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    Death Bringer
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    Death Bringer
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    Death Bringer
    Audiobook13 hours

    Death Bringer

    Written by Derek Landy

    Narrated by Stephen Hogan

    4.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    The sixth instalment in the historic, hysterical and horrific Skulduggery Pleasant series. Think you’ve seen anything yet? You haven’t. Because the Death Bringer is about to rise…

    The Necromancers no longer need Valkyrie to be their Death Bringer, and that’s a Good Thing.

    There’s just one catch. There’s a reason the Necromancers don’t need her any more. And that’s because they’ve found their Death Bringer already, the person who will dissolve the doors between life and death.

    And that’s a very, very Bad Thing…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9780007440443
    Unavailable
    Death Bringer
    Author

    Derek Landy

    Derek Landy lives near Dublin. Before writing his children's story about a sharply-dressed skeleton detective, he wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a murderous horror film. "I think my career-guidance teacher is spinning in her grave," he says, "or she would be if she were dead."

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    Reviews for Death Bringer

    4.5/5

    70 ratings41 reviews

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    • 4/5
      An interesting story about a girl who finds herself embroiled in magic, murder and mayhem in Dublin when her uncle dies suddenly. When she finds that his horror stories were in fact based in truth she has the choice to join forces with good to defeat evil or stay with the normal world.Interestingly complex, the characters aren't always just black and white and betrayal is a strong motif. The idea of an animated skeleton as hero is interesting too.Stephanie came across as being more 15 than 12, and maybe she should have been written as a little older.Interesting first novel and I'm looking forward to more by this author.
    • 3/5
      The book was amazing and the narration brilliant as well. I also like the fact that more drama was added e.g. the love triangle (no spoilers). However, after some time i felt the book was dragging too long and i just wanted to finish it, but maybe its because i have been distracted. All in all, it was a good listen.
    • 5/5
      Listened to HarperCollins audio edition narrated by Rupert Degas. The narration and production on this was absolutely fantastic. I've read the print version before and I'm surprised by how little of the plot I remembered - makes me think it's not as strong a story as I originally thought. The sound effects, music and Skulduggery interview were fun additions to the audio recording as well.
    • 4/5
      Fast-moving fun. Love the names and the plot twists. The odd sexist comment.I enjoyed reading this book and can understand it's appeal to teenagers.
    • 5/5
      “Serpine stood, opened his left hand in front of the detective. “This is your one chance. Tell me where the key is.” “Okay.”Serpine raised an eyebrow. “Really?” “No, only joking. Do your worst.” Serpine laughed and his fingers started moving and the detective started screaming.” Have you ever seen magic? Have you ever broken into a museum when vampire guards are on duty? Have you ever seen a living skeleton, let alone be partners with one? Well that’s how life was for Stephanie Edgley, when she enters a world with mythological creatures, magic, spells, war, allies, enemies, cleavers, and too much more to count. As Stephanie leaves the regular world and her family behind, she ventures off into a new one- and you follow along with her on the journey.The book Skulduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy is a magnificent, fast paced, piece of art. Through the entire book, Landy uses great descriptions, interesting dialogue, a perfect sequence order, and so much more. Stephanie’s uncle, Gordon Edgley, is a very famous and rich author. He wrote tons and tons of books about magic, but he didn’t just write about it- he believed in it too. He became a part of the magic world one day and became great friends with Skulduggery Pleasant (a living skeleton). Gordon then gets murdered, while finishing one of his books. At the reading of his will, everyone from Gordon’s two brothers (Fergus and Stephanie’s dad), to Stephanie and her mother, to Skulduggery, and to Fergus’ wife, Beryl, show up to collect his riches and their fortune. The first part of the will shows that Fergus and Beryl get a worthless brooch, a car, and a boat. Then Skulduggery gets a piece of advice that seems worthless, but it could actually help him on in life. Stephanie’s parents get his villa, and Stephanie gets all of his other possessions, riches, property, books, and everything else he owned. Since Beryl and Fergus are extremely greedy, they demanded to swap with Stephanie’s parents. They wanted more, and as soon as Skulduggery left, she started screaming. “Her?” she screamed. “Her?” As the book continues, Stephanie learns more about Skulduggery Pleasant, and how he is an Elemental and controls magic. She then wants to learn more about magic, so she goes off with him and he shows her how he controls each element, excluding