Der Gentleman mit der Feuerhand (German Edition) - Skulduggery Pleasant 1

Way much better than Cats- albeit i've never seen it.
And yet - a spunky heroine and sassy skeleton dynamic duo. What could go wrong? ... A few things - but it mostly goes right!
Good for 9yo's aaaaand 9yos at heart.

I would have been okay with the talking skeleton, the evil sorcerers, and the hidden magical society, but I just couldn't buy the twelve-year-old girl. The whole thing read like somebody's Mary Sue fan fiction. There were parts that really bugged me (Like, "How do you know it was Serpine?" "Who else would it have been?" Nobody asks for a *description* or anything?) and some of the action was pretty badly blocked out. The witty banter was occasionally amusing, I suppose. Perhaps I'm just not the intended audience.

This is absolutely a marvelous wonderful splenderific where-has-it-been-all-my-life book and I have to say ... it's not so bad.
I originally grabbed a digital edition of just this first book because I was looking for more new-to-me Irish authors and/or books set in Ireland and the cover jumped out at me on Goodreads. I now own the paperbacks for all 9 books and it definitely won't be long before I dive back in for more. If only I didn't have other books I've committed myself to read I would likely be breaking my "no marathoning book series" rule.
Skulduggery is everything I would ever hope for in a skeletal lead character and Stephanie? Well, I pretty much want to be her when I grow up. Or Tanith. It's a tough call. Granted, Stephanie is 12 and I'm 41 so ..... anyway ..... let's just say she's pretty much overthrown Hermione as my magical tween book bestie (when, you know, Hermione was still a tween). And their big baddie? Yeah .... found myself in a "love to hate" relationship with him even greater than my pre-existing "love to hate" relationship with Voldemort.
I can't believe I've actually found a book series that I can say I have "more than" feelings about than Harry Potter. Not that I won't always love Harry Potter, of course. Skulduggery Pleasant is just .... a different kind of magical.
It's snarky. I love snarky.
It's hilarious. I love hilarity.
It's ....
well ....
not so bad.

This is a really fun book, full of interesting characters, adventure, and action. I was engaged right from the first page.
Skulduggery Pleasant is a skeleton detective with a dry wit and a quick mind and full of snappy quips. You know right away when he appears at the fringes of his friend’s funeral that he is going to be interesting and full of character. He teams up with twelve year old Stephanie to find the Sceptre of the Ancients after her uncle’s death. There is mystery and intrigue right away, pulling both Stephanie and the reader into a magical world hidden in just below the surface of the everyday world.
I liked Stephanie — she is feisty and fearless, willing to fight for what is right. She is sensitive and thoughtful, but also determined, is able to stand up for herself, and is up for adventure.
Landy has created a fantastic magical world in this book, filled with interesting characters and menacing villains. Many of the characters are stereotypes, however, with the evil ones having no redeeming qualities and the good ones very sympathetic.
This is a great start to the series and I can see kids racing through these books.

Fantasy novels about a child discovering a hidden world of magic alongside our own are a dime a dozen at this point, and this book is a fine exemplar that doesn't really distinguish itself in such a crowded field. I especially wish that author Derek Landy had done more with the Irish setting, but other than the audiobook reader's accent and a line or two of dialogue, this story could basically have been set anywhere.

Still, the narrative is tight enough that it never overstays its welcome, and the concept of a walking skeleton teaming up with a plucky twelve-year-old girl allows for some good kooky fun. The result blends urban fantasy with children's fantasy, and it's a solid enough foundation that I'll probably check out more of this series at some point.

Skulduggery Pleasant (by Derek Landy), starts with a young girl by the name of Stephanie, a young 13 year old girl with a normal life in Dublin, Ireland. When suddenly her uncle dies and while reading the will, it’s discovered that nearly everything was left to Stephanie. His house, royalties, inheritance. Everything. Through a series of events Stephanie discovers that her uncle has actually been murdered by a sorcerer named Nefarious Serpine, who wants to destroy the world. And a talking skeleton is here to help. Stephanie eagerly wants to enter this new world of magic and danger and leave behind the boring quiet town she grew up in.
This book is chock full of well meant teasing, sassiness, and is just downright funny. Somehow this book will make you laugh while also feeling tense wondering what will happen next. Derek Landy does a great job individualizing each character and making them feel as though they are real people. Well, as real as a talking skeleton can be.
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007

There are children's books and children's fantasy books which really only work for the target age group, and then there are children's books and children's fantasy books which adults will love just as much: Harry Potter is a prime example.

The Skulduggery Pleasant series is very much in that latter camp - the books say they're intended for the 9+ age group on the back cover, but they can be enjoyed equally well by those of us in their thirties and forties. I love them. My friends love them. There is just something about them that seems to work - especially in the latter books of the series, but to tell the truth, I was captivated from the very first page onwards.

