I recently read book 1 of this series and just adored it so I had to pick up book 2 when I saw it. While maybe not quite a good as the first book, it was still pretty darn fun and satisfying. I think my favorite part of the books is the relationship between our two MC and the humor between them and in the story itself. I will continue to read this series and hope it stays as good as it began. ( )

Love this series. Narrator has the best voice. ( )

3.5 stars, I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1 and I love how Stephanie is now Valkrie. I love how changing names makes the character develop. ( )

I actually read this book for the first time several years ago, but recently reread it because it became available in audio book form from my library and I really love the narration for this series. Rupert Degas does a great job with all the voices (although his American accents are... odd?) and I really enjoy listening to the story this way. However, I wasnt quite as into this book as I was the ones before and after it. It builds up the story for the events that are to come, which is important, but not as interesting for me to read about. The plot also felt a bit disjointed to me for whatever reason. ( )

The Skulduggery Pleasant books are absolutely hilarious and I enjoy them every time I read one. These books have exactly the kind of exciting world I loved reading about when I was younger, and is still nostalgic today. Playing with Fire is just as much fun as the first book in the series, and sets us up for even more danger and thrills to come as the series moves forward.

Now that the world has been unveiled Derek Landy has a bit of room to tease out the relationships between characters, including their sordid pasts. Playing with Fire has the feel of history repeating itself, but this history is just as new to the reader as it is to Valkyrie Kane. We spent quite a lot of time untangling evil motives and plots in this book, but there is still time for Skulduggery’s dry sense of humor and Valkyrie’s family reunion. Many new faces appear in Playing with Fire, but there are also many faces from the first book that we have grown to love. Altogether the characters remain delightful, providing both intrigue and entertainment.

I really do genuinely love fantasies like this where there is a world within a world. It is the idea that there is something more than the eye can see in our own reality, and that that makes everything both in the book and in our own lives feel just a little bit more magical and mysterious. Derek Landy absolutely nails this feeling in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and Playing with Fire is no exception.

The pacing in these books is fantastic. It keeps the reader on their toes the whole time without getting boring or rushing too quickly. Landy has mastered a perfect balance in his writing style, one that makes this book which is intended for middle graders and young adults accessible to any age. I love the comedy woven in to Skulduggery’s character in particular. And as if all of these things were not enough to make this book incredibly fun, the narrator does an excellent job bringing the story to life.

The only thing that keeps me from making this a five-stars-across-the-board book is the plot. The plot isn’t bad, but it just isn’t as good as the first book was. Playing with Fire sets the stage for the third book in the series, and it is necessary world and story building. However, it just isn’t as exciting as the first book was or I imagine the third book will be. I don’t hold this too much against the book, and in series like this you have to expect that some books are going to be more world building and setting up a storyline than they are going to be standalone exciting books. I can’t emphasize enough that the plot wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as good as what I’ve already seen. That said, I am absolutely going to continue the series and I look forward to it.

I continue to recommend the Skulduggery Pleasant books, but if you haven’t read the first book in the series read that before you read Playing with Fire. ( )