The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Joe Scieszka, illustrations by Lane Smith
Viking
Fiction, CH Collection/Fantasy/Humor/Picture Book
****+ (Good/Great)
DESCRIPTION: A Goldilocks thwarted by the exceptionally oversized chairs at the home of the Three Elephants... a peculiar race to determine if the Hare really can grow hair faster than the Tortoise can run... a giant who insists on adding his own story to a fairy tale collection... a mischievous little man made entirely of stinky cheese... What, these aren't the stories you're used to? Correct - they're not fairy tales. They're fairly stupid tales, brought to you by your narrator, Jack.
REVIEW: This award-winning book still gets decent library circulation, so it was there when we hit a lull at work. Just as the title promises, every story in this collection is stupid and more than a little sarcastic and silly. The fourth wall is gleefully shattered by Jack, a narrator who often has trouble keeping the characters in line, while the little red hen (who canonically made a loaf of bread without assistance despite repeated requests for aid with planting the wheat, milling the flour, and baking the loaf) insists on trying to squeeze her story into whatever blank spaces she can find... even if they're before the title page or on the back cover. The tales are all short enough not to overstay their welcome, as is the book itself. It made this grown-up chuckle more than once.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Chloe and the Lion (Mac Barnett) - My Review
The Boy Who Cried Ninja (Alex Latimer) - My Review
The Paper Bag Princess (Robert N. Munsch) - My Review
Friday, April 26, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Mislaid in Parts Half-Unknown (Seanan McGuire)
Mislaid in Parts Half-Unknown
The Wayward Children series, Book 1
Seanan McGuire
Tordotcom
Fiction, YA? Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Once upon a time, a child found a doorway to another world... Thus begins the tale of every kid and teen at Eleanor West's special boarding school for former door-travelers, those who were whisked away to another world only to be returned, irrevocably changed, to an Earth that was no longer home. But Antsy didn't just find one door to one world. She found a door to a nexus, a gathering place of lost items, and the vast Shop Where the Lost Things Go... and at the nexus she found more doors to more worlds. Only the shopkeepers didn't tell her that each door she opened cost her in time, until she was a nine-year-old mind in a sixteen-year-old body - and even at Eleanor West's school, among the peculiar students, she can't find a way to fit in, not when she doesn't fit within herself, too physically old to be with the children and too mentally young to connect with the teenagers. When a bully discovers her talent for finding misplaced and lost things - including doorways to other worlds - Antsy feels trapped, until a group of other students helps her flee before being forced to find a door she very much does not wish to find. Unfortunately, their flight necessitates traveling through yet more doors, to yet more worlds... and, in the nature of other worlds, each challenges and tests the wayward children, changing them and their fates - possibly forever...
REVIEW: I've been enjoying McGuire's Wayward Children series for a while, and still find them quite imaginative and poignant, yet part of me is starting to wonder if the series is running a slight bit long, as there's a certain whiff of familiarity in the stories that unfold.
