I found the whole concept of Elemental magic so fascinating and how Landy made it so simple was amazing. The type that is seen most often in the novel – because it is the magic of choice of Skulduggery – is Elemental magic. It’s description as two forms was exciting. Skulduggery Pleasant is the first story that I have come across that has given some remote form of detail as to how magic works or why someone is able to use it compared to another. There are tools that help people be able to channel the magic, like a wand for instance, but there is never any real explanation as to why these things are happening.

It’s just a phenomena that some people can do and some people can’t. Most of the time, the way that magic is explained in stories is that it isn’t. The whole way that magic was dealt with in the novel was fresh and well thought through. To begin with, the concept of a magical war is always intriguing to me. Each sentence flows like an actual conversation should – not to mention that the interactions between Stephanie and Skulduggery are hilarious. For some sections of the book, the story is driven purely by dialogue which some people may not find very entertaining. It’s a testament to Landy’s skill as an author that I was able to get so immersed in the story that I didn’t want to put it down.

Though I said that this is a children’s novel, it doesn’t exclude other age groups from reading it also as it is a fantastically well balanced novel that even the eldest of readers can sink their teeth into.ĭespite the cliched nature of the novel, I really enjoyed reading it and got through it very quickly.

They are soon in a race against time to stop the forces of evil from collecting the ultimate weapon of mass destruction and save the world. After inheriting her uncle’s mansion, Stephanie soon discovers Skulduggery to be an undead, skeletal sorcerer/detective, her uncle to have actually been murdered, and that he had been involved in many magical misadventures alongside Skulduggery. It follows twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley, a quirky and almost macabre child who meets the titular character at the wake of her recently deceased uncle. This novel was the debut of Derek Landy and has spawned countless novellas as well as eight further stories in the series. Written by Irish author and playwright, Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant was first published back in 2007 and has become a staple among children’s literature since that point.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy