The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, rid the county of witches, ghosts, boggarts, and other creatures of the dark. And there's some unfin... read full description
reviews
Oct 04, 2008
Carter
rated it: 
This series has been great so far for me. Great for young people looking for a scary read without being all out horror. There's lots of back-story built in to these books, so I would definitely recommend reading them in order. I've yet to see the original UK versions, so I'm not sure if they contain the images that the US version has. They're fantastic, just so you know. One thing I'm curious about is why the name change for the US books. I wonder how Delaney feels about this.
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Mar 24, 2009
Dahlia
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Buku ke-2 ini gak kalah keren dari buku 1!!
Buku ini petualangannya berasa kuat. Bagaimana tidak, di awal bab saja kita sudah disuguhi ketegangan Thomas menghadapi Ripper, sejenis boggart yang telah mengecap darah manusia. Kemudian bergulir ke Priestown untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan yang tertunda dan hampir menewaskan sang master 20tahun silam.
Di Priestown ini terkurung The Bane, monster tanpa bentuk tetap dengan kekuatan gelap yang bisa membaca fikiran, mengendalikan dan mengu More...
Buku ini petualangannya berasa kuat. Bagaimana tidak, di awal bab saja kita sudah disuguhi ketegangan Thomas menghadapi Ripper, sejenis boggart yang telah mengecap darah manusia. Kemudian bergulir ke Priestown untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan yang tertunda dan hampir menewaskan sang master 20tahun silam.
Di Priestown ini terkurung The Bane, monster tanpa bentuk tetap dengan kekuatan gelap yang bisa membaca fikiran, mengendalikan dan mengu More...
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Jun 21, 2011
ChRis.t.OS
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i think it is one of the best childrens books that i ever read in my life...a bit splatterish but it was nice....well i would recomend it only in 13 yolds and above....Anyway TSC is a great sequel...it takes six months after the events of the first book and continues the story giving us new villains(the inquistor is a very scary persona),new loveable character and hollowing settings and a few counter-issues happening to the characters.Delaney is a great story teller that hates stalling in his s
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Jan 17, 2011
This is the second book in the Last Apprentice series. Tom and the Spook venture to Priestown to attend to some unfinished business. That "business" is a creature called the Bane. Long ago it roamed free and left destruction and despair in its path. It is secure enough, but is getting stronger and is able to control people's minds. The death toll is rising, so the Spook is ready to take care of it. But things become even more complicated when the Quisitor arrives, an all-powerful "
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Jan 24, 2012
Gregory
rated it:
Going directly into the second one after such a good first one (instead of the other six books I've got lined up to read), this book did not disappoint!
First off, more of what I love about Manly Wade Wellman is here. British (rather than Appalachian) folklore is found throughout, and just enough creepiness to give a chill, but not so much that it'll scare you (or the younger crowd). His writing style is still quick and breezy, though there are times when he recaps moments from this an More...
First off, more of what I love about Manly Wade Wellman is here. British (rather than Appalachian) folklore is found throughout, and just enough creepiness to give a chill, but not so much that it'll scare you (or the younger crowd). His writing style is still quick and breezy, though there are times when he recaps moments from this an More...
Oct 20, 2011
Aparajitabasu
rated it:
It gets better and better each time. Presenting The Wardstone Chronicles #2 The Spook's Curse by Joseph Delaney.
Here is the summary of the book:
Now it's the dark's turn to be afraid. The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, deal with the dark. Together they rid the county of witches, ghosts, and boggarts. But now there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs of the cathedral lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat; a More...
Here is the summary of the book:
Now it's the dark's turn to be afraid. The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, deal with the dark. Together they rid the county of witches, ghosts, and boggarts. But now there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs of the cathedral lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat; a More...
Jun 01, 2011
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it:
Let me open this with a caveat or two.
First always be sure that your children/youths are mature enough to read any YA novel, this one included. Be sure that when reading a fantasy novel especially one with a horror context that they have a good reality concept.
