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Skulduggery Pleasant #11
Midnight
Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back in their most gripping story yet, as book 11, Midnight, picks up where Resurrection left off – and runs.
For years, Valkyrie Cain has struggled to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle – time and time again – by Skulduggery Pleasant’s side, and always emerging triumphant.
But now the very thing that Valkyrie fights for is in danger, as a ruthless killer snatches her little sister in order to lure Valkyrie into a final confrontation. With Skulduggery racing to catch up and young sorcerer Omen scrambling along behind, Valkyrie only has twelve hours to find Alice before it’s too late.
The clock is ticking…
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2018
335 people are currently reading
4169 people want to read
About the author
Derek Landy
253 books5,283 followersDerek Landy is an Irish writer and screenwriter. In addition to the bestselling children's/YA series of Skulduggery Pleasant books, a supernatural mystery series starring Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton detective, and Valkyrie Cain, a young female magician, he has written two screenplays that have been made into films: the IFTA award winning "Dead Bodies" and the IFTA nominated "Boy Eats Girl". Landy himself was nominated for an IFTA for Best Script.
He doesn’t like to brag about all the awards he’s won, such as the Irish Book of the Decade, or the Red House in the UK, or all the other awards that he humbly displays on his mantelpiece. He is also far too modest to mention things like the first book being a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, but would like to extend an invitation to Oprah to pop around one day for tea, in thanks for selecting his book for the Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List.
Derek plays too many video games, reads too many comics, and watches too many movies. He lives in Ireland with too many cats. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
He doesn’t like to brag about all the awards he’s won, such as the Irish Book of the Decade, or the Red House in the UK, or all the other awards that he humbly displays on his mantelpiece. He is also far too modest to mention things like the first book being a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, but would like to extend an invitation to Oprah to pop around one day for tea, in thanks for selecting his book for the Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List.
Derek plays too many video games, reads too many comics, and watches too many movies. He lives in Ireland with too many cats. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
March 29, 2024
I had to digest this book for a week. More than that, even, counting the spoilers I got beforehand. It’s the most divided I’ve /ever/ seen people over a SP book. Is it super controversial? Does it have any shocking character deaths? Does it have mind blowing plot twists?
…. The answer to all three is, nope! Not at all!
Honestly? It’s an okay book. It my least favorite of the entire SP series, but not because it’s bad, or made me angry the way Desolation did, but just because it failed to wow me at any point. It’s not even strictly boring, just … padded, and strange, and in parts very forced. (dad voice) I’m not mad, just disappointed!
I can aaaabosolutely see the hallmarks of him struggling to pull something together on time, and I’m starting to, legit wonder if his editor is still, like…. alive? (Alice and Val are 16 years apart, not 18. Val’s grandmothers are alive. Literally everything Militsa says contradicts itself, though I’m praying that one’s intentional…)
Midnight has Themes. It has ideas it’s trying to come across, and they have varying degrees of success. I actually am really, really, really intrigued by the hardcore emphasis on pregnancy (with the accompanying focus on family and much much more downplayed theme of intimacy.) I’ve never seen Landy lean that hard into any sort of theme before, and it’s a bold ass move for a kids book series that has not used the word “sex” once. But it was fun to read, and even more fun to analyze, so I’mma give it a bewildered but amused thumbs up.
When Landy gets stuck - this book is so well documented in its Production Hell, it even has an entire essay about it in the Special Edition - he tends to go nuts with the POV chapters, to my eternal frustration. Omen’s plotline is a heteronormative waste of time, only salvaged by his likable personality and even more likable brother and best friend, and Sebastian is even more damn useless than I thought possible. Flannery’s torture is at least brief this round. But seriously: would it kill to have more than fifty percent Valkyrie POV?
Valkyrie is much closer to her phase 1 self than she was in SPX (and i don’t even care, I still loved SPX Val plenty, though my favorite Valkyrie is always going to be her at her most violent and vain: two qualities I do not possess in the slightest and therefore have a lot of fun living vicariously through.) She’s becoming her own person. She’s lost the magic discipline she shared with Skulduggery, and she’s forming her own moral code, and picking up her own new clothing style if losing her Ghastly duds are any indication. Rebirthing Valkyrie Cain is fine by me, and it’s a fun exercise, taking the supervillain and reshaping her into a new anti-hero. Gonna be real though: had the most fun in the book when she gave up on the whole pacifist thing and started slamming people around bars, ha ha ha.
The books biggest detriment is the forced, plot mandated separation of Valkyrie and Skulduggery. Landy has stated (to increasingly concerned fans) that phase 2 is not about a “break up”, but its hard to feel that when just given this book, to see Valkyrie blatantly lie to Skulduggery, choose to spend time with a near stranger over him, and blow him off over and over.
I get it: she’s depressed. And maybe she blames him for it. But the main appeal of the entire series is their incredibly close dynamic and now we just get these two friends who hang out, sometimes, i guess, if they’re not busy, and also dont ever talk about the hugely traumatic shocking emotion things in their life cuz uhhhhhh the detailed phase 2 plot outline says they can’t yet. Yes, it’s important for Valkyrie to be on her own to truly grow into her own person, and I think the leaning away from violence is a good way to do that, but there should be a damn good pay off for it, a reminder that their relationship is, you know, the Whole Focal Point of the series, and I just did not ever get it in this book. Resurrection was so wholly about their relationship, even though it was grim and depressing. You knew they cared, it was paid off, and the fact they weren't speaking was portrayed as SAD, HORRIBLE THING, that desperately needed to be fixed. Not here. Sure, they get along, and they banter, but its not even second fiddle in the story. Seventh fiddle, maybe. I ain’t here for that shit, yo. “Friends who hang out sometimes” may be “"healthier”” than “we murder for each other and we’d die without the other”, but it’s BORING, SO. So yeah. Thanks to that: dead last and not budging.
HOWEVER! Dead last actually has a pretty wide wide berth for quality, when you love every previous installment, and I actually enjoyed the book a lot more than i expected. The second half is wild and ridiculous and I had tremendous fun with it, the final battle is fantastic, the last few Valkyrie POV chapters are a great end, I personally LOOOOOOVED a certain Baby Daddy Drama plot and can’t wait for more. It’s a great book for Valkyrie, even if Skulduggery’s appearance really just comes down to “glorified cameo”.
REPRESENTATION POWER HOUR!! Kill your gays still counts retroactively. Militsa and Valkyrie’s dialogue feels directly lifted from Desolation, which: horf. But Never continues to be a light in my life, and I did think the Dead Gays reveal was neatly done even if… dead gays.
Anyway: still have high hopes for Twelve. But this new series has still yet to justify even existing at all for me, and I still long for the days where The Dying of the Light was our perfect, toned with bittersweet but overall happy ending where you knew Deep in Your Heart Skulduggery and Valkyrie were going to stay together forever and go fight space aliens in the year 2300. I want a goddamn good ending, that doesn’t make me long for the simple sweetness of “magic,” she says. Make this actually feel worth it.
xoxo,
gossip moonie
…. The answer to all three is, nope! Not at all!
Honestly? It’s an okay book. It my least favorite of the entire SP series, but not because it’s bad, or made me angry the way Desolation did, but just because it failed to wow me at any point. It’s not even strictly boring, just … padded, and strange, and in parts very forced. (dad voice) I’m not mad, just disappointed!
I can aaaabosolutely see the hallmarks of him struggling to pull something together on time, and I’m starting to, legit wonder if his editor is still, like…. alive? (Alice and Val are 16 years apart, not 18. Val’s grandmothers are alive. Literally everything Militsa says contradicts itself, though I’m praying that one’s intentional…)
Midnight has Themes. It has ideas it’s trying to come across, and they have varying degrees of success. I actually am really, really, really intrigued by the hardcore emphasis on pregnancy (with the accompanying focus on family and much much more downplayed theme of intimacy.) I’ve never seen Landy lean that hard into any sort of theme before, and it’s a bold ass move for a kids book series that has not used the word “sex” once. But it was fun to read, and even more fun to analyze, so I’mma give it a bewildered but amused thumbs up.
When Landy gets stuck - this book is so well documented in its Production Hell, it even has an entire essay about it in the Special Edition - he tends to go nuts with the POV chapters, to my eternal frustration. Omen’s plotline is a heteronormative waste of time, only salvaged by his likable personality and even more likable brother and best friend, and Sebastian is even more damn useless than I thought possible. Flannery’s torture is at least brief this round. But seriously: would it kill to have more than fifty percent Valkyrie POV?
