Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World

Plot summary

The book starts off with a boy named Ryan looking around a library. Near him he sees a group of four suspicious strangers, shortly before noticing a tiny silver circle on a shelf. After Ryan picks it up, it burns him, leaving a mark, and the group of four come up to him. Their names are Samuel, Obloquy, Mercy Charient and Foe. They threaten him to go with them, but then Valkyrie shows up to save him. They run through the library throwing fireballs, before getting outside to the Bentley. Skulduggery then gets in and drives them away. During the drive Valkyrie explains some things about magic and its people to Ryan before coming to an apartment building. She also explains that Foe and his friends need the imprint on Ryan's hand to activate a Doomsday Machine, a bomb that was initially meant to destroy the Faceless Ones. Deacon Maybury was a sorcerer who used to belong to Foe's gang, but he betrayed them and stole the key, planning to sell it on.

They searched Deacon Maybury's trashed apartment looking for clues about his murder. While searching a woman came to the apartment, Francine, looking for Deacon. They explained to her that Deacon had been killed and asked if she knew anything about it. She said she was very close to Deacon and loved him deeply. Ryan returns with her to her apartment. When he tells her it was no trouble at all, Francine tells him there will be trouble. Suddenly, Foe appears and kidnaps him. It is revealed that Francine is just an illusion, and she is really Mercy in disguise. Fortunately, Valkyrie and Skulduggery save him, and they escape by jumping out the window.

Skulduggery explains that the only person able to create an illusion is Robert Crasis. They drive to Crasis' house, and he explains that Foe threatened his family so he was forced to disguise Mercy as Francine. Skulduggery asks for a map, and he finds the location of the Doomsday Machine.

They drive to a shopping mall and enter a room, where they plan to stay until all of the shopper's have left. Skulduggery asks Ryan why he doesn't miss his home, and Ryan explains that he was initially planning to run away from home. But Skulduggery tells him that he doesn't have a home. Crasis created Ryan. Ryan is an illusion. And beneath the illusion lies Deacon Maybury. Ryan tells him that he is crazy, but Skulduggery insists that he is telling the truth. Deacon disguised himself so he could hide from Foe's gang, as an average teenage boy. Ryan eventually gives in, and he sits away from the others and weeps. Valkyrie comforts him, and tells him that by dismantling the Doomsday Machine he would make Deacon mad.

They find the activation panel, but Foe's gang arrive. They fight, with Skulduggery defeating Mercy and Samuel and Valkyrie defeating Obloquy. Foe flees the scene when Samuel unleashes his vampire form. Ryan dismantles the machine, and Valkyrie comforts and kisses him. But then the illusion fades, and Deacon is revealed. Skulduggery tells him that he may escape, but only because Ryan was their friend.