Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom Of The Wicked Review

Is this latest fantasy instalment the best that Derek Landy's given us yet?
Like it or not, there's little denying that these past few years have seen a major growth in Brit cult popularity amongst teens and young adults for the lovable Skulduggery Pleasant series of books, with Irish author Derek Landy bringing us annual adventures for the world's first skeleton detective and his teenage partner Valkyrie Cain. The latest release in this nine-book series marks the start of the final trilogy- so, does Kingdom Of The Wicked kick off the beginning of the end with a bang? Well...kind of. Landy is on top form in terms of the classic comedy and overblown action sequences that the past few entries have revelled in, depicting some of the most unlikely situations with a down-to-earth and accessible approach for readers everywhere. In this respect, there's still no problem, yet as Landy even seemed to indicate himself in the writing process, with Kingdom he appears to be merely setting up the plot threads for the two-part 'series' finale. As such, the overarching storyline of humans being given magical powers takes precedence over the far more intriguing and brewing plot arcs of Darquesse, the international Sanctuary beginning to assume control and the beginning of the resolution to what Valkyrie's reflection is up to. There are still a few exciting twists which will have big ramifications in days to come, sure, but the main plot is bearable at best, likely to make readers want to read on just to see how the overall series arc develops further past the standalone hi-jinks. I will admit that the climax contained enough shocks and surprises in terms of Skulduggery's future to keep me well and truly interested, yet it's just a shame that Dark Days, Mortal Coil and Death-Bringer held their own with so much more flair despite having time to kill in their respective running times. Nevertheless, Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom Of The Wicked is another thoroughly enjoyable read from Derek Landy, and while it treads old ground without finding much in the way of new stuff to do, fans of the series will still want to catch it to find out where the final chapters of the Skulduggery-Valkyrie adventures are going to head!
3.5/5