Children's Literature

Skullduggery Pleasant, the skeleton detective, and his teen apprentice Valkyrie Cain, aka Stephanie Edgley, must again battle the forces of evil to save the world. But this time they are barred from the scene of the crime by the Sanctuary, the police force for magical powers in Dublin. Teleporters are being murdered and the Diablerie has infiltrated the Sanctuary. The mysterious Batu and his hitman Billy Ray Sanguine must be stopped. Along with Tanith Low, China Sorrows, and Ghastly Bespoke, Skullduggery and Valkyrie fight to prevent Batu from opening a gate that would allow the Faceless Ones to enter the mortal realm and take over the world. To do so, Skullduggery and Valkyrie must protect the last surviving Teleporter, an arrogant, immature teen named Fletcher Renn. They must also find a black crystal to repair the Sceptor, the only effective weapon against the Faceless Ones. Joining forces with Necromancers, they succeed in stopping the Faceless Ones. Disaster has been averted for now, but the cost is high. At the end of the third adventure of this series, Valkyrie faces a terrible decision: will she need to become a Necromancer to save her friends? In Skullduggery Pleasant, Landy blends humor with darkness and violence to provide a rollicking read for those brave enough to enter his magical world. Reviewer: Shirley Nelson