Valkyrie is much closer to her phase 1 self than she was in SPX (and i don’t even care, I still loved SPX Val plenty, though my favorite Valkyrie is always going to be her at her most violent and vain: two qualities I do not possess in the slightest and therefore have a lot of fun living vicariously through.) She’s becoming her own person. She’s lost the magic discipline she shared with Skulduggery, and she’s forming her own moral code, and picking up her own new clothing style if losing her Ghastly duds are any indication. Rebirthing Valkyrie Cain is fine by me, and it’s a fun exercise, taking the supervillain and reshaping her into a new anti-hero. Gonna be real though: had the most fun in the book when she gave up on the whole pacifist thing and started slamming people around bars, ha ha ha.
The books biggest detriment is the forced, plot mandated separation of Valkyrie and Skulduggery. Landy has stated (to increasingly concerned fans) that phase 2 is not about a “break up”, but its hard to feel that when just given this book, to see Valkyrie blatantly lie to Skulduggery, choose to spend time with a near stranger over him, and blow him off over and over.
I get it: she’s depressed. And maybe she blames him for it. But the main appeal of the entire series is their incredibly close dynamic and now we just get these two friends who hang out, sometimes, i guess, if they’re not busy, and also dont ever talk about the hugely traumatic shocking emotion things in their life cuz uhhhhhh the detailed phase 2 plot outline says they can’t yet. Yes, it’s important for Valkyrie to be on her own to truly grow into her own person, and I think the leaning away from violence is a good way to do that, but there should be a damn good pay off for it, a reminder that their relationship is, you know, the Whole Focal Point of the series, and I just did not ever get it in this book. Resurrection was so wholly about their relationship, even though it was grim and depressing. You knew they cared, it was paid off, and the fact they weren't speaking was portrayed as SAD, HORRIBLE THING, that desperately needed to be fixed. Not here. Sure, they get along, and they banter, but its not even second fiddle in the story. Seventh fiddle, maybe. I ain’t here for that shit, yo. “Friends who hang out sometimes” may be “"healthier”” than “we murder for each other and we’d die without the other”, but it’s BORING, SO. So yeah. Thanks to that: dead last and not budging.
HOWEVER! Dead last actually has a pretty wide wide berth for quality, when you love every previous installment, and I actually enjoyed the book a lot more than i expected. The second half is wild and ridiculous and I had tremendous fun with it, the final battle is fantastic, the last few Valkyrie POV chapters are a great end, I personally LOOOOOOVED a certain Baby Daddy Drama plot and can’t wait for more. It’s a great book for Valkyrie, even if Skulduggery’s appearance really just comes down to “glorified cameo”.
REPRESENTATION POWER HOUR!! Kill your gays still counts retroactively. Militsa and Valkyrie’s dialogue feels directly lifted from Desolation, which: horf. But Never continues to be a light in my life, and I did think the Dead Gays reveal was neatly done even if… dead gays.
Anyway: still have high hopes for Twelve. But this new series has still yet to justify even existing at all for me, and I still long for the days where The Dying of the Light was our perfect, toned with bittersweet but overall happy ending where you knew Deep in Your Heart Skulduggery and Valkyrie were going to stay together forever and go fight space aliens in the year 2300. I want a goddamn good ending, that doesn’t make me long for the simple sweetness of “magic,” she says. Make this actually feel worth it.
xoxo,
gossip moonie
October 7, 2019
3.5 stars
Is Derek Landy becoming less funny? I wonder...
HOLY SHIT
Is Derek Landy becoming less funny? I wonder...
HOLY SHIT
June 4, 2018
I don't believe I have enough words in me to actually lay it down how much I am in love with this series. This series marked the start of my irrevocable love for books and it's so, so, so close to my heart that I can't even.
I had expected no less from Midnight. There's not even one book in this entire series that has gotten anything less than a solid five star rating from me. It's just everything that I look for in a book.
For me characters for me are the most important part of a book and here as well, I solely read these books for my beloved characters. Don't get me wrong, Derek Landy is amazing with his plot lines but the attachment and the bond I have formed with these characters is golden. Valkyrie was 12 in the first book and she is 25 now. I have literally seen her grow his wonderful woman she has become. I still continue to harbour a major crush on Skulduggery after all these years. You see, if Derek Landy has the power to make someone actually fall in love with a skeleton then you can clearly imagine how amazing he is.
This book was hilarious and so cleverly written as always. That's why I can keep on reading these books all my life. I read this book nice and slow, savouring it the best I could but of course, I am only a reader, and when a favourite book of mine is involved, how long can I really keep on with the wait? I was so sad when this book came to an end and that too on such a goddamn mindblowing cliffhanger.
And since it was released like three days ago, it was really really expensive in my country. So of course, I went broke buying this but honestly, it was worth every freaking penny.
I love the new characters and can't get enough of the old ones. I was so glad that Tanith was back for whatever short period she was. And as I said before, I read these books mainly because of characters. Actually, it's the characters and the humour. Absolutely nothing can beat Derek Landy's humour. But apart form all of that, the actually best thing about this series is the wonderful and beautiful partnership between Valkyrie and Skulduggery. I mean it's so idiotic, funny and perfect.
I mean it has the real *feels *.
You see what I mean?
I also loved Alice. She is seven in this book and just about the best kid I have ever encountered. Like, I need an Alice for myself. It's impossible not to feel that way after reading Midnight. I have always really liked Omen even though a lot of people didn't like his addition in Resurrection. I feel so sad for him though, like I wish I could give him a huge hug and make it all better. He is just so pure and precious.
I remember loving Never in the previous book a lot more than this one because here Never was like so dissattached and everything. I still like him/her but I wish there was more of Omen and Never bonding.
Also, the ending I felt was a little over rushed. I put way a little hard for me to keep a track of all that stuff that was happening. But I don't mind it. The book was too good for all the teensy-weensy complaints. I just have no idea how am I going to wait for yet another year for the next instalment.
I had expected no less from Midnight. There's not even one book in this entire series that has gotten anything less than a solid five star rating from me. It's just everything that I look for in a book.
For me characters for me are the most important part of a book and here as well, I solely read these books for my beloved characters. Don't get me wrong, Derek Landy is amazing with his plot lines but the attachment and the bond I have formed with these characters is golden. Valkyrie was 12 in the first book and she is 25 now. I have literally seen her grow his wonderful woman she has become. I still continue to harbour a major crush on Skulduggery after all these years. You see, if Derek Landy has the power to make someone actually fall in love with a skeleton then you can clearly imagine how amazing he is.
This book was hilarious and so cleverly written as always. That's why I can keep on reading these books all my life. I read this book nice and slow, savouring it the best I could but of course, I am only a reader, and when a favourite book of mine is involved, how long can I really keep on with the wait? I was so sad when this book came to an end and that too on such a goddamn mindblowing cliffhanger.
And since it was released like three days ago, it was really really expensive in my country. So of course, I went broke buying this but honestly, it was worth every freaking penny.
I love the new characters and can't get enough of the old ones. I was so glad that Tanith was back for whatever short period she was. And as I said before, I read these books mainly because of characters. Actually, it's the characters and the humour. Absolutely nothing can beat Derek Landy's humour. But apart form all of that, the actually best thing about this series is the wonderful and beautiful partnership between Valkyrie and Skulduggery. I mean it's so idiotic, funny and perfect.
I mean it has the real *feels *.
“Of course,” Skulduggery said. “Valkyrie, are you all right? Your parents called me after I’d arrived home yesterday evening. I wouldn’t have come if I had known I’d be interrupting.”
“You weren’t interrupting.”
“I know how much you were looking forward to spending some time with your family. Believe me, I understand.”
She smiled. “Thanks. But you’re never an interruption, you got that? Now quit being considerate. It’s weird, and it makes me want to laugh nervously and run away.”
“You are an odd woman.”
“Yep,” she said.
You see what I mean?
I also loved Alice. She is seven in this book and just about the best kid I have ever encountered. Like, I need an Alice for myself. It's impossible not to feel that way after reading Midnight. I have always really liked Omen even though a lot of people didn't like his addition in Resurrection. I feel so sad for him though, like I wish I could give him a huge hug and make it all better. He is just so pure and precious.
I remember loving Never in the previous book a lot more than this one because here Never was like so dissattached and everything. I still like him/her but I wish there was more of Omen and Never bonding.
Also, the ending I felt was a little over rushed. I put way a little hard for me to keep a track of all that stuff that was happening. But I don't mind it. The book was too good for all the teensy-weensy complaints. I just have no idea how am I going to wait for yet another year for the next instalment.
June 5, 2019
EDIT June 2019 (everything below was written on September 2018): I'm changing the rating from a 4 to a 3 because this was so utterly forgettable. I was thinking about it because my copy of Bedlam just arrived and I'm going to begin reading it soon, and I can hardly remember anything about its predecessor, Midnight. NOT a good look for the book, if I may say so myself.
