Skulduggery Pleasant is a series of currently 3 fantasy novels written by Irish author Derek Landy. The books chronicle the adventures of the skeleton detective, Skulduggery Pleasant and a teenage-girl, Valkyrie Cain along with other friends. The central story arc concerns Valkyrie's struggle to stop evil forces threatening the world and to finally find justice of her late uncle's death.

Since the release of first novel, the books have received immense popularity among children and young adults. The second novel was subsequently released the following year and with the third novel's release, the series are praised by both readers and critics.

Landy was initially contracted for three books, further depending on how well the first trilogy sold. Now, with an estimated 17 million copies of the novels sold the author has indicated that his contract has been extended into a 9-novel deal.

Novels

Skulduggery Pleasant

Stephanie Edgely's novelist uncle dies, leaving her his vast mansion and the proceeds from his best-selling books. At the reading of the will, a strange man in a tan overcoat, an oversized hat, sunglasses and a scarf is present, along with Fergus and Beryl, Stephanie's none-too-liked aunt and uncle. Stephanie's aunt and uncle are given something as well: a seemingly useless brooch and a few other things they don't want. Spending a night alone in the mansion, Stephanie is attacked by a strange man, demanding she gives him a "key". As the man attacks Stephanie, a mysterious man in a tan overcoat, known as Skulduggery Pleasant (who also attended Gordon's funeral), arrives and saves her, throwing fireballs at her attacker. Skulduggery's disguise of a hat, wig and sunglasses fall off to reveal that he is an undead wizard, made up of only a skeleton held together by magic.

Upon the revelation that her uncle was murdered, Stephanie, wanting to escape her previously boring and tedious life, helps Skulduggery investigate his mysterious death. Skulduggery and Stephanie gradually uncover a greater plot for world domination. Stephanie's uncle discovered an ancient weapon used by the first sorcerers, the Ancients, to defeat their tyrannical gods, the Faceless Ones. He sealed this deadly weapon, the Sceptre of the Ancients, in a maze beneath the house Stephanie inherited. The "key" is in fact an old, insignificant-looking brooch left by her uncle to his other brother's wife.

Stephanie and Skulduggery, aided by an immensely strong tailor named Ghastly, an English professional swordswoman, Tanith Low and the world's physically strongest man, Mr Bliss, attempt to prevent the villain, Nefarian Serpine, from obtaining the Sceptre. Serpine once served under the evil wizard Mevolent who waged a secret war on the wizard community, trying to take over the world. Skulduggery opposed Mevolent in this war several hundred years ago, when he was still alive. He became ensnared in a trap by Serpine, his wife and child murdered before his eyes and himself killed after several days' torture. His hate for Serpine allowed him to return from the grave as a skeleton and complete the war.

Now working as a detective and with Stephanie's help, Skulduggery defeats Serpine, destroying him with the Sceptre to protect Stephanie, breaking the Sceptre's power in the process. At the conclusion of the novel, Skulduggery offers to take Stephanie on as his assistant and student in sorcery; Stephanie has discovered through the course of the novel's events that her family are descendants of the Ancients and she herself has magic abilities.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire

A year after the events of the first novel, Stephanie Edgely (now known as Valkyrie Cain) continues to work with Skulduggery Pleasant an undead skeleton detective, capturing villains for The Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is now ruled by Thurid Guild in a new location after the massacre in the previous Sanctuary.

Soon Baron Vengeous (one of the original three generals of Mevolent) escapes his prison and begins searching for the armour of Lord Vile, another of Mevolent's Generals with which he will be able to resurrect The Grotesquery, a hybrid monster made from a Faceless One's remains with the power bring back the Faceless Ones. Arriving in Ireland, he meets an accomplice vampire named Dusk. He orders Dusk to kidnap Valkyrie Cain. Dusk enslaves two humans to help him.

After losing to Skulduggery Pleasant, Baron Vengeous goes after China Sorrows who was once part of a cult that worshiped the Faceless Ones and also included Serpine and Vengous himself. The Baron confronts China Sorrows in her apartment whilst Valkyrie is visiting. Valkyrie hides whilst China and Vengous talk. Vengeous reveals that he was released from prison by an assassin named Billy-Ray Sanguine who promptly arrives along with Dusk. A battle ensues during which Valkyrie reveals herself and defends China. Valkyrie Cain is soon chased by Billy-Ray Sanguine who can travel through earth and buildings. After being a struggle, Valkyrie is saved by Tanith Low. In the progress Valkyrie steals Billy-Ray Sanguine's razor, his primary weapon, leaving the psychopathic assassin with a grudge against her.

