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Skulduggery Pleasant #8
Last Stand of Dead Men
War has finally come.
But it's not a war between good and evil, or light and dark – it's a war between Sanctuaries. For too long, the Irish Sanctuary has teetered on the brink of world-ending disaster, and the other Sanctuaries around the world have had enough. Allies turn to enemies, friends turn to foes, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie must team up with the rest of the Dead Men if they're going to have any chance at all of maintaining the balance of power and getting to the root of a vast conspiracy that has been years in the making.
But while this war is only beginning, another war rages within Valkyrie herself. Her own dark side, the insanely powerful being known as Darquesse, is on the verge of rising to the surface. And if Valkyrie slips, even for a moment, then Darquesse will burn the world and everyone in it.
But it's not a war between good and evil, or light and dark – it's a war between Sanctuaries. For too long, the Irish Sanctuary has teetered on the brink of world-ending disaster, and the other Sanctuaries around the world have had enough. Allies turn to enemies, friends turn to foes, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie must team up with the rest of the Dead Men if they're going to have any chance at all of maintaining the balance of power and getting to the root of a vast conspiracy that has been years in the making.
But while this war is only beginning, another war rages within Valkyrie herself. Her own dark side, the insanely powerful being known as Darquesse, is on the verge of rising to the surface. And if Valkyrie slips, even for a moment, then Darquesse will burn the world and everyone in it.
604 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2013
About the author
Derek Landy
176 books5,099 followersDerek Landy is an Irish writer and screenwriter. In addition to the bestselling children's/YA series of Skulduggery Pleasant books, a supernatural mystery series starring Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton detective, and Valkyrie Cain, a young female magician, he has written two screenplays that have been made into films: the IFTA award winning "Dead Bodies" and the IFTA nominated "Boy Eats Girl". Landy himself was nominated for an IFTA for Best Script.
He doesn’t like to brag about all the awards he’s won, such as the Irish Book of the Decade, or the Red House in the UK, or all the other awards that he humbly displays on his mantelpiece. He is also far too modest to mention things like the first book being a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, but would like to extend an invitation to Oprah to pop around one day for tea, in thanks for selecting his book for the Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List.
Derek plays too many video games, reads too many comics, and watches too many movies. He lives in Ireland with too many cats. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
He doesn’t like to brag about all the awards he’s won, such as the Irish Book of the Decade, or the Red House in the UK, or all the other awards that he humbly displays on his mantelpiece. He is also far too modest to mention things like the first book being a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, but would like to extend an invitation to Oprah to pop around one day for tea, in thanks for selecting his book for the Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List.
Derek plays too many video games, reads too many comics, and watches too many movies. He lives in Ireland with too many cats. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 783 reviews
May 30, 2017
WHY DEREK LANDY?! WHY?! WHY MUST YOU TORTURE ME SO?!!!
Never have I read a series where the war starts in the second last book and then you have to wait A WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR FOR THE LAST ONE!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!
Just ... I can't ... I can't even- Why?! Why would you do that?! Why .. why.. why. *sobs*
If you've read the book then you know what I mean. You know what I'm talking about. Am I right?! Did it fill you with uncontrollable sadness and anger and made you almost swear and want to throw the book and not look at it again. Because that's what it did to me.
And that ending!!! Must you inflict such pain!!!! UGH!!!!
Never have I read a series where the war starts in the second last book and then you have to wait A WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR FOR THE LAST ONE!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!
Just ... I can't ... I can't even- Why?! Why would you do that?! Why .. why.. why. *sobs*
If you've read the book then you know what I mean. You know what I'm talking about. Am I right?! Did it fill you with uncontrollable sadness and anger and made you almost swear and want to throw the book and not look at it again. Because that's what it did to me.
And that ending!!! Must you inflict such pain!!!! UGH!!!!
June 30, 2023
Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
I don’t even have words (okay maybe I have a few). All I know is that the second I finished this, I scrambled as quickly as I could to grab the next book in the series (Book 9: The Dying Of The Light) from my nightstand; now that it’s in my hands, I will have to keep this brief. 😉
This series is something else. This book, if it wasn’t giving me a near heart attack, it was working on crushing my heart, or tearing my heart apart. I’m hoping this next book will be working to repair some of this damage, damn it! 🥺
God, i love these boooooks! This last one was on another level, holy sh*t! I know i say that a lot, but i mean... you KNOW a series/ book is good when it can just short of tear your heart out of your chest & you (mostly) love it all the more for it!
Anyway... back to it— Book 9, here I come! MUST. READ. NOW!
I don’t even have words (okay maybe I have a few). All I know is that the second I finished this, I scrambled as quickly as I could to grab the next book in the series (Book 9: The Dying Of The Light) from my nightstand; now that it’s in my hands, I will have to keep this brief. 😉
This series is something else. This book, if it wasn’t giving me a near heart attack, it was working on crushing my heart, or tearing my heart apart. I’m hoping this next book will be working to repair some of this damage, damn it! 🥺
God, i love these boooooks! This last one was on another level, holy sh*t! I know i say that a lot, but i mean... you KNOW a series/ book is good when it can just short of tear your heart out of your chest & you (mostly) love it all the more for it!
Anyway... back to it— Book 9, here I come! MUST. READ. NOW!
August 17, 2014
17 August 2014: re-reading this after a year, it's a ... mixed bag.
Well, not that mixed: I still stand by my original five star rating, but on the other hand, a slow re-read a year later, when I could actually pay attention to more things and not just hungrily gulp down everything that happened - with my brain no longer reeling from the twists and turns - it's also clearly not a perfect book, from editing issues (a couple of confusing paragraphs, the odd extraneous word) to other problems (Ping, and a few of the word choices as well as other issues I had with the parts set in Africa or to do with the African sanctuaries, but these are, in the grand scheme of things, for me, minor problems).
But that said, the main things, the plot itself, and everything to do with Skulduggery, Valkyrie, China and Stephanie, was still awesome.
--
9 September 2013. OK, I think I've put it off long enough. For some reason, this is probably the hardest book for me to review, ever.
For starters, and for full disclosure, I should probably mention that it's hard for me to be completely unbiased. I am after all a character in this book - or rather there is a minor character in this book named after me (I'm not going to go as far as to say "inspired by me", even though she's sensible and reasonable and what not, ahem), amongst all the other dozen or so fan cameos who made it into this book, so... yeah.
Other than that (i.e. being a total fangirl of this series and of its author, posting on SP forums and interacting to an extent with other fans as well as the author online), I have no affiliation with either the author or the publisher. I have received no free copies in exchange for that five star review - in fact, I've already purchased three copies myself (Kindle to read + hardback & paperback to be signed) and, I suspect, will be buying some more.
Anyway. I don't want to spoil things too much, so I won't be going into plot detail, but be warned that there will be reactions here - and spoilers to the extent that have been hinted at in the description, or Derek's blog posts, or Derek's Twitter posts, i.e. anything publicly available before the book was released.
Of course, if you've read this far into this series - and have taken a look at the cover, with this cover art and the "No one is safe" tag line, it probably goes without saying that Things Happen in this book, and that not all of those things are fun, light-hearted and fluffy.
Overall impression: this is, without a doubt, in my opinion, the best Skulduggery Pleasant book written yet. By that I mean the plot, the twists, the writing, the sheer complexity of this eighth - and penultimate - full volume.
Is it my favourite book in the series? No. No, it's not. Mostly because of reasons - reasons that have to do with Last Stand of Dead Men leaving me heartbroken and crushed and numb once I was done.
"Children's book", they say. "Humour," they say. ... No. Yes, children can read it (if they're okay with all the bloodshed and the sexual innuendo, which by now isn't always even innuendo but pretty straightforward relationship stuff, or the swearing, which is very much present and IMHO very much justified when there), and yes, like every other SP book, it contains a lot of humour and howlingly funny moments and scenes and dialogue, but this is neither a children's book or a predominantly humorous book.
This is a book about war, and about betrayal, and about the things people do. The things good people do, when there is a need, and the things good people do, when they cannot resist the temptations and the lure of absolute power and freedom and magic any longer. It's a book about how far we - or the characters, anyway - are willing to go, and a book about the breaking points of strong people.
There is torture, and there is death, and there is bloodshed, and there is backstabbing, and there are political machinations, and yes, there is also love (because no matter how one interprets the love between Valkyrie and Skulduggery, whether one reads it as completely platonic or something a bit different, I can't see how one could deny it's there in so many ways, but Val & Skul, central to the book and the series as it is, is by far not the only relationship touched upon) and there is heartbreak and hurt and sadness.
I would love to talk about characters here, but that would take me straight into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that Valkyrie's path - the path she has been on since the first book, the first day, but more pronouncedly since the end of Dark Days - has taken another turn, sharper than ever. And I have no idea - no idea at all! - how things will turn out in book nine, the final book. My heart is hoping for a happy ending; my head is saying it's not going to happen.
Skulduggery... Let's be honest, I've been in love with Skulduggery since his first appearance. Since I saw the cover of the first book, probably. But this book, this book made me fall in love with him all over again. He's magnificent when in charge, he's loveable even when jealous, he's sweet and adorable when smug... and truly, I think this was finally his book, one where we see him through the eyes of multiple people, not just Valkyrie.