_______________________
Believe me, my friends, no one was more surprised than I that I didn't hate this!
My (negative) review for Resurrection is the very first that is presented upon your eyes on the Community Reviews on the book's page, and I still consider that one of my greatest accomplishments. I also still consider it the worst Skulduggery Pleasant book by far, and I don't think that's going to change. We've already hit rock bottom, boys and girls, so the only way to go with Midnight was up!
Midnight is actually closer to 3 stars than the 4 I gave it, but I'm feelin' generous today. Derek Landy made an effort (unlike his complete lack of it in Resurrection) and he should be rewarded for it. Pat pat, Landy.
I think I should mention the negatives first, to get them out of the way: the book was far too long for its content, particularly the second half of . The fight went on for way too long, not to mention that the fight at the end of The Dying of the Light was already extremely similar to this? Why did it have to be so long and also feel like major deja vu?
Secondly, even Derek Landy himself now regrets introducing Omen, and used him as little as possible, just to remind us that he's not dead yet. Even Valkyrie snapped at him like "You're useless (to the plot and this upcoming fight), sit down, play dead, we'll pretend you don't exist". I'm sorry, Omen, but no one cares that you're here and no one really looks forward to your POV chapters. No one is reading the "reboot" series because they want to see more of Omen.
Never was annoying as ever, acts like the stereotypical "sassy gay friend" (even though they're not gay), and keeps being rude to Omen. (I know I was rude to him too in the previous paragraph, but I'm not his friend. I'm excused.) At least this time, Never wasn't screaming about their "gender identity" as much. Thank God for small favours!
I rather liked Abyssinia, shockingly, but near the end I realized that she talks exactly like China, and that dampened my enthusiasm for her a bit. Not to mention her random skintight bodysuit, exactly like Darquesse's.
The "Bring Darquesse back" Sebastian guy's plot continued to be annoying, just like Never. I didn't like it when it was first introduced, I still don't like it now. The fact that helped that guy with his laughable mission, and didn't kill him like she was threatening him to, had me like:
I'm also calling it now: he's probably going to be revealed to have liquefactive necrosis. The condition was mentioned several times in the book, as was his inability to take off his suit and mask "for health reasons". I'm calling it.
I think this is it, so moving on to the positives, I basically liked everything else.
I liked how Valkyrie's Sensitive powers were handled (even though I still hate the way that was introduced, and the offscreen deaths of the major Sensitives), I liked her hanging out with her family, I liked her scavenger hunt in the second half, I liked that she was less than thrilled to be in the middle of violence after all that happened to her. Alice was a delight, and I can't say that I mind that . I mean, check this out:
"Let Alice go", said Valkyrie. "[.....] She can't hurt you"
Cadaverous smiled. "Neither can you, Valkyrie. Not in here. In here, you're as ineffectual as a five-year-old."
"I'm seven", Alice said from behind the door.
Speaking of that, the jokes are back! I can't say that their absence played a huge part in my disliking of Resurrection, but I do prefer it when they're here. My favourite joke was this (I really did laugh out loud):
Skulduggery: "Did I ever tell you that I lost my skull once?"
Temper sighed. "Yeah, you did. Goblins ran away with it."
"And for years afterwards, I wore a replacement skull. For years, I walked around with a different head. The jaw was different, the cheekbones were different, the nasal aperture was hilariously off- I'm still surprised people recognized me at all."
"Maybe the fact that you were a skeleton....."
The Flannery parts were minimal (as with Never, thank God for small favours), the "end of chapter corresponds with the beginning of the next" gimmick only happened, I think, once (when Valkyrie needs someone to babysit Alice, and Omen raises his hand in class in the very opposite page), and, very important, no shiptastic moments of "Valduggery". Win, win, win.
I really, really do hope that the next books in the second series are closer to "Midnight" than "Resurrection". I really, really do. Because with this, my faith in the series is mostly restored. It's no wonder, since after Resurrection my expectations were at ankle height, but still.
_______________________
Believe me, my friends, no one was more surprised than I that I didn't hate this!
My (negative) review for Resurrection is the very first that is presented upon your eyes on the Community Reviews on the book's page, and I still consider that one of my greatest accomplishments. I also still consider it the worst Skulduggery Pleasant book by far, and I don't think that's going to change. We've already hit rock bottom, boys and girls, so the only way to go with Midnight was up!
Midnight is actually closer to 3 stars than the 4 I gave it, but I'm feelin' generous today. Derek Landy made an effort (unlike his complete lack of it in Resurrection) and he should be rewarded for it. Pat pat, Landy.
I think I should mention the negatives first, to get them out of the way: the book was far too long for its content, particularly the second half of . The fight went on for way too long, not to mention that the fight at the end of The Dying of the Light was already extremely similar to this? Why did it have to be so long and also feel like major deja vu?
Secondly, even Derek Landy himself now regrets introducing Omen, and used him as little as possible, just to remind us that he's not dead yet. Even Valkyrie snapped at him like "You're useless (to the plot and this upcoming fight), sit down, play dead, we'll pretend you don't exist". I'm sorry, Omen, but no one cares that you're here and no one really looks forward to your POV chapters. No one is reading the "reboot" series because they want to see more of Omen.
Never was annoying as ever, acts like the stereotypical "sassy gay friend" (even though they're not gay), and keeps being rude to Omen. (I know I was rude to him too in the previous paragraph, but I'm not his friend. I'm excused.) At least this time, Never wasn't screaming about their "gender identity" as much. Thank God for small favours!
I rather liked Abyssinia, shockingly, but near the end I realized that she talks exactly like China, and that dampened my enthusiasm for her a bit. Not to mention her random skintight bodysuit, exactly like Darquesse's.
The "Bring Darquesse back" Sebastian guy's plot continued to be annoying, just like Never. I didn't like it when it was first introduced, I still don't like it now. The fact that helped that guy with his laughable mission, and didn't kill him like she was threatening him to, had me like:
I'm also calling it now: he's probably going to be revealed to have liquefactive necrosis. The condition was mentioned several times in the book, as was his inability to take off his suit and mask "for health reasons". I'm calling it.
I think this is it, so moving on to the positives, I basically liked everything else.
I liked how Valkyrie's Sensitive powers were handled (even though I still hate the way that was introduced, and the offscreen deaths of the major Sensitives), I liked her hanging out with her family, I liked her scavenger hunt in the second half, I liked that she was less than thrilled to be in the middle of violence after all that happened to her. Alice was a delight, and I can't say that I mind that . I mean, check this out:
"Let Alice go", said Valkyrie. "[.....] She can't hurt you"
Cadaverous smiled. "Neither can you, Valkyrie. Not in here. In here, you're as ineffectual as a five-year-old."
"I'm seven", Alice said from behind the door.
Speaking of that, the jokes are back! I can't say that their absence played a huge part in my disliking of Resurrection, but I do prefer it when they're here. My favourite joke was this (I really did laugh out loud):
Skulduggery: "Did I ever tell you that I lost my skull once?"
Temper sighed. "Yeah, you did. Goblins ran away with it."
"And for years afterwards, I wore a replacement skull. For years, I walked around with a different head. The jaw was different, the cheekbones were different, the nasal aperture was hilariously off- I'm still surprised people recognized me at all."
"Maybe the fact that you were a skeleton....."
The Flannery parts were minimal (as with Never, thank God for small favours), the "end of chapter corresponds with the beginning of the next" gimmick only happened, I think, once (when Valkyrie needs someone to babysit Alice, and Omen raises his hand in class in the very opposite page), and, very important, no shiptastic moments of "Valduggery". Win, win, win.
I really, really do hope that the next books in the second series are closer to "Midnight" than "Resurrection". I really, really do. Because with this, my faith in the series is mostly restored. It's no wonder, since after Resurrection my expectations were at ankle height, but still.
December 9, 2022
"Quit. Leave magic behind. Leave Skulduggery behind. But you can't do that, can you. You're addicted to magic and you're addicted to him."
ah look, it's the relationship Derek regrets writing
Definitely the weakest, dare i say, worst SP book. This re-read took me like 6 months.
It has some fantastic moments - like the dinner date with Skulduggery and Valkyrie's parents, honestly wasted on this otherwise meh book - but they were also separated for the majority of the book so..
And who the fuck cares about the whole kidnapping thing?
Anyway, another good scene: "Doesn't it bother you, that you can't tell what he's thinking?" "I can tell."
because they are SOULMATES. also the scene where he's like "We need to go now! Unless you want pizza?" "Yeah." "Then we'll stop for pizza." #BoneDaddy
TL;DR: i will stop my SP re-read for the next year. watch me not even read the prequel (i am kidding, i'm not that strong) (i do wish i was though). 2 stars
ah look, it's the relationship Derek regrets writing
Definitely the weakest, dare i say, worst SP book. This re-read took me like 6 months.
