Dark days is the fourth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series. I was put on the road to reading it by a unique person who answered, "Skulduggery" when queried about his favorite detective.
For a good reason - The main character in the series is Valkyrie Cain, a mortal who stumbles upon the realm of magic. She quickly decides that the rabbit hole of magic is worth the price of admission. She must change her name, as each human has three names - one given (limited control), one chosen (to seal the given from control), and one true one (granting absolute control when called). Valkyrie's original name was Stephenie She found that her bloodline traces back to an ancient race of power who bound the Faceless Ones. (Otherwise known as the evil gods of the universe, happens every time). Her mentor is the matchless, grinning, undead detective, Skulduggery.
He is a one of a kind character; he carrying himself with an offbeat sense of humor, unique sense of style, and biting wit that draws him as many enemies as admirers. Valkyrie is quite taken by him, trailing behind him as a sidekick to his adventures.
Valkyrie uses a simple form of magic to create a double, this reflection goes about her daily life while she studies magic. Skulduggery warns her repeatedly that she should use caution - the spell was not designed to be abused in this method. She ignores his counsel, finding magic much more fun and important than living out a normal school life. The consequences of this abuse have not yet manifested into something noticeable, but smells of a plot point yet to be revealed.
Valkyrie and Skulduggery have many allies in the magic community. Tanith Low, a leather clad twenty-something monster slayer. Tanith and Valkyrie have a sister-in-spirit relationship of mutual respect. She is the sword and muscle of the group, providing back-up in time of need.
Ghastly Bespoke, his scarred face testifies to his former career as a boxer. He now is the official tailor for the magical community at large. His clothes are imbued with subtle designs that are wrinkle-proof and ever comfortable, as well as blocking against rudimentary magic. He is reluctant to reenter the realm of actual fighting, preferring to be a support of last resort.
Fletcher Renn is the last known teleporter. He is a handsome, teenage, and has a major crush on Valkyrie. Fletcher has a high opinion of himself and his abilities, but is regarded by Valkyrie merely as being useful, and not as a serious interest.
China Sorrows, she is exotically beautiful and manipulative. I am never sure of her motives or alliances. Her special abilities are symbolic tattoos of power that cover her body. In touching them in sequence, she can access a range of abilities and effects. She is the guardian of an extensive library of ancient tomes of wisdom and curator of mystical artifacts. She feeds Valkyrie and Skulduggery information on people and places of interest.
Those are my favorite characters on the side of angels. On the opposing end there are also some intriguing characters...
Vaurien Scapegrace, Killer supreme. He is both pretentious and pathetic - in his quest to make murder into an art form, he has neglected to successfully kill one person. He is determined in his odd ideal. Valkyrie has managed to handle his escape and assassination attempts easily. He resents her for halting his spree before he even got to begin.
Springheeled Jack, this Cockney villain is intriguing because of his tendency to follow his own interests. He has a thing for killing infants and innocents. His adversary is Tanith Low, she captured him last time and he feels it is his professional duty to kill her. He hates being manipulated and will turn against anyone who tries.
Billy Ray Sanguine, he is the quintessential southern American with a lazy chip on his shoulder. He hates Valkyrie for hurting him and foiling his schemes in the past. He enjoys fighting, and with his charmed straight razor which wounds permanently its victims.
Dusk, a vampire. This is not a nice and suave character - at night, it changes form into a bloodthirsty creature that hunts and kills compulsively. Not very romantic as much as bestial.
All in all, I am waiting for the next book to come out in my local library system... The Mortal Coil. A note, I am also briskly anticipating the next Bartimaeus book in Jonathan Stroud's series.
lateness is excuse
Though hardly a lovely one
Labyrinth escape?