And oh, how my heart aches for him.
If this is Skulduggery's book, it's also the book of a multitude of secondary characters. We get more points of view than ever before, more chapters from secondary characters' POV, and while I wished deep down that we'd focused more on Skul and Val instead, I do think the multiple points of view enriched the book, emphasized the sheer scope of it (as well as providing some much needed laughs at times, even if Scapegrace and Thrasher have become much more than just comic relief by now).
And then there were the twists and the reveals. One of them I had guessed, sort of - I was about 98% certain of the identity of a particular character, who until this book was only seen pulling strings behind the scenes, mostly by the process of elimination (or in other words, no matter how much I tried to assume otherwise, every hint, every path of reasoning kept leading me back to this one specific person). So when that reveal happened, I wasn't surprised by the who, but I was still shocked about the how.
Another of the Things That Happened... I had not expected. I hadn't expected it to happen in this book, in any case, or in this way. And that one hurt, even more than the first twist, and it's the primary reason why, for the first time in all these years I've been reading this series, I'm not anticipating the next (and final) book with excitement but rather dreading it.
That said, bring it on. I'm scared - terrified, in fact, and right now I'm nowhere near ready yet, emotionally, to face that final chapter in what has become my absolute favourite book series ever - but I trust Derek Landy and most importantly, I trust him to do what is needed, not what the readers might want, no matter how much it might hurt. (That said, I'd be delighted if "what is needed" turns out to be a happy ending, with Skul & Val walking hand in hand into the sunset. Heh.)
ETA 29 August 2013. I'm done. I've read it. And ...
Just. God. That's all.
I'll leave a review later, if I ever get my thoughts coherent enough. But .. wow. Okay. I don't think any book has had this kind of an emotional impact on me before, and I'm just .. reeling. Numb.
ETA 25 August 2013: SO I HAVE JUST LEARNED ONE TEENY TINY SPOILER ABOUT THIS BOOK AND I AM NOW GONE. NO. I AM IN THE BOOK. I am in this book. Cameo thingy. YES.
ETA 29 July 2013: ONE MORE MONTH. One more long, LONG month. How will I even survive this waiting?? Gah. I don't know if I've ever looked forward to a book more than this.
ETA 24 May 2013: I have officially died. THAT COVER. I ... I have feels, you see. So many feels. And with this cover, Derek & Tom Percival have caused my premature death.
*curls up in a corner, whimpers*
Yay! We have a title!
And even more yay! We have a synopsis! Which is making me wibble and quiver and shudder with worry. And with fear.
Well, not that mixed: I still stand by my original five star rating, but on the other hand, a slow re-read a year later, when I could actually pay attention to more things and not just hungrily gulp down everything that happened - with my brain no longer reeling from the twists and turns - it's also clearly not a perfect book, from editing issues (a couple of confusing paragraphs, the odd extraneous word) to other problems (Ping, and a few of the word choices as well as other issues I had with the parts set in Africa or to do with the African sanctuaries, but these are, in the grand scheme of things, for me, minor problems).
But that said, the main things, the plot itself, and everything to do with Skulduggery, Valkyrie, China and Stephanie, was still awesome.
--
9 September 2013. OK, I think I've put it off long enough. For some reason, this is probably the hardest book for me to review, ever.
For starters, and for full disclosure, I should probably mention that it's hard for me to be completely unbiased. I am after all a character in this book - or rather there is a minor character in this book named after me (I'm not going to go as far as to say "inspired by me", even though she's sensible and reasonable and what not, ahem), amongst all the other dozen or so fan cameos who made it into this book, so... yeah.
Other than that (i.e. being a total fangirl of this series and of its author, posting on SP forums and interacting to an extent with other fans as well as the author online), I have no affiliation with either the author or the publisher. I have received no free copies in exchange for that five star review - in fact, I've already purchased three copies myself (Kindle to read + hardback & paperback to be signed) and, I suspect, will be buying some more.
Anyway. I don't want to spoil things too much, so I won't be going into plot detail, but be warned that there will be reactions here - and spoilers to the extent that have been hinted at in the description, or Derek's blog posts, or Derek's Twitter posts, i.e. anything publicly available before the book was released.
Of course, if you've read this far into this series - and have taken a look at the cover, with this cover art and the "No one is safe" tag line, it probably goes without saying that Things Happen in this book, and that not all of those things are fun, light-hearted and fluffy.
Overall impression: this is, without a doubt, in my opinion, the best Skulduggery Pleasant book written yet. By that I mean the plot, the twists, the writing, the sheer complexity of this eighth - and penultimate - full volume.
Is it my favourite book in the series? No. No, it's not. Mostly because of reasons - reasons that have to do with Last Stand of Dead Men leaving me heartbroken and crushed and numb once I was done.
"Children's book", they say. "Humour," they say. ... No. Yes, children can read it (if they're okay with all the bloodshed and the sexual innuendo, which by now isn't always even innuendo but pretty straightforward relationship stuff, or the swearing, which is very much present and IMHO very much justified when there), and yes, like every other SP book, it contains a lot of humour and howlingly funny moments and scenes and dialogue, but this is neither a children's book or a predominantly humorous book.
This is a book about war, and about betrayal, and about the things people do. The things good people do, when there is a need, and the things good people do, when they cannot resist the temptations and the lure of absolute power and freedom and magic any longer. It's a book about how far we - or the characters, anyway - are willing to go, and a book about the breaking points of strong people.
There is torture, and there is death, and there is bloodshed, and there is backstabbing, and there are political machinations, and yes, there is also love (because no matter how one interprets the love between Valkyrie and Skulduggery, whether one reads it as completely platonic or something a bit different, I can't see how one could deny it's there in so many ways, but Val & Skul, central to the book and the series as it is, is by far not the only relationship touched upon) and there is heartbreak and hurt and sadness.
I would love to talk about characters here, but that would take me straight into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that Valkyrie's path - the path she has been on since the first book, the first day, but more pronouncedly since the end of Dark Days - has taken another turn, sharper than ever. And I have no idea - no idea at all! - how things will turn out in book nine, the final book. My heart is hoping for a happy ending; my head is saying it's not going to happen.
Skulduggery... Let's be honest, I've been in love with Skulduggery since his first appearance. Since I saw the cover of the first book, probably. But this book, this book made me fall in love with him all over again. He's magnificent when in charge, he's loveable even when jealous, he's sweet and adorable when smug... and truly, I think this was finally his book, one where we see him through the eyes of multiple people, not just Valkyrie.
And oh, how my heart aches for him.
If this is Skulduggery's book, it's also the book of a multitude of secondary characters. We get more points of view than ever before, more chapters from secondary characters' POV, and while I wished deep down that we'd focused more on Skul and Val instead, I do think the multiple points of view enriched the book, emphasized the sheer scope of it (as well as providing some much needed laughs at times, even if Scapegrace and Thrasher have become much more than just comic relief by now).
And then there were the twists and the reveals. One of them I had guessed, sort of - I was about 98% certain of the identity of a particular character, who until this book was only seen pulling strings behind the scenes, mostly by the process of elimination (or in other words, no matter how much I tried to assume otherwise, every hint, every path of reasoning kept leading me back to this one specific person). So when that reveal happened, I wasn't surprised by the who, but I was still shocked about the how.
Another of the Things That Happened... I had not expected. I hadn't expected it to happen in this book, in any case, or in this way. And that one hurt, even more than the first twist, and it's the primary reason why, for the first time in all these years I've been reading this series, I'm not anticipating the next (and final) book with excitement but rather dreading it.
That said, bring it on. I'm scared - terrified, in fact, and right now I'm nowhere near ready yet, emotionally, to face that final chapter in what has become my absolute favourite book series ever - but I trust Derek Landy and most importantly, I trust him to do what is needed, not what the readers might want, no matter how much it might hurt. (That said, I'd be delighted if "what is needed" turns out to be a happy ending, with Skul & Val walking hand in hand into the sunset. Heh.)
ETA 29 August 2013. I'm done. I've read it. And ...
Just. God. That's all.
I'll leave a review later, if I ever get my thoughts coherent enough. But .. wow. Okay. I don't think any book has had this kind of an emotional impact on me before, and I'm just .. reeling. Numb.
ETA 25 August 2013: SO I HAVE JUST LEARNED ONE TEENY TINY SPOILER ABOUT THIS BOOK AND I AM NOW GONE. NO. I AM IN THE BOOK. I am in this book. Cameo thingy. YES.
ETA 29 July 2013: ONE MORE MONTH. One more long, LONG month. How will I even survive this waiting?? Gah. I don't know if I've ever looked forward to a book more than this.
ETA 24 May 2013: I have officially died. THAT COVER. I ... I have feels, you see. So many feels. And with this cover, Derek & Tom Percival have caused my premature death.
*curls up in a corner, whimpers*
Yay! We have a title!
And even more yay! We have a synopsis! Which is making me wibble and quiver and shudder with worry. And with fear.
