Tahleen reviews: "Skulduggery Pleasant" by Derek Landy

Title: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007
Narrator: Rupert Degas

Rating: 4.5 stars

Stephanie Edgley is a normal, if a bit antisocial, 12-year-old. She has normal parents and lives in a normal house in Ireland. Her Uncle Gordon, however, was not so normal; an author of horror novels, he lives in a large, old house and tends to keep strange company. That is, until he dies.

To the surprise of everyone, Stephanie is named Gordon's sole heir to his estate and fortune. It is at this point that things start to get interesting. She meets one of Gordon's strange friends, a Mr. Skulduggery Pleasant, who, as it turns out, is a skeleton (long story)—and she announces that she is going to help him find her uncle's killer, since she's pretty sure he was murdered. What follows is a madcap adventure to, of course, save the world from evil forces.

This was an exceptionally entertaining and darkly funny middle-grade/teen novel. It's the first in a series, and I will most certainly be checking out the rest of the books. This is indeed a very dark book, full of death and tragedies, but Landy keeps it age-appropriate and keeps gore to a minimum, though some not-so-likable characters meet deliciously gruesome demises.

Landy has created a world where magical beings coexist with non-magical humans, with the latter more often than not being none the wiser. It's similar in that sense to Harry Potter, but there the similarities end. Magical folk live in a dangerous world, where a war between those who seek power and those protecting the general population has been waged for decades (probably longer, I can't remember exactly, but a really long time). At the time we join the characters in their story, both sides have agreed to a tenuous ceasefire, which of course blows up in everyone's faces, otherwise there would be no story.

As for characters, these are all brilliant. Skulduggery is stoic but with an incredibly wry humor, and Stephanie has some excellent zingers too, along with her determination, stubbornness, and incredible courage. They are, to put it simply, awesome. Oh, and they are both great fighters, which we get to see a lot of.

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Rupert Degas, and it was fantastic. Degas was excellent at distinguishing voices, and paced his narration perfectly. Plus he has an accent.

Long story short, if you like dark, humorous, action-packed fantasy, this is a great series to start.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this audiobook via OverDrive from my local library.

Tahleen reviews: "Three Bags Full" by Leonie Swann

Title: Three Bags Full
Author: Leonie Swann
Publisher: Doubleday, 2005

Rating: 4.5 stars

In a field near the Irish village of Glennkill, George has been murdered. He lies pinned to the ground with a spade in the field where his flock of sheep spend most of their time. The flock knows he's been killed, but who has done it? They all pool their wits and resources together to find out what happened to their shepherd.

I read this book years ago, but I still have fond memories of it. It is a cute mystery, I suppose what some might call a cozy mystery, though the writing is, in my opinion, better. The sheep are very methodical in their reasoning, though of course their logic isn't up to the standards that a human has, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the sheep would come up with conclusions that a person would never think of. The sheep keep at it until they figure out the mystery, and I enjoyed every step it took them to get there. Most of the mystery solving is discussion based, so if you like adventure mysteries maybe this one isn't for you. It's described on Amazon as a "witty philosophical mystery," which I think sums it up nicely.

I was completely charmed with this book, which has a whimsical air that I have yet to see in another mystery. Though to be fair, I don't read mysteries that often. I also loved how each sheep has a very distinct personality, and it's lovely to see how they all develop their characters throughout the novel.

This is a book written for adults, but there is certainly teen appeal in here. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, books with animal protagonists, or a good yarn (pun intended).

Disclosure: I bought this book from a bookstore.