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The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #2
Spook: Der Fluch Des Geisterjägers
Tom Ward ist der siebte Sohn eines siebten Sohnes und Lehrling des Geisterjägers Spook. Um sich zu bewähren, soll er nicht nur einen widerwärtigen Boggart bannen, sondern auch dem teuflischen Bane den Garaus machen, der in den Katakomben einer Kathedrale haust. So viel geballte Garstigkeit und Gefahr machen es beinahe schon unerheblich, dass besagte Kathedrale ausgerechnet im Machtbereich des fanatischen Inquisitors steht. Aber eben nur beinahe…
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2005
708 people are currently reading
8461 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Delaney
59 books3,986 followersJoseph Delaney was a full time writer living in Lancashire, in the heart of Boggart territory.
He was the author of Wardstone Chronicles, Starblade Chronicles, Arena 13, Aberrations and a new book came out in April 2020, Brother Wulf. This is a new spooks story featuring Tom and Alice, but introducing a new character, a young monk called Brother Wulf.
He first got the idea for the Spooks series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continued to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire's varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire.
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time.
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph described his method of writing as a process of discovery. He didn’t plot too far ahead and often didn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he made it up as he went along. He prefed writing dialogue to description, in which he said he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
Joseph had three children and nine grandchildren and was a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
www.josephdelaneyauthor.com
from publisher's website
He was the author of Wardstone Chronicles, Starblade Chronicles, Arena 13, Aberrations and a new book came out in April 2020, Brother Wulf. This is a new spooks story featuring Tom and Alice, but introducing a new character, a young monk called Brother Wulf.
He first got the idea for the Spooks series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continued to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire's varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire.
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time.
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph described his method of writing as a process of discovery. He didn’t plot too far ahead and often didn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he made it up as he went along. He prefed writing dialogue to description, in which he said he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
Joseph had three children and nine grandchildren and was a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
www.josephdelaneyauthor.com
from publisher's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,382 reviews
November 30, 2025
Priestown may seem like a sanctimonious and pious town but there's something sinister lurking underneath their cobbled streets...and its name is the Bane.
"Now it's the dark's turn to be afraid."
The Bane is an ancient creature that the Spook dealt with once, many years ago. He was not able to vanquish it but he was able to banish the dark creature but it has slowly been peeling back the layers of his prison.
And then there's the Quisitor - a vile, contemptuous man who doesn't believe in that Spooks should meddle with the dark. That any association (even if it is to bind or destroy) with the dark is a good as being dark themselves.
Tom and the Spook must find a way to deal with the Bane once and for all...all while under the nose of the Quisitor!
What a solid follow up to the first book!
"I've chosen my path - and right or wrong, it's the one I tread."
Tom Ward is still a new apprentice to the Spook but after the events of the first book, he is feeling more confident in his career. He understands the importance of his job and the effects it has on the people of the County.
I like watching him develop into his own as he gains confidence and courage to fight the dark. I thought it was interesting to watch him battle himself. The fierce morals and steadfast beliefs of Priestown throws his newfound confidence for a loop. How can he save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
As always, the illustrations are fabulous additions to the book and did a great job of increasing the overall creepiness of the story.
I really recommend this series!
Audiobook Comments
Narrated by Christopher Evan Welch. He seems like a pretty darn good narrator. I'm pretty happy with how consistent he is between this and the first novel.
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July 18, 2025
A cross mix between ideas of Harry Potter, Stephen King's IT and Game of Thrones, this journey into darkness was nothing short of fun and intriguing. the further you go, the more invested you get. A continuation of the first book, Curse of the Bane takes Thomas Ward into new challenging morals and confronting a fearsome ancient enemy of the Spook. It was impressive to see how much more lore was explored in this second installment, taking the reader through old cathedrals, underground catacombs, and delusional god fearing towns. It was nice to experience a story of the same series that wasn't the SAME, so kudos to Delaney. A ton of philosophy to explore. New revelations that weren't considered in the first book and surprisingly dangerous situations that actually have you turning pages. Curse of the Bane bleeds gothic scenery and antagonists with real POWER.