It has some fantastic moments - like the dinner date with Skulduggery and Valkyrie's parents, honestly wasted on this otherwise meh book - but they were also separated for the majority of the book so..
And who the fuck cares about the whole kidnapping thing?
Anyway, another good scene: "Doesn't it bother you, that you can't tell what he's thinking?" "I can tell."
because they are SOULMATES. also the scene where he's like "We need to go now! Unless you want pizza?" "Yeah." "Then we'll stop for pizza." #BoneDaddy
TL;DR: i will stop my SP re-read for the next year. watch me not even read the prequel (i am kidding, i'm not that strong) (i do wish i was though). 2 stars
June 21, 2018
Midnight can be divided pretty neatly in half: Part one, where there are too many subplots to keep track of, and part two, where Valkyrie has to save her sister.
Part one: I was happy to not keep track of the subplots, because each of them was fun and the pages went by quickly, the book compulsively readable. I wasn't sure where all the threads were going, and the constant POV changes felt sloppy. I think it's important for authors to realize that when the POV changes (especially when the characters are focused on entirely different subplots in different parts of the world), the reader is briefly pulled out of the story, and has to work to sink back in. When you change the POV over and over and over again in a series of short chapters, the reader essentially never gets fully immersed in the story. But still. I was enjoying part one for what it was.
Then part two seems to be when an editor was like, "hmmm we need more centralized Valkyrie/Skulduggery bonding stuff" and Landy pulled something out of his butt. I appreciate that Landy took a break from his go-to-plotline, the classic WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD, IT'S IN DANGER LIKE NEVER BEFORE. There are only so many times that you can have a megavillain who is somehow even more powerful than the last all-powerful megavillain. I made up the word "megavillain" for this series specifically. Things started getting pretty silly by the time Darquesse came around. But here's the thing: Abyssinia's resurrection was such a big deal in book 10, and she was presented as super evil and scary, and her cold dead heart "telepathically" communicating with a worldwide host of villains was genuinely disturbing.
But halfway through this book she just...changes. Becomes a normal woman who's subtly made fun of in the Landy-esque comedy way. Also, I need to say it: I'm sick to death of all the bad-ass women in Landy's books wearing skintight clothes. Like literally all of them are essentially described as wearing latex bodysuits. It used to just be Tanith Low's thing, and I was like, "eh, whatever, there are a lot of women who are really different in this series, so I can deal," but now every woman dresses like that. We get it, Landy. You have a type. But you're also writing for kids and teens, remember? Many of whom are girls?
I'm not even sure what the point of red-bodysuit-wearing Abyssinia is anymore. The whole Skulduggery family subplot? It feels cheap and tangled. Skulduggery's entire character arc that led to him being Lord Vile was this: Mevolent killed his wife and child, and he became super evil in his post-ressurection grief. The idea that that super evil, unfeeling Lord Vile had a girlfriend? And the fact that Skulduggery's wife and child—his CENTRAL backstory for most of the books—are never mentioned in Midnight? Are you kidding me? Who even is Skulduggery if his backstory suddenly just doesn't matter?
I understand that there needs to be changes when you start writing a long series, but the key is to add to the world building without negating anything that came before it. Cassandra Clare pulls this off really well with all of her spin-off series to the Mortal Instruments. I actually thought Landy mostly pulled this off in book 10, as he focused on the world and politics of Roarhaven. It just...disintegrated in this book, but I think he has a chance at pulling things together in book 12.
So, onto part two: Valkyrie gets a phone call. Her sister's been taken and Valkyrie needs to save her. My problem with this mostly had to do with pacing. All the other exciting subplots are abruptly put on hold and mostly never returned to. As mentioned, I appreciate Landy aiming for a more personal plot—saving the sister, not the world. Exploring Valkyrie's vulnerabilities and the power of family and friendship, etc. Blah blah. Except all of this has been explored before, it established nothing new in her arc, and there was no reason for it to take two hundred pages. At one point the villain actually remarks on how damn long their fight is taking, and it felt like even he knew the pacing was whack.
Also there's a chapter that's basically just straight up stolen from The Matrix. I love Landy's homages to his favorite books, comics, and movies, but what makes those interesting are his little twists and inverses (Omen Darkly's brother is Harry Potter, but that's the point: it raises the interesting question of what would Harry Potter's younger brother have been like). This scene was just straight up The Matrix,, complete with Agent Smiths flooding out of a building and a lone ringing telephone booth.
Also, it seems like his own Demon Road trilogy inspired him the most in part two, as Valkyrie stopped feeling like Valkyrie and started feeling like Amber on her monster-fighting roadtrip. I really, really don't like the Demon Road series, and I didn't enjoy feeling like his two series were bleeding into each other.
Notes on social issues: I used to be really charmed by Derek Landy's little feminist sidenotes, like when the zombie Scapegrace becomes a beautiful woman and learns that getting catcalled isn't fun. But I guess I'm older now, and now it just feels like I'd rather be reading a book by a woman instead. Every time the Feminism 101 stuff happens I'm reminded of when my well-meaning male friends learn something really basic about gender dynamics and excitedly "teach" it to me, and I have to sit there and smile encouragingly like a school teacher while suppressing my rage.
At least Never's representation was better this time around. In book 10 Never's sole character trait was their genderqueer-ness, which isn't even a character trait. Every time they were in a room Derek Landy had to emphasize what gender they felt like in that scene. My friend (hi Rachael) hilariously said it were as if he were pointing a big, lit-up arrow at his own book and going, "Look!! I included a gay!!!" Never actually has the beginning of an arc in this one, and Landy seems to have cooled down over the genderqueer thing.
I can't believe I'm writing this last, because it made me roll my eyes the hardest: Derek Landy, you can be inspired by comics and movies and books and stuff, but stop using the plight of real marginalized people to inform your plot. I thought the fantasy genre was over the era of using magical creatures as allegories for real marginalized groups. The magical creatures in Midnight are actually mortal, brought in from an alternate dimension, and they're clearly supposed to mirror real life refugees. But there aren't any like, actual Mexican or Syrian people, et cetera, on the page. And I don't want there to be, because I don't trust Derek Landy to write a person praying Fajr. Yikes. Just don't write about refugees in such a shoddy way. Oy vey, oy vey, oy vey.
Also, the Trump stand-in is hilarious, but it's very obvious Landy never had an American go through President Flannery's dialogue. Flannery...does not sound American. It was hard to read his dialogue in an American accent, even. Flannery ends sentences with "eh" and interrogative words (e.g., "He did, did he?") in precisely the way my Irish and English friends do. Lol.
This has been a disorganized and wordy rant. Tldr: The book was what is was.
Part one: I was happy to not keep track of the subplots, because each of them was fun and the pages went by quickly, the book compulsively readable. I wasn't sure where all the threads were going, and the constant POV changes felt sloppy. I think it's important for authors to realize that when the POV changes (especially when the characters are focused on entirely different subplots in different parts of the world), the reader is briefly pulled out of the story, and has to work to sink back in. When you change the POV over and over and over again in a series of short chapters, the reader essentially never gets fully immersed in the story. But still. I was enjoying part one for what it was.
Then part two seems to be when an editor was like, "hmmm we need more centralized Valkyrie/Skulduggery bonding stuff" and Landy pulled something out of his butt. I appreciate that Landy took a break from his go-to-plotline, the classic WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD, IT'S IN DANGER LIKE NEVER BEFORE. There are only so many times that you can have a megavillain who is somehow even more powerful than the last all-powerful megavillain. I made up the word "megavillain" for this series specifically. Things started getting pretty silly by the time Darquesse came around. But here's the thing: Abyssinia's resurrection was such a big deal in book 10, and she was presented as super evil and scary, and her cold dead heart "telepathically" communicating with a worldwide host of villains was genuinely disturbing.
But halfway through this book she just...changes. Becomes a normal woman who's subtly made fun of in the Landy-esque comedy way. Also, I need to say it: I'm sick to death of all the bad-ass women in Landy's books wearing skintight clothes. Like literally all of them are essentially described as wearing latex bodysuits. It used to just be Tanith Low's thing, and I was like, "eh, whatever, there are a lot of women who are really different in this series, so I can deal," but now every woman dresses like that. We get it, Landy. You have a type. But you're also writing for kids and teens, remember? Many of whom are girls?