It's probably not for everyone. If you loved Buffy; if you love fun, irreverent, occasionally rather gory humour, if you like some action and magic and over-the-top bad guys in your books, then you'll probably love it. If having the heroes trade witty one-liners and solve most problems by shooting at them or punching them in the face isn't your sort of thing, you'll probably not like it all that much.

But it's not all fun and games and gore. There's a lot of depth in these books (again, probably more in the latter books; this one is awesome in its own right but it is only the first book in a planned nine-book series). The truly bad guys may be pure evil, but the protagonists and their friends aren't nearly as one-dimensional - there is a lot of grey about quite a few of them. There's fighting and action, but there are also slower, more poignant moments.

I'm not going to try and come up with a synopsis, or talk a lot about the characters - other reviewers have done that better than I ever could - but really, this series is my absolute favourite discovery in the last year. Well worth a read, whether you're 9 years old or a grown-up still young at heart!

Skulduggery, our skeleton detective, meets twelve-year-old Stephanie and together they commit crimes. But it’s to save the world, so that’s quite alright.

I’m sensing a theme in what I enjoy. Namely that I seem to be enjoying books intended for children a lot more than expected. Though of course that doesn’t mean books intended for children are only for children to enjoy. Maybe it’s to do with the fact that at least in these kinds of books there is no repetitive formula being used, no building blocks to a story that could just as well substitute for a different story like a lot of YA that’s currently out there. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a lot of YA that’s currently out there, but it’s refreshing not read about the nth love triangle wherein our heroine is very plain except that everyone apparently disagrees because she is the most flawfree girl in the world with the most special traits/abilities/powers ever. Uh. Now onto the actual book, welp. This was beside the point so far, wasn’t it?

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It took me a bit to get into it due to some technical difficulties on my kindle, but apihsdggipdaghghködif Skulduggery and Stephanie are just delightful. The dry humour, the deadpan snark and the fascinating adventure are a wonderful mix and I’m truly glad that I listened to the person who recommended this book to me.

The writing was A+. It didn’t even feel like I’m being told a story (nothing wrong with that!) but being part of it. I was with Skulduggery and Stephanie every step of the way and I love it! It’s really well written and just waiting to entice you. Same with the characters. They’re utterly enchanting and I can’t wait to finish the other books in the series. (Welp, somebody hold me, Tanith Low and China Sorrows going all “don’t call her child” on the baddie was flawfree. So was the bonding between Tanith and Stephanie. SO MANY AWESOME CHARACTERS WHY HADN’T I HEARD OF THESE BOOKS BEFORE???)

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 into this stuff, so maybe you'd like it better."

Trust me when I say; I did. Actually, no. I didn't just like it; I LOVED IT.

Certainly, Derek has a great writing style. It has great fluidity, dry humour, and while I'm reading; I feel like I'm reading 3D. The detail is flawless! Not too much that it becomes overwhelming and not too little that you don't know what anything looks like. The action scenes are clear - you can see everything that's going on.

The plot was fantastic! Imagination was literally pouring out of the book. The world Derek has built is fascinating, and further on in the series; complex.
But come on; a magical skeleton detective and his teenage sidekick have to find a sceptre that may or may-not be real? It screams "GREATNESS OVER HERE!"

I really hope that the books become more popular in the American market. It really deserves it! : )

I was introduced to this series by a friend overseas, and while I'm beyond the targeted age group for this series I really enjoy it! It's fact paced, has lots of action- Landy certainly knows what he's talking about in regards to a fight scene. Not to mention the humor is simply fantastic- every book so far in the series has made my sides hurt from laughter.

The world in which the characters reside is very cool, and the characters use a neat magical system for their powers as well as the importance of everyone's names. Taking place in modern times, you get another magical view besides harry potter that is far from traditional. Its a very quick read and well worth it, I highly recommend it!

My only caution is that this series does not necessarily seem suitable for the targeted age group its listed under. As the series progresses some things occur to characters that I really don't think a 10 year old should be reading. It could be gory, startling or cause nightmares! I am not handing this series over to my brother until he is much older!

My best advice is to Read it for yourself first! It is undoubtedly an amazing series, but up to a parent's discretion on what sorts of things they deem ok for their kids to read. Its a blurry line, but don't let it stop you from picking it up and saving it for when they are older!

Skulduggery Pleasant is a sharp dresser, a detective, a wizard, and, in addition to being rather charming, he has "a voice so smooth, it could have been made of velvet." The only thing that keeps Skulduggery from being the perfect man is that he's not exactly a man: he's a living skeleton. He is also the main character in Derek Landy's debut novel, "Skulduggery Pleasant," published last year.

Despite sharing his name, the novel does not actually start with Skulduggery. It starts with Stephanie Edgley and the death of her favorite uncle, Gordon. Stephanie was Gordon's favorite niece which is why, at the age of twelve, she is named sole benefactor of his significant estate. That's when the trouble really starts and everything changes for Stephanie.