This book is very much "IT" and the Bane is very much Pennywise, an entity that contaminates the hearts and minds of men and women. It creeps up through the ground in order to manifest itself in the flesh. Bottom line. Fear compels the reader. And poor Thomas has no idea what's in store for him. The subtleness to this book series can be quite vexing sometimes and out right scary at times. This certainly backs up its tendencies to gothic roots. The Spook is a fantastic mentor to Thomas and like all role models, his flaws flow over the pages along with Alice as well.
5 out of 5 stars
F. D. Gross
This book is very much "IT" and the Bane is very much Pennywise, an entity that contaminates the hearts and minds of men and women. It creeps up through the ground in order to manifest itself in the flesh. Bottom line. Fear compels the reader. And poor Thomas has no idea what's in store for him. The subtleness to this book series can be quite vexing sometimes and out right scary at times. This certainly backs up its tendencies to gothic roots. The Spook is a fantastic mentor to Thomas and like all role models, his flaws flow over the pages along with Alice as well.
5 out of 5 stars
F. D. Gross
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October 15, 2012
A disappointing follow-up to Delaney's excellent first novel. The heavy-handed anti-clericalism and anti-ecclesiasticism certainly didn't help, but the overall narrative also felt remarkably flat (despite a gripping opening), the characters seemed unengaging and unengaged in one another, and the "big bad" felt like an inappropriate villain for the second story in a long-running series. The Bane would have been a better fit for a later -- perhaps even final -- volume, or as a recurring villain. Instead we hear how horrifying and powerful he is, but rarely get more than a glimpse of that power, and he appears startlingly easy to defeat.
The "horror" of this volume is also lacking. We see a couple creepy things and two genuinely gruesome deaths (a cat and an old man, though the latter is fairly lackluster), but the overall sense of menace and terror is missing. The story is flat, the characters are flat, and the Bane is actually a rather pathetic villain. I suspect this is, in part, because the author really just wanted to use this volume as a platform to rail against his vision of medieval priests and British churches; far more text and time is spent dwelling on how eeeeeeeeeeevil those two elements are than on the Bane itself.
Whereas the first volume took me about 2 days, this one took me well over a month. I found myself drifting and slogging through this book, forcing myself to keep reading simply so i could put it back on the shelf. And once I'd finished, I felt little more than relief that I didn't have to keep reading it. Not a good sign.
I'll read the next book, but this volume makes me glad I only bought the first three. If things don't pick up in the next entry, I won't be continuing with the series.
EDIT: Also, the author asserts that Christians believed women did not have souls, which is A) not true, and B) anachronistic. This book is set in what appears to be the Dark Ages, but the aforementioned claim was an urban legend invented during the Reformation period due to a misunderstanding. A young scholar in the 1500s published what he thought was a hilarious satirical pamphlet in which he pretended to make that claim based on the ambiguity of the word "homo" (it means both "human" and "adult male") in the Latin Vulgate of the Bible; unfortunately for him, a Lutheran preacher didn't get the joke and begin an angry campaign against the preacher. So not only was this never a claim actually made by any Christians, but it was intended to be self-evidently preposterous. Delaney's antipathy towards medieval Catholicism wound up turning him into a modern day version of that Lutheran preacher.
The "horror" of this volume is also lacking. We see a couple creepy things and two genuinely gruesome deaths (a cat and an old man, though the latter is fairly lackluster), but the overall sense of menace and terror is missing. The story is flat, the characters are flat, and the Bane is actually a rather pathetic villain. I suspect this is, in part, because the author really just wanted to use this volume as a platform to rail against his vision of medieval priests and British churches; far more text and time is spent dwelling on how eeeeeeeeeeevil those two elements are than on the Bane itself.
Whereas the first volume took me about 2 days, this one took me well over a month. I found myself drifting and slogging through this book, forcing myself to keep reading simply so i could put it back on the shelf. And once I'd finished, I felt little more than relief that I didn't have to keep reading it. Not a good sign.
I'll read the next book, but this volume makes me glad I only bought the first three. If things don't pick up in the next entry, I won't be continuing with the series.
EDIT: Also, the author asserts that Christians believed women did not have souls, which is A) not true, and B) anachronistic. This book is set in what appears to be the Dark Ages, but the aforementioned claim was an urban legend invented during the Reformation period due to a misunderstanding. A young scholar in the 1500s published what he thought was a hilarious satirical pamphlet in which he pretended to make that claim based on the ambiguity of the word "homo" (it means both "human" and "adult male") in the Latin Vulgate of the Bible; unfortunately for him, a Lutheran preacher didn't get the joke and begin an angry campaign against the preacher. So not only was this never a claim actually made by any Christians, but it was intended to be self-evidently preposterous. Delaney's antipathy towards medieval Catholicism wound up turning him into a modern day version of that Lutheran preacher.
