Skulduggery Pleasant

This production is exactly the reason young adult fantasy fare can work so well as audio entertainment. Narrator Rupert Degas will be known to fans of Philip Pullman as Pantalaimon in the audios of His Dark Materials, and he does a bang-up job here as well. This is dark comic fantasy, and Degas's timing and complete grasp of the main character's personality couldn't be better. Skulduggery is the ultimate undead; in fact, he's just a skeleton. This does not stop him from being a deadly fighter or a snappy dresser. In this first episode, Skulduggery steps in to help the niece of an old friend who unwittingly has something a group of evil magicians badly needs. What sets the story apart is Degas's deadpan delivery with a hint of rumbling laughter. Here is a hero we soon find ourselves immensely attached to. Bring us more Skulduggery! D.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 5, 2007
Stephanie Edgley's uncle, a bestselling novelist, dies and leaves her his fortune. But the money doesn't interest her nearly as much as the odd, overdressed figure who appears at the funeral. He turns out to be the eponymous hero, the skeleton of a man, back from the dead to avenge his family's murder at the "red right hand" of Nefarian Serpine. Turns out, Stephanie has also inherited the family gene for sorcery, and she teams with Skulduggery to defeat the villain. Violent clashes with various cretins ensue. Some supporting characters, such as the magic world's "Elders," blend together, and Serpine's motivation is of the vague "I will rule the world!" variety. But plucky Stephanie and her dapper, urbane mentor make up for this slight lack of definition and clarity. Skulduggery is as caustic and witty as Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus, but a man (er, skeleton) of fewer words. First novelist Landy, a Dublin playwright, excels at dialogue; the repartee between the two leads recalls Hepburn and Tracy in its ongoing, affectionate contest of verbal one-upmanship. (When Stephanie complains about Skulduggery's high-falutin' vocabulary, he retorts, "You should read more," to which she replies, "I read enough. I should get out more.") Landy sets the tale on the Irish coast and reaches into Celtic lore for a cameo from the son of Finn McCool, but there's nothing old-fashioned about the way this story unspools. The book may be hefty but it moves at warp speed. An utterly charming debut, perfect for the Potter crowd. Ages 8-12.

October 1, 2007
Gr 4-8-Every once in a while a story comes along that is pure unadulterated fun. This tale (HarperCollins, 2007) by Irish screenwriter Derek Landy is one of those gems. Stephanie Edgley. age 12, meets Skulduggery at her uncle's funeral. He is covered from head to foot and it is some time before Stephanie realizes Skulduggery is a skeleton. Far from being repulsed, she's fascinated by a world of magic she never knew existed. When Stephanie inherits her uncle's estate, strange men begin pursuing her and detective Skulduggery comes to her rescue. The plot thrusts the duo into tight spots and narrow escapes which will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. Narrator Rupert Degas is flawless in his interpretation of the story. Even minor characters come deliciously to life. But it is the relationship between Stephanie and Skulduggery that makes this tale such a hoot. The two bicker back and forth with dry wit and sarcasm, but Stephanie holds her own against the flawed, heart-of-gold Skulduggery. Hopefully, we have not heard the last of this dynamic duo. A must-have purchase."Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK "

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 27, 2009
Skulduggery Pleasant is the adopted name of a powerful detective mage who is sworn to protect Stephanie, the 12-year-old niece of his murdered friend. Here, skulduggery takes a double meaning-our detective is capable of scurrilous behavior in the pursuit of his suspects, and he's also a skeleton, robbed of his flesh by an age-old spell. Listen Up: Skulduggery's droll bass is a delight, and the cool-cat jazz on the soundtrack is an added bonus for grown-ups hip enough to know a groovy story when they hear one. Degas has a wonderful time building this story's suspense and conveying its dry humor.-Angelina Benedetti, King Cty. Lib. Syst., WA

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.