Enter Skulduggery, magic and Nefarian Serpine, one of the best villains seen in recent fantasy novels. Stephanie refuses, much to Skulduggery's dismay, to stay out of the dangerous world of magic and becomes an apprentice of sorts as the two investigate Gordon's death and its connection to an old (literally ancient) foe trying to tip the balance toward evil. For good.

This story might sound vaguely similar to other fantasy/action plots. But it's not. Landy borrows some elements from other popular children's fantasies, perhaps most obviously from Ursula K. Le Guin's "Earthsea" trilogy.

Like Le Guin's keystone work in the genre ("A Wizard of Earthsea" first published in 1968), Landy focuses on what he describes in the novel as "the quieter course" for magic: Elemental magic. What that means, basically, is the wizards here don't use wands and Latin spells. Instead, the power comes from the air, fire, water and earth--but earth magic is defensive and "purely for use as a last resort."

The power of naming also plays an important factor here, much in the same way it did in "A Wizard of Earthsea" (and even perhaps in "The Namesake" although the power there was much more figurative to say the least). Everyone has three names. The one they are born with, the one they are given, and the one that they take. If you know a person's true name (the one they are born with) you can control them absolutely. But there's no need to worry because a taken name seals the given name, protecting it. True names need stronger protection, a fact that becomes more important as the story progresses.

This truly modern fantasy is set in contemporary Ireland, which is where Landy lives. The narrative is modern and has a lot of verve. So much so, in fact, that some reviewers have said "Skulduggery Pleasant" reads more like a movie screenplay than a novel. This connection makes sense. Landy wrote the screenplays for two Irish horror films ("Dead Bodies" and "Boy Eats Girl") before writing "Skulduggery Pleasant."

The story here does have a cinematic scope. Some novels are cerebral--relying heavily on what happens in the characters' heads to drive the story along. This is not one of those novels. It doesn't have to be. Landy's descriptions are concrete and the plot straightforward, both of which lend themselves to film adaptation. The novel presents readers with all the information they need through the author's narration.

Landy's novel is mostly compared to movie scripts because of his dialogue. When the characters talk they are witty. Oftentimes they don't really talk, they banter. Take for example, this exchange between Stephanie and Skulduggery:

"Mr. Pleasant, you're a skeleton."
"Ah yes, back to the crux of the thing. Yes. I am, as you say, a skeleton. I have been one for a few years now."
"Am I going mad?"
"I hope not."
"So you're real? You actually exist?"
"Presumably."
"You mean you're not sure if you exist or not?"
"I'm fairly certain. I mean, I could be wrong. I could be some ghastly hallucination, a figment of my imagination."
"You might be a figment of your own imagination?"
"Stranger things have happened. And do, with alarming regularity."

This exchange is illustrative of the novel as a whole. The dialogue and, to some extent, the prose have a snap that is more often associated with a movie or a television show than with a book. I must admit that distinction never made sense to me. A book's merit has more to do with good narrative and engaging characters than whether or not it sounds like a "real" book and this book has both.

All in all, the theatricality of "Skulduggery Pleasant" will probably prove to be an asset since, according to RTE Entertainment, Warner Brothers bought the movie rights for the entire series (a proposed total of nine books) in 2007. Book two in the series "Playing With Fire" will be released in May of this year.

Okay, adventure junkies, have I the book for you. Derek Landy's "Skulduggery Pleasant" brings the adventure, the magic, and the page-turning thrills every child over the age of ten desires.

Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley had a normal life in Haggard, Ireland, until her uncle passed away:

"Gordon Edgley's sudden death came as a shock to everyone--not least himself. One moment he was in his study, seven words into the twenty-fifth sentence of the final chapter of his new book, And the Darkness Rained upon Them, and the next he was dead. A tragic loss, his mind echoed numbly as he slipped away."

Frankly, I was hooked from this paragraph alone.

At the reading of Gordon's will, Stephanie learns she is her Uncle's heir and she meets a curious thin man named Skulduggery Pleasant. Turns out there's a good reason Skulduggery is thin--he's a skeleton. A skeleton who can also do magic. When Stephanie is attacked on her first night in her Uncle's home, Skulduggery comes to her rescue and they're thrown together in a fight for The Scepter of the Ancients--a magical object Gordon Edgley owned and one that can destroy anything in its path.

Reading this basic plot description might lead you to think that "Skulduggery Pleasant" is like many a fantasy tale you've read before. But Landy has brought some new touches to the genre. First of all, the warring magicians are not evenly divided into camps of good and evil. There are a fair number of diplomats in the mix as well--magicians who don't see their role as taking either side. This, Stephanie must learn, doesn't mean they are evil, just that you can't call on them for support in a crisis. Secondly, Stephanie and Skulduggery make a great team. Stephanie is an intelligent, snarky girl, and Skulduggery is more amused, than annoyed by her. Take this piece of banter as an example:

"'Is this the same as the way into the Sanctuary?' she asked 'Are you looking for a secret passageway?'