Valkyrie and Skulduggery along with a convict called Vaurien Scapegrace went to the Magician's village of Roarhaven to find a mysterious man called the Torment who has information they need. After a battle in a seedy pub with some thugs (including a giant) and an unpleasant incident with some giant spiders, they find the Torment and ask for his help. The Torment only says he will help them find Vile's armour if Skulduggery kills Valkyrie who is descended from the Ancients whom the Torment despises as he thinks any power will corrupt civilization. Skulduggery takes Valkyrie around a corner and they summon her Reflection, a living mirror image of Valkyrie who she uses as a decoy, enabling her to live a double life. Skulduggery takes Valkyrie's reflection before the Torment and shoots it. The Torment is satisfied and tells Skulduggery the whereabouts of the Grotesquery. He and Valkyrie return Scapegrace to prison and go to find the Grotesquery, unfortunately Vengeous's minions have already obtained it. Soon after, Skullduggery and Valkrie take the reflection back to Valkries's house. Valkrie touches the mirror to absorb its memories and remembers what it is like to be shot. Valkyrie then notices that whenever she tries to look back in her memories one part always remains blank and she cannot pin it down. She realizes that her reflection hid something from her, and finds it disconcerting and dangerous. However, she goes on with Skulduggery without mentioning it to him.

Valkyrie is kidnapped by Sanguine who takes her to an old abandoned church to the Faceless Ones where she is taken before the altar where Vengeous awaits her. The evil sorcerer cuts Valkyrie's finger and spills some of her blood onto the Grotesquery's body before using the Armour's shadow powers which mingle with the blood. Skulduggery subsequently arrives and rescues Valkyrie. After a stealing the Grotesquery, Valkyrie is incapacitated and wakes up in hospital. Whilst wearing a 'respectable' blue hospital gown, Skulduggery wears a pink one decorated with bunnies and elephants for the doctor's amusement. Skulduggery turns the lifeless over to the Sanctuary's top scientist to take apart however the Grotesquery has already absorbed a lot of power from Vile's armour and Valkyrie's blood and so wakes up in the middle of the night whilst being operated on. He kills the scientist's assistants and goes after Valkyrie. Skulduggery and Tanith arrive and the three of them attack the Grotesquery before escaping.

Meanwhile members of Sanctuary's all across the world are being murdered by assassins to distract people from Vengeous's plan. Billy-Ray Sanguine has also released Springheeled Jack from prison and sends him after a Sanctuary official in London. After discovering that he is being manipulated by Vengous in a plan to bring back the Faceless Ones, Jack kills his victim.

Skulduggery works out that Vengeous is actually a pawn in someone else's plan and accuses Thurid Guild of being in league with this mystery benefactor. In a rage, Guild fires Skulduggery who decides to go after Vengous anyway.

Valkyrie begrudgingly goes to her family reunion as a distraction to Dusk. The Torment meanwhile has discovered that Valkyrie is alive and goes after her only to be confronted by Skulduggery and Tanith Low. The Torment transforms into a giant spider but Skulduggery and Tanith defeat him nevertheless.

Valkyrie is subsequently attacked by vampires and forced to flee. Dusk corners her and vows that when he has transformed her into a vampire he's going to set her loose on her parents while in her bloodlust. Valkyrie stabs Dusk in the leg with the syringe he uses to curb his vampiric side whilst he is transforming and as a result he is caught between vampire and human and put in intense pain. Springheeled Jack comes and rescues her and defeats Dusk so as to frustrate Vengeous's plans because he doesn't want the Faceless Ones to return.

Meanwhile China is attacked by Vengous in an underground carpark. The dark wizard brutally murders China's bodyguards and viciously beats her unconscious before taking her to Clearwater Hospital which is serving as his headquarters.

Accompanied by Tanith Low, Mr Bliss and some Cleavers, Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to Clearwater Hospital and do battle with the Grotesquery which due to being part Faceless One is virtually invincible. Mr Bliss is incapacitated but the Cleavers mercilessly attack the Grotesquery and almost overpower it when Vengous arrives along with China whom he has taken captive and together with the Grotesquery he kills the Cleavers and beats Skulduggery and Valkyrie into submission. Valkyrie tricks Vengous into releasing her, saying that she will join him but she releases China who attacks Vengous and the Grotesquery, giving Valkyrie time to free Skulduggery who joins in the assault against Vengous, tearing off his helmet and his breastplate before shooting him in the stomach. In a swoon, Vengous crawls toward the Grotesquery but his god callously breaks the Baron's neck. The Torment subsequently arrives and attacks the Grotesquery but he is defeated and killed. In the ensuing battle Valkyrie stabs the Grotesquery through the heart, killing it but before it dies it utters a terrible scream.

