Playing with Fire

Skeleton-sleuth Skulduggery Pleasant and his 13-year-old partner-in-mystery, Valkyrie Cain, are back to save the world for a second time. This time they face a diverse cast of villains--from a sorcerer rated "11 on the 10-point Evil Villain Scale" to a battalion of vampires. Rupert Degas uniquely characterizes each villain, creating chills with gravelly and whispery voices. Degas's flippant, quick delivery of witty lines brings to life Skulduggery's friendly, hip manner, which is counterpointed with a flatness that only barely covers his core of coldness and a hint of protective fondness for Valkyrie. Degas doesn't flag in his narration of the nonstop action. He keeps up with chases, fights, rescues, and high-speed dialogue and without a pause gives credibility to the characters and their relationships. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine