The story follows the characters Skulduggery Pleasant — a skeleton, sorcerer and detective — and his partner Stephanie Edgley, who also goes by Valkyrie Cain.

They and their numerous magic-wielding allies try to prevent the necromancer Nefarian Serpine from unleashing a powerful weapon called The Sceptre of Ancients.

[2] Warner Bros. considered creating a live-action musical film based on the book, before Derek Landy bought back the rights.

Present at the reading of the will is a man in an overcoat, hat, frizzy wig, sunglasses, and scarf, named Skulduggery Pleasant.

Stephanie's none-too-well-liked uncle and aunt Fergus and Beryl are given a brooch, a boat, and a car (none of which they wanted), while her parents are left a villa in France.

Stephanie herself is left with all of Gordon's remaining estate, including the royalties to his best-selling books, and a mansion filled with his possessions.

Upon realizing that her uncle was murdered and learning about the extensive nature of the secret world of mages and sorcerers, Stephanie decides to escape her previously tedious life and join this new one.

Over the course of their search, Skulduggery and Stephanie uncover a greater plot for world domination by a previous general in the magical war in attempt to bring back the Faceless Ones.

Because of the power that can be held over people by sorcerers who know that person's real name, Stephanie starts going by Valkyrie Cain.

Aided by boxer/tailor Ghastly Bespoke and the librarian/informant China Sorrows, Skulduggery and Stephanie meet with the strong Mr. Bliss and the professional swordswoman Tanith Low in the hopes that they can help keep the Sceptre away from Nefarian Serpine, who want to bring back their retired evil gods.

In an attempt to spread the evil religion and possibly bring back the Faceless Ones from their extra-dimensional banishment, Mevolent waged a secret war on the wizard community.

Serpine's original plan was to use the Book of Names housed there to control the world, thus being able to simultaneously enforce Faceless One worship while searching unhindered for one who could show him how to bring them back.

Angered at his loss, Serpine tortures Stephanie with his Red Hand, but Skulduggery destroys him with the Sceptre, breaking its power in the process.

Though as a result of a necromancer's experiment, Skulduggery did not move on after his death, but stayed and watched the war progress; to his horror, the tide turned and Mevolent gained advantage.

Skulduggery accepts the sacrifice of individuals as a necessary part of war, but he is highly reluctant to allow this to happen to Stephanie (aka Valkyrie Cain).

Stephanie despised her boring, ordinary life; she did not have anything in common with her peers, and though not disruptive at school, has a healthy disregard for authority.

Though possessing no immediately obvious special abilities, other than fundamental running, swimming, and fighting instincts which help her out of trouble at the outset of the novel, Stephanie later learns she is a descendant of the Last of the Ancients, who was one of the first to discover magic.

She begins to develop her magic skills, manipulating air in a climactic battle scene, and managing to create fire at the end of the novel.

Tanith Low is a master swordswoman who is first introduced within the text whenever the character is battling a troll on Westminster Bridge in the first book.

Tanith does not work for the Elders (who are the leaders of the magical communities which are mainly divided by country), because she has a natural distrust of authority.

The greatest weapon in Serpine's arsenal is his Red Right Hand which has the dark power to cause individuals great pain, eventually killing them, when pointed at.

China helps Skulduggery and Valkyrie out many times, and has fought alongside them, though she calls herself neutral, stating '"I am loyal to one person only.