Dark Days — Derek Landy

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.

Reviews

“A high-intensity tale….Readers, particularly Artemis Fowl fans, will be skipping meals and sleep to get to the end.”
-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Utterly charming…perfect for the Potter crowd.”
-- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Rich fantasy that is as engaging in its creative protagonists and villains as it is in the lightning-paced plot and sharp humor.”
-- BCCB

“Landy keeps the action brisk, his characters slightly macabre, and uses humor to take the edge off.”
-- ALA Booklist

“Skulduggery Pleasant serves up a thoroughly satisfying blend of humor, magic and adventure. Once you've met Stephanie and Skulduggery, you'll be clamoring for a sequel.”
-- Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series

About the author

Derek Landy lives near Dublin. Before writing his children's story about a sharply-dressed skeleton detective, he wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a murderous horror film. "I think my career-guidance teacher is spinning in her grave," he says, "or she would be if she were dead."