earth. He also shows her a few other Elementals, and a couple people who know about magic. After seeing all of this, she want to learn how to learn magic, but Skulduggery refuses to teach her, but doesn’t give a clear explanation why.Stephanie finds out about the Ancients, who were driven away from the world by this weapon, called The Scepter of the Ancients. No one believes that this scepter is real, except for the powerful Serpine and his evil army. Serpine is out to get the scepter so that he can call back the ancients, and to control the Ancients as well. Just about everyone knows that Serpine is having a secret war against the Council of Elders, except for the Elders themselves, and they refuse to believe it. The Elders will not act against Serpine and break their truce, but Skulduggery want to wait any longer for them to make a decision, and he begins his journey. After doing some research, Stephanie, Skulduggery, a warrior ,Tanith Low, a man ,Ghastly, and two cleavers, head out to take down Serpine and his army alone. Along the way, they find out where the scepter and the key to get to it are located.Later on, they meet a foe, which they name The White Cleaver. However the thing is, is that attacking him is no use. Good things happen, bad things happen, horrific things happen, and even worse things happen, but they continue in search of the scepter, Besides all of the magnificent blood and fighting, as I was reading this book, I couldn’t stop laughing. As the book progressed on further and further, Landy uses more and more sarcasm and such great descriptions, that your sides will be hurting from laughing so hard! For example, one time in the book Skulduggery says to Serpine: “I’m placing you under arrest for murder, conspiracy to commit murder and, I don't know, possibly littering.” Although some parts are extremely intense, others are a bit looser, and there are some that are just plain out silly. However, it is not a bad thing, it is actually a really good thing, in my opinion. I‘ve also never seen another author use so much sarcasm in one book. It was different, but it made the book fall into place, and it just wouldn’t be the same without it.As I was reading the book, it was as if I was watching a movie, especially with all of the vivid details and use of punctuation. With all of these little things put into this book, even the tiniest of the tiny, they all were needed to make this book happen. I especially liked how Landy made the characters come to life, and it seemed as if I was a part of the book myself. From the first chapter to the last chapter, I got sucked right in and couldn’t pull myself out. I started reading one night and just couldn’t put the book down! However, despite all of the good things about this book, there was one problem I had with this book. The one thing I had a problem with, is very important, it was huge. At specific points of the book, Landy didn’t put in who was talking into the dialogue. This made it extremely hard to decipher who was talking, and to follow along, especially when three people were talking at once. I had to go back and re-read quite a few paragraphs because I was confused about who was talking. Overall, I have to say this is my favorite book I have ever read, and I hope that the second book in the series will be even better! I really encourage you to read this book, especially if you like reading about things that are about fantasy, magic, or lots of action. I would have to rate Skulduggery Pleasant a five out of five stars.
    • 4/5
      Stephanie Edgeley is a 12 year old precocious girl who decides to avenge her uncle Gordon's death with the help of a very unlikely ally; a detective skeleton named Skulduggery. She renames herself Valkyrie Cain, raising Cain. Gordon leaves everything to Stephanie in his will, including the power to save or destroy the universe, but she doesn't know that when the adventure begins. She has to find the object that creatures from another realm want, before they find it! She has the help of Skulduggery, a character who does a lot to make the book interesting. I'll be certain to read book two to find out what happens.
    • 5/5
      An exciting and entertaining book. I found this to be an easy read: Sentence structure and vocabulary were simple. Sequence of events made sense and sometimes unexpected, which added to the suspense. I would recommend this for reluctant readers Grade 5+, especially boys. Girls who enjoy fantasy stories will also like this book.
    • 4/5
      This is a fun fantasy not for the faint of heart. Skulduggery is a skeleton detective sent to investigate magical cases. Stephanie's uncle dies mysteriously and she is drawn into Skulduggery's sometimes scary and intense world. Some violence not suitable below 5th grade.
    • 4/5
      I'm sorry that I don't remember which Twitter friend recommended this book to me, because I'd like to thank them.This book was tremendous fun, particularly in audio.There are quirky characters, both in the good guys and the bad guys (and it isn't always immediately apparent which category each falls into). Stephanie is a very nice young girl with a good head on her shoulders. Thanks to her uncle, who wrote books describing some absolutely unbelievable adventures, she's able to go along with the situation when her help is needed to save the world.The book is a great adventure. It got a little more intense than I thought it needed to at points, but overall it was the fun kind of scary.I'm looking forward to the next book.