August 26, 2018
I could not tear myself away from this book this afternoon.
Darquesse is now here to stay. As is Stephanie: these two bits of information we pick up from the last book. How they occur is one hell of a wild ride in this latest instalment.
The characters that died - one in particular - hurt my fragile character loving heart. I genuinely never thought it would happen after instances in previous books.
More types of magical beings are introduced; politics within the communities is discussed and war comes to Ireland. It is kick-assing and edge of your seat action which I loved. No complaints from me on that part of how long the war actually was in this book.
Skulduggery is as sarcastic as ever and I am here for it forever. My baby.
Darquesse is now here to stay. As is Stephanie: these two bits of information we pick up from the last book. How they occur is one hell of a wild ride in this latest instalment.
The characters that died - one in particular - hurt my fragile character loving heart. I genuinely never thought it would happen after instances in previous books.
More types of magical beings are introduced; politics within the communities is discussed and war comes to Ireland. It is kick-assing and edge of your seat action which I loved. No complaints from me on that part of how long the war actually was in this book.
Skulduggery is as sarcastic as ever and I am here for it forever. My baby.
March 5, 2019
War is hell.
Now, I must have had like 20 quotes marked to head up this review. All of them either really funny or just epic. But I went for this one because it is so effin true.
That aside, I can only stress how much I loved this book. Just like the other books in this series, it is funny and thrilling and magical... It is even darker than the last one. There are two small things that I maybe could start to rant about. I won't start a rant but I will mention them: The first issue would be that there isn't as much interaction between Skulduggery and Valkyrie as in the previous books which for me make a huge part of why I really fell in love with these books. It's still there but not in the quantity we're used to. The second issue .
Also, this book cemented my shipping of Valkyrie and Skulduggery even more...
All in all, this series will forever be a favorite of mine and I can only recommend starting it if you haven't already.
May 30, 2016
Най-добрата поредица, която някога съм чела. Дори и да боли на моменти, разбирам изборите на Ланди. От всички части, в тази се случват най-важните моменти - общо взето кулминацията на цялата поредица. И с всяка страница става по-тежко, че краят иде - а аз не съм готова да й кажа сбогом...
March 12, 2017
I don't think I've ever been as completely speechless as I was when I first finished this book (and several times during). I still haven't quite come to terms with the twists, and I have no idea where the hell the story is going to go from here. But I know one thing: that was possibly the most awesome thing I have ever read to date. I had high expectations, but the final product didn't even come close - as in it overshot those expectations by...a lot.
Note - there will be a spoiler section in this review because I need to vent these feels.
Last Stand of Dead Men is the beginning of the war. But not a war between good and evil; between mortals and mages; between the good guys and the bad. This is a war between Sanctuaries. Fellow mages turning on each other. The sparks have been there the whole time, but now they've been lit and everyone is getting dragged into it. At the same time, Valkyrie and Skulduggery are desperately trying to find a way to stop Darquesse from rising and destroying the world. But time is running out and even Valkyrie's reflection knows her original copy isn't strong enough to hold back for long.
I've always loved Derek's writing. He's amazing at combining so many different genres and aspects into it. Last Stand of Dead Men did take me longer to read than the other books, because it's not only longer, but the writing is more detailed and sophisticated. I've always said that, as the stories have gone on, Landy has really developed along with them. For example, the earlier books are simpler both in plot and style of writing, but this style has adapted as the target audience (of which I am proud to be a part of) has grown up, as well as the author.
The action is flawlessly told, and amazingly exciting to visualise. I love the description, even though it's reasonably simple - but it's just right to fit into the passages and get the desired affect on the reader. The dialogue is great and everything ties in really well together.
There's a very comedic flare to the narration (on top of the hilarious dialogue running through even the serious moments) that engages the reader very well. You get to know the characters really well form whoever's story a certain chapter follows. Since the story is told in the third person, we don't get direct quotes from the character's mind, but we still get their kind of attitude and perspective though the way Landy does present it.
Where to start with the story? So, so much happened. So, so many twists. I can't even begin to describe how well though-out this book was.
I have to say, I did have a bit of trouble at the start with remembering all the characters and everything that had happened in the previous book. The first couple of chapters didn't make much sense to me, and I ended up skim-reading them again once I had reminded myself of the events of Kingdom of the Wicked. After that, however, everything fell into place and became truly awesome.
I love how much the story developed. The book isn't short, I know. But still, within 600 pages, an astonishing amount occurred. And every part of it had me utterly transfixed. When I got about halfway through, I couldn't put the book down. I lost a lot of valuable sleep over this. But it was worth it.
The twists were legendary. I didn't see them coming until they happened. And then I was literally just staring at the page. Like I said before, I have never been so utterly speechless and clueless before. The brilliant thing was also that it wasn't so completely ridiculous that it couldn't be true. Sometimes twists like the ones in this novel are just too far fetched and they just don't work. But I didn't question the revelations. There also weren't just one or two twists; they were appearing throughout the whole book. You didn't have time to process what happened until something else came up. I was shocked by a most of it - which was great because it meant I was feeling something. I very nearly cried - very nearly.
But some of the events in this book must have been thought of AGES ago. I'm talking second-or-third-book ages ago. I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet about those things for that long! Especially since they're so huge and...huge!
The ending. You couldn't leave it on a bigger cliffhanger. I'm used to the Skulduggery books ending on cliffhangers, but this was just mean. (Somewhere in Ireland, Derek Landy is sitting, grinning at his own evilness.)
One of the things I found really hard to deal with - more at the start, I admit - was the sheer amount of characters. I often mistook some of the smaller people with each other, which confused things a little. However, after the first third, I managed to get to grips with everyone.
I could go on for hours about each character, because there must be literally hundreds, but these are, in my opinion, the best and most important.
Oh Valkyrie. You are such an amazing character. So realistic; conflicted, guilty, selfish, making mistakes all the time. That's what makes her so brilliant; she is in no way a hero. Yet at the same time, she strives for what's important. She saves peoples lives and she wants to do what's right. But she makes mistakes, and good intentions fail her, like they do to so many of us (just, in our cases, not on the saving the world scale).
Skulduggery remains to be a truly amazing mystery. I love the fact, even eight books in, we still don't know him that well. And he's still shrouded in secrets. This is emphasised by the fact that we're never given a chapter following Skulduggery's story. We have one for pretty much everyone else, but Skulduggery is always portrayed through someone else's series of events. It's a great technique, and I'm not sure I ever want to learn everything about Skulduggery. I always love mysterious characters; they're interesting because we don't know everything about them.
If you were to ask me who my favourite character was from this series, I would cheat and say all the Dead Men. Because I think I might have actually fallen in love with them. (Yes. Plural.) The Dead Men alive and participating in this book are: Erkskine Ravel, Ghastly Bespoke, Dexter Vex, Saracen Rue and Anton Shudder. I could write whole essays on each of them, but I'll try and keep it quick. They each have their own certain flare, but all share their love of sarcasm, dark humour, quick wits and disturbing tempers. We've known Ghastly since the first book, and Ravel has been around for a while now. But I really loved seeing Vex, Rue and Shudder more in this book. We've met them before, but they became primary characters in this instalment of the series. It's great to see the legends Skulduggery's been telling Valkyrie for ages in real life - and even more hilarious to hear their own stories.
I was so glad Fletcher came back. Oh I love that boy. He's a complete idiot, and infernally irritating, but he's so good. I felt so sorry for him for what happened, and I don't think he did deserve it. But of course, I was glad it happened, because it was great in the storyline. He's very real to me, because you can see when his emotions are affecting him - and that's quite a lot of the time.
You gotta love Tanith and Billy Ray. They're great. They weren't in the book as much as I'd expect, but then again they did just have a 'novella' (I can't even type that with a serious face) all to themselves. But I think they're a great pair and they always add both humour and drama to the story.
I was very entertained to find Ashione Flare in the story. It was strange, because I was just thinking about the girl she's based on, and if she would ever be involved in the story since she's such good friends with the author. And then the next chapter I read featured her alias. It was strange to say the least. Apart from the fact I know the origin for the character, I really loved Ashione anyway. She's feisty and her inclusion was great.
Where is the Kenny story going? I'm so scared he's going to bring everything tumbling down (or more than it already has, anyway). He's great, and I like the way we get to see a mortal's impression of the magical world. It brings everything into perspective.
The pace was great. I found it a little slow to begin with, but that's because I was reminding myself of what had happened and the beginnings of the war had to be set up before it started. After that, however, it was fast and I couldn't put the book down.
[Spoiler Section - do NOT read if you have not read the book yet, and plan to.]
Darquesse! I have so many questions that need answering. What's going to happen there? Are they going to get Valkyrie back? Is Stephanie going to turn into Valkyrie, and then kill Darquesse? Will Skulduggery turn into Vile to help? What's going to happen? The build up to this part of the plot was so good - especially that chapter where Darquesse has taken over, and Valkyrie getting subdued and basically wiped out. Darquesse genuinely scares me, which is a first. And I think she's just as formidable and dangerous as she's been said to be throughout the last couple of books.
