Author | Derek Landy |
---|---|
Cover artist | Tom Percival |
Country | Ireland |
Language | English |
Series | Skulduggery Pleasant |
Genre | Children's novel, Fantasy novel, detective novel, comedy novel, adventure novel |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 1 April 2008 |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | 351 pp (first edition, hardback) |
ISBN | 0-00-72570-58 (first edition, hardback) |
OCLC | 877986693 |
Preceded by | Skulduggery Pleasant (2007) |
Followed by | The Faceless Ones (2009) |
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire is a young adult and fantasy novel written by Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in April 2008. It is the second of the Skulduggery Pleasant series and sequel to the novel of the same name.
The story follows sorcerer-detectives Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant and their magic-wielding allies as they try to prevent Baron Vengeous and his forces from resurrecting the Grotesquery and returning the Faceless Ones to the world. The book did not see release in the US and Canada until 2018. [1] HarperCollins Audio also publishes the unabridged CD sets of the books read by Rupert Degas.
In 2009, it won the award of Senior Irish Children's Book of the Year.
One year after the events of the previous novel, Valkyrie Cain is working with Skulduggery Pleasant to capture villains on the behalf of the Sanctuary.
When Baron Vengeous is broken out of prison by another villain, Billy-Ray Sanguine, he begins searching for the armour of Lord Vile. The armour will help him resurrect the Grotesquery, a monster with the power to bring back the evil gods known as the Faceless Ones.
Valkyrie and Skulduggery ask an informant about the location of the Grotesquery, who says he will only help them if Skulduggery kills Valkyrie. Skulduggery tricks him by shooting an illusion of her instead. The pair go to the Grotesquery's hiding place and find that The Baron has already taken it.
Valkyrie is kidnapped and taken to a church to the Faceless Ones, where The Baron attempts uses her blood and the power of Lord Vile's armour to revive the Grotesquery. Skulduggery rescues Valkyrie and steals the Grotesquery, which he hands over to the Sanctuary's scientists. However, the Grotesquery has already begun to revive, and escapes after a fight with Skulduggery, Valkyrie, and Tanith Low.
Skulduggery suspects The Baron is a pawn in someone else's plan, and accuses the Sanctuary's Grand Mage, who expels Skulduggery from the Sanctuary. At a family reunion, Valkyrie is attacked by a vampire working for The Baron, but she escapes.
Skulduggery, Valkyrie, and Tanith battle and defeat The Baron and the Grotesquery. Before dying, the monster screams to summon the Faceless Ones.
Later, Sanguine meets with his secret master, who is happy that the Faceless Ones have been summoned and is preparing to unleash them upon the world. The story ends with Valkyrie and Skulduggery wondering about the true identity of The Baron and Sanguine's master.
A war criminal and one Skulduggery's old enemies, determined to bring the Faceless Ones back into the world.
The eyeless, straight razor-wielding Sanguine breaks The Baron out of prison using his digging abilities.
The Grotesquery is a monster made of the remains of a Faceless One and is capable of opening a portal for the Faceless Ones to return. It was revived using Lord Vile's armour and Valkyrie Cain's blood.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire has opened to largely positive reviews by critics.
The continuing adventures of the skeleton detective and his sidekick are as full of action and terrible one liners as ever. There's a line of wry humour in these books which raise them way above the average bar. [2]
In 2009, Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire was awarded the title of Irish Senior Children's Book of the Year.
Big Bad Beetleborgs is an American live-action superhero television series by Saban Entertainment and was co-produced with Renaissance-Atlantic Films, Toei Company and Bugboy Productions. Two seasons aired on Fox Kids from September 7, 1996 to March 2, 1998.
A valkyrie is a figure in Norse mythology.
Tanith may refer to:
The Norse mythology, preserved ancient Icelandic texts such as the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and other lays and sagas, was little known outside Scandinavia until the 19th century. With the widespread publication of Norse myths and legends at this time, references to the Norse gods and heroes spread into European literary culture, especially in Scandinavia, Germany, and Britain. In the later 20th century, references to Norse mythology became common in science fiction and fantasy literature, role-playing games, and eventually other cultural products such as Japanese animation. Storytelling was an important aspect of Norse mythology and centuries later, with the rediscovery of the myth, Norse mythology once again relies on the impacts of storytelling to spread its agenda.
Playing with Fire may refer to:
Skulduggery Pleasant is the debut novel of Irish playwright Derek Landy, published on 2 April 2007. It is the first of the Skulduggery Pleasant novels. The novel crosses the horror, comedy, mystery, and fantasy genres.
Derek Landy is an Irish author and screenwriter, best known for the Skulduggery Pleasant and Demon Road book series. Since 2018, he has also written numerous comic book series at Marvel Comics.
Diablo is an action role-playing dungeon crawler video game series developed by Blizzard North and continued by Blizzard Entertainment after the North studio shut down in 2005. The series is made up of four core games: Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo III, and Diablo IV. Expansions include the third-party published Hellfire, which follows the first game; Lord of Destruction, published by Blizzard and released after the second game; and Reaper of Souls, which follows the third game. Additional content is provided through story elements explored in other types of media forms.
Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones is young adult and fantasy novel written by Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in April 2009. It is the third of the Skulduggery Pleasant series and sequel to Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire.
Skulduggery Pleasant is a series of dark fantasy novels written by Irish author Derek Landy. Tom Percival is the series' illustrator. The books revolve around the adventures of fledgling detective Valkyrie Cain and her mentor Skulduggery Pleasant, along with other friends and allies. The central story concerns Valkyrie's struggle to stop evil forces threatening the world and her internal struggle to resist the darkness within.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days is a young adult and fantasy novel written by Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in April 2010. It is the fourth of the Skulduggery Pleasant series and sequel to The Faceless Ones.
Bedlam may refer to:
Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil is a young adult fantasy novel written by Irish playwright Derek Landy and published in September 2010. It is the fifth of the Skulduggery Pleasant series and the sequel to Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days, marking the first time two novels in the series had been released in one year.
Deathbringer or Death Bringer may refer to:
Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer is a young adult fantasy novel written by Irish playwright Derek Landy and published in September 2011. It is the sixth of the Skulduggery Pleasant series and sequel to Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom of the Wicked is young adult and fantasy novel written by Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in July 2012. It is the seventh of the Skulduggery Pleasant series and sequel to Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer. The story follows sorcerer-detectives Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant as they investigate a group of people who have suddenly developed magic powers.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Last Stand of Dead Men is a young adult and fantasy novel written by Derek Landy published in August 2013. It is the eighth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series and the sequel to Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom of the Wicked.
Skulduggery Pleasant: The Dying of the Light is young adult and fantasy novel written by Irish author Derek Landy, published in August 2014. It is the ninth and final of the first Skulduggery Pleasant series and follows to Skulduggery Pleasant: Last Stand of Dead Men.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection is a 2017 young adult fantasy novel by Derek Landy. It is the first book in the Skulduggery Pleasant sequel series, and tenth book in the franchise overall. In October 2019, at Easons' Department 51 at Liberty Hall, Dublin in a Q&A following an interview alongside Eoin Colfer, Landy confirmed the original title of Resurrection and the sequel series as a whole as Valkyrie Cain, after both series' main protagonist.
Aoife Cusack is an Irish professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Lyra Valkyria. She is a former one-time NXT Women's Champion.