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Review: #284
Title: Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant - 6th book
Author: Derek Landy
Read Before: no
My Comments: A very nice book, and one that’s made all the better because you don’t really need to read all the others in the series in order to appreciate the story here. Granted, some background knowledge would be required. The story is written well, however, the biggest flaw here would be the length. It feels like events are being dragged out for longer than necessary, especially when ‘exciting’ parts go on for so long that they lose the excitement. I’m not really a fan of the multiple perspectives where it cuts from what’s happening with one group to another, since there are quite a few different groups to consider and make sense of (at least five). Sure, the book focuses mainly on Skulduggery and Valkyrie, but the other perspectives do enough to break the pace. There seems to be a lot of reflection going on here, with characters dealing with their guilt and trying to clear their conscience. Everyone seems so much more violent too, not so much with the killing, but the hitting and smashing of other people. It feels like the book is trying too hard to be ‘cool’ and the ‘next big thing’. The humour works for the most part, but there are times where it tries too hard, and falls down flat (i.e. a bit shallow). There is a nice twist near the end of the book, relating to an event earlier which you would feel you’ve been cheated, something to do with Melancholia. I thought was very neat (not enough to save the book, since it just decided to keep going on and the moment gets lost). I admit that characters need flaws in order for you to appreciate, understand and root for them, but when they are portrayed as being selfish, it doesn't really help much. That’s one of the reasons why the book could be better, there are little other traits to identify the two main characters with, and with selfishness being the prominent one, they are not good characters. To be honest, I felt that the big reveal with Skulduggery wasn't that shocking (it didn't make much sense at first either). In a few places, it didn't make much sense in what was happening or why. Some of the other less prominent characters are annoying, and that reporter is very clichéd. A satisfying book, but one that went on for far too long, if it was around 100-200 pages less, then it would have been much more succinct and enjoyable.
Rating: 6.5/10