As with the other odd-numbered entries, this one continues the here-and-now arc of Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children and the core group of questing friends who haven't broken the habit of heroism developed in other worlds. After the events at the competing, abusive Whitethorn school, new students fill the halls, often traumatized by the experience and sometimes struggling to fit in. Eleanor West herself seems to be showing her age, too, as her assessments of where to place these new students no longer makes for the best possible matches; her background in a Nonsense world seems to be coloring her judgement, and perhaps she's finally reaching the age and state of mental decline that will let her return to her beloved realm beyond the patient door in the woods. As a result, students like Antsy find themselves at a disadvantage, lacking the peer support they need to process their experiences and bond with new friends. It doesn't help that Antsy retains her knack for finding lost things when they need finding, or that the skill has grown in her time away from the Shop. Thus, she doesn't know whom she can turn to or trust when word of her special ability - including the ability to find lost doors that might lead a desperate child back to worlds that have become their true homes - reaches the wrong ears... but Cora (once a mermaid of the Trenches), Kade (formerly a champion of fairy realm of Prism), Christopher (who fell in love with the Skeleton Girl), and Sumi (who died and was resurrected by the sugary Nonsense realm of Confection) - along with former Whitethorn student Emily (who still dreams of dancing again by the endless bonfires in the world of Harvest) are of course ever-watchful and ever-ready to step in where they're needed. Once more, the core group is off on another world-hopping jaunt, and though the worlds and trials are different, it starts feeling a bit similar to previous Wayward Children installments. Along the way, they each must rethink the purpose (if there is any) to the doors, and what they really mean by the ubiquitous warning to would-be travelers to "Be Sure" before stepping through. By now, the notion of going "home" to worlds beyond Earth is less unthinkable than it was earlier in the series - indeed, despite Eleanor West's early assertions to the contrary, there seem to be quite a few students who manage to find their way through doors again, if not back to the worlds they visited before than to new ones - but "homecoming" still something that must be understood and earned, and satisfaction is no more guaranteed than it is on Earth. For her part, Antsy must finally confront the adults whose lies hurt her and cost her so dearly, but the other characters have their own reconciliations and revelations to deal with.
As I mentioned at the start, there starts to be a hint of familiarity about the story, beyond the marvelous new sights and wonders and dangers and revelations. I'm starting to wonder just how long the series is intended to run. The prequel even-number books are becoming the strongest entries, untethered by the here-and-now arc that could use a little more momentum and direction. Beyond that, it's another enjoyable entry in a very enjoyable series.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Coraline (Neil Gaiman) - My Review
Every Heart a Doorway (Seanan McGuire) - My Review
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Catherynne M. Valente) - My Review
The Wayward Children series, Book 1
Seanan McGuire
Tordotcom
Fiction, YA? Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Once upon a time, a child found a doorway to another world... Thus begins the tale of every kid and teen at Eleanor West's special boarding school for former door-travelers, those who were whisked away to another world only to be returned, irrevocably changed, to an Earth that was no longer home. But Antsy didn't just find one door to one world. She found a door to a nexus, a gathering place of lost items, and the vast Shop Where the Lost Things Go... and at the nexus she found more doors to more worlds. Only the shopkeepers didn't tell her that each door she opened cost her in time, until she was a nine-year-old mind in a sixteen-year-old body - and even at Eleanor West's school, among the peculiar students, she can't find a way to fit in, not when she doesn't fit within herself, too physically old to be with the children and too mentally young to connect with the teenagers. When a bully discovers her talent for finding misplaced and lost things - including doorways to other worlds - Antsy feels trapped, until a group of other students helps her flee before being forced to find a door she very much does not wish to find. Unfortunately, their flight necessitates traveling through yet more doors, to yet more worlds... and, in the nature of other worlds, each challenges and tests the wayward children, changing them and their fates - possibly forever...
REVIEW: I've been enjoying McGuire's Wayward Children series for a while, and still find them quite imaginative and poignant, yet part of me is starting to wonder if the series is running a slight bit long, as there's a certain whiff of familiarity in the stories that unfold.
