by: Derek Landy
HarperCollins E-books, 2007
Middle-grade fantasy
Summary:
Twelve year-old Stephanie Edgley is a witty heroine, who is not afraid to speak her mind. With Skulduggery, a talking skeleton as her constant companion, a woman who takes on a full grown troll with only her sword, a tailor who was cursed before he was born, and a seducing book-collector who freely admits she’d betray them at any moment; Stephanie has to help find the mythical Scepter of the Ancients. Fast--and before the evil Nefarian Serpine.My Thoughts:
So brilliantly witty, magical, and smart. I'm so impressed with this book, even more impressed after the second read, that I think this will be more scattered as reviews go, but definitely worth the effort.
Stephanie, or Valkerye Cain, as she decides to call herself, has a voice that I love. It maybe just her matter of fact way of dealing with the supernatural, or her refusal to be pushed around, or maybe just when she had this conversation:
Skulduggery is a skeleton detective. And it's clear despite his gun-ho attitude (or fire-throwing-ho attitude to be exact) and his use of sarcasm and seemingly humongous ego, that he carries an emotional baggage.
In this first installment of this series, Derek Landy manages to introduce a world of beautiful and complex magic with likeable and still human characters wrapped in this Tintin/Sherlock esque search for adventure and cracking of mysteries. This is a must-read for the adventurous reader.
Stephanie, or Valkerye Cain, as she decides to call herself, has a voice that I love. It maybe just her matter of fact way of dealing with the supernatural, or her refusal to be pushed around, or maybe just when she had this conversation:
“Gordon used to talk about you all the time, boast about his little niece. He was an individual of character, your uncle. It seems that you are too.”And since she knows nothing about magic, when it is finally revealed to her, she asks the perfect questions. Immediately. Everything I would want to know if that ever happened to me. And she's wittier and smarter than you could ever imagine, while still being so vulnerable at the same time.
“You say that as if you know me.”
“Strong willed, intelligent, sharp-tongued, doesn’t suffer fools gladly… remind you of anyone?”
“Yes. Gordon.”
“Interesting,” he said. “Because those are the exact words he used to describe you.”
Skulduggery is a skeleton detective. And it's clear despite his gun-ho attitude (or fire-throwing-ho attitude to be exact) and his use of sarcasm and seemingly humongous ego, that he carries an emotional baggage.
In this first installment of this series, Derek Landy manages to introduce a world of beautiful and complex magic with likeable and still human characters wrapped in this Tintin/Sherlock esque search for adventure and cracking of mysteries. This is a must-read for the adventurous reader.
Rating:
4.7/5
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