I totally adore Skulduggery Pleasant.
The protagonist, Stephanie Edgley, is twelve, but she's a very unique twelve-year-old. The writing is relatively simple, but the ideas are relatively tough. That means it can really appeal to everyone, right? Stephanie discovers after her Uncle Gordon's funeral that he was more than he seemed, and at that same funeral she meets Skulduggery Pleasant, a very thin gentleman... This is one of those rare finds in which I loved ALL of the characters, couldn't predict the twists and turns, and couldn't be distracted from the book for more than ten seconds.
Skulduggery has to be my favorite character. He's mysterious, suave, and otherworldly, while he's also very urbane and utterly hilarious. But Stephanie is a close second. She's practically my Mary Sue, in a really good way... Well, more like she's the character I always want authors to write but never receive. She's smart and brave, but she still struggles. She's twelve, but she still needs help from the adults (weird "but," I know.) She wishes for magic, and she's actually EXCITED when she gets it!
The magic and world are built on old themes, but the usages are fresh and new. It's written for kids and I know they'll love it, there's plenty of action and humor, but the subtleties were enough to blow my mind and give me things to chew over. The plot twists weren't the same old "surprises" I was expecting, but nothing was random or haphazard about the way it was put together.
Altogether this was a real treat for me, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Playing With Fire. My sister, the YA one, has read both books and says the second is just as fantastic as the first.
This is often billed as a Potter alternative, but that just means it's an urban fantasy book for kids... It reminds me a lot more of The Dresden Files for kids, or The Nightmare Before Christmas, with maybe even a hint of Zorgamazoo...
Buy Scepter of the Ancients
Posts
Hmm....this cover wouldn't have attracted me to the book but your description of everything did. (The title caught my eye first.)
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea!
Thanks for the review!
Hey Fate! No worries - I totally understand your perspective. What would free speech be if we both couldn't express our opinions? I think there is a big difference between what I posted though, and an attack. There is no hint of violence in the placard or in the bus ads. What would constitute an attack? Is saying that you're "wrong" really enough to be considered an attack, because I know I've been called wrong and much worse (and to clarify, I'm not an atheist to begin with)! From what I understand, the ads are meant to make people think and feel more able to come out as nonbelievers, which I think is okay. In my opinion, there are enough violent people in both the believing and non-believing camps, and they're really not worth focusing on because they're not trying to do anything positive. Thanks for your opinion though, it's always much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday Fate! And btw I changed my blog web address to www.ddubsreads.com if you're still interested in checking it out. :)
ReplyDeleteI adore these books, too! I just finished listening to the audio version and grinned like an idiot the whole way through. What a fun premise and, as you say, wonderful characters! More more more! :-)
ReplyDelete