    • 4/5
      Despite an oddball premise, this book was thoroughly engaging, disturbing, and darkly, surprisingly witty. I had no trouble getting through it. I would say it is a bit scary for younger readers.
    • 3/5
      This book kept me entertained. A chuckler. Good for kids who want a fantasy novel with a touch of horror, with British language.
    • 3/5
      Although similarities between Harry Potter and the book Skulduggery Pleasant abound (mainly in the way their universe is like), I found Skulduggery Pleasant also lacks alot of that special charm that made the Harry Potter series feel so unique.Still, the character of Skulduggery Pleasant is definitely an interesting guy (especially when bringing Stephanie down a peg or two).
    • 5/5
      Valkyrie Cain-once known to the world as twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgely-has learned a great deal since beginning her apprenticeship to Skulduggery Pleasant, the well-dressed living-dead wizard-detective. But she hasn't learned nearly enough to defeat the horrors massing against her and her friends: An old foe of Skulduggery's, Baron Vengeous, is bent on bringing back to life the horrible Grotesquery-an unkillable monster assembled from the most fearsome beasts of legend. It's up to the ingenious, fearless, and hilarious Valkyrie and Skulduggery to stop the Grotesquery from coming fully to life. Because once it is alive, it will call to its masters, the evil Faceless Ones whose return will mean the end of the world. This book was filled with laughs and fun. Even though it is a very serious book.
    • 4/5
      I rated this book an eight because it was really good. I really liked this book. The author really is good writing books. The auther builds tension in the book. The book made me want to keep reading. I would recommend this book. In the book the main charecter is a skeleton that is magic. cody
    • 5/5
      This book was SO MUCH FUN.
    • 4/5
      Some books are sustaining, books like all of the Harry Potter books, The Lord of the Rings, and Jane Eyre. These books I can go back to again and again; they’re like going home. Skulduggery Pleasant is a lark, it’s fun, it’s witty; I read it in a day, thoroughly enjoyed it but would never read it again. I will look forward to reading the next books in the series though!
    • 3/5
      Skulduggery Pleasant is the debut novel by Derek Landy, and on this evidence I believe he should have many successful books ahead of him. He tells the tale of a wise-cracking skeleton detective, who befriends a young girl called Stephenie Edgley when her uncle is murdered. They are from then drawn into a world of magic and mystery and uncover a plot by the leading dark wizard to bring back old Gods and murder all those without magic.The plot moves at breakneck speed, with sparkling dialogue between Skulduggery and Stephenie. It is easy to follow and twists many cliches in the pursuit of entertainment. The skeletal detective at the heart of the novel is by far the best part of it all - never less than interesting, witty and good-humoured. I would greatly enjoy reading more adventures involving him.Stephenie is resourceful, brave and cool-headed - a fine role model for girls who pick up this book. In fact, the strength of these two characters cause the others to fall into their shadow and the secondary characters are never truly fleshed out to the point where you would care about them.I also have complaints about the bad guy who, despite my earlier words, is terribly cliched. He is paper-thin in terms of characterisation, never really gives reason for his motives, and is used more for comedy effect than tense moments.It is easy to see that Landy has a background in martial arts because his fight scenes are effective and efficiently-written, showing us clearly how they would play out.Lastly, I would comment that the system of magic, while unoriginal, shows signs of being used to a greater extent in novels to follow.Altogether this is a blast of a debut novel, setting the scene in an exciting manner for more tales of Skulduggery Pleasant.
    • 4/5
      "The author just may have invented a new genre: the screwball fantasy."—The New York Times Book Review Stephanie's rich, strange uncle has just passed away, and left his house and most of his possessions to his beloved niece. The only person outside of the family to appear at the reading of her uncle's will was someone named Skulduggery Pleasant, who turns out to be an undead detective, aiming to save the world from a nasty bit of ancient evil. Stephanie's uncle possessed a secret weapon called the Sceptre of the Ancients, and in the wrong hands (the Faceless Ones, vampires, zombies, etc) it could mean the destruction of the world. The forces of evil are after it, and they'll stop at nothing to get it... unless Stephanie and Skulduggery Pleasant can find it first! Mystery, magic, hilarious puns and undead humor, action and adventure - - you name it, it's here. A great beginning to the series! Good for 6th grade and up.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful, stellar, amazing!! It takes some substantial skill too write about a young person learning about their hereditary magical powers and the hidden magical world in the post-Harry Potter era without making the reader think, "gee, this is a lot like Harry Potter." The character of Skulduggery is wonderful and the author does not pull punchs, in terms of the realities that horrible things do happen in war. This is a classic. I listened to the audiobook and, after the story, there is a interview with Skulduggery...listening to it made me laugh so hard I was crying.