Second and for this novel be aware of the attitude in these books (The Wardstone Chronicles in the UK or The Spook's Apprentice books in the US) toward "the church". I'm not Roman Catholic, but am a Christ More...
First always be sure that your children/youths are mature enough to read any YA novel, this one included. Be sure that when reading a fantasy novel especially one with a horror context that they have a good reality concept.
Second and for this novel be aware of the attitude in these books (The Wardstone Chronicles in the UK or The Spook's Apprentice books in the US) toward "the church". I'm not Roman Catholic, but am a Christ More...
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Jul 02, 2010
Christine
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I really don't like horror but I really like these books. There are a number of reviews that are off-put by the treatment of the church and priests. They have missed the point that the priests have been mind controlled by the Bane and that the Spook has a history that earned him the disrespect of his brother, the priest. That being said, the whole the good versus evil message seems to be a positive one. Like in Harry Potter, its all about the choices we make. I wouldn't recommend it to the
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Jul 23, 2011
Sam
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This is the second book in the Wardstone Chronicles also known as 'The Spook's Curse'. It continues the story of The Spook and his apprentice, Tom Ward, as they journey to Priestown. Priestown isn't a good place for a Spook to hang around because the Quistor is in town and he has taken it upon himself to rid the County of the dark which includes witches, warlocks and even Spooks! But they must journey there because the Spook has some unfinished business. His nemesis "The Bane" lurks wi
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Apr 03, 2011
Melissa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 23, 2011
Nikki
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The girls and I are loving this second book too (still enjoying it on audio). We often pull into our garage and sit there in the car because we are just that into the story and can't tear ourselves away.
Ok, Alex is starting to have horrible
Nightmares that keep her awake for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Rory is fine, but I couldn't let them finish it. We will start Sisters Grimm. :)
Ok, Alex is starting to have horrible
Nightmares that keep her awake for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Rory is fine, but I couldn't let them finish it. We will start Sisters Grimm. :)
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Dec 04, 2011
lin-lin
rated it:
Buku ini salah satu buku yg banyak typo sewaktu saya baca, tapi typo aja masih bisa saya atasi walau menggangu. Tapi ternyata yg paling buruk bukan typo melainkan ada halaman yang hilang di tengah seru2nya saya membaca. Dan tidak tanggung-tanggung halamannya hilang 26 lembar dari halaman 192 langsung loncat ke halaman 209. Reaksi pertama saya adalah, jelas bete dan bingung, mau komplain ke siapa. Biasanya kalau terbitan GPU, tinggal bawa ke TB Gramedia terdekat dan langsung diganti dengan revisi
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Aug 24, 2010
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷIcyƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
rated it:
This book called The last Apprentice # 2: Curse of the Bane. Thomas Ward and the Spook go to Preistown. There's something called the Bane that gets blood from other people by begging and it works. Alice is a girl with pointed shoes, accused of being a witch, she's innocent. She just wears pointed shoes.
The Bane lives under Preistown and the Spook had challenged the Bane when he was younger. He barely lived. But, he stayed alive... Alice and the Spook went to challenge the Bane, l More...
The Bane lives under Preistown and the Spook had challenged the Bane when he was younger. He barely lived. But, he stayed alive... Alice and the Spook went to challenge the Bane, l More...
Nov 21, 2009
Patrick
rated it: 
Good, scary. Very strong anti-religion message for YA. I'd worry about it at school, but lots of my kids have already read the series. The religious people are pompous fools, or worse, possessed cruel people. The sympathetic characters are more "spiritual." The mentor actually says he doesn't believe in the guy with beard, but some good force that helps you when you need it. The books are still good, but it's off-putting in YA lit.
The dark magic--spirits drinking your More...
The dark magic--spirits drinking your More...