I'm not even sure what the point of red-bodysuit-wearing Abyssinia is anymore. The whole Skulduggery family subplot? It feels cheap and tangled. Skulduggery's entire character arc that led to him being Lord Vile was this: Mevolent killed his wife and child, and he became super evil in his post-ressurection grief. The idea that that super evil, unfeeling Lord Vile had a girlfriend? And the fact that Skulduggery's wife and child—his CENTRAL backstory for most of the books—are never mentioned in Midnight? Are you kidding me? Who even is Skulduggery if his backstory suddenly just doesn't matter?
I understand that there needs to be changes when you start writing a long series, but the key is to add to the world building without negating anything that came before it. Cassandra Clare pulls this off really well with all of her spin-off series to the Mortal Instruments. I actually thought Landy mostly pulled this off in book 10, as he focused on the world and politics of Roarhaven. It just...disintegrated in this book, but I think he has a chance at pulling things together in book 12.
So, onto part two: Valkyrie gets a phone call. Her sister's been taken and Valkyrie needs to save her. My problem with this mostly had to do with pacing. All the other exciting subplots are abruptly put on hold and mostly never returned to. As mentioned, I appreciate Landy aiming for a more personal plot—saving the sister, not the world. Exploring Valkyrie's vulnerabilities and the power of family and friendship, etc. Blah blah. Except all of this has been explored before, it established nothing new in her arc, and there was no reason for it to take two hundred pages. At one point the villain actually remarks on how damn long their fight is taking, and it felt like even he knew the pacing was whack.
Also there's a chapter that's basically just straight up stolen from The Matrix. I love Landy's homages to his favorite books, comics, and movies, but what makes those interesting are his little twists and inverses (Omen Darkly's brother is Harry Potter, but that's the point: it raises the interesting question of what would Harry Potter's younger brother have been like). This scene was just straight up The Matrix,, complete with Agent Smiths flooding out of a building and a lone ringing telephone booth.
Also, it seems like his own Demon Road trilogy inspired him the most in part two, as Valkyrie stopped feeling like Valkyrie and started feeling like Amber on her monster-fighting roadtrip. I really, really don't like the Demon Road series, and I didn't enjoy feeling like his two series were bleeding into each other.
Notes on social issues: I used to be really charmed by Derek Landy's little feminist sidenotes, like when the zombie Scapegrace becomes a beautiful woman and learns that getting catcalled isn't fun. But I guess I'm older now, and now it just feels like I'd rather be reading a book by a woman instead. Every time the Feminism 101 stuff happens I'm reminded of when my well-meaning male friends learn something really basic about gender dynamics and excitedly "teach" it to me, and I have to sit there and smile encouragingly like a school teacher while suppressing my rage.
At least Never's representation was better this time around. In book 10 Never's sole character trait was their genderqueer-ness, which isn't even a character trait. Every time they were in a room Derek Landy had to emphasize what gender they felt like in that scene. My friend (hi Rachael) hilariously said it were as if he were pointing a big, lit-up arrow at his own book and going, "Look!! I included a gay!!!" Never actually has the beginning of an arc in this one, and Landy seems to have cooled down over the genderqueer thing.
I can't believe I'm writing this last, because it made me roll my eyes the hardest: Derek Landy, you can be inspired by comics and movies and books and stuff, but stop using the plight of real marginalized people to inform your plot. I thought the fantasy genre was over the era of using magical creatures as allegories for real marginalized groups. The magical creatures in Midnight are actually mortal, brought in from an alternate dimension, and they're clearly supposed to mirror real life refugees. But there aren't any like, actual Mexican or Syrian people, et cetera, on the page. And I don't want there to be, because I don't trust Derek Landy to write a person praying Fajr. Yikes. Just don't write about refugees in such a shoddy way. Oy vey, oy vey, oy vey.
Also, the Trump stand-in is hilarious, but it's very obvious Landy never had an American go through President Flannery's dialogue. Flannery...does not sound American. It was hard to read his dialogue in an American accent, even. Flannery ends sentences with "eh" and interrogative words (e.g., "He did, did he?") in precisely the way my Irish and English friends do. Lol.
This has been a disorganized and wordy rant. Tldr: The book was what is was.
March 18, 2019
She was a one-off, she'd been told. An oddity. In a world of weirdos, she was a freak.
How many times more can I say "I love this series"? Because I do. It's one of my favorite series' of all times and I'm so glad that there were more books after The Dying of the Light.
I think I loved this book even more the second time around. The first time I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't as much interaction between Valkyrie and Skulduggery. Don't get me wrong, I still miss the banter and the bickering between those two but I think this time I focused on the other aspects of the book and it's really amazing. You might suspect that the idea of magic and a living skeleton grows old after a while but to me it really hasn't because Landy always managed to cook up a new fascinating storyline and there's always one more character around the corner that can surprise you.
With Bedlam coming up soon, I'm wondering if it is even possible for me to ship Valkyrie and Skulduggery even more but this book pushed me even deeper into the ship
After that ending, I have been pacing around waiting for more, ever since I finished it the first time and I think it got worse...
By the way... Everytime I want to mention the President, I somehow never can remember the name and I always happen to spell it T-r-u-m-p... I don't really know why. ;)
Read
December 15, 201715/12/2017
SHE'S COMING FOLKS.
SHE'S COMING FOLKS.
July 30, 2021
Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
Phew this one was a terrifying RIDE...
Phew this one was a terrifying RIDE...
July 24, 2018
I just love this series too much
July 14, 2021
I keep imagining that one of these days I’ll grow up and become someone who knows what they’re doing, but so far that hasn’t happened.
This series is becoming more mature and grown with each book that is released with the series and i am loving this new direction. Derek's continuation of the series for me has seen some of the best writing moments of the series thus far and with all the characters more grown up especially Valkyrie, Fletcher and Alice now older than they originally were in the first half of the series.
I think with Valkyrie now being in her 20s it's allowed Derek to open up the story more and push the boundaries with the character in the sense that he can allow her to use more adult language and explore relationships more. I am liking where we're at with Valkyrie story wise because she's gone through so much from dealing with her reflection, to darquesse taking over and killing a lot of people to her going away after the events of the first half of the series to her coming back. Her five years spent away from her family and friends really let her have time to reflect and train and somewhat find herself in the crazy world that she's in and in this book you really see her trying to come to terms with a lot of what she's done and slowly deal with the trauma associated with it.
The Skulduggery and Valkyrie relationship has changed and evolved from the beginning and as i've said in previous reviews i like where these two are at and like the direction that it's going. However i think with the five year absence of Valkyrie really hurt this relationship in someway but i do think Skulduggery really does understand what she had been through being such a young age so i think that has helped a lot for these two.
I liked the fact that we get to see Alice finally have more of a role in the series and this is the first book that she actually is involved in some way. Alice now being older is starting to have more of a personality and i cannot wait to see what happens with the character going forward now that she knows about the world her older sister is involved with and i feel like it will get interesting. Finding out what happened to Alice's soul after what Valkyrie did to her really broke my heart and this going forward will be a vocal point in trying to get it back.
trust you with my life,” Skulduggery said. “Just not necessarily my car.
11 books into the series and who would've thought that the series would still be going 14 years later i take my hat off to Derek for creating this complex world with such amazing characters i just hope he continues the series strong.
This series is becoming more mature and grown with each book that is released with the series and i am loving this new direction. Derek's continuation of the series for me has seen some of the best writing moments of the series thus far and with all the characters more grown up especially Valkyrie, Fletcher and Alice now older than they originally were in the first half of the series.
I think with Valkyrie now being in her 20s it's allowed Derek to open up the story more and push the boundaries with the character in the sense that he can allow her to use more adult language and explore relationships more. I am liking where we're at with Valkyrie story wise because she's gone through so much from dealing with her reflection, to darquesse taking over and killing a lot of people to her going away after the events of the first half of the series to her coming back. Her five years spent away from her family and friends really let her have time to reflect and train and somewhat find herself in the crazy world that she's in and in this book you really see her trying to come to terms with a lot of what she's done and slowly deal with the trauma associated with it.
The Skulduggery and Valkyrie relationship has changed and evolved from the beginning and as i've said in previous reviews i like where these two are at and like the direction that it's going. However i think with the five year absence of Valkyrie really hurt this relationship in someway but i do think Skulduggery really does understand what she had been through being such a young age so i think that has helped a lot for these two.
I liked the fact that we get to see Alice finally have more of a role in the series and this is the first book that she actually is involved in some way. Alice now being older is starting to have more of a personality and i cannot wait to see what happens with the character going forward now that she knows about the world her older sister is involved with and i feel like it will get interesting. Finding out what happened to Alice's soul after what Valkyrie did to her really broke my heart and this going forward will be a vocal point in trying to get it back.
trust you with my life,” Skulduggery said. “Just not necessarily my car.