    • 3/5
      Fans of Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling's books will have fun with this one. 12-year old Stephanie Edgley is left her uncle's home and fortune built from writing horror books. A very strange person, Skulduggery Pleasant, is also invited to the reading of the will and is left an unusual message. Things get exciting when Stephanie is left to spend the night in her uncle's house and someone breaks in and demands a key. Skulduggery arrives to save her and so their adventures begin.Derek Landy is a black belt in Kenpo Karate and includes a lot of fight scenes which also include swords, scepters, scythes, and magic. Lots of magic. Stephanie has found a life full of adventure and discovers that she may have a little magic herself.A quick read for adults, this would please young readers and keep them turning pages (if they can get through the first 100 pages of character introductions).
    • 5/5
      This is one of the best written YA books I have ever read. The conversations between the two main characters actually made me laugh out loud. This is a detective story with a fantasy twist.
    • 4/5
      Fun packed action / adventure book, when Skulduggery Pleasant, the snappy dressing skellington detective first enters into Stephanie's life, things will never be the same. Lots of one liners and sarcasm fill this book in between the fast paced action. Some of the characterisation for me was a little out, with the two main characters feeling too similar, and some of the baddies weren't as scary as they could have been - that aside though, this was a fun book to read, and for its target audience its probably near perfect!
    • 4/5
      I like this. It's kinda fun and a bit dark. Skulduggery is super cool :)
    • 5/5
      This is the type of book I enjoy
    • 4/5
      Stephanie knows there is something strange about Skulduggery when he shows up at her uncle's funeral. But she wasn't expecting to find out that he was a walking, talking skeleton, and now she needs his help in order to survive the attacks on her life and solve the mystery behind her uncle's death.
    • 5/5
      Skulduggery Pleasant is a "living" skeleton that suddenly becomes a big part of 12-year-old Stephanie's life after her beloved uncle dies and leaves her his entire estate and unfortunately, something that a very evil character wants to possess. I loved this book, as has every student I have recommended it to. I can't wait to read the sequel.
    • 4/5
      Excellent. The writing has a wonderful quality. SOrt of an amusing blend between J.K. Rowlings loveable characters and Terry Pratchett's wit.
    • 5/5
      Skulduggery Pleasant is a skeleton detective who battles evil monsters and bad guys with his assistant, Stephanie.
    • 3/5
      When Stephanie learns that her uncle's death may have been murder she joins with the skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant to foil the plot of the Faceless Ones. Not great literature but a fast read and lots of action.
    • 4/5
      This book is another free gem I got off the YA Sync Summer Audio Program. I really love this program because I end up listening to stuff that I otherwise wouldn’t have picked up on my own. The cover of the book looked hokey and the description didn’t do much for me, but I was pleasantly surprised when I started listening that it was actually a fun, intelligent read.

      The story is of Skulduggery Pleasant who is a walking, talking magic wielding skeleton. Skulduggery is as cool and awesome as his name implies. He’s a witty, snarky, badass crime-solving bastard. What’s even more awesome is that his partner, Stephanie, is just as cool and witty. Stephanie is a 12 year old girl, who basically inherited her uncle’s problems upon his death. I must say she sounds older than 12, but I didn’t mind because I really liked the chemistry and dialogue between these two.

      I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Tanith Low was cool and very badass. For some reason she reminds me of Tonks from Harry Potter. I also enjoyed Ghastly and Mrs. Bliss. From this first book it seems like these characters have stories of their own and I’m very interested in finding out more about them.

      The audiobook for this story was excellent. I loved the musical accompaniment, especially for Skulduggery’s scenes. It really suited the character. My only real compliant about the narration is that it seemed like Skulduggery’s “voice” would change. It was annoying, because I was never sure if he was the one talking until I listened to more of the audio and then I would have to re-listen to those parts. Also, I’m not sure if this is due to the audiobook or writing, but I found the action scenes hard to follow. Another GR, friend read this book though and thought the same thing, so I believe it has more to do with the writing than the audio.

      Overall though, this book was really enjoyable. Very witty, funny and nice fast paced action.