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Jan 04, 2009
Branflakes
rated it:
If you have read my review of the first of the last apprentice series you know how I feel about it. This is the better of the two the book is still very detaled, but alot of those detals are know pretaining to his feelings. This book mostly had him trying to overcome obsticals, and the book tells you how he feels every step of the way. By the end of the book I really could relate to the main charecter which gave me another reason to keep reading whenever he did something I always thought I
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Jan 09, 2012
Alison
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I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I’ve been excited to get my hands on the rest of the series for quite a while. This book picks up several months after the previous book left off.
If I didn’t have a million other books I want to read, I would have tried to read these closer together. The mythology in the books isn’t hard to understand exactly, it is a middle grade book after all. It’s just that there is a lot of information and you need to keep it all straight in your More...
If I didn’t have a million other books I want to read, I would have tried to read these closer together. The mythology in the books isn’t hard to understand exactly, it is a middle grade book after all. It’s just that there is a lot of information and you need to keep it all straight in your More...
Jun 27, 2011
Emily
rated it:
This book is the second in the last apprentice series. I thought this book as amazing! It takes place before cars so they do a lot of walking from town to town. In this book the author introduces a lot of new characters, including some brothers of the spook. When the spook and main charcter tom travel to preistown, for the funeral of one of john gregory's (the spook) brothers, things take an unexpectedd turn for the worst. In this book you learn a lot more about the spooks past. If you like fant
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Dec 30, 2011
Kevin
rated it: 
Thomas Ward is an apprentice of the Spook, and he's getting training to keep peace in the county from witches, boggarts, and other creatures. Thomas and the spook need to defeat the Bane, an evil monster than feeds on blood. The only way to kill it is to stab it in the heart, but Thomas only has one chance. Also, the Quisitor is in town and he's here to kill all witches and the spook. Will Tom be able so save his master?
I picked this book up because I read the first book in the series More...
I picked this book up because I read the first book in the series More...
May 06, 2011
♫♪Star♪♫
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 19, 2010
Melissa
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Thomas Ward is the apprentice to the county Spook who teaches Thomas how to fight ghosts, witches and boggarts. Now the two must journey to Priestown to fight a creature so evil and so strong that even the Spook is terrified of it. On top of that The Quisitor has come to Priestown and he's intent on destroying all people who may or may not be witches or wizards.
This second book is a good continuance in the series. Thomas has grown some since the first book but he's still got a lot t More...
This second book is a good continuance in the series. Thomas has grown some since the first book but he's still got a lot t More...
Apr 02, 2011
Laura
rated it:
If you enjoyed the first book and want to continue the series, Book 2 is an okay but not great continuation.
I liked the first book in the series but didn't find the second book to be quiet as interesting or engaging. In Curse of the Bane Tom and the Spook address one main problem: the Bane. While there are other problems and conflicts along the way, the plot is fairly linear. I appreciate that Delaney asssumes we read and remembered what happened in Book 1 and I wish that Book 2 More...
I liked the first book in the series but didn't find the second book to be quiet as interesting or engaging. In Curse of the Bane Tom and the Spook address one main problem: the Bane. While there are other problems and conflicts along the way, the plot is fairly linear. I appreciate that Delaney asssumes we read and remembered what happened in Book 1 and I wish that Book 2 More...
Mar 04, 2010
Brian
rated it:
The story of Thomas Ward's apprenticeship to the local Spook continues, with all the grisly details and things that go bump in the night. This time, Tom & Mr. Gregory head to the town of Priestown to deal with a big bad nasty who has been trapped in the catacombs under the town for years, but whose influence is growing on the townspeople and local leaders. Each chapter begins with great, creepy art that foreshadows the action, and the story moves quickly. I didn't love this the way I did the
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Sep 06, 2011
Iwan
rated it:
Cool! The Spook's and his apprentice adventure is getting darker by the day. Since the first chapter we already get action with Tom tries to bind a Ripper Boggart ALONE without the help of his master. Luckily Tom manage to do his task perfectly.