11 books into the series and who would've thought that the series would still be going 14 years later i take my hat off to Derek for creating this complex world with such amazing characters i just hope he continues the series strong.
November 12, 2019
There's one word in particular that springs to mind after my reading of Derek Landy's Midnight: disjointed.
I can barely remember what happened during the first half of this book. I vaguely remember something about refugees coming over from the Leibniz Universe (why is it called that again?), China Sorrows pulling a Cersei Lanister by granting ill-advised powers to the Church, and a mask-wearing weirdo from SPX running around with Tanith Low trying to bring back Darquesse but... the significance of all this? I honestly couldn't tell you. I expect it'll be covered off in later books, but for the time being, these barely-there storylines were dropped halfway through this book in favour of the "Let's save Alice" storyline mentioned on the blurb. More fool me for thinking the two halves might intertwine or be related in someway... Anyway.
Completely irrelevant and, dare I say it, boring first half aside, the second half of this book was great. I got serious Demon Road vibes while reading Valkyrie's race against time to save her sister, encountering one horror trope after another. It's fun! And hilarious. And genuinely thrilling -- I found the Wild Hunt segment particularly amusing.
Less thrilling was the inclusion of about several hundred POVs that weren't Valkyrie's. I mean, I get it. I understand that Skulduggery doesn't have a POV, and because he and Valkyrie are seperated (again), we need to go through Temple. But Temple is such a non character -- I honestly couldn't care less what happens to him, and reading from his POV just made me miss reading from Valkyrie's instead. Why couldn't we have found a way for Omen to be with Skulduggery so we could see things from Omen's POV? Omen was barely in this book despite essentially being the protagonist of SPX. And again -- this ties back to the tedious first half -- what is the point of Sebastian?
In the afterword accompanying my edition of this book, Derek Landy mentions how the "Let's Save Alice" plotline was originally intended for Book 12, and Flannery originally had a greater part to play in the second half of Book 11. That he struggled to make the plot of Book 11 work, and was ultimately abandoned due to actions by Flannery's real-world counterpart, Donald Trump. Exactly what or how it was affected is not disclosed. Regardless, despite Landy's best efforts, this does read like a book of two halves.
I'm immensely disappointed with it.
ETA: Sorry, I forgot something. I can kinda see what Derek Landy is trying to do here in terms of representation? Like, you've got a genderfluid character, retroactive gay coupling, possible hints that Valkyrie is bisexual... but it's not very well done. Dialogue on these subjects feels really forced and out of place and a weird amount of attention is drawn to the strangest things. I admire the effort, but it doesn't feel natural at all. The whole thing smacks a little of tokenism, and it just makes me feel uncomfortable. I say this myself as a bisexual woman (who'd love for Valkyrie to be bisexual because YES).
I can barely remember what happened during the first half of this book. I vaguely remember something about refugees coming over from the Leibniz Universe (why is it called that again?), China Sorrows pulling a Cersei Lanister by granting ill-advised powers to the Church, and a mask-wearing weirdo from SPX running around with Tanith Low trying to bring back Darquesse but... the significance of all this? I honestly couldn't tell you. I expect it'll be covered off in later books, but for the time being, these barely-there storylines were dropped halfway through this book in favour of the "Let's save Alice" storyline mentioned on the blurb. More fool me for thinking the two halves might intertwine or be related in someway... Anyway.
Completely irrelevant and, dare I say it, boring first half aside, the second half of this book was great. I got serious Demon Road vibes while reading Valkyrie's race against time to save her sister, encountering one horror trope after another. It's fun! And hilarious. And genuinely thrilling -- I found the Wild Hunt segment particularly amusing.
Less thrilling was the inclusion of about several hundred POVs that weren't Valkyrie's. I mean, I get it. I understand that Skulduggery doesn't have a POV, and because he and Valkyrie are seperated (again), we need to go through Temple. But Temple is such a non character -- I honestly couldn't care less what happens to him, and reading from his POV just made me miss reading from Valkyrie's instead. Why couldn't we have found a way for Omen to be with Skulduggery so we could see things from Omen's POV? Omen was barely in this book despite essentially being the protagonist of SPX. And again -- this ties back to the tedious first half -- what is the point of Sebastian?
In the afterword accompanying my edition of this book, Derek Landy mentions how the "Let's Save Alice" plotline was originally intended for Book 12, and Flannery originally had a greater part to play in the second half of Book 11. That he struggled to make the plot of Book 11 work, and was ultimately abandoned due to actions by Flannery's real-world counterpart, Donald Trump. Exactly what or how it was affected is not disclosed. Regardless, despite Landy's best efforts, this does read like a book of two halves.
I'm immensely disappointed with it.
ETA: Sorry, I forgot something. I can kinda see what Derek Landy is trying to do here in terms of representation? Like, you've got a genderfluid character, retroactive gay coupling, possible hints that Valkyrie is bisexual... but it's not very well done. Dialogue on these subjects feels really forced and out of place and a weird amount of attention is drawn to the strangest things. I admire the effort, but it doesn't feel natural at all. The whole thing smacks a little of tokenism, and it just makes me feel uncomfortable. I say this myself as a bisexual woman (who'd love for Valkyrie to be bisexual because YES).
June 28, 2018
* * *
3 / 5
~review to come~
http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
Any other book and this would be four stars, easy, but I feel like should rate Skulduggery Pleasant books in relation to each other, and this one ain't as good as Resurrection
3 / 5
~review to come~
http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
Any other book and this would be four stars, easy, but I feel like should rate Skulduggery Pleasant books in relation to each other, and this one ain't as good as Resurrection
June 2, 2018
I still feel a bit like Phase 2 is only just working its way up. Like, there are so many plot points, most of which barely get any room to do much of anything (refugees from the Leibniz universe, Flanery, Sebastian Tao, China being all secretive, sudden-surprise-Serafina Mevolent's never before heard of wife, Kes, reflections being creepy, the church of the Faceless being back at it, Eliza Scorn skulking about, and so on and so forth). I think it will lead to something really cool, but at the moment it feels a bit... fragmented?
Tell you what: if it turns out Landy can't tie up all the loose plots waving about before Phase 2 is over I'll go back and remove a star. For now I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all comes together.
Anyway, I really do love all the things that carry over from Phase 1, including Skull and Val's relationship and some unexpected consequences of old choices. I like the new characters too (Temper and Abyssinia especially, not to mention Omen and Never), but I'm still at a point where I'm kinda bitter that they take up space that could be filled by old favorites (some of them aren't even dead, dammit, there's no excuse to keep them out - give me Fletcher and Tanith, Landy, and not just cameos!). I feel ambivalent about Val's obvious flirting with Militsa though, not because I'm against the idea of Val being bi (it is coming a bit out of nowhere, but I can deal, though I prefer her single) but because the whole scene felt kinda off and out of character. We'll see where it leads.
I like Omen a lot more than expected. His role as the regular person (a sorcerer, yes, but not a very good one) who got a taste of adventure and is now expected to just go back to normal isn't one we see very often. I also like how he is just nice. Not a Nice Guy but nice. He wants everyone to be happy.
Tell you what: if it turns out Landy can't tie up all the loose plots waving about before Phase 2 is over I'll go back and remove a star. For now I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all comes together.
Anyway, I really do love all the things that carry over from Phase 1, including Skull and Val's relationship and some unexpected consequences of old choices. I like the new characters too (Temper and Abyssinia especially, not to mention Omen and Never), but I'm still at a point where I'm kinda bitter that they take up space that could be filled by old favorites (some of them aren't even dead, dammit, there's no excuse to keep them out - give me Fletcher and Tanith, Landy, and not just cameos!). I feel ambivalent about Val's obvious flirting with Militsa though, not because I'm against the idea of Val being bi (it is coming a bit out of nowhere, but I can deal, though I prefer her single) but because the whole scene felt kinda off and out of character. We'll see where it leads.
I like Omen a lot more than expected. His role as the regular person (a sorcerer, yes, but not a very good one) who got a taste of adventure and is now expected to just go back to normal isn't one we see very often. I also like how he is just nice. Not a Nice Guy but nice. He wants everyone to be happy.
June 14, 2018
‘For years, Valkyrie Cain has to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle - time and time again - by Skulduggery Pleasant’s side, and always emerging triumphant.
But now the very thing that Valkyrie fights for is in danger, as a ruthless killer snatches her little sister in order to lure Valkyrie into a final confrontation.
With Skulduggery racing to catch up and young sorcerer Omen scrambling along behind, Valkyrie only has six hours to find Alice before it’s too late.’
