Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire facts for kids
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| Author | Derek Landy |
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| Cover artist | Tom Percival |
| Country |  Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Skulduggery Pleasant |
| Genre | Children's novel, Fantasy novel, detective novel, comedy novel, adventure novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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1 April 2008 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 351 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 0-00-72570-58 (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 877986693 |
| Preceded by | Skulduggery Pleasant (2007) |
| Followed by | The Faceless Ones (2009) |
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire is an exciting young adult and fantasy novel. It was written by Irish author Derek Landy and came out in April 2008. This book is the second one in the popular Skulduggery Pleasant series. It continues the story from the first book, Skulduggery Pleasant.
The story follows two magical detectives, Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant. They team up with many other magic-users. Their big mission is to stop Baron Vengeous and his evil helpers. These villains want to bring back a scary monster called the Grotesquery. This monster could then help the ancient and powerful Faceless Ones return to the world. The book was released in the US and Canada in 2018. You can also listen to the full story on CD, read by Rupert Degas.
In 2009, Playing with Fire won an important prize. It was named the Senior Irish Children's Book of the Year.
What Happens in the Story
Stopping Baron Vengeous's Evil Plan
One year after their first big adventure, Valkyrie Cain is still working with Skulduggery Pleasant. Skulduggery is a detective who is also an undead skeleton! They work for The Sanctuary, a secret magical police force. The Sanctuary has moved to a new place after a big attack on their old headquarters.
Soon, a dangerous villain named Baron Vengeous escapes from prison. He was one of the main generals for a very evil sorcerer named Mevolent. Vengeous starts looking for the special armor of Lord Vile. Lord Vile was another one of Mevolent's generals. Vengeous believes this armor will help him bring back the Grotesquery. This Grotesquery is a scary monster made from parts of a Faceless One. It has the power to bring all the Faceless Ones back to Earth.
When Vengeous arrives in Ireland, he meets a vampire named Dusk. Dusk owes Vengeous a favor and agrees to help him. Vengeous orders Dusk to kidnap Valkyrie Cain. Dusk even turns two humans into his helpers to get the job done. Meanwhile, a skilled fighter from London, Tanith Low, captures a criminal called Springheeled Jack after a tough fight.
Battles and New Allies
After a fight with Skulduggery Pleasant, Baron Vengeous goes after China Sorrows. China used to be part of a group that worshipped the Faceless Ones. Vengeous and another villain named Serpine were also in this group. Vengeous confronts China in her apartment while Valkyrie is visiting. Valkyrie hides and listens as Vengeous talks. He reveals that an assassin named Billy-Ray Sanguine helped him escape prison. Sanguine then arrives with Dusk, and a battle begins. Valkyrie reveals herself and helps China.
Billy-Ray Sanguine, who can travel through the ground and buildings, chases Valkyrie. After a struggle, Tanith Low saves Valkyrie. During the escape, Valkyrie cleverly steals Sanguine's special razor, which is his main weapon. This makes the dangerous assassin very angry at her.
A Tricky Deal with the Torment
Valkyrie and Skulduggery, along with a prisoner named Vaurien Scapegrace, travel to Roarhaven. This is a village for magic-users. They need to find a mysterious man called the Torment. He has important information they need. After a fight in a pub with some tough guys (including a giant) and a tricky encounter with giant, unnatural spiders, they find the Torment.
The Torment says he will only help them find the Grotesquery if Skulduggery defeats Valkyrie. The Torment hates Valkyrie's family because they are descended from the Ancients. He believes their power will corrupt the world. Skulduggery takes Valkyrie around a corner. They use a special trick to summon her Reflection. This is a living mirror image of Valkyrie. She uses it as a decoy so she can live a secret double life. Skulduggery takes Valkyrie's reflection to the Torment and makes it seem like he defeats it.
The Torment is satisfied and tells Skulduggery where the Grotesquery is. Skulduggery and Valkyrie return Scapegrace to prison. They then go to Bancrook Castle to find the Grotesquery. But Vengeous's helpers have already taken it. Soon after, Skulduggery and Valkyrie take the reflection back to Valkyrie's house. Valkyrie touches the mirror to get its memories. She remembers what it felt like to be defeated. Valkyrie then notices that part of her memories is blank. She realizes her reflection hid something from her. This makes her feel uneasy, but she doesn't tell Skulduggery.
The Grotesquery Awakens
Skulduggery and Valkyrie find Vengeous, Dusk, his infected helpers, and Sanguine with the Grotesquery. To get close to Vengeous, Skulduggery kidnaps Dusk. When Vengeous sees this, Skulduggery defeats the infected helpers. Skulduggery then fights Vengeous, but Vengeous wins. This forces Valkyrie to show herself.
Valkyrie tries to escape but is kidnapped by Sanguine. He takes her to an old, abandoned church where the Faceless Ones were once worshipped. Vengeous is waiting there. The evil sorcerer cuts Valkyrie's hand and spills some of her blood onto the Grotesquery. He uses Lord Vile's armor's shadow powers, which mix with Valkyrie's blood. Skulduggery soon arrives and rescues Valkyrie.
After they manage to take the Grotesquery, Valkyrie is hurt and wakes up in the hospital. Skulduggery, to make the doctor laugh, wears a funny pink hospital gown with bunnies and elephants. Skulduggery gives the lifeless Grotesquery to the Sanctuary's top scientist, Kenspeckle Grouse. He wants Kenspeckle to take the monster apart.
