Scepter of the Ancients (Skulduggery Pleasant) Paperback – March 25, 2008

Another fantasy series geared for the 9-12 crowd (and suitable for adults!) arrived on the shelves last year. I bought SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT last year and misplaced it in the jumble of books I constantly cycle through. It wasn't until I saw (and purchased) the second novel, PLAYING WITH FIRE, that I remembered the first book in the series.Derek Landy, the author, obviously has a love of fantasy and detective stories. For his first novel, he combined them, creating the character of Skulduggery Pleasant, a wizard reduced to skeletal remains who wears an old suit and carries a big gun. Of course, Skulduggery also knows several magical spells. His trademark seems to be throwing fireballs.His partner-in-peril is Stephanie Edgely, a precocious twelve-year old who soon negotiates her way into Skulduggery's investigation of her uncle's death. I loved the way she stands up to him and threatens him with different things to get in on the action. Once she even promises to stand on his hat if he doesn't allow her to accompany him. You have to understand that Skulduggery prides himself on his appearance and he's quite taken with his hat.Since Skulduggery has been involved in the fantasy private eye business for hundreds of years, he's got a ton of backstory and friends/enemies in the biz to reveal to Stephanie and the readers. One of the best facts that surface in Stephanie and Skulduggery's dialogue is that the skull Skulduggery wears isn't his own. You'll have to read the book to find out what happened to his original skull. And China (one of the deadly female characters in the book) is equal parts mystery and danger. I'm hoping Skulduggery and Stephanie find it impossible to stay away from her.From the first time Skulduggery crosses paths with Stephanie, he's dead-set on not acquiring a partner. Stephanie is dead-set on finding out who killed her favorite uncle - plus she's never quite fit into the "normal" world anyway. That's one of the reasons she enjoyed her uncle's horrific tales. Now that's she's been exposed to a world filled with magic and menace, she's drawn like a moth to a flame.My son and I enjoyed the cast of characters Landy casually drops into the mix. Either the author spent a lot of time building this world or it sprang full-blown into his mind. There are a lot of intricate details and everything seems to have rules that Landy plays fairly by.The story progresses quickly and aggressively. Landy doesn't mess around much with hand-wringing. It isn't long before he and Stephanie are invading a museum guarded by vampires and discover that Skulduggery's old foe (and the man that killed him!) is back from the dead and trying to grab power. Maybe no one else is willing to entertain the possibility that Serpine is back, but Skulduggery's been looking for his old enemy for hundreds of years.The cover on this book drew my eye at once. As soon as I saw it, the book was in my hands. But it's Landy's writing and the great hours of fun that I spent with my son that make me glad I bought it. SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT is a terrific read-aloud that can be shared.

After 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley inherits her uncle's estate she discovers that the eccentric author who doted on her had a lot more going on in his life than she could have imagined. As it turns out, the novels Gordon Edgley wrote about "horrible monsters and scary stuff and bad people doing worse things" were based largely on his own real-life experiences. Alone in Gordon's house, Stephanie is suddenly and violently introduced to the world he wrote about, and saved, not for the last time, by Gordon's old friend Skulduggery Pleasant. Skulduggery is a skeleton who manages to look less conspicuous when the situation requires by wrapping himself up, Invisible Man-like, in a coat and scarf, a frizzy wig and wide-brimmed hat. He is also a detective, investigating transgressions in the magical world he inhabits, and Stephanie becomes in due course his assistant. Dangerous adventures ensue, with nothing less than the fate of the world at stake.Skulduggery Pleasant is the first in a new series featuring Stephanie and the skeletal detective. It's easy to imagine a successful string of books following from this introduction: more magic and monsters; Stephanie's exploration of Skulduggery's world and of her own abilities; the "normal" world's incomprehension of and even hostility toward magic. There are some superficial similarities between Landy's story and the Harry Potter books: a pre-teen protagonist with as yet unrealized powers and some kind of magical birthright is thrust into a supernatural realm that exists alongside our own reality. But the world Landy has created is not as complex as the Potter universe, and his characters are unlikely to inspire debate among adult readers about their motivations. But unfair comparison with Rowling's oeuvre aside, Landy's Skulduggery is a well-written and above all charming book. What makes it shine is the playful interaction between Skulduggery and Stephanie:"You can't leave me alone," she said, following him into the living room."No," he corrected, "I can. You'll be perfectly safe.""The front door's off!""Well, yes. You'll be perfectly safe as long as they don't come through the front door."He pulled on his coat, but she snatched his hat away."Are you taking my hat hostage?" he asked doubtfully.The relationship is fun to watch because of the banter and because Skulduggery, while the older of the two by far, is not above being childishly irresponsible. Landy also occasionally ratchets up the tension. There are a great many fight scenes, with the good guys using their various powers to combat different sorts of monsters. But the best bit of suspense--it certainly got my 11-year-old excited about the book--comes near the beginning of the story, when Stephanie so unwisely spends the night alone in Gordon Edgley's creepy mansion. You know that can't end well....Landy's Skulduggery won't assume the Potter mantle--if such a thing were even possible--but it is highly readable and funny, a charming page-turner for the YA crowd.