'You watch too many haunted-house movies,' he said.

'But are you looking for a secret passageway?'

'Yes,' he admitted. 'But that's just a coincidence.'"

Landy's talent as a screen writer shows--"Skulduggery Pleasant" features one great action scene after another. Despite the danger and darkness of Stephanie's new magical world, "Skulduggery Pleasant" remains a bright Gothic read due to Skulduggery's winsome personality and Stephanie's sense of humor and bravery. Highly, highly recommended for readers ages ten and up.

Screenwriter Derek Landy has written a book destined to be a blockbuster family movie with enormous promotional and marketing tie-ins and global appeal. It delivers just the right amount of witty dialogue, sarcasm and humor --- mixed with equal portions of fright, horror and imagery --- to keep children laughing and cringing from one page to the next. Adults also will be reading this book long after the wee ones have gone to bed.

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT tells the story of 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley, whose recently deceased uncle was a writer of fictional horror books and perhaps her closest friend. When his will is read, she learns --- much to the bother of others present --- that she is the new owner of his expensive villa. At the same time she meets the most bizarre of characters: a sly and witty detective named Skulduggery Pleasant. His investigative skills, acid tongue and dapper dressing are only outdone by the fact that he is no longer living and a skeleton.

Skulduggery's involvement with Stephanie comes to life, so to speak, when she discovers that her uncle's writings were more than just scary fiction; they were a prediction of reality to come. Together they must stop a dark and evil force from recovering a hidden key and bringing an end to life on earth. Both Stephanie and Skulduggery have unusual and effective talents as well as weaknesses. Perhaps the most interesting weakness for Skulduggery is his absolute hatred and fear of being tortured. It goes to show that even skeletons have feelings.

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT is a wonderful story that works on so many levels and will appeal to everyone. The dialogue between Skulduggery and Stephanie is dead-on and biting. It's how adults wish they could speak if only their minds could think quickly enough. There are a few brief sentences in the book that seem a bit risqué for young audiences, but the descriptive language likely will be lost on children while drawing a smile from adult readers. Although a bit frightening for reading a little one to bed, there is no doubt that older elementary school children will be jamming this book into their Skulduggery backpacks as they head back to school in the fall.

[...]

This is my absolutely favorite book! I began reading the series when I was 12, and as I grew older, there was something incredibly special with how Valkyrie Cain, the main character, grew and matured along with me. The first three books were incredibly fun and perfectly suited for a younger teen audience; as the series progressed, the themes became more serious and applicable toward the real world. Where the series begins with "good vs evil", it becomes more of "what it means to be different", "good people can do bad things and still be good people", and "what it means to have no control."

Derek Landy crafts these subtle themes in an incredibly fun and comedy-packed novel. I will forever recommend this to anyone.

Its like Sam Spade meets Harry Potter! This is one of the wittiest, cleverest, laugh-out-loud-est books I have ever read! The writing is engaging and fun and the characters are in a class all their own and above most. Stephanie Edgely begins the book as a smarter than average [....] who doesn't think much of her present life. Everything is comfortable, orderly, and predictable. Then her wealthy Uncle Gordon dies. At his funeral a Mr. Skulduggery Pleasant walks into Stephanie's life, and her life is never the same.

I admit, I began this book expecting an easy read without much thought behind it. Boy was I wonderfully wrong! The dynamics and chemistry between each and every character is planned and executed to perfection. You feel as if you truely know these people -- that they are friends from just down the street, and not just words on a page. I even found myself believing that I could bump into a walking, talking, not quite living detective skeleton at the mall or supermarket - he was that believable! With a healthy dose of sarcasm and wit, this unusual who-done-it fantasy will keep you grinning and on the edge of your seat till the final page is turned. I can't wait for the next volume in what I hope will become a long series of books!

had heard a lot of good buzz about Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy before I read it. I was very skeptical going in. How much could you expect from a book about a skeleton detective? Still, I decided to suspend my disbelief and dive in. Thanks goodness I did! This book is absolutely wonderful! I am not saying it isn't strange, but it's a good kind of strange! A unique reading experience! And absolutely hilarious! The humor is very dry and quick, you definitely have to be on the lookout for it! Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. The action is non-stop. And the realtionship between Skulduggery and Stephanie immediately draws you in! Their interactions are hilarious and very entertaining! The best part about the book is that it doesn't take itself too seriously! Skulduggery can be in mortal danger and still be cracking jokes. Derek Landy definitely has a wonderful imagination and we, the readers, definitely benefit from it! Can't wait for the sequel!

In my experience, while there are a lot of novels that make me laugh on occasion due to various scenes and lines, it's much harder to find something that consistently makes me laugh all the way through. Humour is a tricky thing, as what is funny to one person might not be so to another (compare, for example, American and British senses of humour); it's also difficult in that it is one thing to read humour but a whole `nother thing to write it.

All that being said, Skulduggery Pleasant is a wonderful example of a book that hits my sense of humour pitch-perfectly. It's snarky, it's witty, and, well, British in its humour - I think if you are a fan of the humour found in shows like Blackadder or perhaps Doctor Who, you would enjoy the general feel of the humour in this. I know it made me very reluctant to put the book down and go to bed, and each turn of the page gave me something new to smile about, with many moments of banter between Skulduggery and Stephanie resulting in me laughing out loud.

There is more than just laughs to this story though. It's filled with darker moments - death and betrayal and monsters of various kinds - and victory and light are not things that come easy. Skulduggery Pleasant doesn't shy away from the harsher truths of the situation, and is filled with moments that allow for expansions on morals, on what is right and good. Those morals don't come across as condescending though, and while serious they are wrapped up in the humour that fills the pages of this book. The story is filled with an amazing collection of characters, with young Stephanie a shining example. She may be young and flawed, but she's strong, brave, loyal and a lot smarter than anyone gives her credit for. While very new to the world of Skulduggery and doing her best to keep up, she is very pro-active (rather than simply reactive) and overall a very well realised character and a good role-model for younger reasons.

The stand-out character though is very obviously Skulduggery Pleasant, the title character himself. Beyond the sheer awesome that is a skeleton detective who also knows magic, he is the central source of the book's comedy - I would quote some of his best lines to give you a taste of what he is like, but that would result in me basically copying out the whole book (and that would be a real no-no). Larger than life yet very easy to grab onto (I very quickly began `hearing' his voice as a combination of the voices of Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie), he's an excellent example of what I think of when I think of characters who are `quite the character'.

If you enjoy your battles between good and evil to be filled with hilarious lines as well as great characters and plotting, then I suggest you check out Skulduggery Pleasant. I know I am looking forward to the next books in the series with great eagerness.

The first 3 books in this series are available in the US but if you wants books 4 and 5 then you'll have to buy them from the store Canada since I have yet to see any information about them being sold here. The first one is great with a fast paced story and well developed characters. Books 2 and 3 carry on the story. It seems that the bad guys are trying to bring back the old and dangerous gods through a dimensional gate but many things are needed in order for that to happen. Skulduggery and his friends fight hard to keep the bad guys from getting what they need but some times that just isn't enough to win. His young sidekick Valkyrie does her best to fight along side them but this is a game for adults and she ends up getting hurt in one way or another. I really enjoyed the first book but the others seem to have taken a very dark turn and the sense of humor has dulled down a bit. You can see how the story will end by book 3, not the best thing for an author to do so early in the series. Skulduggery went from being a funny hero to a dark driven character who doesn't care who gets hurt as long as he gets his revenge. The story is worth reading but suffers from poor editing and too many plot points being uncovered or hinted at too early.

omg! what is there to say that hasnt been said....this is a you-should-not-miss-out book. the second you read it, your hooked. from the dry humored skeleton skulduggery pleasant to the torturous badguys. this is a must read! the story line is strong and leads up to more rather dashing action.
i have proven you can read it over and over and still find the book to reach its ever mighty full potential. this shows that skulduggerys and valkyrie cains legend will never die down

If you want a hilarious and heart-stopping mystery/adventure complete with evil villains, magic, and some of the wittiest banter this side of a Frank Capra flick, Skulduggery Pleasant is the book for you.

When Gordon Edgely, an eccentric author of horror/magic-themed bestsellers dies suddenly, he leaves the majority of his estate to his 12 year-old niece Stephanie. It is at his funeral that she first meets the mysterious trench-coated skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant. As she is pulled the strange world of magic, intrigue and evil that thrusts itself upon her soon after her uncle's death, Skulduggery becomes first her protector, and then her partner.

Their quest to stop an evil villain named Serpine from finding a magical artifact that he believed her uncle owned, and using it to overthrow the world and bring back the Faceless Ones, leads the reader on a scary, dryly witty, and definitely original romp through Dublin.

Stephanie is tough and smart, and the white-knuckled action and witty banter she trades with Skulduggery kept the me alternately on the edge of my seat and laughing my head off. Their relationship is really what makes this book (and the remaining books in the series) a winner. While the action can get a bit descriptive and inventive, the multi-faceted characters and tongue-in-cheek dialog balance out the thrills with plenty of comedy. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version narrated by Rupert Degas, which brings a whole new level to the action.

This refers to the audio version. The narrator was very good.

Derek Landy has done a fine job of innovative storytelling.

From dialogue to plot points, I was amused and interested throughout.

I wish the female lead character had been a few years older. Despite the use of a clone of sorts to keep her parents from knowing she was gone, I felt for the worried parents.

Well done, Derek Landy!