Sanguine is then seen meeting his mysterious master who reveals that he had never expected the Grotesquery to succeed but he knew that when it was vanquished, the beast's dying scream would alert the Faceless Ones spirits as to the whereabouts of the Earth meaning that all he has to do now is open the door. The mysterious man then pays Sanguine and takes his leave.

Valkyrie is later seen talking to Skulduggery on a pier. They reason that they must find out who Vengous and Sanguine were really working for and if Thurid Guild is in league with him. Skulduggery ominously tells Valkyrie "Bad things are coming." They are subsequently attacked by a vampire and the book ends with them going into battle once again.

Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones

290px|right|thumb|Cover of the book
Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant are investigating the murders of four Teleporters. They go to tell Thurid Guild what they know. He refuses to rehire them and has hired Remus Crux instead, a bumbling detective that blindly follows Guild's orders in an attempt to impress him. After discovering the recent murders may have been linked to a Teleporter murder 50 years ago, Skulduggery and Valkyrie go and talk to the only Sea Hag that lives in a lake to see if they can get any information about the 50 year old murder. They discover a man named Batu killed the Teleporter and talk to the dead Teleporter whose body is lying at the bottom of the lake. After promising to bury him on dry land, the Sea Hag is enraged and tries to drown Valkyrie Cain . They also discover that an object called the Isthmus Anchor and a Teleporter would be able to open a gateway to the Faceless Ones allowing them to enslave the earth. With China Sorrows's help they locate a boy who is an unskilled Teleporter and save him from Billy-Ray Sanguine who is working for the Diablerie. Batu, the head of the Diablerie, wants to use the unskilled Teleporter, to open the portal. The Diablerie knows that experienced Teleporters, who are now dead, will not co-operate, and have the ability to close the portal so their only choice is to kill them. Sanguine talks with his mysterious boss and is given a new job.

They take the Teleporter whose name is Fletcher Renn to Kenspeckle Grouse who grudgingly agrees to look after him, tells Valkyrie she should do normal teenage things and gets annoyed at Skulduggery for endangering Valkyrie. Tanith Low is guarding the only other living Teleporter when she finds him dead in his apartment after talking at the door to what the teleporter thinks is his friend. Tanith chases the Teleporter's murderers onto the roof and is ambushed by three people. Tanith is knocked off the building and manages to hang onto the outside of the building going through a window and escaping. Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to Finbar, a Sensitive, who is able to tell them the location of the gate where the Faceless Ones can get to earth. They then meet with a Necromancer, Solomon Wreath who offers the help of himself and 2 other Necromancers and the white cleaver (seen in book one). Skulduggery accepts after punching Solomon and leaves. Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to where the gate will open and talk to the owner of the land. While they are talking Skulduggery realises that what is left of the groutesquery Grotesquery is the Isthmus Anchor, as the Isthmus Anchor is something that belongs on the other side, which is the part of the Grotesquery that belonged to the Faceless Ones making it impossible to destroy.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to the Sanctuary to steal the Grotesquery, but are attacked by Remus Crux who is easily defeated by Skulduggery. However the Diablerie use Sanguine to steal the Grotesquery before Skulduggery and Valkyrie can get to it. Skulduggery and Valkyrie use an emergency exit to avoid being captured by the Sanctuary. Remus tries to get China's help and reveals he knows something about how Skulduggery came back to life and China's involvement. Ghastly Bespoke wakes up at Kenspeckle’s after being a statue for two years after using the Earth power as his last defence and Tanith, Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to Bespoke Tailors and Ghastly is told what happened while he was a statue. Ghastly then starts making Valkyrie new clothes. While making her boots he tells her about his mother, a Sensitive, and a vision she had of Valkyrie dying screaming in pain in an effort to make Valkyrie quit magic and return to normal teenage life.

The owner of the farm where the gate will open, Paddy, calls to report a strange man who was there. Mr. Bliss talks with people who want him to take over the Sanctuary. Skulduggery tells Paddy about magic and Fletcher locates the exact point where the gate will open. Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to get the Sceptre of the Ancients and find another black crystal in case the Faceless Ones make it back to earth, as the last crystal was destroyed. Batu goes and enlists the Sea Hag's help in exchange for transporting her to the sea. Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to Gordon’s house and he tells Valkyrie there are black crystals in the caves below his house. Skulduggery and Valkyrie go into the caves and find a of Gordon’s house in the caves that was created by the previous owner of Gordon’s house, Anathem Mire. Anathem is inside the house, dead, and Skulduggery wakes up his ghost. Anathem shows them a vein of black crystals and Valkyrie removes a large one as only people with blood of the Ancients in their veins can touch black crystals when they are not in the Sceptre. Anathem forces Skulduggery out of his house but takes Valkyrie capture but after angering him she is able to escape.