Stephanie. What a stroke of genius. I suspected Valkyrie's reflection was going to have a big part in her downfall, and everything that happens building up to the climax of the last book, but I didn't expect this! I admit, I was uncomfortable with Stephanie almost replacing Valkyrie, once she turned bad. Stephanie almost acts like a microcosm for the war between Sanctuaries: she's tired of being brushed aside and wants to be the important one. And if you think about it, while Valkyrie may be better when it comes to the magical side of things, Stephanie is actually superior when it comes to the mind. She remembers everything; every lessons Skulduggery or anyone else taught her; she remembers little details; she understands things to a different perspective than Valkyrie, but still in a sophisticated way. And Stephanie loves her and Valkyrie's family just as much as her original. So why shouldn't she have a life too? I love the way we're made to question this by Landy. It's awesome, and made me feel guilty about the uneasy feeling I got when Stephanie joined the gang.
I'm not going to say much about the deaths but, as much as it may hurt me, they were so vital to the story. I didn't see the coming, which made it hurt all the more. I actually just stared after Ghastly and Shudder were murdered. I didn't even know it had happened at first. Derek writes like that; so casually. It gives a strange affect of where you're detached, like it's not real. This is amazing because it's what I expect actually witnessing something like that would be.
[End of Spoiler Section.]
I recommend Last Stand of Dead Men to everyone. You MUST read the other books first, but do take into account that the story and writing develops and improves as the story goes on. The first book isn't as sophisticated as this novel - not that there's anything wrong with that - but I don't want people to be put off the books because they think the first instalment is too 'simple'.
But you should definitely go and read the series. It's one of the few stories that makes me laugh out loud, makes me nearly cry, and leaves me speechless. The action is wonderfully done, the characters are practically real and the depth and complexity of the story as it grows is indescribable. Go read. Now. If you're still reading this, then you haven't read it yet. Go.
And finally I leave you with this piece of advice: it's a very bad idea not to take the title seriously.
Note - there will be a spoiler section in this review because I need to vent these feels.
Last Stand of Dead Men is the beginning of the war. But not a war between good and evil; between mortals and mages; between the good guys and the bad. This is a war between Sanctuaries. Fellow mages turning on each other. The sparks have been there the whole time, but now they've been lit and everyone is getting dragged into it. At the same time, Valkyrie and Skulduggery are desperately trying to find a way to stop Darquesse from rising and destroying the world. But time is running out and even Valkyrie's reflection knows her original copy isn't strong enough to hold back for long.
I've always loved Derek's writing. He's amazing at combining so many different genres and aspects into it. Last Stand of Dead Men did take me longer to read than the other books, because it's not only longer, but the writing is more detailed and sophisticated. I've always said that, as the stories have gone on, Landy has really developed along with them. For example, the earlier books are simpler both in plot and style of writing, but this style has adapted as the target audience (of which I am proud to be a part of) has grown up, as well as the author.
The action is flawlessly told, and amazingly exciting to visualise. I love the description, even though it's reasonably simple - but it's just right to fit into the passages and get the desired affect on the reader. The dialogue is great and everything ties in really well together.
There's a very comedic flare to the narration (on top of the hilarious dialogue running through even the serious moments) that engages the reader very well. You get to know the characters really well form whoever's story a certain chapter follows. Since the story is told in the third person, we don't get direct quotes from the character's mind, but we still get their kind of attitude and perspective though the way Landy does present it.
Where to start with the story? So, so much happened. So, so many twists. I can't even begin to describe how well though-out this book was.
I have to say, I did have a bit of trouble at the start with remembering all the characters and everything that had happened in the previous book. The first couple of chapters didn't make much sense to me, and I ended up skim-reading them again once I had reminded myself of the events of Kingdom of the Wicked. After that, however, everything fell into place and became truly awesome.
I love how much the story developed. The book isn't short, I know. But still, within 600 pages, an astonishing amount occurred. And every part of it had me utterly transfixed. When I got about halfway through, I couldn't put the book down. I lost a lot of valuable sleep over this. But it was worth it.
The twists were legendary. I didn't see them coming until they happened. And then I was literally just staring at the page. Like I said before, I have never been so utterly speechless and clueless before. The brilliant thing was also that it wasn't so completely ridiculous that it couldn't be true. Sometimes twists like the ones in this novel are just too far fetched and they just don't work. But I didn't question the revelations. There also weren't just one or two twists; they were appearing throughout the whole book. You didn't have time to process what happened until something else came up. I was shocked by a most of it - which was great because it meant I was feeling something. I very nearly cried - very nearly.
But some of the events in this book must have been thought of AGES ago. I'm talking second-or-third-book ages ago. I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet about those things for that long! Especially since they're so huge and...huge!
The ending. You couldn't leave it on a bigger cliffhanger. I'm used to the Skulduggery books ending on cliffhangers, but this was just mean. (Somewhere in Ireland, Derek Landy is sitting, grinning at his own evilness.)
One of the things I found really hard to deal with - more at the start, I admit - was the sheer amount of characters. I often mistook some of the smaller people with each other, which confused things a little. However, after the first third, I managed to get to grips with everyone.
I could go on for hours about each character, because there must be literally hundreds, but these are, in my opinion, the best and most important.
Oh Valkyrie. You are such an amazing character. So realistic; conflicted, guilty, selfish, making mistakes all the time. That's what makes her so brilliant; she is in no way a hero. Yet at the same time, she strives for what's important. She saves peoples lives and she wants to do what's right. But she makes mistakes, and good intentions fail her, like they do to so many of us (just, in our cases, not on the saving the world scale).
Skulduggery remains to be a truly amazing mystery. I love the fact, even eight books in, we still don't know him that well. And he's still shrouded in secrets. This is emphasised by the fact that we're never given a chapter following Skulduggery's story. We have one for pretty much everyone else, but Skulduggery is always portrayed through someone else's series of events. It's a great technique, and I'm not sure I ever want to learn everything about Skulduggery. I always love mysterious characters; they're interesting because we don't know everything about them.
If you were to ask me who my favourite character was from this series, I would cheat and say all the Dead Men. Because I think I might have actually fallen in love with them. (Yes. Plural.) The Dead Men alive and participating in this book are: Erkskine Ravel, Ghastly Bespoke, Dexter Vex, Saracen Rue and Anton Shudder. I could write whole essays on each of them, but I'll try and keep it quick. They each have their own certain flare, but all share their love of sarcasm, dark humour, quick wits and disturbing tempers. We've known Ghastly since the first book, and Ravel has been around for a while now. But I really loved seeing Vex, Rue and Shudder more in this book. We've met them before, but they became primary characters in this instalment of the series. It's great to see the legends Skulduggery's been telling Valkyrie for ages in real life - and even more hilarious to hear their own stories.
I was so glad Fletcher came back. Oh I love that boy. He's a complete idiot, and infernally irritating, but he's so good. I felt so sorry for him for what happened, and I don't think he did deserve it. But of course, I was glad it happened, because it was great in the storyline. He's very real to me, because you can see when his emotions are affecting him - and that's quite a lot of the time.
You gotta love Tanith and Billy Ray. They're great. They weren't in the book as much as I'd expect, but then again they did just have a 'novella' (I can't even type that with a serious face) all to themselves. But I think they're a great pair and they always add both humour and drama to the story.
I was very entertained to find Ashione Flare in the story. It was strange, because I was just thinking about the girl she's based on, and if she would ever be involved in the story since she's such good friends with the author. And then the next chapter I read featured her alias. It was strange to say the least. Apart from the fact I know the origin for the character, I really loved Ashione anyway. She's feisty and her inclusion was great.
Where is the Kenny story going? I'm so scared he's going to bring everything tumbling down (or more than it already has, anyway). He's great, and I like the way we get to see a mortal's impression of the magical world. It brings everything into perspective.
The pace was great. I found it a little slow to begin with, but that's because I was reminding myself of what had happened and the beginnings of the war had to be set up before it started. After that, however, it was fast and I couldn't put the book down.
[Spoiler Section - do NOT read if you have not read the book yet, and plan to.]
Darquesse! I have so many questions that need answering. What's going to happen there? Are they going to get Valkyrie back? Is Stephanie going to turn into Valkyrie, and then kill Darquesse? Will Skulduggery turn into Vile to help? What's going to happen? The build up to this part of the plot was so good - especially that chapter where Darquesse has taken over, and Valkyrie getting subdued and basically wiped out. Darquesse genuinely scares me, which is a first. And I think she's just as formidable and dangerous as she's been said to be throughout the last couple of books.
Stephanie. What a stroke of genius. I suspected Valkyrie's reflection was going to have a big part in her downfall, and everything that happens building up to the climax of the last book, but I didn't expect this! I admit, I was uncomfortable with Stephanie almost replacing Valkyrie, once she turned bad. Stephanie almost acts like a microcosm for the war between Sanctuaries: she's tired of being brushed aside and wants to be the important one. And if you think about it, while Valkyrie may be better when it comes to the magical side of things, Stephanie is actually superior when it comes to the mind. She remembers everything; every lessons Skulduggery or anyone else taught her; she remembers little details; she understands things to a different perspective than Valkyrie, but still in a sophisticated way. And Stephanie loves her and Valkyrie's family just as much as her original. So why shouldn't she have a life too? I love the way we're made to question this by Landy. It's awesome, and made me feel guilty about the uneasy feeling I got when Stephanie joined the gang.
