Kingdom of the Wicked
Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 7
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4.3 • 7 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The seventh instalment in the biggest, funniest, most thrilling comedy-horror-adventure series in the universe…
Magic is a disease.
Across the land, normal people are suddenly developing wild and unstable powers. Infected by a rare strain of magic, they are unwittingly endangering their own lives and the lives of the people around them. Terrified and confused, their only hope lies with the Sanctuary. Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are need now more than ever.
And then there’s the small matter of Kitana. A normal teenage girl who, along with her normal teenage friends, becomes infected. Becomes powerful. Becomes corrupted. Wielding the magic of gods, they’re set to tear the city apart unless someone stands up against them.
Looks like it’s going to be another one of those days…
Reviews
Praise for Derek Landy:
‘Landy [has the] ability to craft an engaging story from start to finish.’ Inis
‘Derek Landy has been something of a publishing phenomenon.’ Irish Post
Praise for Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom of the Wicked:
‘A real thriller … There are so many teasers that have you on edge, but there are also plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.’ Inis
‘[Landy]'s just got it …His dry sense of humour, largely conveyed via Skulduggery himself, will have you quietly chuckling as you breeze through the pages.’ Mybookcorner.com
‘I don’t know how Derek Landy does it, but each of his Skulduggery Pleasant novels surpasses the one that came before, and Kingdom of the Wicked is no exception. A stunning novel from page 1 to the last word.’ The Founding Fields
Praise for Skulduggery:
'Hugely enjoyable – a thrill-a-minute adventure.' Jonathan Stroud, author of the BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY
'It's exciting, pacy, nicely handled and fun. I sincerely hope Landy revisits these characters.' Philip Ardagh, Guardian
'Skulduggery Pleasant serves up a thoroughly satisfying blend of humour, magic and adventure. Once you've met Stephanie and Skullduggery, you'll be clamouring for a sequel.' Rick Riordan, author of the PERCY JACKSON series
‘Landy's witty style will win him fans of all ages … It's a good job Harry's [Potter] resigning before he's forcibly retired.’ Irish Mail on Sunday
‘A rip-roaring adventure.’ Irish Sunday Independent
About the author
Derek Landy is the author of the internationally bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series. 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 and too many dogs. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stephanie Edgley's uncle, a bestselling novelist, dies and leaves her his fortune. But the money doesn't interest her nearly as much as the odd, overdressed figure who appears at the funeral. He turns out to be the eponymous hero, the skeleton of a man, back from the dead to avenge his family's murder at the "red right hand" of Nefarian Serpine. Turns out, Stephanie has also inherited the family gene for sorcery, and she teams with Skulduggery to defeat the villain. Violent clashes with various cretins ensue. Some supporting characters, such as the magic world's "Elders," blend together, and Serpine's motivation is of the vague "I will rule the world!" variety. But plucky Stephanie and her dapper, urbane mentor make up for this slight lack of definition and clarity. Skulduggery is as caustic and witty as Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus, but a man (er, skeleton) of fewer words. First novelist Landy, a Dublin playwright, excels at dialogue; the repartee between the two leads recalls Hepburn and Tracy in its ongoing, affectionate contest of verbal one-upmanship. (When Stephanie complains about Skulduggery's high-falutin' vocabulary, he retorts, "You should read more," to which she replies, "I read enough. I should get out more.") Landy sets the tale on the Irish coast and reaches into Celtic lore for a cameo from the son of Finn McCool, but there's nothing old-fashioned about the way this story unspools. The book may be hefty but it moves at warp speed. An utterly charming debut, perfect for the Potter crowd. Ages 8-12.