In this book we get to see a little of the Spook's past. When attending a funeral for his Priest's brother in Priestown, the Spook's must face with two deadly threats, The High Quisitor and also an enemy from his past, The Bane!
Will th More...
In this book we get to see a little of the Spook's past. When attending a funeral for his Priest's brother in Priestown, the Spook's must face with two deadly threats, The High Quisitor and also an enemy from his past, The Bane!
Will th More...
Jun 17, 2010
Sarah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 14, 2011
Wendy
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3.5 Stars... I can't say enough how much I wish we had the option for "half-stars". I wouldn't say "I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK!", but "I liked it" doesn't seem to say enough. It was a good, solid story. The first in the series was better, but I enjoyed this one and I'll read the next one. (:
I will say that I think this is a GREAT series for kids starting around age 10 or so (maybe 11...12?). They are good "ghost stories" without all the horro More...
I will say that I think this is a GREAT series for kids starting around age 10 or so (maybe 11...12?). They are good "ghost stories" without all the horro More...
Jan 13, 2011
Erika
rated it:
I love how straightforward these books are. It's a very quick and engaging read with great illustrations. The story gets darker this time, addressing subjects such as torture and religious beliefs, and there's also a considerable increase in casualties faced by the main characters. I liked the previous book better, probably because the first one dealt with evil magical beings mostly, and the second one is more about the evil within humans and the consequences of making certain decisions. I'm hop
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May 24, 2011
i read this book at home, i liked the whole story of this book. i enjoyed the story of how all of these conflicts get in the way of him and his family, or any of his social life. with the training he goes through, you can tell that the spook was and still likes to teach and learn things the old harder way. its was a plausible way of the spook to let him do some of these missions alone. and towards the end when he let him go and do this even bigger and deadlier mission to deal with the bane. this
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Apr 13, 2009
Sandy
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Book 2 starts out with Tom having to capture a ripper boggart - one of the worst kinds ever - while the Spook is home sick. This boggart is feeding off of the Spook's Priest brother, who later dies from this experience. This leads the Spook and Tom to PriestTown, where they work to bind The Bane - an evil force that lurks in the catacombs under PriestTown and corrupts the Priests. There is more intrigue in this book than in the first, but also more action - things hit the ground running and j
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Nov 28, 2009
Sharon
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I was curious to see if the sequel could live up to the excellent first book in this series, and it doesn't quite. Unfortunately, it suffers from the widely held Harry Potter delusion that popular children's fantasies must get thicker as they go along, and the pacing just isn't nearly as tense and suspenseful. Still, the Bane with its pressing is a pretty powerful and terrifying enemy, the mystery of Alice's character continues, some glimpses into the Spook's and Tom's mother's past are revealin
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Apr 06, 2009
e.c.h.a
rated it:
ok..kira-kira apa yang perlu gw review ya takut spoiler hahahaha
Gw merasa ini buku lebih seru dan lebih tegang dibanding yang pertama...saat Tom menghadapi boggart bikin dag dig dug...apalagi yang menghadapi The Bane gk bisa nafas euy...
John Gregory juga nasibnya jatuh bangun di buku ini..sedikit demi sedikit semua rahasia mulai terbongkar..rasa penasaran gw terhadap Mom mulai sedikit terkuak..sedikit sih gk banyak hehehehe
tokoh sentralnya siapa ya hehehe kok More...
Gw merasa ini buku lebih seru dan lebih tegang dibanding yang pertama...saat Tom menghadapi boggart bikin dag dig dug...apalagi yang menghadapi The Bane gk bisa nafas euy...
John Gregory juga nasibnya jatuh bangun di buku ini..sedikit demi sedikit semua rahasia mulai terbongkar..rasa penasaran gw terhadap Mom mulai sedikit terkuak..sedikit sih gk banyak hehehehe
tokoh sentralnya siapa ya hehehe kok More...
