Skuludggery Pleasant: The End of the World

Image credit: Inside a Dog

Sometimes it’s a healthy and wise idea to take a break from a constant stream of deep and dramatic excitement: cue Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant novella, The End of the World.

This sweet and small hundred-pager follows the adventures of Detectives Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkryie Cain as they endeavour, yet again, to save the world from a group of evil people who want to destroy it… just because they can.

Landy’s novella comes at an opportune time in the series, as things start to get dramatic with Valkyrie being the sorceress who’ll destroy the world, finding out horrible things about her hero and best friend, learning about China’s terrible secret la la la.

Image credit: Skulduggery Pleasant Wiki-Fandom

Sitting snugly between Death Bringer and Kingdom of the Wicked, The End of the World is a return to the nonchalant escapades of two of the most dramatic characters in YA (young adult) fiction that got people hooked onto the series in the first place. Whilst describing exciting battles, a race against time, and the ever-classic quest to save the world, the novella works as a reminder to readers that it’s ok to take a break from the bigger battles and settle down with something small… in fact it’s good for you, especially in a society where we binge, binge, binge!

Despite its short length, the book covers a sizeable adventure and successfully introduces and builds some strong characters, even though we probably won’t ever see them again, and while it’s not necessarily part of the series, it’s a return to fun and less dramatic beginnings and works as a refreshing break.

The End of the World is a Skulduggery Pleasant novella written by Derek Landy and published by HarperCollins Childrens’ Books in 2012.