Readers' rating:
Published May 2008
400 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
Meet Skulduggery Pleasant
Ace Detective
Snappy Dresser
Razor–tongued Wit
Crackerjack Sorcerer
and
Walking, Talking,
Fire-throwing Skeleton
—as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old.
These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.
The end of the world?
Over his dead body.
"Starred Review. Landy gives the term "deadpan humor" a whole new meaning; readers who prefer their heroes laconic and their action nonstop are in for a wild ride. Ages 11-13." - Kirkus Reviews.
"Landy keeps the action brisk, his characters slightly macabre, and uses humor to take the edge off." - ALA Booklist
"A distinctly Horowitzian humor and verve." - London Times
"This book is a delight. Full of character, black humor, and great fun." - Daily Telegraph (London)
"Fun and quirky with lots of humor." - Locus
"Stephanie and Skulduggery's witty repartee is most enjoyable, and the pacing is fast, with constant action and fight scenes during which the author neither sugarcoats the violence nor revels in it unnecessarily. " - VOYA
"Derek Landy has written a delightful book about a young girl who realizes she's been a heroine waiting to happen all along, as she claims her rightful status as a warrior mage. The following books in the series are sure to be great reads." - Children's Literature
This information about Playing with Fire was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Derek Landy lives near Dublin, Ireland. Before writing his children's story about a sharply dressed skeleton detective, he wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a slasher thriller in which everybody dies. As a black belt in Kenpo Karate, he has taught countless children how to defend themselves, in the hopes of building his own private munchkin army. He firmly believes that they await his call to strike against his enemies (he doesn't actually have any enemies, but he's assuming they'll show up sooner or later). The reason Derek writes his own biographical blurb is so that he can finally refer to himself in the third person without looking pompous or insane.
Derek Landy is far too modest to talk about any awards or accolades his books may have won. He will not, for instance, ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Derek Landy's Website
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