Whewww I am getting burned out on writing reviews this month, thankfully I’m almost caught up!
As a “fun for all ages” middle grade read I like the Skulduggery Pleasant series quite a bit. Playing With Fire is a fast paced, snarky sequel that I jumped into right after finishing the first book.
Let’s get into it!
Bookish Quick Facts:
- Title: Playing With Fire
- Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #2
- Author: Derek Landy
- Publisher & Release: HarperCollins, May 2008
- Length: 400 pages
- Rate & Recommend: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for fans of the first book! *Not a standalone*
Here’s the synopsis from GoodReads:
Skulduggery and Valkyrie are facing a new enemy: Baron Vengeous, who is determined to bring back the terrifying Faceless Ones and is crafting an army of evil to help him. Added to that, Vengeous is about to enlist a new ally (if he can raise it from the dead): the horrible Grotesquery, a very unlikable monster of legend.
Once Vengeous is on the loose, dead bodies and vampires start showing up all over Ireland. Now pretty much everybody is out to kill Valkyrie, and the daring detective duo faces its biggest challenge yet.
But what if the greatest threat to Valkyrie is just a little closer to home?
I have to admit the book became a bit repetitive after reading the first two back to back. The audio was once again entertaining – and Rupert Degas said hi on Instagram so that was cool – but again, the music is also getting slightly less fun after hearing it so many times in short succession.
I want to keep reading but I’m going to space the next book or two out a bit.
Not to say it’s bad though. Playing With Fire had more one liners and banter and wit, plus we got a little more motivation from the individual “good guy” characters. I liked seeing a little more of what keeps Skulduggery going, and how Valkyrie is regretting her time spent away from home too.
There were quite a few bad guys and henchmen in this one. I couldn’t keep their names, abilities, affiliations straight, and that’s totally on me. It didn’t detract too much and I loved the Billy Ray jokes.
The evil also felt a lot more cartoonish in this one, even for a middle-grade series. I did like the continuing theme of good vs bad vs gray zone though as the team navigated shifting alliances.
Overall: age appropriate, action packed, funny, and seriously grim at times. I can see these books being fun for all ages. There are a few gory horror elements but a strong middle grader would have no problem with these books.
I stuck with the audio as my Libby only has that available. Rupert Degas continues to delight and I’d definitely recommend that route if it is available.
Lastly, here are a few favorite quotes:
If you don’t see me in five minutes, then I’ve probably died a very brave and heroic death. Oh and don’t touch the radio–I’ve got it tuned right where I want it and I don’t want you messing that up.
‘Only a heathen would bring a gun to a sword fight
‘And only a moron would bring a sword to a gunfight’
Bravery, after all, isn’t the absence of fear. Bravery is the acknowledgement and the conquering of fear
My Reviews of the series so far:
- Skulduggery Pleasant
- Playing With Fire
OneReadingNurse.com 