Playing With Fire (Derek Landy)

Playing With Fire
The Skulduggery Pleasant series, Book 2
Derek Landy
HarperCollins
Fiction, MG Adventure/Fantasy/Horror/Humor/Mystery
****+ (Good/Great)

DESCRIPTION: A year ago, Stephanie Edgely was a normal twelve-year-old Dublin girl. That was before her eccentric horror writer uncle passed away and left her his entire estate... and before Stephanie learned the truth behind his twisted stories of hidden mages and magical creatures skulking in the shadows. It was also before she encountered one of her uncle's strangest friends, the living skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant, and before she discovered her own heritage as a descendant of ancient mages. Now, as Valkyrie Cain, she spends most of her time training with Skulduggery and others in the magical community, leaving a magically-animated mirror reflection to cover for her absence with her family and her school. But if she thought she'd dealt with the worst the magical world had to offer when she took on the sorcerer who murdered her uncle, she thought wrong.
After eighty years in a secret prison, Baron Vengeous has been freed by compatriots on the outside. He was among the most zealous in his devotion to the lost Faceless Ones, the dark godlike entities that once ruled the world, and now that he's free he resumes his efforts to call them back and usher in a new and terrible reign. As Skulduggery scrambles to stop him, facing possible traitors in the Dublin Sanctuary (the governing body of the magical community), Valkyrie finds herself a direct target of the baron and his terrifying mercenaries.

REVIEW: I unexpectedly enjoyed the first book in this series, and am happy to report that the second one maintains the high standards set there. It kicks right into the story, with just a little bit of recapping early on to help jog readers' memories (likely not enough for someone coming into it cold), building on foundations laid before and ratcheting up the stakes. Stephanie/Valkyrie is no neophyte this time around, though she's still quite early into her unconventional apprenticeship. She is also still a minor, and at thirteen years old she finally starts to truly grasp just how dangerous the path she's chosen is, and what she stands to sacrifice by embracing it over a normal childhood; her mirror self fills in her memories of family and school when they swap places, but it's not the same as living it herself, and she's already starting to feel the bonds fraying, like she's the outsider viewing her life through a pane of glass. But it's not like she can turn her back on magic now that she's discovered it, or on the community that already has her marked as a person/threat to watch... especially not when Baron Vengeous and his assistants, the vampire Dusk and the American mercenary Sanguine (who favors a straight razor as a weapon, and can move through solid objects and even the ground itself like so much liquid), take the danger directly to her doorstep.
The first book wasn't exactly bloodless, but this one ramps up the violence and horror vibes, even as touches of humor and witty dialog add needed levity. Skulduggery Pleasant remains a great character, and despite her youth Valkyrie makes an excellent partner for his antics, growing into her role as his assistant/apprentice, though neither of them are flawless or incapable of failure. Several elements are introduced here that foreshadow developments in future volumes (or so I suspect), and while much is wrapped up there are many loose ends that all but demand a sequel or two (at least). This remains a clever, exciting series, full of twists and turns, and I'm already looking forward to the third book.

You Might Also Enjoy:
The Clockwork Fairy Kingdom (Leah R. Cutter) - My Review
Skulduggery Pleasant (Derek Landy) - My Review
Nevermoor (Jessica Townsend) - My Review