I'm not going to say much about the deaths but, as much as it may hurt me, they were so vital to the story. I didn't see the coming, which made it hurt all the more. I actually just stared after Ghastly and Shudder were murdered. I didn't even know it had happened at first. Derek writes like that; so casually. It gives a strange affect of where you're detached, like it's not real. This is amazing because it's what I expect actually witnessing something like that would be.
[End of Spoiler Section.]
I recommend Last Stand of Dead Men to everyone. You MUST read the other books first, but do take into account that the story and writing develops and improves as the story goes on. The first book isn't as sophisticated as this novel - not that there's anything wrong with that - but I don't want people to be put off the books because they think the first instalment is too 'simple'.
But you should definitely go and read the series. It's one of the few stories that makes me laugh out loud, makes me nearly cry, and leaves me speechless. The action is wonderfully done, the characters are practically real and the depth and complexity of the story as it grows is indescribable. Go read. Now. If you're still reading this, then you haven't read it yet. Go.
And finally I leave you with this piece of advice: it's a very bad idea not to take the title seriously.
October 15, 2013
If it helps, I do feel bad about the rating...but I feel its justified...here's why.
The first thing I noticed when I started to read the new book was that way too many new sorcerers from different sactuaries were introduced, it gets hard to tell many of them apart, and you are expected to remember the names and characters, even though many get very fleetingly mentioned chapters before.
In terms of plot, whilst not as bad as the last book was for being a bit random, the plot in this book has become very involved and overly complicated now, it was a little hard to follow, as so much happenened, and it almost seemed impulsively written- like he didnt know where he was really going with it, he just kepy writing untill something happened.
It also switched to a different story or character perspective nearly every chapter. Which is super annoying, and just draws attention to their being so much going on at one time from loads of different characters. It didnt feel well planned or cohesive, in fact, I hate to say it because I love books 1-6 so damn much. But it was lazy. Lazy lazy writing by someone who knows people are gonna pick this up and read on the promise of the previous books being so strong.
In terms of story arc as a series of books, the pacing is crazy. The first 6 books were enjoyable and much more readable, but not a lot of the "big picture" story happened in any of them, just hints at what might happen (he probably hadnt decided). Looks like he's chosen to cram all the plot into the final 2 books instead. And it feels like he's still not entirely sure what the plot is or how its going to end. Unfortunately its become pretty obvious that Landy makes up and develops many of his characters as he goes along, and it feels like he cant seem to settle on any idea and stick to it.
In terms of style, the writing seems sloppy, and in some places just bad and stereotypical, he just plain shouldn't include synonyms if they're going to be that bad. Oh and the numerous pop culture references- this book has loads, and they feel out of place, and geeky for the sake of geeky- he didnt include them in 1-6, so why in these last 2? Bit of a shame.
All in all, I feel like Landy's either not had enough time to develop the overall story line and rushed the last 2 books, or he's just stopped trying. Its super dissapointing. But i'm sure, younger readers will love him and the series regardless.
I hope he spends enough care and attention on the last book,the series deserves the end on the same level of quality as it started.
The first thing I noticed when I started to read the new book was that way too many new sorcerers from different sactuaries were introduced, it gets hard to tell many of them apart, and you are expected to remember the names and characters, even though many get very fleetingly mentioned chapters before.
In terms of plot, whilst not as bad as the last book was for being a bit random, the plot in this book has become very involved and overly complicated now, it was a little hard to follow, as so much happenened, and it almost seemed impulsively written- like he didnt know where he was really going with it, he just kepy writing untill something happened.
It also switched to a different story or character perspective nearly every chapter. Which is super annoying, and just draws attention to their being so much going on at one time from loads of different characters. It didnt feel well planned or cohesive, in fact, I hate to say it because I love books 1-6 so damn much. But it was lazy. Lazy lazy writing by someone who knows people are gonna pick this up and read on the promise of the previous books being so strong.
In terms of story arc as a series of books, the pacing is crazy. The first 6 books were enjoyable and much more readable, but not a lot of the "big picture" story happened in any of them, just hints at what might happen (he probably hadnt decided). Looks like he's chosen to cram all the plot into the final 2 books instead. And it feels like he's still not entirely sure what the plot is or how its going to end. Unfortunately its become pretty obvious that Landy makes up and develops many of his characters as he goes along, and it feels like he cant seem to settle on any idea and stick to it.
In terms of style, the writing seems sloppy, and in some places just bad and stereotypical, he just plain shouldn't include synonyms if they're going to be that bad. Oh and the numerous pop culture references- this book has loads, and they feel out of place, and geeky for the sake of geeky- he didnt include them in 1-6, so why in these last 2? Bit of a shame.
All in all, I feel like Landy's either not had enough time to develop the overall story line and rushed the last 2 books, or he's just stopped trying. Its super dissapointing. But i'm sure, younger readers will love him and the series regardless.
I hope he spends enough care and attention on the last book,the series deserves the end on the same level of quality as it started.
September 14, 2013
Prepare yourself...
To laugh.
To cry.
To laugh and cry at the same time.
And to have your ability to feel obliterated as Derek Landy turns your heart into a punching bag.
Full review to come after a long period of recovery :)
To laugh.
To cry.
To laugh and cry at the same time.
And to have your ability to feel obliterated as Derek Landy turns your heart into a punching bag.
Full review to come after a long period of recovery :)
December 13, 2020
strike from the shadows, disappear into darkness
Spoilers if you are reading this series.
I don't think my heart can't take anymore heartbreak from this series it just seems to keep ripping my heart into tiny little pieces but i love this series to much.
This book is so much darker than the previous book and feels to me that it's much more grown up and moving into a higher age range which i'm really enjoying. I love how much this series has grown and evolved in 8 books with the characters especially the younger ones growing up and moving out of being teenagers to being young adults it just has moved the story into more bigger and better things.
There isn't a lot of Skulduggery and Valkyrie moments in this book which broke my heart just a little because i feel like these two really work well with each other. I think with Valkyrie finally giving in and turning into Darquesse forever long will really put a wedge into this relationship and i am not ready for it. I can't wait for the reunion these two will have when and if she ever comes back into her own body because i need them to be that partners in crime we all love.
One thing that i am really annoyed about is the death of Ghastly who has been a main and prominent character since the first book and to see his death just written in one sentence was a real kick in the teeth because this character deserved more than a sentence death.
I cannot believe that Valkyries reflection is now a living and breathing person who is using her name and i don't know if i should be trusting her or not because of how she killed Carol in book seven and how messed up that was. In this one however i was tested with how much i could get behind her but than i have to remember all the stuff shes done in the past and it just doesn't sit right with me.
Kenny is at Valkyries parents house about to tell all to her parents without knowing that her reflection is now taking her place as stephanie. I don't know if her parents will believe him or will they somehow know that what he's saying is true? so many answers i need answered i cannot wait to pick up book nine to see how it all ends!
Spoilers if you are reading this series.
I don't think my heart can't take anymore heartbreak from this series it just seems to keep ripping my heart into tiny little pieces but i love this series to much.
This book is so much darker than the previous book and feels to me that it's much more grown up and moving into a higher age range which i'm really enjoying. I love how much this series has grown and evolved in 8 books with the characters especially the younger ones growing up and moving out of being teenagers to being young adults it just has moved the story into more bigger and better things.
There isn't a lot of Skulduggery and Valkyrie moments in this book which broke my heart just a little because i feel like these two really work well with each other. I think with Valkyrie finally giving in and turning into Darquesse forever long will really put a wedge into this relationship and i am not ready for it. I can't wait for the reunion these two will have when and if she ever comes back into her own body because i need them to be that partners in crime we all love.
One thing that i am really annoyed about is the death of Ghastly who has been a main and prominent character since the first book and to see his death just written in one sentence was a real kick in the teeth because this character deserved more than a sentence death.
I cannot believe that Valkyries reflection is now a living and breathing person who is using her name and i don't know if i should be trusting her or not because of how she killed Carol in book seven and how messed up that was. In this one however i was tested with how much i could get behind her but than i have to remember all the stuff shes done in the past and it just doesn't sit right with me.
Kenny is at Valkyries parents house about to tell all to her parents without knowing that her reflection is now taking her place as stephanie. I don't know if her parents will believe him or will they somehow know that what he's saying is true? so many answers i need answered i cannot wait to pick up book nine to see how it all ends!
April 8, 2022
"Behind him, Darquesse approached. Skulduggery turned slowly, not bothering to look up. He reloaded his gun.
The smile on the face of Darquesse widened. "My favourite little toy. You know you're going to die now, don't you?"
Skulduggery raised his head slightly, one eye socket visible under his hat. "I made a promise."
Darquesse nodded. "Until the end."
"That's right," said Skulduggery, clicking the revolver shut and thumbing back the hammer. "Until the end.""
In light of the title of the last book that's being published next week this quote really hurts.