Scepter of the Ancients is written by Derek Landy. The story is set in modern day times. It is about an evil man called Serpine, whose goal is to take control of the magic world. But Skullduggery Pleasant and his sidekick Stephanie stand in his way. The book is told from Stephanie's point of view. Stephanie is outgoing, but has trouble making friends because she doesn't have a lot in common with people. She's always felt like she's different and always wanted to be different. So when Skullduggery, a skeleton detective, comes along she convinces him to team up with her so they can take down Serpine and his partner, Mr. Bliss.
This book is amazing. It is action packed, there is lots fighting, and there is magic in this book. There is a lot of action in the final scene when Skullduggery and Stephanie are fighting Serpine and Mr. Bliss. There is lots of fighting when Serpine sends vampires to find the scepter and kill Skullduggery and Stephanie if they cross paths with the vampires, which they do. Then there is magic because throughout the book Stephanie learns some magic. One of the good people gets hypnotized, turns bad, then tries to kill all of the good people. Then Serpine has a magic hand, which works when he points at someone and a ray comes out of his hand so that person would die.
I can recommend this book to people who like mysteries, fantasy, and action. Preferably it would be a good read for middle school students because some words and concepts are complex enough to appeal to older kids. This book is a page turner and I would highly recommend it. If you enjoy this book, there are others you can read in the series.

It all started when Gordon Edgley died. Well, it actually started much earlier than that. I mean, if you want to be picky it "all" started at the dawn of time. Or is that just when time started? Never mind. The point is, for Stephanie Edgley it all started when her uncle Gordon died. Gordon wasn't much of a family man; in fact, Stephanie was probably the one closest to him. Even saying that, though, is a bit of a stretch. It would probably be better to say that he tolerated her presence better and more often than he did the rest of his family. Which still doesn't completely explain why he left his house, his fortune, and his book royalties to her. Actually, there's a lot of unexplained things about Gordon, even more so now that he's gone. Like the strange man at the funeral. The one wrapped so tightly in a scarf, sunglasses, and an overcoat that you can't even glimpse an inch of his skin. That was the first time Stephanie had ever encountered Skulduggery Pleasant.

The next time they were in the same room was for the reading of Gordon's will. The one where he left most of his things to his twelve-year-old niece. Much to the dismay of Stephanie's aunt and uncle, who got a boat (Uncle Fergus gets seasick), a car ("We already have a car!"), and a brooch ("It doesn't even have any jewels on it."). Stephanie's parents, incidentally, got the villa in France. Skulduggery Pleasant received the strangest gift of all, which is some very cryptic advice. With which he was completely content. This was not to be the last encounter between Stephanie and Skulduggery.

Having spent most of a day exploring part of Stephanie's new house, she and her mother get in the car to go home and find that the car won't start. The mechanic that comes to fix it has to tow it back to his shop. Stephanie convinces her mother that she can stay at the house alone while the car is being fixed. But, the storm that started while they were waiting for the mechanic grows worse as time passes. It is eventually determined that the car won't be fixed until tomorrow, and the road to the house is flooded. Stephanie is stuck for the night. Though it takes some convincing for her mom to leave her there.

Freedom and solitude: Stephanie couldn't be happier! Which lasts all of a few minutes. Someone is trying to break into the house, and somehow Stephanie doesn't believe him when he says he won't hurt her if she just lets him in to get what he wants. Skulduggery Pleasant to the rescue! And what a strange rescuer he is. In the struggle with the intruder, Skulduggery's hat and scarf fall off to reveal only a skeleton! Stephanie is so shocked by this that she mostly forgets what he's done. Now she has a million questions: Who and what is Skulduggery? How did he know her uncle? Why was he at the house? How is it that he can throw fire? Can he teach her? And how does he stay upright when there's no skin and muscle to hold him together?

Stephanie is stunned, but oddly not frightened, by recent events. She was just contemplating how boring life was, and suddenly life got considerably more thrilling! Skulduggery isn't in the market for a sidekick, but he might just have gotten one. After one night in his world (he did have to keep her safe after all) Stephanie can't imagine pretending not to know what she knows. Besides, the bad guys are after her. Or at least something that belonged to her uncle, and now that she owns most of his things... Life, or death depending on who you are, will never be the same.

I love it! Not just a fun storyline, an exciting adventure, and a well drawn plot, although it does contain all of these things. SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT is one of the best written books I have encountered recently. Conversational and snappy, witty and self-deprecating, with a fantastically quirky cast of characters. This one has enough adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and random hilarity that makes falling off that seat a distinct possibility! I can hardly do it justice by merely describing it, so you'll just have to read it, and love it.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Derek Landy, well done. You have succeeded in making a teen fantasy. What I want from a book is humor, detail, action and a good story. I got that here. Stephanie, the protagonist, is an 11 year old girl whos life gets turned upside down when her uncle mysteriously dies. Then at the reading of the will, there is a tall thin man with a scarf around his mouth and massive sunglasses that Stephanie hasn't ever seen before. He then introduces Stephanie to the world of magic. The thin man is Skulduggery Pleasant, wise-cracking, dead, sorcerer. That is a lot to handle don't you think? There is a lot of characters including a ninety something beautiful woman. All in all this is a great book.

