Skulduggery Pleasant (novel)
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| Author | Derek Landy |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Tom Percival |
| Country |
 Ireland
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| Language | English |
| Series | Skulduggery Pleasant |
| Genre | Children's novel, Fantasy novel, detective novel, comedy novel, adventure novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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3 April 2007 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 368 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 77012018 |
| Followed by | Playing with Fire (2008) |
Skulduggery Pleasant (also known as Skulduggery Pleasant: Sceptre of the Ancients) is the debut novel of Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in April 2007. It is the first of the Skulduggery Pleasant novels. The novel crosses the horror, comedy, mystery, and fantasy genres.
The story follows the characters Skulduggery Pleasant, an undead sorcerer and detective, with his partner Stephanie Edgley who goes by the name Valkyrie Cain, and numerous magic-wielding allies as they try to prevent Nefarian Serpine from unleashing a weapon of terrible power on the world. The book was retitled Sceptre Of The Ancients for the 2009 paperback release in the US and Canada. HarperCollins Audio also publishes the unabridged CD sets of the books read by Rupert Degas.
It won the coveted Red House Children's Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award in 2007.
Warner Bros. was at one point in talks to create a live action film based on the book.
Stephanie Edgley's novelist uncle, Gordon Edgley, dies. Present at the reading of his will are Stephanie and her parents Desmond and Melissa, Stephanie's none-too-well-liked uncle and aunt Fergus and Beryl, and a strange man in a tan overcoat, hat, frizzy wig, sunglasses, and scarf named Skulduggery Pleasant. Stephanie's aunt and uncle are given an ugly brooch, a boat, and a car, (none of which they want), while Stephanie's parents are left a villa in France. Stephanie herself is left with the entirety of Gordon's remaining estate, including the impressive royalties on his best-selling books, and a mansion filled with his possessions. Skulduggery Pleasant is left with a seemingly useless piece of advice.
After visiting the mansion, Melissa and Stephanie are stranded by car troubles and a heavy rainstorm. Calling a tow-truck, Melissa opts to return while letting Stephanie spend time in her new property. After reading some of her uncle's latest manuscript (to be published posthumously) and fixing herself a snack, Stephanie receives a threatening phone call. The stranger demands she hand over a "key". When she refuses, the man breaks in and tries to attack her. She is saved by the mysterious Mr. Pleasant, who throws a fireball (which is produced from clicking his fingers) at the man. Upon discovering his imperiousness to flames, Pleasant shoots the attacker, forcing him to flee the scene. During the fight, Skulduggery's disguise is knocked off, revealing him to be a real life skeleton held together by magic.
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