As with the other odd-numbered entries, this one continues the here-and-now arc of Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children and the core group of questing friends who haven't broken the habit of heroism developed in other worlds. After the events at the competing, abusive Whitethorn school, new students fill the halls, often traumatized by the experience and sometimes struggling to fit in. Eleanor West herself seems to be showing her age, too, as her assessments of where to place these new students no longer makes for the best possible matches; her background in a Nonsense world seems to be coloring her judgement, and perhaps she's finally reaching the age and state of mental decline that will let her return to her beloved realm beyond the patient door in the woods. As a result, students like Antsy find themselves at a disadvantage, lacking the peer support they need to process their experiences and bond with new friends. It doesn't help that Antsy retains her knack for finding lost things when they need finding, or that the skill has grown in her time away from the Shop. Thus, she doesn't know whom she can turn to or trust when word of her special ability - including the ability to find lost doors that might lead a desperate child back to worlds that have become their true homes - reaches the wrong ears... but Cora (once a mermaid of the Trenches), Kade (formerly a champion of fairy realm of Prism), Christopher (who fell in love with the Skeleton Girl), and Sumi (who died and was resurrected by the sugary Nonsense realm of Confection) - along with former Whitethorn student Emily (who still dreams of dancing again by the endless bonfires in the world of Harvest) are of course ever-watchful and ever-ready to step in where they're needed. Once more, the core group is off on another world-hopping jaunt, and though the worlds and trials are different, it starts feeling a bit similar to previous Wayward Children installments. Along the way, they each must rethink the purpose (if there is any) to the doors, and what they really mean by the ubiquitous warning to would-be travelers to "Be Sure" before stepping through. By now, the notion of going "home" to worlds beyond Earth is less unthinkable than it was earlier in the series - indeed, despite Eleanor West's early assertions to the contrary, there seem to be quite a few students who manage to find their way through doors again, if not back to the worlds they visited before than to new ones - but "homecoming" still something that must be understood and earned, and satisfaction is no more guaranteed than it is on Earth. For her part, Antsy must finally confront the adults whose lies hurt her and cost her so dearly, but the other characters have their own reconciliations and revelations to deal with.
As I mentioned at the start, there starts to be a hint of familiarity about the story, beyond the marvelous new sights and wonders and dangers and revelations. I'm starting to wonder just how long the series is intended to run. The prequel even-number books are becoming the strongest entries, untethered by the here-and-now arc that could use a little more momentum and direction. Beyond that, it's another enjoyable entry in a very enjoyable series.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Coraline (Neil Gaiman) - My Review
Every Heart a Doorway (Seanan McGuire) - My Review
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Catherynne M. Valente) - My Review
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Titanium Noir (Nick Harkaway)
Titanium Noir
Nick Harkaway
Knopf
Fiction, Mystery/Sci-Fi/Thriller
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Cal Sounder is a private detective specializing in incidents involving the Titans: medically-enhanced elites who can potentially live forever. They are the richest of the rich, the most powerful of the powerful, literally larger than life thanks to the growth effects of the drugs involved, and their crimes are as outsized as their lifestyles... so when one of them turns up dead under very suspicious circumstances, the case could blow the roof off the city.
Roddy Tebbit was atypical even for a Titan, a modest techie working as a professor and pursuing private research into lake algae. Who would want an inoffensive milquetoast of a man like that dead? The more Cal investigates, the more doesn't make sense, leading him down a long and twisted path into deadly secrets long buried by the most powerful Titan on the planet.
REVIEW: A jaded investigator of gray morality, an untouchable elite, a criminal underworld at least as powerful as the ostensible government... Titanium Noir isn't the first science fiction story to transplant the guts of a noir thriller into a dystopian future, but it does so with confidence and a nice conceit in the Titan treatments and its consequences, creating what is essentially another species with godlike aspirations.
Though an ordinary human, Cal has a unique position in the city as a liaison between the Titans and the normal population: his girlfriend Athena is the daughter of the most powerful Titan in the city (and arguably the world), who wound up turning Titan herself after a horrific accident... a transformation that has inevitably driven a wedge between the pair. To become a Titan is to outgrow one's old self (literally; each life-extending, rejuvenating dose causes fresh growth, so they physically tower over the populace and even their voices can cause physical harm), and many become increasingly divorced from their humanity and from the consequences of their own actions. Even as Cal resents the Titans who essentially rule in the way oligarchs do - not with official titles or offices but through money and power and holding the keys to fame, fortune, and immortality - he has fallen into the role as their defender and protector on some level. This is a fence he will not be able to straddle indefinitely; Athena beckons from the Titan side, while his vestigial conscious and outsized awareness of how inhuman they become, how even love seems to fade among them after a few decades or pesky human lifetimes, pull him toward humanity. The case of Roddy's murder plunges Cal deeper into Titan secrets and deceptions than even he could imagine, making him few new friends and many new enemies. In noir fashion, Cal finds corruption behind nearly every doorway in a case that inevitably zigs just when he anticipates a zag. Around him, the future city he inhabits is revealed, a world with some progress but also mired in the past, in no small part due to the essential-immortals pulling civilization's strings; if they can't change, why should the world?