This wonderful book is an exciting, suspenseful, fun mixture of mystery, magic, action, adventure and humor. Skulduggery Pleasant is a detective who happens to be a skeleton, and his assistant is a talented, intelligent 12-year-old girl named Stephanie Edgley. Together they set out to solve the murder of Stephanie's uncle Gordon, who was working on the final chapter of his new book at the time of his sudden death. The conversations between Skulduggery and Stephanie are extremely funny, and will entertain grown-ups at least as much as they do kids. And the short story at the end of this edition, "The Lost Art of World Domination," is hilarious.

Derek Landy is creating his own genre with Skulduggery Pleasant. The name is catchy, the cover is brilliant, and he has one of the best websites I've ever seen an author have to support this amazing series.

Stephanie Edgley is just an ordinary girl who happens to inherit her favorite uncle's estate. She doesn't know that a dead crime-fighting detective in the form of a witty, sarcastic skeleton will be part of the package.

Landy weaves an intriguing plot with well-fleshed out characters in this series that is fit for young adults and adults alike. The characters are edgy, yet lovable. Even though the main character is female, I can see teenage boys enjoying this book very much. I definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for something new to try that hasn't been done a hundred times.

Skulduggery Pleasant is a wonderful series by Derek Landy. I would recommend this book to anyone. It falls into Fantasy/Mysteries. I have re-read this book multiple times and it really pulls you in even on the third time! Landy Is a great author. The book is witty and intriguing. It left me waiting for book seven!

-Hugo

This book is amazing. Not only is it quirky, with great characters, but it manages to do something even J.K. Rowling could not. Humor. It has quirky characters. (Skulduggery Pleasant, Tanith Low, Mr. Bliss, China Sorrows, and of course, the main character, who's name I cannot reveal, for it would give you power over this person) It has a farly lackluster story, the typical evil-villain-takes-over-the-world fare. Even then, Mr.Landy does a great job of keeping the story fresh and fast-paced despite all the cliches. For story I would give it a 5/5. For characters a 17/5. For originality a 4/5. Only becaue the youth-gets-drawn-into-world-of-magic has been sorely over-utilized. Overall, if I could, I would give Landy's work a 98.7/100, if not higher

I like modern fantasy. Quite a bit, actually. That's why it pains me that there's so very little decent modern fantasy available, and the bits that are available are usually geared toward the youth audience.

I had heard good things about 'Skulduggery Pleasant;' better at least than the somewhat similarly targeted Artemis Fowl books (which I took an intense disliking to for numerous reasons, the greatest of which was that there doesn't appear to be an end in sight to the series). And I will say that I liked 'SP' better than the Artemis Fowl stuff, but it still didn't entertain me enough where I would want to continue reading the series.

The main female character seems to be awfully physically, emotionally and mentally mature for a twelve year-old; as a parent of two young girls myself, this really was a verisimilitude breaker for me. The story itself moved along at a brisk (if unbelievable) pace and was often peppered with banter that seemed very much designed to be turned into a screenplay (given that Landy is a playwright by trade, I made more of an allowance for that sort of thing than normal). The big drawback for me was that this is intended to be an ongoing (without any guess at when it will end) series and was written as such; I simply don't have it in me anymore to read book upon book only to discover that I don't like where the writing or plot is going.

What do you get when you combine Skulduggery Pleasant, a sarcastic fire-throwing skeleton with an ego to match Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus and Stephanie Edgely, a twelve-year old girl who is as stubborn as a mule, a desire for adventure,a knack for trouble, and absolutely no respect for others authority until they earn it? The makings of a beautiful friendship. Together this odd duo will get to the bottom of her uncle's death, face vampires, challege the rulers of the magical realms with bad attitude, and maybe even save the world along the way. With the help of new friends (not all to be completely trusted) they will make their way to do combat with one of the most sinister sorcerers ever. Will he take over the world? Over his dead body!

Skulduggery Pleasant is like reading the secret dream of a bored teenager... imagine that one day you found out that you're descended from ancient sorcerers and have powers of your own, and that there's a mysterious benefactor willing to take you on as an apprentice in this whole new world. That's what happens to the protagonist, and she seizes the chance. Adventure and some hilarity ensue.

This book is advertised as being targeted at pre-teens and teens... but it's entirely accessible for grownups both in story and language. I really, really enjoyed it.

We first listened to this on CD, checked out from the library. It's witty, well read, fun characters, and creative. I mean, the hero is a skeleton mage...
Not your everyday characters. I have two sons, aged 15 and 11, and we go back to it. Datapoint: We also loved Harry Potter, and have been looking for other authors who have imagination, sense of humor, and an entertaining read. This book is a bit simpler than Harry was: fit for a slightly younger child.