At the Hibernian, Thurid comes to collect Fletcher, but is knocked unconscious by three members of the Diablerie - Jaron Gallows, Gruesome Krav and Murder Rose - and also Sanguine. They attack Ghastly and Tanith and then leave with the unconscious Thurid. As they leave they tell Tanith and Ghastly to bring Fletcher to Liffey Bridge to trade for Thurid otherwise they will kill Thurid. Mr Bliss decides to trade Fletcher with Thurid, but plans to double cross the Diablerie. Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to China’s to fix the Sceptre and learn that Valkyrie is the only person who can use it when she accidentally destroys a table, two of China’s bookcases full of priceless books and almost kills China. Skulduggery and Valkyrie meet up with Ghastly and Tantih at the Hibernian. Fletcher teleports with Valkyrie to Bespoke Tailors and they wait there for Skulduggery, Tanith and Ghastly. Inside Bespoke tailors they find Solomon, two other Necromancers and the White Cleaver who follows the order of the Necromancers.

Valkyrie goes home to say goodbye to her parents who are leaving on their honeymoon and after leaving is chased and then arrested by Remus Crux. Crux puts her in a cell with Vaurien Scapegrace who was badly beaten up and had his fingers broken by Cleavers as a distraction in part of Skulduggery’s plan to steal the Grotesquery. Scapegrace tries to kill Valkyrie and she knocks him out and ties him to a bed by his broken fingers. Tanith learns that Crux has Valkyrie. Crux attempts to arrest China and handcuffs her only to be attacked by Jaron Gallow. Crux jumps through a window to escape and China refuses Jaron’s offer to lead the Diablerie and leaves using her symbols as he tries to kill her.

At the trade on the bridge they capture Sanguine when he comes over to tell them what's going to happen. Fletcher and Thurid Guild walk towards each other crossing at the centre of the bridge and Sanguine tells Skulduggery the there is a bomb in Guild's jacket that would kill them all when detonated. Skulduggery shoots Guild in the leg to prevent him from coming closer and tells Fletcher to stay near Guild as Jaron won’t want to risk killing Fletcher. As the three members of the Diablerie start to run at Fletcher but are attacked by the three Necromancers. Sanguine uses a device designed to flash blind that doesn’t affect Sanguine or Skulduggery as they have no eyes. Skulduggery knocks out Sanguine and then Tanith believes they have won when the Sea Hag, on Batu's request, jumps out of the water and takes Fletcher.

Valkyrie manages to trick a security guard into letting her out of her cell and she knocks him out and takes Scapegrace with her as he could be used as a distraction. Valkyrie witnesses the new Administrator, who is the traitor, attempt to kill Mr. Bliss. Valkyrie turns to see Scapegrace fleeing and attempts to stop the Administrator who pins her up against a wall. Then Scapegrace runs into the room screaming chased by Cleavers and runs away. The Cleavers look at the situation with Mr Bliss in a circle of blue light that is killing him, Valkyrie suspended on the roof by the Administrator and the Administrator standing there, and advance on the Administrator. The Administrator tries to run, letting Valkyrie fall to the ground as she does and Valkyrie trips her causing her to fall into the blue light killing her and saving Bliss. Valkyrie then runs out of the Sanctuary and Skulduggery who is outside takes her to the farm.

Upon reaching the farm they discover Ghastly and Tanith running for cover as they are attacked by the Diablerie who have machine guns and hand grenades. Tanith, Ghastly, Skulduggery and Valkyrie hide with Paddy in his farmhouse. The Diablerie start to open the Gateway and Valkyrie puts on her new clothes. They are then ambushed by two or three hundred Hollow Men. Paddy persuades Valkyrie to put on the ring he was going to give to the woman he married as the rest of them attack the Diablerie. China, a dozen Cleavers and the Necromancers appear and start killing the Hollow Men. As Fletcher begins to open the Gateway. Tanith is about to be killed by Murder Rose but is saved by the White Cleaver. Tanith gets inside the house and Bliss arrives and starts beating up Krav. While Valkyrie and Paddy are looking for First Aid supplies for Tanith, Sanguine arrives and attacks Tanith. Paddy tries to shoot Sanguine with his shotgun but is knocked out. Valkyrie then slashes open Sanguine's stomach with Tanith’s sword. Then three Faceless Ones come through the gate and Fletcher manages to escape after the shockwave caused by their arrival. One of the Faceless Ones takes over Krav’s body and then kills Mr. Bliss.