However, the Grotesquery has already absorbed a lot of power from Vile's armor and Valkyrie's blood. It wakes up in the middle of the night while being examined. It defeats the scientist's assistants and three Cleavers (Sanctuary guards). Then, it goes after Valkyrie. Skulduggery and Tanith arrive, and the three of them attack the Grotesquery before escaping. Meanwhile, bad guys are attacking members of the Sanctuary all over the world. This is to distract everyone from Vengeous's main plan. Billy-Ray Sanguine has also freed Springheeled Jack from prison. He sends Jack to attack a Sanctuary official in London. Jack realizes Vengeous is using him to bring back the Faceless Ones, which he doesn't want. So, Jack defeats his victim but then turns against Vengeous's plans.
The Final Showdown
Skulduggery figures out that Vengeous is actually working for someone else. He suspects Thurid Guild, the head of the Sanctuary, is involved. Guild gets angry and fires Skulduggery. But Skulduggery decides to go after Vengeous anyway. Valkyrie reluctantly goes to her family reunion to distract Dusk.
Meanwhile, the Torment discovers that Valkyrie is still alive. He goes after her but is stopped by Skulduggery and Tanith Low. The Torment turns into a giant spider, but Skulduggery and Tanith still defeat him. Valkyrie is then attacked by vampires and has to run away. Dusk corners her and threatens to turn her into a vampire. He says he will then let her attack her own parents. Valkyrie stabs Dusk in the leg with a syringe he uses to control his vampire side. This makes him get stuck between human and vampire forms, causing him great pain. Springheeled Jack arrives and rescues her. He defeats Dusk to mess up Vengeous's plans. Jack doesn't want the Faceless Ones to return, especially since Sanguine, who works with Vengeous, betrayed him.
Meanwhile, China Sorrows is attacked by Vengeous in an underground car park. The dark sorcerer, wearing Lord Vile's Armor, defeats China's bodyguards, Sev and Zephyr. He then overpowers China and takes her to Clearwater Hospital, which is his secret base. Skulduggery and Valkyrie, joined by Tanith Low, Mr. Bliss, and some Cleavers, go to Clearwater Hospital. They battle the Grotesquery, which is almost impossible to defeat because it's part Faceless One.
Mr. Bliss is hurt, but the Cleavers bravely attack the Grotesquery. They almost overpower it when Vengeous arrives with China, whom he has captured. Together with the Grotesquery, he defeats the Cleavers and makes Tanith Low and other Cleavers unconscious using a dark magic wave. He then overpowers Skulduggery and Valkyrie. Valkyrie tricks Vengeous into releasing her by pretending she will join him. But she quickly frees China, who attacks Vengeous and the Grotesquery. This gives Valkyrie time to free Skulduggery. Skulduggery joins the fight against Vengeous, tearing off his helmet and armor before shooting him. Vengeous crawls towards the Grotesquery, but the monster he brought back turns on him and defeats him. The Torment then arrives to help and tries to defeat the Grotesquery, but he is also defeated. In the big battle that follows, Valkyrie uses Tanith's sword to stab the Grotesquery through the heart, finally defeating it. But before it dies, it lets out a terrible scream. This scream tells the Faceless Ones where Earth is.
Later, Sanguine is seen meeting his mysterious boss. The boss reveals that he never expected the Grotesquery to fully succeed. But he knew that when it was defeated, its dying scream would tell the Faceless Ones where Earth is. This means all he has to do now is open the door for them. The mysterious man then pays Sanguine and leaves.
Valkyrie is later talking to Skulduggery on a pier. They realize they must find out who Vengeous and Sanguine were really working for. They also wonder if Thurid Guild is involved. Skulduggery tells Valkyrie, "Bad things are coming," which sounds a bit scary. They are then attacked by a vampire, and the book ends with them getting ready for another fight.
Main Characters
Valkyrie Cain
Valkyrie Cain used to be called Stephanie Edgely. She is a young girl who has discovered the magical world. She is learning to be a powerful sorcerer and detective. Valkyrie is brave and quick-thinking. She often helps Skulduggery solve mysteries and fight bad guys.
Skulduggery Pleasant
Skulduggery Pleasant is a skeleton detective who is also a powerful sorcerer. He is very witty and always has a clever plan. Skulduggery is Valkyrie's mentor and partner. He helps her learn about the magical world and how to use her powers.
Baron Vengeous
Baron Vengeous is a dangerous villain who escapes from prison. He was once a general for a very evil sorcerer. Vengeous wants to bring back the Faceless Ones, ancient and powerful beings. He is determined to find Lord Vile's armor to help him achieve his goal.
Billy-Ray Sanguine
Billy-Ray Sanguine is an assassin with no eyes. He uses a straight razor as his weapon. He can also travel through the ground and buildings. Sanguine helped Baron Vengeous escape from prison and works as his main helper.
Dusk
Dusk is a vampire who works with Baron Vengeous. He doesn't really want to help Vengeous, but he owes him a big favor from the past. Dusk is often sent to do Vengeous's dirty work, like kidnapping.
The Grotesquery
The Grotesquery is a terrifying monster. It's made from parts of a Faceless One mixed with other creatures. Its purpose is to open a portal to bring the Faceless Ones back to Earth. It needs Lord Vile's armor and Valkyrie Cain's blood to become fully active.
Kenspeckle Grouse
Kenspeckle Grouse is a doctor in the magical world. He is described as a bit grumpy but has a kind heart. He often treats Skulduggery's and Valkyrie's injuries. He also likes to give Skulduggery advice about training Valkyrie, even if Skulduggery doesn't always listen.
Awards and Recognition
In 2009, Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire received a special award. It was named the Irish Senior Children's Book of the Year. This shows how popular and well-loved the book was by young readers in Ireland.