Sometimes I forget my hyperfixation on this series and then it's April and time for another one of those and I remember that I have to go insane.
LSODM is the second Skulduggery book that I have never reread. Because it came out during a time in my life when I just didn't reread books anymore, so while books 1 to 6 have been TORTURED by child me, teenage me was like *heavy breathing while reading for the first time* but then just *whatever*.
I had also conveniently forgotten that this is the book where an absolute betrayal happens and was not prepared!! The man with the golden eyes reveal still haunts me to this day and while it's not Death Bringer's plot twist - that i swear completely ruined me and had a substantial influence on the development of me as a person - there is a reason DB is on my a place for you to love me shelf - it is still... a thing.
I also sometimes forget how genuinely funny those books are? I feel like I spent the past, what five years now? just casually shitting on the entire concept of Phase II that I have forgotten how good Phase I is.
I guess they do keep their humour in the later books, but the relationship between Val and Skul in the first 9? Unmatched. Sadly. But still. Unmatched.
I think I will keep the rest of my insane feelings on this series for my reread of the ORIGINAL FINAL BOOK and then see how much I will have left next week when things inevitably go downhill when the second final book gets published. (But this time it's really final. ... Or is it? ... Anyway.)
4.5 stars
The smile on the face of Darquesse widened. "My favourite little toy. You know you're going to die now, don't you?"
Skulduggery raised his head slightly, one eye socket visible under his hat. "I made a promise."
Darquesse nodded. "Until the end."
"That's right," said Skulduggery, clicking the revolver shut and thumbing back the hammer. "Until the end.""
In light of the title of the last book that's being published next week this quote really hurts.
Sometimes I forget my hyperfixation on this series and then it's April and time for another one of those and I remember that I have to go insane.
LSODM is the second Skulduggery book that I have never reread. Because it came out during a time in my life when I just didn't reread books anymore, so while books 1 to 6 have been TORTURED by child me, teenage me was like *heavy breathing while reading for the first time* but then just *whatever*.
I had also conveniently forgotten that this is the book where an absolute betrayal happens and was not prepared!! The man with the golden eyes reveal still haunts me to this day and while it's not Death Bringer's plot twist - that i swear completely ruined me and had a substantial influence on the development of me as a person - there is a reason DB is on my a place for you to love me shelf - it is still... a thing.
I also sometimes forget how genuinely funny those books are? I feel like I spent the past, what five years now? just casually shitting on the entire concept of Phase II that I have forgotten how good Phase I is.
I guess they do keep their humour in the later books, but the relationship between Val and Skul in the first 9? Unmatched. Sadly. But still. Unmatched.
I think I will keep the rest of my insane feelings on this series for my reread of the ORIGINAL FINAL BOOK and then see how much I will have left next week when things inevitably go downhill when the second final book gets published. (But this time it's really final. ... Or is it? ... Anyway.)
4.5 stars
June 19, 2018
you ever finish a book and just
RTC but
RTC but
January 31, 2023
A war is brewing. A war between the Sanctuaries around the world. When it all breaks loose the betrayals are plenty and friends turn into foes. Skulduggery and Valkyrie do what they can, but she's also fighting her own battle, against the evil being inside of her. If Valkyrie lets Darquesse take over, the whole world is in trouble.
When the series started Valkyrie (or Stephanie, as her real name is) was 12 years old. In this eigth book she celebrates her 18th birthday. She's learnt things and developed her powers over the years, but when it comes to her personal development not much has happened, I think. It's no big deal in this kind of books, that's not why we read them. It's like reading about, for example, Marvel heroes: you regognise them for what they are and just want to follow them on their next adventure.
Valkyrie has had her reflection as stand-in when she's been out with Skulduggery, fighting evil. The reflection, Stephanie, takes over more and more, and has become more solid and thinking for itself. She wants to take over Valkyrie's family and life at home, thinking that Valkyrie doesn't deserve it. When Valkyrie finally can't resist the darkness within and Darquesse surfaces, it looks like Stephanie gets her wish. But Skulduggery hasn't given up and thinks Valkyrie still can be saved. I'm looking forward to seeing where this development will take us!
When the series started Valkyrie (or Stephanie, as her real name is) was 12 years old. In this eigth book she celebrates her 18th birthday. She's learnt things and developed her powers over the years, but when it comes to her personal development not much has happened, I think. It's no big deal in this kind of books, that's not why we read them. It's like reading about, for example, Marvel heroes: you regognise them for what they are and just want to follow them on their next adventure.
Valkyrie has had her reflection as stand-in when she's been out with Skulduggery, fighting evil. The reflection, Stephanie, takes over more and more, and has become more solid and thinking for itself. She wants to take over Valkyrie's family and life at home, thinking that Valkyrie doesn't deserve it. When Valkyrie finally can't resist the darkness within and Darquesse surfaces, it looks like Stephanie gets her wish. But Skulduggery hasn't given up and thinks Valkyrie still can be saved. I'm looking forward to seeing where this development will take us!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2021
Best book of the series since the original trilogy! Action-packed and very high-stakes.
In this one, Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant join forces with Skulduggery's old wartime team The Dead Men to figure out what's behind the war between Sanctuaries. Scapegrace and Thrasher kept me giggling while they each navigate life in their new bodies and try to turn over a new leaf. Fletcher is back as a regular character, helping out with his teleportation. Meanwhile, Valkyrie has her hands full with both alter-egos, fighting to keep Darquesse from taking over completely while totally clueless about her reflection's own machinations. A few surprising characters are killed off, too.
Can't wait to get to book 9, The Dying of the Light.
In this one, Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant join forces with Skulduggery's old wartime team The Dead Men to figure out what's behind the war between Sanctuaries. Scapegrace and Thrasher kept me giggling while they each navigate life in their new bodies and try to turn over a new leaf. Fletcher is back as a regular character, helping out with his teleportation. Meanwhile, Valkyrie has her hands full with both alter-egos, fighting to keep Darquesse from taking over completely while totally clueless about her reflection's own machinations. A few surprising characters are killed off, too.
Can't wait to get to book 9, The Dying of the Light.
December 7, 2018
Някои биха казали, че поредицата „Скълдъгъри Плезънт” на Дерек Ланди е като шеметно пътешествие с високоскоростно влакче в някой лунапарк. Глупости! Ролеркостерите се движат нагоре и надуло. А с книгите на Ланди посоката е само нагоре! Не се сещам за друга книжна серия, която да поддържа такава възходяща градация със всеки следващ том. „Скълдъгъри Плезънт 8: Последната битка на Мъртъвците” (изд. „Студио Арт Лайн”) кърти мивки, плочки и надгробни камъни. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
June 19, 2014
(5 stars, Derek Landy. 5 hard-won, blood-drenched stars)
What did I think? WHAT DID I THINK?!?! How can you even ask that question, you cold, soulless...*degenerates into blubbering mess*
(You've all heard the tagline, "No one is Safe" before, right? When it comes to Skulduggery Pleasant, you had better believe it with all of what's left of your souls. "What's left of your souls? Why would you say that?" Two reasons:
1) This series has a very prominent history, at least in my experience, of taking a little bit of my soul each time I read.
2) I'm assuming you have read KoTW and the painful way that it ended. I'm only giving you a way to try to save your souls from being completely obliterated by warning you: believe whatever the tagline of any SP book says; it will invariably come true.)
Oh my Goodreads.....
I just finished this...should it even be called a book? Because this this is unlike any other book that I have ever read. Ever. It writes like a movie, reads like a song, and plays like a SP fan's darkest possible nightmare. I'm actually feeling sick right now thinking about how much has changed...
In this book, the Sanctuaries' blood finally boils over, and the world erupts. Well, it's mainly blood erupting from the veins of the people who stand in Pleasant and Cain's way, but that does not make it any less enjoyable. This book makes KoTW look like a preschool baby toy. There is violence, there is bloodshed, there is gore, and there is a distinct lack of humor in the second half of the book, which I think is quite appropriate for the subject at hand.
Perceptive readers might notice a distinct melancholy in my review/discussion, more than is normally displayed. This is because...this book crushed me, and I loved it. Harry Potter lovers will love this book, and I would even go so far to say that this is a darker, more adult version of HP. *frowns thoughtfully* ...Actually, I take that back. This is not a version of HP. This IS Harry Potter, in an entirely different and brand new, albeit darker, dimension. It is to Minions what HP is to it's fans: brilliant, witty, funny, and, like it's predecessor, absolutely groundbreaking in YA fiction.
I would recommend this to everyone (Except children, for obvious reasons). Teenagers, war veterans, nurses, computer programmers, roofers, elders, EVERYONE.
Write while you still can, Derek Landy. Write, because when this is over, you will have created a soulless monster in every Minion, and they will all be coming. For. You.
July 24, 2018
first read: sept 2013
second read: 3/08/16 - 8/08/16
third read: 7/08/17 - 10/08/17
fourth read: 20/07/18 - 23/07/18
*before I get into this review; look HOW WELL I have managed to sync my re-read this year, like wow.*
first off, this is my first EVER review with spoilers so wooo
... so it means this i will be one huge mess as my feelings are totally out of whack
SO HOLY SHIT.