It lost a half-star for an ending that felt a bit rushed (and a conclusion that left a slight aftertaste I didn't quite like... one that I'm sure was intentional, but it being intentional didn't keep me from not quite enjoying it). Overall, though, it's a decent blend of genres with an interesting examination of how immortality and elitism create a subspecies almost literally divorced from the main body of the human race.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Kiln People (David Brin) - My Review
The Body Scout (Lincoln Michel) - My Review
Altered Carbon (Richard K. Morgan) - My Review
Nick Harkaway
Knopf
Fiction, Mystery/Sci-Fi/Thriller
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Cal Sounder is a private detective specializing in incidents involving the Titans: medically-enhanced elites who can potentially live forever. They are the richest of the rich, the most powerful of the powerful, literally larger than life thanks to the growth effects of the drugs involved, and their crimes are as outsized as their lifestyles... so when one of them turns up dead under very suspicious circumstances, the case could blow the roof off the city.
Roddy Tebbit was atypical even for a Titan, a modest techie working as a professor and pursuing private research into lake algae. Who would want an inoffensive milquetoast of a man like that dead? The more Cal investigates, the more doesn't make sense, leading him down a long and twisted path into deadly secrets long buried by the most powerful Titan on the planet.
REVIEW: A jaded investigator of gray morality, an untouchable elite, a criminal underworld at least as powerful as the ostensible government... Titanium Noir isn't the first science fiction story to transplant the guts of a noir thriller into a dystopian future, but it does so with confidence and a nice conceit in the Titan treatments and its consequences, creating what is essentially another species with godlike aspirations.
Though an ordinary human, Cal has a unique position in the city as a liaison between the Titans and the normal population: his girlfriend Athena is the daughter of the most powerful Titan in the city (and arguably the world), who wound up turning Titan herself after a horrific accident... a transformation that has inevitably driven a wedge between the pair. To become a Titan is to outgrow one's old self (literally; each life-extending, rejuvenating dose causes fresh growth, so they physically tower over the populace and even their voices can cause physical harm), and many become increasingly divorced from their humanity and from the consequences of their own actions. Even as Cal resents the Titans who essentially rule in the way oligarchs do - not with official titles or offices but through money and power and holding the keys to fame, fortune, and immortality - he has fallen into the role as their defender and protector on some level. This is a fence he will not be able to straddle indefinitely; Athena beckons from the Titan side, while his vestigial conscious and outsized awareness of how inhuman they become, how even love seems to fade among them after a few decades or pesky human lifetimes, pull him toward humanity. The case of Roddy's murder plunges Cal deeper into Titan secrets and deceptions than even he could imagine, making him few new friends and many new enemies. In noir fashion, Cal finds corruption behind nearly every doorway in a case that inevitably zigs just when he anticipates a zag. Around him, the future city he inhabits is revealed, a world with some progress but also mired in the past, in no small part due to the essential-immortals pulling civilization's strings; if they can't change, why should the world?
It lost a half-star for an ending that felt a bit rushed (and a conclusion that left a slight aftertaste I didn't quite like... one that I'm sure was intentional, but it being intentional didn't keep me from not quite enjoying it). Overall, though, it's a decent blend of genres with an interesting examination of how immortality and elitism create a subspecies almost literally divorced from the main body of the human race.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Kiln People (David Brin) - My Review
The Body Scout (Lincoln Michel) - My Review
Altered Carbon (Richard K. Morgan) - My Review
Friday, April 19, 2024
The Lost Tomb (Douglas Preston)
The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burial, and Murder
Douglas Preston
Grand Central Publishing
Nonfiction, Archaeology/True Crime/History/Sociology/True Stories
****+ (Good/Great)
DESCRIPTION: A string of grisly murders in Florence, Italy and an investigation hijacked by politics and personal agendas... An ancient Egyptian tomb of unrivaled size and scope unearthed after long being dismissed as insignificant... One of the longest-running and most expensive treasure hunts in history on a small Canadian island... The possible evolutionary roots of online vitriol run amok... These and more stories, drawn from the articles and research of author and journalist Douglas Preston, are gathered in this volume.
