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shaila_m's review against another edition
3.0
this book was longer than needed, still entertaining with wit and sarcasm, which made me laugh. The story itself wasn't really it for me.
thea98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trv3xkvlt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
angelune's review against another edition
3.0
3,75/5
^^^^ probably my fave quote in any book, ever. i'm seriously considering a tattoo.
okay so, this was kind of hard to get through because of the break i took after the previous book, but i'm also grateful since my rhythm (a book per day) was leading me into a reading slump. i didn't forget any of the characters, which surprised me because there are 4999999 of them and usually i don't even remember the mc's surnames the next day. and i just??? love??? derek landy for writing this series, as ridiculous as some people may find it. it's my all time favorite and i'd sell my soul for it to go on until i'm old and gray and on death's doorstep....
now when it comes to death bringer... it is pretty obvious that the book was intended as a filler and a slow introduction to all the Mess that is going to be present in the ~second part~ of the series. we met darquesse. we met lord vile. both follow the pattern of the antagonists in this series; which is to say that i love them?? they're the Big Bads, ready to mess up valkyrie and skulduggery and,, i'm here for it! give me that angst! feed me @derek.
i was kinda disappointed in valkyrie this time around because of she wasn't ooc and yeah we do dumb stuff when we're 16 and teenagers but like... it put me off whenever those chapters came around. thank god there was only 4 or 5 of them and valkyrie still had her wits (ahem) when it came to the ~romantique~ part. now!! i've been screaming for 4 books for her to stop using her reflection! and i know she won't but ugh valkyrie!! that's honestly the dumbest thing you've been pulling off. the signs are there! i know you're busy being thrown around and almost/or dying but come on!
DARQUESSE. god i love her. i hate her. i'm gonna love hating her when she messes up valkyrie to her core.
she's so badass and so?? powerful and power-hungry and she shows val's true potential and i'm glad that we get to see that.
i did guess the plot twist about lord vile a few books ago, so i wasn't surprised, but still. gotta love those parallels.
ALSO WHEW??? it was the first book in which the sanctuary wasn't?? overthrown??? someone get the champagne??
i'm ready to see how the relationship with china is gonna be resolved, Ready with capital R for the kenny storyline to Die (it causes me major anxiété) and tanith! where is she! i want my vodka aunt back!
on another note i hated melancholia at first and i still do because of but toward the end i really started to enjoy her interactions with val! i know it's not gonna happen but it would've been bomb for derek to make them love interests for a while..... that enemies to frenemies to lovers trope... i can't believe i'm missing out on that one.... ugh.
anyway! moving on to the next one!
(might add more thoughts if they come up later on)
Just listening to you makes me want to top myself, you self-pitying Paranormal Romance reject.
^^^^ probably my fave quote in any book, ever. i'm seriously considering a tattoo.
okay so, this was kind of hard to get through because of the break i took after the previous book, but i'm also grateful since my rhythm (a book per day) was leading me into a reading slump. i didn't forget any of the characters, which surprised me because there are 4999999 of them and usually i don't even remember the mc's surnames the next day. and i just??? love??? derek landy for writing this series, as ridiculous as some people may find it. it's my all time favorite and i'd sell my soul for it to go on until i'm old and gray and on death's doorstep....
now when it comes to death bringer... it is pretty obvious that the book was intended as a filler and a slow introduction to all the Mess that is going to be present in the ~second part~ of the series. we met darquesse. we met lord vile. both follow the pattern of the antagonists in this series; which is to say that i love them?? they're the Big Bads, ready to mess up valkyrie and skulduggery and,, i'm here for it! give me that angst! feed me @derek.
i was kinda disappointed in valkyrie this time around because of
Spoiler
the cheating.DARQUESSE. god i love her. i hate her. i'm gonna love hating her when she messes up valkyrie to her core.
she's so badass and so?? powerful and power-hungry and she shows val's true potential and i'm glad that we get to see that.
i did guess the plot twist about lord vile a few books ago, so i wasn't surprised, but still. gotta love those parallels.
ALSO WHEW??? it was the first book in which the sanctuary wasn't?? overthrown??? someone get the champagne??
i'm ready to see how the relationship with china is gonna be resolved
Spoiler
i know what she did was messed up, but it would be a little hypocritical for skulduggery to stay mad forever (even if his loved ones are really his biggest weakness) when he killed thousands of people himself.... he has been trying to do better since vile and he should be able to understand that china, herself, has changed since then...on another note i hated melancholia at first and i still do because of
Spoiler
her trying to kill valkyrieanyway! moving on to the next one!
