I’ve read up to book 13 and then just purposely had the last two books spoiled for me because I didn’t care enough to read them, but Until The End doesn’t sound too terrible so maybe I’ll see if my library has it.
That being said, phase 2 in general just feels like all of my problems with the series cranked up to 11 and without any of my favorite parts. The whole magic system just makes less and less sense as the series goes on, the new characters feel really flat and boring, and a lot of people also say the books feel really ooc, but I think it’s more than that. It kind of feels like Landy just doesn’t know how to write character development, like he’s trying to have Valkyrie process her trauma, for example, but he keeps missing the mark. Her character arc doesn’t have the emotional impact it should, and any time she makes even a little progress, it’s undone by the beginning of the next book, with no real explanation. Her friendship with Skulduggery has basically devolved into them being very reluctant coworkers, but again, the book avoids addressing this change, why they might need space from each other, how dysfunctional their original partnership might have been, etc, in any meaningful way.
Skulduggery himself also continues to just. not get any emotional depth. and it is so frustrating, especially because Valkyrie trying to deal with her own issues could have opened up an opportunity for Skulduggery to start trying to do the same in order to help her. And a lot of what’s been happening in phase 2 should have had some emotional impact on him, but again, I feel like Landy doesn’t know how to write that.