This is a very interesting book, the main character happens to be dead, a dead detective in a cowboy hat and a skeleton for a body. Though this sounds like an odd premise, he story is shaping up (from what I can tell from the first 20 pages) as a very interesting read. cannot wait to see what happens...

I picked up this book at the book store yesterday knowing nothing about it, and have not been able to put it down since. It is a young reader book (which I didn't realize at the time) but I would highly recommend this book to anyone. My daughter cannot wait for me to finish so she can read it next! The characters are excellent and work well together. The story is seamless and Mr. Landy manages to keep the story not only interesting, but very funny.

I am loving every minute of it and cannot wait until the next one!

skulduggery pleasant is the best book ever! I read it at least ten times. I've read the entire series, and I love it. When Stephanie's uncle Gordon leaves her his mansion, Stephanie gets attacked when she's alone. Luckily, Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton sorcerer, is around and saves the day. Afterwards, Stephanie refuses to stay at the house and goes with Skulduggery to join him on his adventures. Even though she keeps getting attacked, she's enjoying her new life. I thought this book was fantastic, and I say you should read it! I'd give it 5 stars!

this is the first book in the most incredible searies i have ever had the pleasure to read. Derek Landy is one of the best writers the world has ever seen and the way he brings his characters to life it the prfect mix af comical, scary and entertaining. do yourself a big favour and get these books

Skulduggery Pleasant is one of the best books I have ever read and written by a great author. Its action-packed, comedic, magical, the one and only skeleton detective Skulduggery and his partner in crime Stephanie Edgley, solving mysteries and fighting evil. This book will take you on an adventure to another world. Whoever ,young and old, will be glued to this book. This is a remarkable and an amazing book.

As a (really) adult reader of just about anything fiction, I appreciated the wit, humor and, sans a few deaths, the light heartedness of this story. I listened to it on CD and the narrator did a great job interpreting and portraying the characters. I liked the story, but I really enjoyed Derek Landy's writing style. (And for other, hmm, mature readers, I recommend any book by Terry Pratchett.)

Skulduggery Pleasant was a interesting, intriguing, funny, and a good book all around. I would recommend this book for all ages and I cant wait to read the other 8 books. My favorite part was when she first met skullduggery and all the things they did together

This is one of my granddaughter's favorite books.
She's six.
I love it, too.
I'm sixty.
Even if I lacked my Ph.D., I'd love it still.
Even if she'd had a Ph.D, she'd love it still.
We "read" it on audiobook, in the car, on our frequent trips to and from her home.
Again and again.
Five stars.

An amazing read! Sherlock Holmes meets Harry Potter! I picked it up in a local book store knowing nothing about it and was immediately drawn to it by the cover alone. An engaging and witty plot, laugh-out-loud humor, and intellegent characters populate this magical and well written book. While not exactly a children's story, with its darker themes and dangerous happenings, if you enjoyed the Potter series this book should easily find a place in your library!

Oh, come on people it's a walking, talking skeleton, a kickass assistant, a blonde with a sword who wears too much leather,a guy with a weird name who can teleport and whose hair defies both gravity and reason and a guy with a boxing mum an massive scars. what more could you want?

Ich bekam dieses Buch zu Weihnachten geschenkt und wollte es wirklich mögen, aber die Hauptfigur, Stephanie, ist eine so schnippische, altkluge, unsympathische Nervensäge, dass ich froh war, als ich es ausgelesen hatte und ins Regal stellen konnte.

Vielleicht liegt es an der Übersetzung, aber die Geschichte liest sich holperig, vor allem die Beschreibungen der vielen Handgemenge, in deren Mitte sich Stephanie wiederfindet und die sie mühelos wegsteckt, ohne auch nur groß außer Atem zu kommen (und ohne dass uns Lesern erklärt wird, wie es möglich ist, dass eine 12-jährige z.B. schneller laufen kann und mehr Ausdauer hat als der mit Zauberkräften ausgestattete mordlüsterne Bösewicht). Nach der zweiten oder dritten Attacke ist klar, dass ihr nichts passieren wird, denn sie kommt jedes Mal davon (oder wird im letzten Moment gerettet). Stephanie ist ein total überzogener und schlichtweg unglaubwürdiger Charakter. Aber gegen Ende der Geschichte stellt sich natürlich heraus, dass sie aus einer besonderen Familie stammt. - Was auch sonst?!

Man nehme eine Handvoll Tintenherz, mische sie mit einem Schuss X-Men, gebe eine Prise Harry Potter dazu und würze mit Ghost Rider und - abrakadabra! - heraus kommt Skulduggery Pleasant. Leider ist Mr Pleasant zu unerfreulich für meinen Geschmack. Hätte ich Kinder, würde ich ihnen lieber Astrid Lindgren zu lesen geben.