My boyfriend bought me this book, he said I had to read it and he couldnt have been more right, I was obsessed from the moment I finished the first few chapters I couldnt put it down Skulduggery Pleasant is a Skeleton detective and honestly in my opinion the BEST character in the whole book, hes funny, hes sarcastic and fears no one. Its a book of mystery and intrigue with amazing characters throughout I adore this series you will find yourself laughing hard and at times on the edge of your seat with intense cliffhangers from chapters, I couldnt recommend this series more if I tried, for lovers of fantasy and mystery you HAVE to read these, ENJOY!!

Got this for my son as a new series for him. He was hooked straight away and begged me to buy more! Shipped quickly and arrived in great condition!

The latest childrens'/YA book to inherit the title: "The Next Harry Potter", this comes a lot closer than most. Landy's experience as a scriptwriter really shines through in the dialogue of this novel, which snaps and crackles with wit and whilst there's a curiously old-fashioned feel to the narrative, it's very easy to buy into and reflects the world he's created.Essentially the story is this: 12 year old Stephanie Edgley is introduced to a world of magic she (and most other people) never knew existed when she inherits most of her rich uncle Gordon's estate. Her guide is Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton detective and friend of her uncle, who discovers that Nefarian Serpine (the henchman of the evil Mevolent defeated centuries earlier) is searching for the Sceptre of the Ancients, an artefact so powerful that it has long been considered a myth. Skulduggery and Stephanie realise that they must find it first if they are to save the world from total destruction.Landy populates his world with interesting characters, such as Tanith Low (a warrior magician who wields a large sword) and Ghastly Bespoke (a tailer of incredible clothes and a powerful mage and fighter). He's also got some great concepts, particularly the Cleavers (powerful guards who work for the Ancients) and the Hollow Men (man-like creatures created from gas and paper who work for Serpine). His world distinguishes between two types of magician: Adepts (whose magic includes mind reading and changing shape) and Elementals (whose magic works through fire, water, earth and air) and he's clearly thought through how this shapes his characters and their abilities. I was particularly impressed by the way he tries to do something a little different with vampires - which are basically guard dogs and whose blood lust makes them incredibly powerful.Where I felt his world was too complicated related to the use of people's names. People in his world basically have three names - a given name, which someone can use to control you; a taken name (which people use to prevent people from using their given name against them) and their true name (which no one knows, although it's contained in a book written by the Ancients). For me, this was just a little too much, particularly when Stephanie takes another name for the final third of the book so you have to remember the two names for that character and I would also question the necessity and logic of it (particularly in a scene where Stephanie has her name used against her by one character). I also think that there's potential for the names to be a little too outlandish, which for me could get irritating by simply being too much.If I was going to nitpick, then I think that some of the dialogue became a little too predictable towards the end (you basically get to know what the pay-off is going to be to an exchange between Stephanie and Skulduggery) and there were times when I didn't quite believe Stephanie was a 12 year old girl. I'm also a little concerned about the revelation that comes about Stephanie towards the end of the book because it could have implications for the character that makes her more unbelievable and strains the credibility of the series (although obviously, this will ultimately turn on where Landy decides to take it)All in all though it feels churlish to nitpick because it is such an entertaining read that had me chuckling out loud on a number of ocassions.

It's sort of a dark children's fantasy and lots of fun even for adults.Good characters and a twisty plot keeps the interest throughout.

The first time I came across Skulduggery Pleasant I was pregnant and at a friends house searching for something to do while my other half and said friend watched football. I hadn't brought a book and the only one around that interested me had a picture of a skeleton on the front, naturally I was intrigued. However it wasn't until this year that I came across it again, in the form of Amanda raving about it. I decided to give it a go because of just how much she loved it, but at the same time I was a little put of because I was scared I wouldn't like the series that was so loved by one of my favourite bloggers. I am excited to say that though I may not have liked the first book as much as Amanda, I found myself hooked very early on.This book is so wonderfully unique and is packed full of adventure, but for me the biggest focal point was the blossoming friendship between Skulduggery and Stephanie . The first time they meet is at the will reading of Stephanie's uncle Gordon. Skulduggery was a friend of uncle Gordon for a long time, helping him do research for some of his best selling fantasy books, and after meeting his niece he seems to connect instantly with her and even goes on to save her life. After an attack at her uncles house, Stephanie finds out that not only is everything her uncle wrote about based on something real, but her new found friend is a skeleton held together by magic. However before she can get used to everything, Skully heads out on a new adventure and case, one that like it or lump it he's got a new sidekick for.As far as the characters go we have the very wity and smart Skulduggery. Through out the book he makes no secret that he's unhappy at first to have a apprentice. But he's fiercely loyal and protects the people close to him to no ends. Then we have Stephanie, a 12 year old girl that has her world flipped upside down and still manages to come away pretty damn level headed, and we cant forget the wonderful Tanith Low, she's a brilliant fighter with a warm side to her and in my opinion a very underrated and underestimated character.While reading this book I found myself with a constant smile and a feeling of being content. It was just such a fun reading that was beyond funny with untold amount of sarcasm and deadpan humor, it really has everything you can ask for in a great book, from adventure to friendship. I've always been a big fan of series, and the more books the better. So where many would be put off by the number of books in the series, for me it's just something to look forward to. For such a great first book, I for one can't wait to continue with the story and given that there wasn't that much wrong with this one, I have very high hopes for the rest :).