June 2, 2011
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 Christian. Were my kids small, I'd have let them read thee books (they were both able to read young plus I read to them from a very early age). While the author never says "Catholic" here, we have priests, brothers, "making the sign of the cross", and (later) it's mentioned that the only thing "Spooks" and "Priests" have in common is celibacy. There is a...somewhat negative view of "the church" while the main character expresses a view that he believes in God, he apparently has little use for the church.
I kept remembering a line from the movie Men in Black, when Tommy Lee Jones was explaining how bad it was that the alien was "a bug". Will Smith's character answers "you were stung as a child weren't you?" I wonder if maybe the writer had a bad experience with someone in the Catholic church...
Well whatever, this will be a non-issue for some and big issue for others. I'd say read the books first then use your judgement... you do something that's extremely unusual in this day and age, act like a parent.
Okay, all that aside, these are (so far) well written books and I (as an over the hill old curmudgeon) enjoy them/this one. Again we are with Tom Ward the apprentice Spook who seems constitutionally unable to do what he's told by his master or be honest with him for that matter and therefore ends up in the soup.
Of course, the Spook himself isn't perfect and sets up his own "fall into the soup pot" situations. Here we must deal with a threat from the Spook's younger days. He has to go "back" to the "Priest town" and face a threat that almost killed him before...a threat of terrible proportions. Of course he must also face...The Quisitor (read Inquisitor).
It's bound to get sticky.
While there are flaws this is a good book, the second in what looks like it might be a pretty good YA series. I plan to follow it up. I've run across a lot of youth books I felt weren't...all that great, lately. It's good to find one that's fairly well told and based on an interesting idea. I'd say, try it. See what you think.
**************** Some spoilers below ********************
Tom also has to go on dealing with Alice (whom we met in the fist volume). She just can't seem to keep out trouble and is apparently never going to be able to stay away from "the dark". The Spook has a sure remedy for that however...the witch pit, and Tom just can't bear the thought. He uses something from the Spook's past however, something he's not supposed to know about to keep her from it.
But is that for the best? I find myself wondering about the Spook's witch remedy (is being trapped and starved in a pit better than burning? It's a tricky question and one reason I advise parents to be aware.)
I also wonder if "in the end" Alice may not be Tom's weakness. Oh well, like I said a pretty good series, so far.
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 Christian. Were my kids small, I'd have let them read thee books (they were both able to read young plus I read to them from a very early age). While the author never says "Catholic" here, we have priests, brothers, "making the sign of the cross", and (later) it's mentioned that the only thing "Spooks" and "Priests" have in common is celibacy. There is a...somewhat negative view of "the church" while the main character expresses a view that he believes in God, he apparently has little use for the church.
I kept remembering a line from the movie Men in Black, when Tommy Lee Jones was explaining how bad it was that the alien was "a bug". Will Smith's character answers "you were stung as a child weren't you?" I wonder if maybe the writer had a bad experience with someone in the Catholic church...
Well whatever, this will be a non-issue for some and big issue for others. I'd say read the books first then use your judgement... you do something that's extremely unusual in this day and age, act like a parent.
Okay, all that aside, these are (so far) well written books and I (as an over the hill old curmudgeon) enjoy them/this one. Again we are with Tom Ward the apprentice Spook who seems constitutionally unable to do what he's told by his master or be honest with him for that matter and therefore ends up in the soup.
Of course, the Spook himself isn't perfect and sets up his own "fall into the soup pot" situations. Here we must deal with a threat from the Spook's younger days. He has to go "back" to the "Priest town" and face a threat that almost killed him before...a threat of terrible proportions. Of course he must also face...The Quisitor (read Inquisitor).
It's bound to get sticky.
While there are flaws this is a good book, the second in what looks like it might be a pretty good YA series. I plan to follow it up. I've run across a lot of youth books I felt weren't...all that great, lately. It's good to find one that's fairly well told and based on an interesting idea. I'd say, try it. See what you think.