(might add more thoughts if they come up later on)
calpal420's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Violence, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Murder, Death, and Gun violence
tzach's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
aceinit's review against another edition
5.0
The final act of this novel is some of the best writing in the series so far, with major players Darquesse, Lord Vile, and the Death Bringer all facing off to various degrees. I am excited to find out what comes next, and I hope Tanith and Sanguine are less absent in the next installment. I miss them.
However, I still can't escape the feeling that Caelan was done dirty. I liked him. I was rooting for him. And then... *gestures vaguely at his characterization for the past 2 books.* Ugh.
However, I still can't escape the feeling that Caelan was done dirty. I liked him. I was rooting for him. And then... *gestures vaguely at his characterization for the past 2 books.* Ugh.
charlieswrittenadventures's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
sam_hartwig's review against another edition
4.0
I rave about this series so much because its so awesome! It's intriguing, hilarious and always packed with action. One character that I'm not sure if I've spoken about before is Valkyrie's dad. He is SO funny! He says the most odd things, he would be such an awesome dad.
Here are some great quotes I found on good reads
“You should have called us. Desmond would have picked you up.'
'No I wouldn't,' Valkyrie's dad said, stepping into earshot. 'Sorry, Fletcher, but I had important fatherly duties to take care of, which included eating breakfast, showering, and finding my trousers. Of those three, I only managed two. Without looking down, can you guess which one I missed?'... Fletcher smiled back. 'I just want to borrow Stephanie for a moment.'
'Take our daughter,' Valkryie's dad said, waving a hand airily. 'We have another one now.”
“Just leave her alone. You're annoying her.'
'I'm not annoying her. She doesn't even know how to be annoyed. She's, what, a week old?'
'She's three months.'
'She's three months in our years, but what is she in baby years?”
“You want to see safe hands?' her dad asked. He went to the fruit bowl on the side of the table, took two apples and proceeded to juggle them. 'See? Safe as anything.'
'Are you proposing you juggle our newborn child?'
'Of course not,' he said. 'I'd only be able to juggle her if you'd had twins. Otherwise it would just be throwing.'
(...) 'From this moment on, I will be the best father the world has ever seen. Wifey, may I please hold my child?'
Valkyrie's mum looked at him suspiciously. 'When you hold a baby, what's the most important thing to remember?'
'Not to drop it,' he said proudly.
'Well, yes, well done dear, but I was thinking more about how you hold the baby.'
'Ah,' he said, 'Of course. The secret to holding a baby is to pick it up by the scruff of its neck.'
'You're thinking of kittens.'
'Pick it up by the ears, then.'
'You're thinking of nothing.'
'Can I please just hold her?'
'I don't think that's wise.'
'A lot of things aren't wise, Melissa. Is crossing the road with your eyes closed wise? No, but I do it anyway.'
His wife nodded. 'Stephanie, you are in charge of teaching Alice how to cross the road.”
Read this series!! How many times do I have to tell you?!
Here are some great quotes I found on good reads
“You should have called us. Desmond would have picked you up.'
'No I wouldn't,' Valkyrie's dad said, stepping into earshot. 'Sorry, Fletcher, but I had important fatherly duties to take care of, which included eating breakfast, showering, and finding my trousers. Of those three, I only managed two. Without looking down, can you guess which one I missed?'... Fletcher smiled back. 'I just want to borrow Stephanie for a moment.'
'Take our daughter,' Valkryie's dad said, waving a hand airily. 'We have another one now.”
“Just leave her alone. You're annoying her.'
'I'm not annoying her. She doesn't even know how to be annoyed. She's, what, a week old?'
'She's three months.'
'She's three months in our years, but what is she in baby years?”
“You want to see safe hands?' her dad asked. He went to the fruit bowl on the side of the table, took two apples and proceeded to juggle them. 'See? Safe as anything.'
'Are you proposing you juggle our newborn child?'
'Of course not,' he said. 'I'd only be able to juggle her if you'd had twins. Otherwise it would just be throwing.'
(...) 'From this moment on, I will be the best father the world has ever seen. Wifey, may I please hold my child?'
Valkyrie's mum looked at him suspiciously. 'When you hold a baby, what's the most important thing to remember?'
'Not to drop it,' he said proudly.
'Well, yes, well done dear, but I was thinking more about how you hold the baby.'
'Ah,' he said, 'Of course. The secret to holding a baby is to pick it up by the scruff of its neck.'
'You're thinking of kittens.'
'Pick it up by the ears, then.'
'You're thinking of nothing.'
'Can I please just hold her?'
'I don't think that's wise.'
'A lot of things aren't wise, Melissa. Is crossing the road with your eyes closed wise? No, but I do it anyway.'
His wife nodded. 'Stephanie, you are in charge of teaching Alice how to cross the road.”
Read this series!! How many times do I have to tell you?!