Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection
First book in the Skulduggery Pleasant sequel series.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection, published in 2017, is a young adult fantasy novel by Derek Landy. It serves as the first installment of the Skulduggery Pleasant sequel series and the tenth book in the overall franchise. During a Q&A at Easons' Department 51 in Dublin in October 2019, Landy revealed that the original title for both this book and the sequel series was Valkyrie Cain, named after the series' main protagonist.
The story begins five years after the events of *The Dying of the Light*. Alongside the now 24-year-old Valkyrie Cain, the novel introduces Omen Darkly, a younger character added at the publisher's request to make the series more accessible to children. Omen’s subplot across the next six books satirises J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series: inspired by Ron Weasley, Omen stands by while his "Chosen One" brother Auger (modelled on Harry Potter) has adventures with friends, including Omen’s best friend Never (inspired by Hermione Granger).
Agent Temper Fray, who works for Skulduggery Pleasant, goes undercover to spy on the anti-sanctuary—a group of sorcerers aiming to start a war between mortals and sorcerers. He is captured by anti-sanctuary agents, including Lethe, Azzedine Smoke, and Razzia. When Temper goes missing, Skulduggery re-enlists Valkyrie, who is staying at Grimwood House, her late Uncle Gordon’s home. Meanwhile, in Roarhaven, Sebastian Tao privately resolves to bring Darquesse back. Valkyrie and Skulduggery travel to the magical city of Roarhaven, where Sergeant Larrup initially denies their entry to the High Sanctuary, but Corporal Yonder overrides him and lets them in.
*The Times* gave the audiobook a positive review, calling the series "witty and edgy" and enthralling. *The Irish Times* offered a mixed review, noting the novel is "very much reliant on fans’ knowledge of previous titles" and that while "existing fans will be delighted," Omen Darkly feels "slightly flat" and "the action- and dialogue-heavy scenes leave little room for thoughtful characterisation." *The Irish Independent* gave a positive review, stating the book "sizzles with whip-smart dialogue and dark humour galore" and "highly recommend" it.
- author
- Derek Landy
- published
- 2017
- genre
- Young adult fantasy
- series_position
- First book in sequel series, tenth in franchise
- original_title
- Valkyrie Cain
Lore & Background
The novel takes place five years after The Dying of the Light. It continues the story of the now 24-year-old Valkyrie Cain and introduces Omen Darkly, a younger main character included at the publisher's request to make the series closer to a children's series. Omen's subplot storylines over the following six books satirise the Harry Potter series, with Omen inspired by Ron Weasley and his brother Auger inspired by Harry Potter, while Omen's best friend Never is inspired by Hermione Granger.
Temper Fray, an agent working for Skulduggery Pleasant, goes undercover to spy on the anti-sanctuary, a group of sorcerers who want war between mortals and sorcerers. He is captured by agents including Lethe, Azzedine Smoke, and Razzia. Skulduggery re-enlists Valkyrie Cain, who is staying at Grimwood House, her Uncle Gordon's former home. Meanwhile, Sebastian Tao thinks to himself in Roarhaven that he needs to bring Darquesse back. Valkyrie and Skulduggery travel to Roarhaven, where Sergeant Larrup initially denies their entry to the High Sanctuary, but Corporal Yonder overrides him and lets them in.
Reader's Guide
Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection marks a significant shift in the franchise, introducing a new generation of characters while continuing the established storyline. The novel's original title, Valkyrie Cain, was confirmed by Derek Landy in October 2019 at Easons' Department 51 in Dublin. The book received mixed to positive reviews: The Times praised the audiobook as 'witty and edgy' and enthralling, while The Irish Times noted it is 'very much reliant on fans’ knowledge of previous titles' and that Omen Darkly feels 'slightly flat' with action- and dialogue-heavy scenes leaving little room for thoughtful characterisation. The Irish Independent gave a positive review, stating the book 'sizzles with whip-smart dialogue and dark humour galore' and highly recommended it. The novel's legacy lies in expanding the Skulduggery Pleasant universe and setting up a new series arc.
Did You Know?
- The original title of Resurrection and the sequel series was Valkyrie Cain, after the series' main protagonist.
- Omen Darkly's subplot satirises the Harry Potter series, with Omen inspired by Ron Weasley and his brother Auger inspired by Harry Potter.
- Temper Fray is captured by agents of the Anti-sanctuary, including Lethe, Azzedine Smoke, Memphis, Razzia, Cadaverous Gant, and Destrier.
- The Irish Times gave the novel a mixed review, noting it is 'very much reliant on fans’ knowledge of previous titles'.
More in Irish fantasy novels 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record