Okay the character writing in this was INCREDIBLE. Derek Landy just keeps improving with every, single book.
The hopelessness of the war and losing against the warlocks seeped through the pages. The part where Mantis's army were defeated blew a hole through my chest. I've already read this book and yet I still felt severely crestfallen.
We also saw the COMPLETE ruthlessness of Skulduggery Pleasant. Landy is amazing as none of the characters are good. They are all twisted in some form or the other and the skeleton is one of them. He was constantly referred to as "cold" and "humourless".
War brings out the worst in things.
And I was completely petrified when you could feel the white hot anger radiating from the book. Valkyrie had gone and the pure desperation he wants her back. Needs her. It so beautiful but sad to see how much he loves her, finally, a bond of friendship and not love.
Lastly, my angry side...
RAVEL IS AN ARSE HE NEEDS TO ROT IN HELL AND EVERYONE LEAVE FLETCHER ALONE. HE ID INNOCENT AND LOVING AND NEEDS A FUCKING REST. WHEN MYRA TRIED TO MURDER HIM I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARIED.
MY BODY LITERALLY SHUDDERED WHEN GHASTLY DIED, ONE OF THE NOBLEST CHARACTERS WE HAVE MET.
AND CHINA AND SKULDUGGERY TOGETHER IS INCREDIBLE. THEIR HISTORY IS BURIED SO DEEP THAT WHEN HE SCREAMED AND CHINA WHILE SHE WAS DYING MY BONES SHATTERED
how will I ever get over this?
fourth read: still 5 stars
second read: 3/08/16 - 8/08/16
third read: 7/08/17 - 10/08/17
fourth read: 20/07/18 - 23/07/18
*before I get into this review; look HOW WELL I have managed to sync my re-read this year, like wow.*
first off, this is my first EVER review with spoilers so wooo
... so it means this i will be one huge mess as my feelings are totally out of whack
SO HOLY SHIT.
Okay the character writing in this was INCREDIBLE. Derek Landy just keeps improving with every, single book.
The hopelessness of the war and losing against the warlocks seeped through the pages. The part where Mantis's army were defeated blew a hole through my chest. I've already read this book and yet I still felt severely crestfallen.
We also saw the COMPLETE ruthlessness of Skulduggery Pleasant. Landy is amazing as none of the characters are good. They are all twisted in some form or the other and the skeleton is one of them. He was constantly referred to as "cold" and "humourless".
War brings out the worst in things.
And I was completely petrified when you could feel the white hot anger radiating from the book. Valkyrie had gone and the pure desperation he wants her back. Needs her. It so beautiful but sad to see how much he loves her, finally, a bond of friendship and not love.
Lastly, my angry side...
RAVEL IS AN ARSE HE NEEDS TO ROT IN HELL AND EVERYONE LEAVE FLETCHER ALONE. HE ID INNOCENT AND LOVING AND NEEDS A FUCKING REST. WHEN MYRA TRIED TO MURDER HIM I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARIED.
MY BODY LITERALLY SHUDDERED WHEN GHASTLY DIED, ONE OF THE NOBLEST CHARACTERS WE HAVE MET.
AND CHINA AND SKULDUGGERY TOGETHER IS INCREDIBLE. THEIR HISTORY IS BURIED SO DEEP THAT WHEN HE SCREAMED AND CHINA WHILE SHE WAS DYING MY BONES SHATTERED
how will I ever get over this?
fourth read: still 5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2015
THIS IS WHAT PAIN FEELS LIKE
October 29, 2015
MY EMOTIONS!! How the heck did I wait a YEAR after reading that for the next one? I don't even know.
First read: 2013
Reread: August 2014
First read: 2013
Reread: August 2014
March 23, 2014
Skulduggery 8 was... Appropriate.
This is a sad adjective to use about Skulduggery but it is what it is.
Here they are, standing at what is, in many ways, the threshold and epicentre of the war between the sanctuaries. The mood in Skulduggery had to shift and that’s just a fact. It certainly got darker, which was handled well. It also had to encompass the entirety of the war, which Derek Landy did by introducing a couple of new point of views. Now while this was effective, it cut down on the Skulduggery/Valkyrie interactions in the book and I missed them. I found myself waiting, waiting for those Skulduggery/Valkyrie moments, and they were so few and far between.
There was an unexpected plot twist that I truly did not see coming. But the most amazing thing about the plot twist was that even though it was unanticipated, it still managed to not be staggering. And that’s such a pity. Or maybe it was me, and I was in the wrong mood for Skulduggery. But this has got to be the first time something unexpected in a book was disappointing to me. Anyway, enough about that damnable plot twist, there were other things about this book that I liked/didn't like.
I liked Fletcher in this book for some reason; his scenes were always a welcome break. Then there’s China who was cool and actually got her own screen time for the first time. I liked how she became The Grand Mage, because truly, five books ago, or even a book ago, no one would have seen that coming for China. See? This is a proper plot twist.
I didn’t like the representation of Darquesse and Stephanie. I mean, I feel like they’re too many Valkyrie’s without enough to distinguish them. I like the idea of Stephanie and Darquesse though; I just wish it was better perpetuated.
I liked the humour in this book, because that is one aspect of Skulduggery that doesn’t disappoint. His book was about war but he still managed to give us some happy-go-lucky humour in there, which was a relief. All in all, this book was a bevy of conflicting emotions, and the best part was the end. I mean that literally though. The part where that Kenny guy went to Valkyrie’s parents with the tape... It was the cliff-hanger of all cliff-hangers.
Damn you Derek Landy for making me want to buy the last book while leaving me disappointed with the penultimate one.
This is a sad adjective to use about Skulduggery but it is what it is.
Here they are, standing at what is, in many ways, the threshold and epicentre of the war between the sanctuaries. The mood in Skulduggery had to shift and that’s just a fact. It certainly got darker, which was handled well. It also had to encompass the entirety of the war, which Derek Landy did by introducing a couple of new point of views. Now while this was effective, it cut down on the Skulduggery/Valkyrie interactions in the book and I missed them. I found myself waiting, waiting for those Skulduggery/Valkyrie moments, and they were so few and far between.
There was an unexpected plot twist that I truly did not see coming. But the most amazing thing about the plot twist was that even though it was unanticipated, it still managed to not be staggering. And that’s such a pity. Or maybe it was me, and I was in the wrong mood for Skulduggery. But this has got to be the first time something unexpected in a book was disappointing to me. Anyway, enough about that damnable plot twist, there were other things about this book that I liked/didn't like.
I liked Fletcher in this book for some reason; his scenes were always a welcome break. Then there’s China who was cool and actually got her own screen time for the first time. I liked how she became The Grand Mage, because truly, five books ago, or even a book ago, no one would have seen that coming for China. See? This is a proper plot twist.
I didn’t like the representation of Darquesse and Stephanie. I mean, I feel like they’re too many Valkyrie’s without enough to distinguish them. I like the idea of Stephanie and Darquesse though; I just wish it was better perpetuated.
I liked the humour in this book, because that is one aspect of Skulduggery that doesn’t disappoint. His book was about war but he still managed to give us some happy-go-lucky humour in there, which was a relief. All in all, this book was a bevy of conflicting emotions, and the best part was the end. I mean that literally though. The part where that Kenny guy went to Valkyrie’s parents with the tape... It was the cliff-hanger of all cliff-hangers.
Damn you Derek Landy for making me want to buy the last book while leaving me disappointed with the penultimate one.
August 10, 2016
I deleted my previous review of this book because a.) it did not make any sense and b.) I sounded like I needed serious professional help.
That being said, this is still one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. I still cannot believe that the series is over because I miss Skulduggery and Valkyrie so bad. In my shelf of favourites, the books in this series are right there next to my Harry Potter books, because it is just that good despite being inexplicably underrated.
I don't know if I'll ever find a more dynamic, complex, hilarious duo such as Skulduggery and Valkyrie in my future reads, and knowing that just plain sucks, because I crave that kind of chemistry, the sense that these characters belong, intrinsically and cohesively with each other.
Man, I'm getting so emotional but whatever. I still hate Valkyrie's shadow. And I will always demand more Tanith, because no one can ever get wrong with that.
That being said, this is still one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. I still cannot believe that the series is over because I miss Skulduggery and Valkyrie so bad. In my shelf of favourites, the books in this series are right there next to my Harry Potter books, because it is just that good despite being inexplicably underrated.
I don't know if I'll ever find a more dynamic, complex, hilarious duo such as Skulduggery and Valkyrie in my future reads, and knowing that just plain sucks, because I crave that kind of chemistry, the sense that these characters belong, intrinsically and cohesively with each other.
Man, I'm getting so emotional but whatever. I still hate Valkyrie's shadow. And I will always demand more Tanith, because no one can ever get wrong with that.
July 8, 2015
oh no what happens next???? ;)
another good one but i can't wait to see how it ends.
another good one but i can't wait to see how it ends.
