Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer
 Book six cover. | |
| Author | Derek Landy |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Tom Percival |
| Country |
 Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Skulduggery Pleasant series |
| Genre | Children's novel, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 1 September 2011 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 604 |
| Preceded by | Mortal Coil (2010) |
| Followed by | Kingdom of the Wicked (2012) |
Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer is the sixth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series. The first four chapters were released on the Skulduggery Pleasant website on 15 July 2011;[1] the full book was released on 1 September 2011.[2]
The plot of Death Bringer focuses on the Necromancers and the Death Bringer. This volume completes the second or "Necromancer trilogy" of the series, which consists of books 4–6: Dark Days, Mortal Coil and Death Bringer.
The mass market paperback of the sixth book was released in March 2012 in the UK and Ireland; unlike some of the paperback re-releases for earlier novels in the series, this version did not include a short story.
Plot
In the start of the book, Cleric Craven "helps" Melancholia through her Surge by tattooing her with symbols of magic, and she becomes very powerful - but unstable. She is then given the title "Death Bringer". This shocks and relieves Skulduggery and Valkyrie, as this takes a burden off Valkyrie's shoulders. Skulduggery and Valkyrie interrogate Kenny Dunne, a journalist, under the murder of a psychic, Paul Lynloloch. Paul had been receiving visions of the latest apocalypse (the mysterious Passage). Kenny reveals that Paul spoke to an old woman in the countryside about his visions. Skulduggery and Valkyrie immediately go there only to find her dead. When Fletcher joins the pair, he spots the killer who places a wooden box on the ground and runs away. Skulduggery orders them to hide back in the old woman's cottage. It is then revealed that inside the box are the Jitter Girls, triplets from the early 20th century who were both physically and mentally altered when something from a different dimension attempted to enter our world through them; reducing them to murderous flickering images of little girls. Fletcher teleports away to get help while Skulduggery and Valkyrie attempt to fend off the Jitter Girls. When they fail, Darquesse emerges from Valkyrie's subconsciousness and forces the Jitter Girls back in the box. Skulduggery manages to convince Darquesse to bring back Valkyrie. In the Necromancer Temple, Craven reveals Melancholia to Tenebrae, Wreath and Quiver, who then admit they must have missed something within her. Valkyrie and Skulduggery visit the Temple only to find the killer, who is revealed to be Bison Dragonclaw. They chase him until he uses another delaying tactic which comes in the form of hiring a Warlock. After battling and killing the Warlock, Skulduggery drives off to the Sanctuary while Valkyrie returns home, to see Caelan who loves her to no end, although Valkyrie tires herself out by constantly reminding him not to "let this get serious" and that she doesn't love him. Later, Melancholia is given a break, which she uses to attack Valkyrie and almost rip her into shreds. She is rushed to the medical ward in the Sanctuary, where she is treated by Doctor Nye (now working for the Sactuary). Skulduggery, angered that Valkyrie was hurt, orders an arrest warrant for Melancholia from The Elders (Ghastly Bespoke, Erskine Ravel, Madam Mist) who grant him the warrant.
Skulduggery and a group of sanctuary agents visit the Temple with the arrest warrant but the Necromancers refuse to give Melancholia to them. Meanwhile, China meets Jaron Gallow in the woods who tells her that he has switched sides and that he will help her assassinate her blackmailer and rival, Eliza Scorn and 12 other spies in the form of highly important and influential figures - all worshippers of the Faceless Ones. Later, Skulduggery, Valkyrie and many other Sanctuary agents and Cleavers ready themselves to break into the Necromancer Temple. Before the Siege starts, Skulduggery and Valkyrie receive a call that Dragonclaw has been spotted at the airport. After interrogating him, they find out a group of Necromancers from London, who came here to fend off the siege, have just landed. Valkyrie manages to delay them and returns to find out a secret entrance into the Necromancer Temple. Valkyrie and Skulduggery stealthily breach the Temple and disguise themselves as Necromancers. They manage to reach the door to the antechamber but find it is locked. Skulduggery tells Valkyrie to stay at the door while he tries to unlock the door. Although Valkyrie obeys at first, she follows Wreath when she sees him. When he discovers her, Valkyrie asks him about the Passage. When she finds out that half the worlds population will need to die in order for the Passage to work, Wreath attacks her and knocks her unconscious. She wakes next to Skulduggery who also has been captured. Tenebrae walks in and reveals that Skulduggery was Lord Vile and that it was he who, fascinated by Skulduggery's condition, had taught Serpine his red right hand ability in a way that prevented Skulduggery dying and turned Skulduggery into a walking skeleton. Tenebrae walks away from the pain in Skulduggery's voice and the hurt in Valkyrie's but is soon angered when Craven is yet again late for their meeting. Not bothering to hide his contempt, he orders Craven to take him to Melancholia, who kills him and eventually killing half of the temples occupants by absorbing their souls, making her stronger. She faces off against Valkyrie and Skulduggery, easily overpowering them, but is terrified when Vile's armour attacks her. She manages to fend the armour off and disappears when the Sanctuary agents finally manage to breach the Temple. Valkyrie returns home to find out that her mother was mugged by a man named Moore who was later arrested. Fueled with rage, Valkyrie breaks into the police station and brutally beats him. After, the remaining necromancers take residence in the abandoned Willow Hill Retirement Home, where Craven is enjoying his position in power but is confronted and embarrassed by Wreath. Valkyrie breaks up with Fletcher in her rage about Moore and soon finds the twins near the beach who beg her to teach them magic. Valkyrie tries and fails to teach them but is seen by Fergus who is aware of the magic in the world and berates Valkyrie for trying to drag his daughters into the world of magic, as magic drove his family apart. Valkyrie promises not to teach them in the future and confronts Gordon about the matter, discovering that he is surprised Fergus is still aware of magic. Meanwhile, Fletcher has gone to Ghastly for advice about Valkyrie.
Soon, Wreath attempts to kill Craven but is prevented from doing so when the White Cleaver intervenes. Wreath escapes to Valkyrie and Skulduggery, who at first is hostile to Wreath but grant him amnesty when he reveals the location of the necromancers. Valkyrie and Skulduggery and several others ambush the necromancers via Fletchers teleportation. It is then appeared that Melancholia was killed by a stray shadow but is then revealed that it was Melancholia's reflection. Later at Valkyries home, she is ambushed by Moore but manages to yet again severely injure Moore. Later that night, Valkyrie and Skulduggery attend the Requiem Ball at Gordon's house with 300 other powerful sorcerers. The Ball is interrupted when a group of gunmen attempt to rob them but they are easily dispatched by the sorcerers. Meanwhile, a group of necromancers sneak into the ball with Melancholia, who kills all of the sorcerers but Valkyrie and Skulduggery manage to escape. They chase after the remaining necromancers (Melancholia and Craven) and attempt to stop them but another apparition of Vile appears but Melancholia quickly stops it. Skulduggery, after shooting Craven dead, and seeing no other way to stop Melancholia, turns into the real Lord Vile who defeats Melancholia easily. Valkyrie, who is unable to stop Vile, carries Melancholia and the pair runs through the network of caves underneath Gordon's house, trying to find an exit. Valkyrie is delayed when small monkey-rat creatures attempt to kidnap her but she fights her way out and rescues Melancholia from Vile. The pair then finds the White Cleaver who sacrifices himself to delay Vile. The pair manages to find an exit and Valkyrie tells Melancholia to kill her so Darquesse can surface. She succeeds and Darquesse and Vile engage each other in the air and on the ground, eventually reaching a tie with the pair of them reverting to their normal selves. After, the pair drive to China's library only to find her being beaten up by Eliza Scorn. Scorn then reveals to Skulduggery that China was the reason that his family was dead and Scorn then blows up China's library. China later tells Valkyrie and Skulduggery that they can leave her. Skulduggery drives off while Valkyrie confronts Caelan that she is breaking up with him. Angered, he overpowers Valkyrie and attempts to turn her into a vampire before Fletcher stops him. Valkyrie then throws Caelan into the sea, activating his vampiric allergy to saltwater and killing him. Valkyrie and Fletcher teleport to someplace while a shaken Kenny Dunne watches on, and plans to reveal the world of magic to mortals.