I was so excited for this book, I was mad excited for Resurrection but this book excited me more because the... I don’t want to call it the ‘new’ universe per say, but the current universe was set in stone by Resurrection and I was very excited to see how Landy carried on the story.
And after reading Midnight I’m mad excited to see where this is heading! It easily feels like it could be another ten books, which I am not bothered about in the slightest, and the way Landy sets up scenarios that mightn’t come to fruition until the very last book is very exciting and amazing. I have so many questions that’ll no doubt be answered in the books to come.
This book was impeccably paced. And for some reason felt more like a Skulduggery book than Resurrection? I feel like I enjoyed it more but it’s still a 5 star scenario so I suppose it doesn’t matter!
Again, I urge everyone to pick this series up! It rivals Harry Potter for sure - I’d say I prefer this series to Harry Potter and that’s a bold statement to confess
But now the very thing that Valkyrie fights for is in danger, as a ruthless killer snatches her little sister in order to lure Valkyrie into a final confrontation.
With Skulduggery racing to catch up and young sorcerer Omen scrambling along behind, Valkyrie only has six hours to find Alice before it’s too late.’
I was so excited for this book, I was mad excited for Resurrection but this book excited me more because the... I don’t want to call it the ‘new’ universe per say, but the current universe was set in stone by Resurrection and I was very excited to see how Landy carried on the story.
And after reading Midnight I’m mad excited to see where this is heading! It easily feels like it could be another ten books, which I am not bothered about in the slightest, and the way Landy sets up scenarios that mightn’t come to fruition until the very last book is very exciting and amazing. I have so many questions that’ll no doubt be answered in the books to come.
This book was impeccably paced. And for some reason felt more like a Skulduggery book than Resurrection? I feel like I enjoyed it more but it’s still a 5 star scenario so I suppose it doesn’t matter!
Again, I urge everyone to pick this series up! It rivals Harry Potter for sure - I’d say I prefer this series to Harry Potter and that’s a bold statement to confess
October 3, 2018
I absolutely loved this book!!!!
SOMETHING SAPPHIC IS COMING I CAN TELL
As usual it was action packed, just as witty and sarcastic and it had so much narration in it.
Valkyrie is all grown up and I’m loving it.
THINGS HAVE BEEN LEFT ON A CHLIFFHANGER
IM NOT READY
Alice is now 7 and gets kidnapped (no spoiler) and Valkyrie with all her regret from the last books have to rescue her
People are injured and hurt and potentially die
Love it and embrace it
SOMETHING SAPPHIC IS COMING I CAN TELL
As usual it was action packed, just as witty and sarcastic and it had so much narration in it.
Valkyrie is all grown up and I’m loving it.
THINGS HAVE BEEN LEFT ON A CHLIFFHANGER
IM NOT READY
Alice is now 7 and gets kidnapped (no spoiler) and Valkyrie with all her regret from the last books have to rescue her
People are injured and hurt and potentially die
Love it and embrace it
November 18, 2018
Ich bin ja ein großer Fan der Reihe und ich hab mich sehr gefreut, dass es nach dem eigentlich Abschluss von Band 9 doch noch weitergeht. Mitternacht ist der elfte Teil und Walküre Unruh, alias Stephenie Edley, ist mittlerweile 25 Jahre alt und hat schon viele gefährliche Abenteuer an der Seite des Skelett Detektivs Skulduggery Pleasant durchgestanden. Abenteuer, die sie mehr gekostet haben, als sie vor sich selbst zugeben möchte.
Ich hab in einer anderen Rezension gelesen, dass es hier brutaler zugeht als in den Vorgängern - diesen Eindruck kann ich nicht bestätigen. Derek Landy hat hier von Band 1 an immer wieder Szenarien geschaffen, bei denen sich die Protagonisten mit vielen Kämpfen und auch grausamen Gegner herumschlagen müssen - im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes - und gerade wenn man all die Vorgänger gelesen hat, sollte man schon darauf vorbereitet sein. Ich würde auch dazu raten, die Bände von Anfang an zu lesen, denn es tauchen doch immer wieder Namen und Ereignisse aus der Vergangenheit auf, die man sonst nicht einordnen kann.
Der Einstieg war wie gewohnt sehr gut und schon die kurze Widmung am Anfang hat mir super gefallen! Die ersten Sätze haben mich dann wieder sofort nach Roarhaven transportiert und die richtige Stimmung verbreitet: temporeich, abenteuerlich und mit viel Wortwitz nimmt das Verhängnis seinen Lauf und grade der Schlagabtausch in den Dialogen ist einfach grandios!
Nach so langer Zeit kennt man Walküre und Skulduggery einfach auch schon sehr gut und wie sie aneinander gewachsen sind gefällt mir unheimlich gut!
Aber auch Omen Darkley, der neue Protagonist der seit "Auferstehung" auch eine große Rolle spielt, ist mir ans Herz gewachsen. Er steht ja schon seit seiner Geburt im Schatten seines Zwillingsbruders Auger. Dieser ist durch eine Prophezeiung auserwählt, die Welt zu retten und damit war auch Omens Schicksal besiegelt. Eine tragische Figur eigentlich, denn er wurde immer im Hintergrund gehalten und von seinen Eltern kaum beachtet und sieht sich dabei selbst auch als zweitklassig an. Sein innerer Kampf dagegen ist leider auch wenig von Erfolg gekrönt und deshalb strebt er auch so sehr nach einem Abenteuer, um auch mal ein wenig ins Rampenlicht zu rücken.
Einen besonders schönen Aspekt finde ich hier, dass Auger selbst überhaupt nicht protzig ist oder sich in seiner Heldenrolle hervortun möchte und Derek Landy stellt hier vor allem in den Vordergrund, dass der Glaube daran, die innere Gewissheit, es schaffen zu können, schon die halbe Miete ist.
Die Handlung an sich ist wieder sehr komplex und vielleicht auch an manchen Stellen etwas konstruiert dieses Mal, aber die Idee war wieder grandios und durchweg spannend. Am Ende war es dann fast etwas zu in die Länge gezogen, war aber stimmig und hat die Spannung immer wieder hoch gepusht.
Schön fand ich auch, dass am Rande die Flüchtlingskrise mit eingearbeitet wurde. Hier hat der Autor mit kleinen Details einen sinnvollen Einblick geschaffen und versucht zu zeigen, welche Auswirkungen entstehen können. Das war, wie gesagt, nicht im Mittelpunkt, hat aber doch für die Thematik sensibilisiert.
Insgesamt auf jeden Fall absolut unterhaltsam, originell und gewohnt scharfzüngig. Die Action hat nicht gefehlt und die makaberen Beilagen haben das ganze abgerundet. Am Ende gabs wieder eine böse Überraschung, die viel Neugier auf den nächsten Band weckt.
Fazit: 4.5 Sterne
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Ich hab in einer anderen Rezension gelesen, dass es hier brutaler zugeht als in den Vorgängern - diesen Eindruck kann ich nicht bestätigen. Derek Landy hat hier von Band 1 an immer wieder Szenarien geschaffen, bei denen sich die Protagonisten mit vielen Kämpfen und auch grausamen Gegner herumschlagen müssen - im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes - und gerade wenn man all die Vorgänger gelesen hat, sollte man schon darauf vorbereitet sein. Ich würde auch dazu raten, die Bände von Anfang an zu lesen, denn es tauchen doch immer wieder Namen und Ereignisse aus der Vergangenheit auf, die man sonst nicht einordnen kann.
Der Einstieg war wie gewohnt sehr gut und schon die kurze Widmung am Anfang hat mir super gefallen! Die ersten Sätze haben mich dann wieder sofort nach Roarhaven transportiert und die richtige Stimmung verbreitet: temporeich, abenteuerlich und mit viel Wortwitz nimmt das Verhängnis seinen Lauf und grade der Schlagabtausch in den Dialogen ist einfach grandios!
Nach so langer Zeit kennt man Walküre und Skulduggery einfach auch schon sehr gut und wie sie aneinander gewachsen sind gefällt mir unheimlich gut!
Aber auch Omen Darkley, der neue Protagonist der seit "Auferstehung" auch eine große Rolle spielt, ist mir ans Herz gewachsen. Er steht ja schon seit seiner Geburt im Schatten seines Zwillingsbruders Auger. Dieser ist durch eine Prophezeiung auserwählt, die Welt zu retten und damit war auch Omens Schicksal besiegelt. Eine tragische Figur eigentlich, denn er wurde immer im Hintergrund gehalten und von seinen Eltern kaum beachtet und sieht sich dabei selbst auch als zweitklassig an. Sein innerer Kampf dagegen ist leider auch wenig von Erfolg gekrönt und deshalb strebt er auch so sehr nach einem Abenteuer, um auch mal ein wenig ins Rampenlicht zu rücken.