June 22, 2024
Es war scho viel zu lange her, seit ich die vorherigen Teile der Skulduggery Pleasant Reihe gelesen habe, daher habe ich, bevor ich diesen Teil gelesen/gehört habe, den 7. Teil nochmals gehört. Dadurch verschwimmen diese beiden Bücher nun etwas ineinander für mich, aber ich bin wieder mehr in der Welt drin, auch wenn ich mich nicht mehr an ganz alles über alle Figuren (es sind echt viele) erinnern kann. Jedenfalls war dieser Teil sehr actionreich und spannend. Vieles geht schief für Skulduggery und Walküre und teilweise wird die Geschichte echt düster und dennoch fehlt auch der bekannte Humor nicht. Ich bin sehr gespannt wie sich alles im nächsten Teil auflösen wird (oder ob alles noch mehr schief geht?).
August 1, 2023
Very good read. As good as this book is it does suffer from the fact that it is the second to last book. It does close alot of plot lines very well but it does still leave a few for the last book. I think could have had a little bit more development on the warlocks and witches but fantastic all the same.
July 13, 2020
This book is by far the best so far in the whole series.
It deserves 6 stars!
And the next book is going to be better how?!?!
I don't understand how Derek Landy can be so cruel. He kills of characters all the time so I should be used to it. No. He went to far this time killing How could he?!?!??! Seriously and with the betrayal of What even? There are This book had me screaming and yelling. I would stop reading look at the back cover and see "11+" How is this rated for an 11 year old? This book is full of gory death and bloody torture. I would close the book, bring it to my forehead and scream. There is pure madness going on during this book, and you are put right in the middle of it.
Valkyrie's reflection is good? bad? Who knows what anything is going on. The 9th and final book is scaring me. I see it on my shelf and I really want to read it, but at the same time I am terrified. Who will die next? What the hell is going to happen? Will I drown in a pool of agonized tears?
I want to know what happens so badly, but at the same time never want to pick up the next book. FEEEEEEEEELSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
EDIT JULY 12 2020!! I'm rereading this whole series and I always think its funny to read what i wrote 5 years ago when I was a totally younger person because I still agree with myself. This is by far the best book in the series so far and I was freaking out. The same things shocked me because although I knew I still agree that I'm not sure that this should be rated for 11 year olds haha. The descriptions are far more gruesome in this book than previous and I love every second of it. This book series is entertaining to college age ppl too. Also, I'm still debating if I should continue after the 9th book (where I stopped before) because the 10-13 books dont have the best reviews and with this book being so good and I know the 9th one is awesome too, I'm not sure I want to ruin the world of skullduggery and ruin my childhood favorite book series. Pensive.
It deserves 6 stars!
And the next book is going to be better how?!?!
I don't understand how Derek Landy can be so cruel. He kills of characters all the time so I should be used to it. No. He went to far this time killing How could he?!?!??! Seriously and with the betrayal of What even? There are This book had me screaming and yelling. I would stop reading look at the back cover and see "11+" How is this rated for an 11 year old? This book is full of gory death and bloody torture. I would close the book, bring it to my forehead and scream. There is pure madness going on during this book, and you are put right in the middle of it.
Valkyrie's reflection is good? bad? Who knows what anything is going on. The 9th and final book is scaring me. I see it on my shelf and I really want to read it, but at the same time I am terrified. Who will die next? What the hell is going to happen? Will I drown in a pool of agonized tears?
I want to know what happens so badly, but at the same time never want to pick up the next book. FEEEEEEEEELSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
EDIT JULY 12 2020!! I'm rereading this whole series and I always think its funny to read what i wrote 5 years ago when I was a totally younger person because I still agree with myself. This is by far the best book in the series so far and I was freaking out. The same things shocked me because although I knew I still agree that I'm not sure that this should be rated for 11 year olds haha. The descriptions are far more gruesome in this book than previous and I love every second of it. This book series is entertaining to college age ppl too. Also, I'm still debating if I should continue after the 9th book (where I stopped before) because the 10-13 books dont have the best reviews and with this book being so good and I know the 9th one is awesome too, I'm not sure I want to ruin the world of skullduggery and ruin my childhood favorite book series. Pensive.
September 1, 2013
This review is courtesy of http://TheBookGazer.blogspot.com
----
My Thoughts:
Okay, you know those books that are just great? They meet all your expectations, captivate you, everything. Yet despite that, you stare at your computer screen, wondering what on earth to ramble on about? Yeah, Welcome to my current situation.
When Derek Landy revealed the tagline to his latest piece of work, I was a bit skeptical. "No one is safe"? I've heard that line a hundred times before, but not quite like this. People die in Last Stand of Dead men, main characters and nameless characters alike. At this point, my only worry is how many people will die in the last book of the series... When everything comes crumbling down.
But alas! Derek Landy still maintains his witty humour, laugh-out-loud scenarios, and signature combat choreography. (Which you can expect a lot of, considering the war that this novel revolves around). If you were expecting this series to "bog down" before the end, you''ll be sorely disappointed.
Oh, and Mr. Landy did one more amazing thing in Last Stand Of Dead Men that made it special for us minions. What exactly you ask? Well, he included some of us in his book. Yep, some of the names you'll hear in LSODM are real fans! (No not me, but some of the people I know)
To put it in a nutshell, LSODM was amazing. I raced through all 164,729 words of it in exactly two days. Somehow, amidst my frantic preparations for school, I managed to find some time for this gargantuan-sized thrill-ride.
Rating: 4.9/5
What to expect?
War
Death
Secrets
Betrayal
----
My Thoughts:
Okay, you know those books that are just great? They meet all your expectations, captivate you, everything. Yet despite that, you stare at your computer screen, wondering what on earth to ramble on about? Yeah, Welcome to my current situation.
When Derek Landy revealed the tagline to his latest piece of work, I was a bit skeptical. "No one is safe"? I've heard that line a hundred times before, but not quite like this. People die in Last Stand of Dead men, main characters and nameless characters alike. At this point, my only worry is how many people will die in the last book of the series... When everything comes crumbling down.
But alas! Derek Landy still maintains his witty humour, laugh-out-loud scenarios, and signature combat choreography. (Which you can expect a lot of, considering the war that this novel revolves around). If you were expecting this series to "bog down" before the end, you''ll be sorely disappointed.
Oh, and Mr. Landy did one more amazing thing in Last Stand Of Dead Men that made it special for us minions. What exactly you ask? Well, he included some of us in his book. Yep, some of the names you'll hear in LSODM are real fans! (No not me, but some of the people I know)
To put it in a nutshell, LSODM was amazing. I raced through all 164,729 words of it in exactly two days. Somehow, amidst my frantic preparations for school, I managed to find some time for this gargantuan-sized thrill-ride.
Rating: 4.9/5
What to expect?
War
Death
Secrets
Betrayal
September 6, 2013
Ugh. I feel like I did at the end of Deathly Hallows - emotionally strung out and amazed at how much I care about fictional characters.
This isn't even the last book! Now I need to make it til next September for the end, and just...I'm not expecting any type of happy ending. With everything that happened in this one, it was one horrible event after another.
Loved everything. I shed a few tears for one character, shed a whole lot during one of the chapters near the end, and smiled quite a bit because Landy, amidst all the heartbreak, kept the humor. The banter between Valkyrie and Skulduggery about her birthday present being a stick, and the camaraderie between the Dead Men...guh.
Things were gross (Wretchlings? Worse and way more gross than zombies. Why would you bite something covered in boils? ew ew EW.), and violent, so much violence. Love that Landy went there, since there is a war. And funny, and heartbreaking, and I love this series so freakin much.
In all honesty, I can't wait for this series to be over, just so I can read the other books Landy will hopefully be writing. Given the last few days though, I'm not entirely ready for the ending. It's gonna be rough.
This isn't even the last book! Now I need to make it til next September for the end, and just...I'm not expecting any type of happy ending. With everything that happened in this one, it was one horrible event after another.
Loved everything. I shed a few tears for one character, shed a whole lot during one of the chapters near the end, and smiled quite a bit because Landy, amidst all the heartbreak, kept the humor. The banter between Valkyrie and Skulduggery about her birthday present being a stick, and the camaraderie between the Dead Men...guh.
Things were gross (Wretchlings? Worse and way more gross than zombies. Why would you bite something covered in boils? ew ew EW.), and violent, so much violence. Love that Landy went there, since there is a war. And funny, and heartbreaking, and I love this series so freakin much.
In all honesty, I can't wait for this series to be over, just so I can read the other books Landy will hopefully be writing. Given the last few days though, I'm not entirely ready for the ending. It's gonna be rough.
February 20, 2014
Review to come, I need to go and breath into a paper bag.
Edit 4 months later:
I'm not sure this is ever going to get reviewed, the topic is too painful and I have trouble putting my emotions into words.
Edit 4 months later:
I'm not sure this is ever going to get reviewed, the topic is too painful and I have trouble putting my emotions into words.
September 16, 2021
Still LOVE this book, and all the plot twists, etc!
But also at the same time WHY DEREK LANDY WHY?!
But also at the same time WHY DEREK LANDY WHY?!
September 6, 2022
derek landy is an evil evil man
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