land, normal people are suddenly developing wild and unstable powers. Infected by a rare strain of magic, they are unwittingly endangering their own lives and the lives of the people around them. Terrified and confused, their only hope lies with the Sanctuary. Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are needed now more than ever.

And then there’s the small matter of Kitana. A normal teenage girl who, along with her normal teenage friends, becomes infected. Becomes powerful. Becomes corrupted. Wielding the magic of gods, they’re set to tear the city apart unless someone stands up against them.

Looks like it’s going to be another one of those days…

The Rating:

Oh wow! This was something else. There’s a lot going on in Kingdom of the Wicked. I can’t believe Landy nailed it again! I swear, every time I thought I knew where this is going, he dropped a new bomb and threw in a plot-twist that caught me by surprise.
On top of that, the premise of this story provides some food for thought and is downright philosophical.
There is a lot to discuss but it’s impossible to do without spoilers, so click the read more button at your own risk! 😉

Death Bringer by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #6)

Hello, my darling readers!
We’ve made it to part six in Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series. It even looks like I finally managed to learn how to spell Skulduggery. 😅
Let’s see if he can keep up the momentum he built with the amazing five books that came before!

Death Bringer on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

The sixth instalment in the historic, hysterical and horrific Skulduggery Pleasant series. Think you’ve seen anything yet? You haven’t. Because the Death Bringer is about to rise…

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant: detective, sorcerer, warrior.

Oh yes. And dead.

The Necromancers no longer need Valkyrie to be their Death Bringer, and that’s a Good Thing.

There’s just one catch. There’s a reason the Necromancers don’t need her any more. And that’s because they’ve found their Death Bringer already, the person who will dissolve the doors between life and death.

And that’s a very, very Bad Thing… 

The Rating:

Oh wow. This was a freaking ride! I never cease to be amazed how Landy manages to come up with new intriguing content set in a world and featuring characters we are already so familiar with. Events and developments in Death Bringer have been hinted at in previous books but we get a bunch of twists and turns that keep things exciting.

Mortal Coil by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #5)

Hola, peeps!
I finished the next Skulduggery Pleasant but and I’m here to talk about it. So, let’s get in the Bentley and buckle for this ride!

Mortal Coil on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

Following the shocking revelations of DARK DAYS, get ready for the fifth installment of the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series — guaranteed to contain at least 40% humour, 50% action, and 100% thrills!

The blonde girl with the black lips turned to Valkyrie. ‘We know,’ she said. ‘We’ve seen the future. We know you’re going to kill the world!’

Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back — just in time to see their whole world get turned upside down! While they struggle to protect a known killer from an unstoppable assassin, Valkyrie is on a secret mission of her own. This quest, to prevent her dark and murderous destiny, threatens to take her to the brink of death and beyond. And then the body-snatching Remnants get loose, thousands of twisted souls who possess the living like puppets, and they begin their search for a being powerful enough to lead them. Facing such insurmountable odds, Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly and Tanith can trust no one. Not even each other! 

The Rating:

Oh my, this was intense.
I absolutely loved The Mortal Coil. So much is going on in this novel, I had no idea where we would end up. Twists and turns galore and not a single boring page to be found.

Dark Days by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #4)

Hello, my darling readers!
Welcome to part four of my Skulduggery Pleasant review series. Maybe by the end of the month, I’ll be able to spell that name on the first try. Who knows?

Dark Days on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant: detective, sorcerer, warrior.

Oh yes. And dead.

Skulduggery Pleasant is gone, sucked into a parallel dimension overrun by the Faceless Ones. If his bones haven’t already been turned to dust, chances are he’s insane, driven out of his mind by the horror of the ancient gods. There is no official, Sanctuary-approved rescue mission. There is no official plan to save him.

But Valkyrie’s never had much time for plans.

The problem is, even if she can get Skulduggery back, there might not be much left for him to return to. There’s a gang of villains bent on destroying the Sanctuary, there are some very powerful people who want Valkyrie dead, and as if all that wasn’t enough it looks very likely that a sorcerer named Darquesse is going to kill the world and everyone on it.

Skulduggery is gone. All our hopes rest with Valkyrie. The world’s weight is on her shoulders, and its fate is in her hands.

These are dark days indeed. 

The Rating:

So, what to do with this novel? I’ll keep the review short, I promise!