Skulduggery Pleasant #5: Mortal Coil by Derek Landy

My name is Skulduggery Pleasant, and all hell has broken loose. All of the Remnants have been released and are possessing hundreds and hundreds of host bodies. The only way to kill the Remnants is to kill the innocent hosts. That option is not desirable, plus many of the most powerful sorcerers and mages are among the victims. We have a soul catcher that would help with one Remnant but will be useless with thousands of them. I'm also concerned about Valkyrie's secrets. I know she's worried about becoming the Darquesse and destroying the world, so I'm afraid of what she might do. I would never judge her, but she'll probably do something moronic, simple-minded, and imbecilic. We're trying to reform the Sanctuary, Remnants are running wild, and my partner may destroy the world. Geez, I love the excitement of being a detective!

The humor is back in full force! The banter between Skulduggery and Valkyrie is very amusing, and Skulduggery enjoys teasing his friends and foes. As described above, the plot in this book goes a little haywire. It seemed like it was going to focus on undermining the reformation of the Sanctuary, and then the Remnants went nuts. The second half of the book describes their takeover of mortals, then sorcerers, then characters with power within the organization of magic. It wasn't clear when this epidemic would stop and how the protagonists might be able to stop them. I'm impressed with how well the author introduces the unexpected and keeps me guessing. At different times, good guys become bad, and bad guys help the good, usually temporarily. Valkyrie is the main character, and her issues are compelling. She might destroy the world, but the Necromancers think she will become a savior. She still wants to be part of the mortal world with her parents, but she must keep magic a secret and her reflection is behaving strangely. The arrival of a new sibling will further complicate her life, and it's unclear how her cousins will affect the future. All of these factors make me look forward to reading Death Bringer.