Derek Landy

oh motherfucker. GoodReads ate my long-ass bitchy review.

In short: all the brown people get massacred FOR NO REASON but white people's emo-pain, while all the main white and Asian characters live. Africa and Australia are supposedly SO BACKWARD and HELPLESS that they can't even elect their own councils of elders, but need the Irish sanctuary to do it FOR them. (Sanctuary = sanctimonious, just a little? JFC, the gall.)

There's no justice for anyone. Some white killers claim to be sorry for show more killing brown people and women, but there are no arrests or jail time. Just apologias for violence.

Narratively, this book is an unmitigated clusterfuck without any shred of a throughline until the last 100 pages, and then in the last 40 pages it gets really good. And I am pissed off about that. This steaming pile of crap should not be allowed to get good at the end -- not with these racial and colonial politics. I am appalled that the last 40 pages make me want to know what happens next. If it were up to me, I'd send all the villains and most of the heroes to Azkaban. show less

When I read the first Skulduggery Pleasant book I really expected a ton of FEELS to fall down on my head and strike me dead - simply because I love a platonic affectionate teacher/pupil relationship to pieces and the Skulduggery/Valkyrie dynamic is really ace. But the first book left me with a reaction of 'oh. That's nice.' rather than the laughing, grimacing feelsy-ness I had been expecting. Mortal Coil irritated me with its Valkyrie/Fletcher/Caelan situation (A LOVE TRIANGLE? WITH A show more VAMPIRE IN IT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NOT COOL.) but redeemed itself by dumping ALL of the Valkyrie/Skulduggery feelings on my poor, unsuspecting heart. And, so far, this instalment has me literally having to put down the book every few pages whilst I take a moment to inwardly squeal and flail about. There is so much about this series that causes me to feel embarrassed/irritated... I mean, I'm vain enough not to read it publicly because the covers... well, just look at them! but it's all pretty much made up for by the charm and wit of the books and the genuinely enjoyable character interactions. show less

When I found out this was an Irish author I chose to listen to it because I'm a softy for an accent. There was not much of an accent but I was charmed by the old school detective music at the beginning of each chapter and Rupert Degas has a great voice for bringing Skulduggery to life. Right away I was won over by the dry, sarcastic wit of our Skeleton Detective and his detective in training. This is a great story and a fun beginning to the series.

This is my favourite of the Doctor Who box set stories. I love the concept of the world that Martha and the Doctor visit, and I was regularly laughing out loud at the commentary on children's novels (Famous Five ripoffs! Hee!), the nature of imagination, and the Doctor's propensity for puns. Recommended particularly if you liked the Second Doctor adventure "The Mind Robber".