Forgotten title and Google is zero help

[Posidriver]

Hello all. I am trying to locate/remember the title of a book based on a young boy (dogsbody) helping out a wizard type character in a tower University. He sprouts wings and comes of age as a demon if I recall correctly. He later on has to go down a pit/tunnel to the underground world where a demon god rules over a mountain of bones. I believe there was a battle and young flying lad saves the day. He had an unusual name like Pil/Pip/Dil etc. Anybody know of this novel? Hoping there were sequels. Also I think there was a side plot of a crazy bad wizard guy with a sense of humour. Almost Pratchet like. And possibly a ship that flew?
Thanks in advance. Fingers crossed!

 

[tachyon]

This could be The House of the Stag by Kage Baker

 

[HareBrain]

Ooh, I know one! This is Scar Night by Alan Campbell.

Hoping there were sequels.

There were two, Iron Angel and God of Clocks. (ETA, not that the OP seems likely to ever see this.)

 

[Danny McG]

not that the OP seems likely to ever see this.

I've answered some 'one-offs' like this and occasionally the OP responds, even though they haven't been on here since their original query.

Depends how they clicked on their notifications when they joined, some get an email informing them they finally have a reply.

So don't give up fellow Chronners, if you think you know, always post an answer....even a partial answer might help jog a memory