REVIEW: One of the great things about books is the ability to vicariously experience a bigger, bolder, wider life that is remotely possible for an unremarkable, broke lardlump like myself. Here, Douglas Preston republishes (with updates and annotations) articles from his long history of journalism and related research on all manner of topics, proving yet again that if reality may not always be stranger than fiction, it can sure give fiction a run for its money. He manages to bring the subjects, the people, the controversies, and more to life in his words, and generally writes complete enough articles that one isn't unduly frustrated by omissions or obvious blind spots (as in some article-based books I've read). The updates are also fairly up to date, as the book was published in December 2023 and I'm reviewing this audiobook in April 2024. From the amateur paleontologist who discovered a once-in-a-lifetime window into the day that ended the dinosaurs to investigations into why so many online communities seem to build themselves around hate and punishment of the perceived Other, from the Oak Island "money pit" to the deserts of the American Southwest and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Preston's tales take the reader around the world and across time to encounter all manner of mysteries, controversies, and colorful characters. It made for an enjoyable read (or listen, this being another audiobook selection), and a reminder of how very small and pointless my own particular existence has been, is, and doubtless will continue to be until it ceases.
You Might Also Enjoy:
The Last Days of the Dinosaurs (Riley Black) - My Review
Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws (Adrienne Mayor) - My Review
The Lost City of the Monkey God (Douglas Preston) - My Review
Douglas Preston
Grand Central Publishing
Nonfiction, Archaeology/True Crime/History/Sociology/True Stories
****+ (Good/Great)
DESCRIPTION: A string of grisly murders in Florence, Italy and an investigation hijacked by politics and personal agendas... An ancient Egyptian tomb of unrivaled size and scope unearthed after long being dismissed as insignificant... One of the longest-running and most expensive treasure hunts in history on a small Canadian island... The possible evolutionary roots of online vitriol run amok... These and more stories, drawn from the articles and research of author and journalist Douglas Preston, are gathered in this volume.
REVIEW: One of the great things about books is the ability to vicariously experience a bigger, bolder, wider life that is remotely possible for an unremarkable, broke lardlump like myself. Here, Douglas Preston republishes (with updates and annotations) articles from his long history of journalism and related research on all manner of topics, proving yet again that if reality may not always be stranger than fiction, it can sure give fiction a run for its money. He manages to bring the subjects, the people, the controversies, and more to life in his words, and generally writes complete enough articles that one isn't unduly frustrated by omissions or obvious blind spots (as in some article-based books I've read). The updates are also fairly up to date, as the book was published in December 2023 and I'm reviewing this audiobook in April 2024. From the amateur paleontologist who discovered a once-in-a-lifetime window into the day that ended the dinosaurs to investigations into why so many online communities seem to build themselves around hate and punishment of the perceived Other, from the Oak Island "money pit" to the deserts of the American Southwest and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Preston's tales take the reader around the world and across time to encounter all manner of mysteries, controversies, and colorful characters. It made for an enjoyable read (or listen, this being another audiobook selection), and a reminder of how very small and pointless my own particular existence has been, is, and doubtless will continue to be until it ceases.
You Might Also Enjoy:
The Last Days of the Dinosaurs (Riley Black) - My Review
Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws (Adrienne Mayor) - My Review
The Lost City of the Monkey God (Douglas Preston) - My Review
Friday, April 12, 2024
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
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
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