Scan barcode
david_slack110507's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I have always been a big fan of the Skulduggery Pleasant universe and book series and so it's always nice to have new releases following the end of a Phase of the main books even though this wasn't anything incredible or innovative, it did keep me entertained and having a good time whilst I read it.
I really liked the fact that we got to see more of the Dead Men who haven't really been much of a showcase in the series as of late even if it was versions of the Dead Men who aren't canon following the events of this book. I really like that we go to see more of The Great War during this, even if the plot that was focused on was something minor in comparison to the grand scheme of the War, as this period is often referenced but never fully seen so it was nice to have a full-length book set in this time period rather than a chapter flashback or an alternate universe version of the War and its aftermath.
I would be interested in seeing where this goes as it does set up a potential plotline for a potential Phase 3 while also managing to wrap up the main conflict of the book well but I will admit that while the character dynamics were still strong and it was entertaining and enjoyable to read, I did find that the humour and trademark Skulduggery Pleasant charm was missing from this one. Maybe it's because I've expanded my taste and knowledge with books meaning I can recognise that the writing is much simpler than I remember or I'm not looking at it with rose-tinted glasses.
Overall, this is a really fun addition to the Skulduggery Pleasant universe, however I do feel like while it does have its positives of expanding on characters we haven't seen much of lately in the series as well as giving us nearly an entire focus on Ghastly - one of my favourite characters in the entire series - it doesn't have the strengths, charm, and humour found in the original Phase of the series rather reflecting more of the messiness of Phase 2 which I still enjoyed but didn't love overall. However, this book, even if I'm giving it 3 stars, reminded me why I love this series so much and has tempted me to think about a potential series reread, whether I will act on that is pretty unlikely, but it has reminded me why I love this series and for that I am grateful.
I really liked the fact that we got to see more of the Dead Men who haven't really been much of a showcase in the series as of late even if it was versions of the Dead Men who aren't canon following the events of this book. I really like that we go to see more of The Great War during this, even if the plot that was focused on was something minor in comparison to the grand scheme of the War, as this period is often referenced but never fully seen so it was nice to have a full-length book set in this time period rather than a chapter flashback or an alternate universe version of the War and its aftermath.
I would be interested in seeing where this goes as it does set up a potential plotline for a potential Phase 3 while also managing to wrap up the main conflict of the book well but I will admit that while the character dynamics were still strong and it was entertaining and enjoyable to read, I did find that the humour and trademark Skulduggery Pleasant charm was missing from this one. Maybe it's because I've expanded my taste and knowledge with books meaning I can recognise that the writing is much simpler than I remember or I'm not looking at it with rose-tinted glasses.
Overall, this is a really fun addition to the Skulduggery Pleasant universe, however I do feel like while it does have its positives of expanding on characters we haven't seen much of lately in the series as well as giving us nearly an entire focus on Ghastly - one of my favourite characters in the entire series - it doesn't have the strengths, charm, and humour found in the original Phase of the series rather reflecting more of the messiness of Phase 2 which I still enjoyed but didn't love overall. However, this book, even if I'm giving it 3 stars, reminded me why I love this series so much and has tempted me to think about a potential series reread, whether I will act on that is pretty unlikely, but it has reminded me why I love this series and for that I am grateful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, War, Body horror, Torture, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Kidnapping
Minor: Deadnaming, Stalking, Gaslighting, Genocide, Cursing, Slavery, and Child death
More...