Einen besonders schönen Aspekt finde ich hier, dass Auger selbst überhaupt nicht protzig ist oder sich in seiner Heldenrolle hervortun möchte und Derek Landy stellt hier vor allem in den Vordergrund, dass der Glaube daran, die innere Gewissheit, es schaffen zu können, schon die halbe Miete ist.
Die Handlung an sich ist wieder sehr komplex und vielleicht auch an manchen Stellen etwas konstruiert dieses Mal, aber die Idee war wieder grandios und durchweg spannend. Am Ende war es dann fast etwas zu in die Länge gezogen, war aber stimmig und hat die Spannung immer wieder hoch gepusht.
Schön fand ich auch, dass am Rande die Flüchtlingskrise mit eingearbeitet wurde. Hier hat der Autor mit kleinen Details einen sinnvollen Einblick geschaffen und versucht zu zeigen, welche Auswirkungen entstehen können. Das war, wie gesagt, nicht im Mittelpunkt, hat aber doch für die Thematik sensibilisiert.
Insgesamt auf jeden Fall absolut unterhaltsam, originell und gewohnt scharfzüngig. Die Action hat nicht gefehlt und die makaberen Beilagen haben das ganze abgerundet. Am Ende gabs wieder eine böse Überraschung, die viel Neugier auf den nächsten Band weckt.
Fazit: 4.5 Sterne
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
January 2, 2019
Не разбирам защо Дерек продължава да се гаври така безсрамно с паметта на Скълдъгъри и компания! То направо капе от страниците това, дето го е изсмуквал до кръв от пръстите си. Нито новите злодеи, нито новите нескопосани приятели на двамата детективи, нито дори новите заплахи за света не могат да възродят това, което поредицата беше с оригиналните си девет тома. Саркастичните диалози и абсурдните ситуации, в които изпадат персонажите, са крехките бели конци, които поддържат живота в тези нови истории, но наистина не виждам какво ново може да заплете Ланди, та да оправдае загубата ми на време и пари по продълженията за Скълдъгъри и Валкирия. Чета единствено от солидарност към поредицата. Но няма да й давам фалшиви оценки по същата причина.
February 6, 2020
So wow, that was an awesome book with a blow-out ending. Lots of twists and turns in this book. I think Derek Landy is one of my favorite authors, and there is no doubt in my mind that this is my favorite series of all time, truly. If I could read nothing else but these books, I would be perfectly fine with that. I've been meaning to re-read this series again soon, but then this release snuck up on me and I couldn't wait to read through ten bloody books before starting this one, even if I do go through Skulduggery books like there's no tomorrow.
I don't really know what else to say. What can I saw on book 11 that won't spoil something for a new potential reader to this series? All I have to say really is this was another fantastic book in a fantastic series by a fantastic writer.
End of story.
Pre-read review:
I preordered this as soon as I saw it up on BookDepository!!!! I am super excited for this to come out, I can't wait. This is one of my favorite series (my Harry Potter), and I'm glad Derek Landy is still writing great books in this world (that is shade, just fyi).
I don't really know what else to say. What can I saw on book 11 that won't spoil something for a new potential reader to this series? All I have to say really is this was another fantastic book in a fantastic series by a fantastic writer.
End of story.
Pre-read review:
I preordered this as soon as I saw it up on BookDepository!!!! I am super excited for this to come out, I can't wait. This is one of my favorite series (my Harry Potter), and I'm glad Derek Landy is still writing great books in this world (that is shade, just fyi).
June 1, 2018
Got really excited when this arrived, as it was a signed release copy from Waterstones. I usually either struggle through a book or if I like it I zoom through it in one sitting. This was definitely a one-sitting book!
I love the characters and although its a series with many books already, you don't get lost in 'wait who was that, what happened back then, why'. The writing is clear in style and the exchanges between the characters, especially Valkyrie and Skulduggery is genius. I'm guessing it might be a somewhat unpopular view, but I do quite like the idea of them being a couple one day (romance geek, yes I know!)
But Omen has to be my favourite. You can't help liking him despite his habit of assuming he's extremely useless. I'm trying to be vague so as not to give any spoilers, but I can't mention much else without doing that, so I'll just say the character development of the evil guys especially, how they twist and entwine around each other and all the different factions makes it a really gripping read.
I forgot where I was for most of it, feverishly needing to find out what happened next. Can't wait for the next book!
I love the characters and although its a series with many books already, you don't get lost in 'wait who was that, what happened back then, why'. The writing is clear in style and the exchanges between the characters, especially Valkyrie and Skulduggery is genius. I'm guessing it might be a somewhat unpopular view, but I do quite like the idea of them being a couple one day (romance geek, yes I know!)
But Omen has to be my favourite. You can't help liking him despite his habit of assuming he's extremely useless. I'm trying to be vague so as not to give any spoilers, but I can't mention much else without doing that, so I'll just say the character development of the evil guys especially, how they twist and entwine around each other and all the different factions makes it a really gripping read.
I forgot where I was for most of it, feverishly needing to find out what happened next. Can't wait for the next book!
September 9, 2019
Когато някой не се дава лесно за него казват, че е костелив орех. А в случая със Скълдъгъри Плезънт костеливата част трябва да се приема напълно буквално! Любимият героичен скелет отново ще се опълчи срещу злото. Когато книгите в една поредица станат двуцифрено число обикновено и очакванията към автора са двойни. Как ли се е справил Дерек Ланди с 11-тата книга за Скълдъгъри Плезънт? Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
November 19, 2021
Als Hörbuch beendet - große Liebe ♥️
(REREAD)
- zählt zur Challenge, zwar nicht gelesen, trotzdem beendet.
(REREAD)
- zählt zur Challenge, zwar nicht gelesen, trotzdem beendet.
June 25, 2019
3-3.5, I think.
RTC at some point.
RTC at some point.
June 10, 2019
"(...)¿Hacia dónde irá el siguiente libro? Es difícil saberlo, porque el final de Medianoche es fantástico, aunque deja con muchas preguntas a las que se necesitan respuesta inmediatamente. El autor ha conseguido expandir su universo a algo mucho más grande que Irlanda, con atisbos de guerras paralelas cociéndose, una conspiración global y muchos personajes a lo largo del planeta que se enzarzan en una cuestión u otra.
Cien años de mitologia propia de la saga están siendo llevados poco a poco al presente, más aún que lo que se hizo en la Fase 1, y la saga se está volviendo mayor, más loca e impredecible, todo en el buen sentido.
No puedo esperar a la siguiente entrega."
Reseña completa en THE BEST READ YET BLOG
Cien años de mitologia propia de la saga están siendo llevados poco a poco al presente, más aún que lo que se hizo en la Fase 1, y la saga se está volviendo mayor, más loca e impredecible, todo en el buen sentido.
No puedo esperar a la siguiente entrega."
Reseña completa en THE BEST READ YET BLOG
January 13, 2022
I can't tell if I like this more to less than Resurrection. For most of it, I thought I was enjoying it more, the jovial tone was back and I was really interested in what was happening and all the splintering plotlines. But I think the climax dragged a little for me. Maybe because it was a solid chunk of the book that had literal back to back events, all in the same place, all seemingly leading us nowhere? Other than that it was pretty solid, and as always I'm very excited to continue on.
January 20, 2019
Derek Landy enttäuscht mich einfach nie :)
June 8, 2018
My full spoiler-free review of Midnight is out now on my Youtube Channel!
I vlogged some of my reactions to reading this book, so check out my first ever reading vlog to see some of my initial thoughts!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duOI2...
Written review coming soon!
I vlogged some of my reactions to reading this book, so check out my first ever reading vlog to see some of my initial thoughts!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duOI2...
Written review coming soon!
September 17, 2018
Brilliant, as always!
September 26, 2022
The dynamic duo of Skullduggery and Valkyrie are on the hunt for Abyssinia, but when Valkyrie’s sister gets kidnapped, she only has a matter of hours to save her. The race and the hunt is on and only Omen Darkly can help her, if that’s any help?
A bit of a different Skullduggery story but a good one. Valkyrie may have lost her magic powers but she’s still a fierce and dangerous person, especially when riled. Omen is an interesting addition to the gang and Alice, Valkyrie’s sister gets further development and it’ll be interesting to see where her story goes.
A bit of a different Skullduggery story but a good one. Valkyrie may have lost her magic powers but she’s still a fierce and dangerous person, especially when riled. Omen is an interesting addition to the gang and Alice, Valkyrie’s sister gets further development and it’ll be interesting to see where her story goes.
May 19, 2020
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