Paddy gets Valkyrie the Sceptre then reveals himself to be Batu as he knocks Tanith out and hits Valkyrie with the Sceptre. Valkyrie realises that the ring Batu gave her is preventing her from using magic and removes it allowing her to burn Batu’s side. Batu takes the Sceptre and hides it in the trees being followed by Valkyrie. Batu watches the Faceless One kill the Cleavers and the listens to Murder Rose be taken over by a Faceless One. Remus Crux attempts to arrest Valkyrie and she knocks him down. She then watches Skuduggery battle the Faceless One and a Necromancer be killed. Jaron removes his arm and the mark allowing the remaining Faceless One to know where he is. China finds Crux, who has the Sceptre. China is given the Sceptre by Crux and then turns to see Valkyrie running towards her with a Faceless One running behind her. Valkyrie raised the sceptre and fired black lightning twice into the Faceless One that had consumed Krav, killing it.

The second Faceless One attacks China, Skulduggery and Valkyrie. Fletcher appears and teleports Valkyrie out of the way. The Faceless One pulls the Sceptre out of Valkyrie’s hand and shatters it destroying the black crystal, and itself. Skulduggery decides to get the last Faceless One to chase Valkyrie and go through a new portal. Batu is consumed by the last Faceless One. Skulduggery and Valkyrie stop the Faceless One from killing Ghastly, and Valkyrie runs through the trees while being chased by the Faceless One. They manage to get it in front of the new portal and Solomon and Skulduggery try to force the Faceless One into the portal. Then Solomon is knocked back and Skulduggery is the only one who can stop the Faceless One, who lifts him off the ground. Solomon gives Valkyrie his cane full of his Necromantic power and she uses it to knock the Faceless One back as the cane was destroyed. The Faceless One shoots out tentacles made of its organs in a last attempt to save itself that destroys its host body when Skulduggery blasts it through the portal with a blast of air. Skulduggery then throws the Grostesquery (which Fletcher had used to open the portal) through the portal to make sure it cannot be opened again, but one of the organ tentacles comes out at the last moment and drags him through. The portal closes and Skulduggery is gone.

Later Solomon Wreath approaches Valkyrie and she angrily tells him that Guild is claiming full responsibility and saying Skulduggery did nothing. Solomon tells Valkyrie that there is a new Isthmus Anchor and that it is the skull that Skulduggery had lost, since it got stolen and Skulduggery's current head is a head he won in a poker game. Solomon then tells Valkyrie that she is a natural with Necromancy, seeing her use his Necromantic cane, and she will need more power than she has now, and hopes she will choose to become a Necromancer.

Future

While the first three novels have been completed and released, the author has expressed his desire to continue writing 6 more novels, thus making a 9-novels series.

Interestingly enough, the fourth novel has been tentatively entitled Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days.

Awards

Skulduggery Pleasant won the Red House Children's Book Award, the Bolton Children's Book Award and the Staffordshire Young Teen Fiction Award. The book was also recommended for confident readers (9+) by the Richard & Judy Children's Book Club in 2007. It also won the Portsmouth Book Awards in 2008, having been selected by school children in Portsmouth. Also, in 2009 , it won the Kernow Youth and Grampian Book Awards by a majority vote.

Publishing History

Skulduggery Pleasant

The debut novel was released in 2007.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire

The sequel was released April 1, 2008.

Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones

The third novel was released April 6, 2009.

Reviews, praise and criticism

Reviews and praise

As the first three novels released, immense popularity and positive reviews have been given to the novels. Many critics praised Derek Landy's way of writing due to his extremely huge gallery of characters.
Some critics and their comments are below:

• Phillip Ardagh (The Guardian):

• Nathan Nicholls (Whitby Gazette):

• Christina Hardyment (The Independent):

Tom Waterhouse Brill apsalotly Brill

• The Times:

Criticism

Film Adaptions

The immense popularity and extremely positive reviews of the first three novels have caught the attention of people worldwide. Warner Bros. also caught the attention and are currently in talks for film adaptions of the novels and currently the first novel's adaption is in the planning stage. Author Derek Landy has expressed interest and welcomed film adaptions for all of his novels. As of mid-2009, Warner Bros. owns the rights to the films.

However, Derek Landy commented "that the movie will probably not be coming out in 2010... we have a director and our working on the script...but if the movies made it will be live action."