What could have been yet another simplistic iteration of the tired Jekyll and Hyde trope was handled with startling nuance and moral murkiness. Or, to be more specific, her murderous alter-ego Darquesse. The villain was none other than Landy’s protagonist, Valkyrie Cain.

Furthermore, I was introduced to the true, overarching evil that would rise to full prominence by the ninth and final book. The other thing that changed was that we were introduced to a whole new series of antagonists, villains that were far more complex and terrifying than the somewhat two-dimensional cultists of the first three books were. The war between rival magical factions, so prevalent in the first three books, becomes increasingly nuanced, with the “good side” being revealed to have one or two dozen skeletons locked away in their metaphorical closet. For one thing, the world building became far more intricate. After that, the fourth book represented a shift in the overarching narrative.

The first three books functioned as an introductory arc to the intricate world of warring mages, insane Gods and religious zealots. Then I started to retrace my steps: I bought the first book, then each new book upon release. What could have been yet another simplistic iteration of the tired Jekyll and Hyde trope was handled with startling nuance and moral murkiness The first chapter even features a failed serial killer getting his nose broken before bursting into tears. The wit of Derek Landy was something that I had never experienced before. Once I got past this, I couldn’t put the book down. Due to the underwhelming impression of the front cover, it took me a while to start reading and it took a further chapter or two to realise that I had inadvertently skipped ahead a whole book. I didn’t particularly care for the front cover at the time, as it featured a skeleton dressed up like an extra from Guys and Dolls, cursing a fireball in his gloved fingers. The book I got was actually the second entry in the Skulduggery Pleasant series: Playing with Fire. I remember the very first time I saw one of the Skulduggery Pleasant books. There are few things sadder in life than coming to the conclusion of a great story – truth be told, I’m not sure it’s quite possible to put into words. Nine years of thrilling adventure, anticipation, conspiracy theories and laughter. For me, it wasn’t just nine books but nine whole years of my life. It’s foolish of me to talk about Skulduggery Pleasant as just a series of books.

Skulduggery pleasant books