Series · fantasy

Skulduggery Pleasant

The Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy has 23 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Skulduggery Pleasant (2007).

Books: 23 books
First published: 2007
Status: ongoing
Last checked: 17 August 2026

Start here: Skulduggery Pleasant (2007) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Skulduggery Pleasant (2007)

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

Book 1:
Skulduggery Pleasant
Novel2007
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Book 2:
Playing with Fire
Novel2008
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Book 3:
The Faceless Ones
Novel2009
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Book 4:
Dark Days
Novel2010
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Book 5:
Mortal Coil
Novel2010
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Book 6:
Death Bringer
Novel2011
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Book 7:
Kingdom of the Wicked
Novel2012
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Book 8:
Last Stand of Dead Men
Novel2013
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Book 9:
Skulduggery Pleasant: The Maleficent Seven
Novel2013
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Book 10:
The Dying of the Light
Novel2014
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Book 11:
Armageddon Outta Here: The World of Skulduggery Pleasant
Novel2014
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Book 12:
Resurrection
Novel2017
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Book 13:
Midnight
Novel2018
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Book 14:
Bedlam
Novel2019
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Book 15:
Seasons of War
Novel2020
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Book 16:
Dead or Alive
Novel2021
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Book 17:
The Skulduggery Pleasant Grimoire
Novel2021
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Book 18:
Until the End
Novel2022
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Book 19:
Hell Breaks Loose
Novel2023
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Book 20:
Bad Magic: A Skulduggery Pleasant Graphic Novel
Novel2023
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Book 21:
A Mind Full of Murder
Novel2024
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Book 22:
A Heart Full of Hatred
Novel2025
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Book 23:
A Soul Full of Shadows
Novel2026
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About the Skulduggery Pleasant series

Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley inherits a strange house from her recently deceased uncle and finds herself teamed up with its previous tenant's oldest friend: a wisecracking, magic-wielding, reanimated skeleton detective named Skulduggery Pleasant. Together they investigate a hidden magical Ireland full of sorcerers, monsters, and ancient evils, and Stephanie - who takes the name Valkyrie Cain - trains up from tag-along to genuine magical powerhouse across a saga that keeps escalating in scale and body count as it goes. Derek Landy's voice is the hook: rapid-fire banter, dry gallows humor, and genuinely startling tonal swings into real darkness and loss once the series gets rolling, especially from the back half of the first nine-book run onward.

This is urban fantasy built like an action movie - car chases, magical duels, detective-noir plotting - filtered through middle-grade/YA sensibilities that don't flinch from killing off characters readers love. It's a strong pick for fans who want their fantasy funny and fast rather than lyrical, with a central mentor-and-protégé double act (skeleton detective and teenage sorceress) that carries the whole nine-book-and-counting run through multiple named "Phases" spanning nearly two decades of publication.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in Skulduggery Pleasant?

18 main-sequence novels across three phases (Phase I: 9 books, Phase II: 6 books, Phase III: 3 books), plus five standalone companion works: The Maleficent Seven, the short story collection Armageddon Outta Here, Hell Breaks Loose, the reference book The Skulduggery Pleasant Grimoire, and the graphic novel Bad Magic.

What order should I read Skulduggery Pleasant in?

Publication order, starting with Skulduggery Pleasant. Phase I forms a complete story; Phase II and Phase III continue directly afterward and assume you've read what came before.

Is Skulduggery Pleasant finished?

Phase III concluded with A Soul Full of Shadows in March 2026. As of August 2026 there is no confirmed announcement of a further phase, but Derek Landy has continued the series through multiple planned phases before, so treat the series as on hiatus rather than definitively over.

Do I need to read the spinoff books like The Maleficent Seven?

No. They're standalone side stories set at specific points in the timeline and add flavor, but the main numbered novels tell the complete core story without them.

Can I start with Phase II or Phase III?

No. Each phase builds directly on character relationships, losses, and plot developments from the phase before it - start from book 1.