**************** Some spoilers below ********************
Tom also has to go on dealing with Alice (whom we met in the fist volume). She just can't seem to keep out trouble and is apparently never going to be able to stay away from "the dark". The Spook has a sure remedy for that however...the witch pit, and Tom just can't bear the thought. He uses something from the Spook's past however, something he's not supposed to know about to keep her from it.
But is that for the best? I find myself wondering about the Spook's witch remedy (is being trapped and starved in a pit better than burning? It's a tricky question and one reason I advise parents to be aware.)
I also wonder if "in the end" Alice may not be Tom's weakness. Oh well, like I said a pretty good series, so far.
January 29, 2022
I enjoyed the second book in "The Last Apprentice" series. The main reason why I didn't give it 5 stars was that this book felt a bit muddled at times. I think having the Quisitor and then The Bane in this one was just a lot. I wish that Delaney had broken them up into two separate books. I also have to say that some parts started to bore me a bit while I was reading.
"The Curse of the Bane" follows Thomas Ward and the Spook, as they return to a place that the Spook once left after he was unable to defeat something that was a great evil. But with a Quisitor out to burn people like the Spook as well as witches too, it's up to Thomas and Alice to help save the day.
I really do love the characters in this book. Delaney provides us more clues about Thomas's mother (I feel like that could be a whole separate book honestly). Alice though seems to be drifting more towards something dark that may have implications for Thomas and the Spook.
The overall story about The Bane was good I thought, but the Quisitor and all that came with it just weighed things down too much.
The ending leaves things on an uncertain note. We know that Thomas and the Spook are about to move somewhere else, but we have to wait to see what if anything will come knocking next.
"The Curse of the Bane" follows Thomas Ward and the Spook, as they return to a place that the Spook once left after he was unable to defeat something that was a great evil. But with a Quisitor out to burn people like the Spook as well as witches too, it's up to Thomas and Alice to help save the day.
I really do love the characters in this book. Delaney provides us more clues about Thomas's mother (I feel like that could be a whole separate book honestly). Alice though seems to be drifting more towards something dark that may have implications for Thomas and the Spook.
The overall story about The Bane was good I thought, but the Quisitor and all that came with it just weighed things down too much.
The ending leaves things on an uncertain note. We know that Thomas and the Spook are about to move somewhere else, but we have to wait to see what if anything will come knocking next.
August 10, 2014
This one was so irritating to read. I hated Tom Ward in this one. He was such a wussy who kept refusing to see the bigger picture, who kept disobeying his master, who kept whining about Poor Alice even if she was responsible for so many bad things due to what she did. It pissed me off how he kept justifying her actions, and how he was so willing to risk so many innocent lives due to POOR FUCKING ALICE. arghhhhhhhhh
January 31, 2021
Bu seriyi okumayarak hata yapıyorsunuz. Tek söyleyeceğim bu.
November 20, 2014
I started this series years ago, and I was impressed that this is genuinely scary horror fiction for younger readers. Finally, I was able to pick this series up with the second book. I actually own this in Kindle and Paperback, but I wanted a scary book to listen to on audio for Halloween. Needless to say, I didn't finish it until November.
So I guess I should talk about my thoughts on the book. Frankly, I didn't like this as much as Book One. I guess I liked the evil witch villain more than I liked the Bane (and the weak humans he manipulated and used to do his evil).
The storyline touches in uncomfortable ways how the church may have done more harm than good in the fight against evil. Witches are being persecuted and burned (and many aren't even witches) in the name of God. Yeah, that can definitely lead to trouble when you use God as an excuse to hurt others or to manipulate things to your advantage over others. That doesn't speak to God's character at all, but many who don't know God can sometimes believe in the evil acts of people more than they believe in who God really is. The truth is that God is represented through a believer's actions than anything else.
The book shows that sometimes the worse evil is human evil. That's not to say that there is not an obvious supernatural component to this book. But frankly, if the Bane was not able to find humans to use and manipulate, he probably wouldn't have done as much harm in this book as he did.
One thing I can say about Delaney is that he taps into the complexity of human nature. Alice is a young woman who is on the edge. She tiptoes into the dark in the name of doing what is right, and young Thomas feels sympathy and loyalty for her that conflicts with his loyalty to his master, the Spook, John Gregory. Even though he knows and fears the worst about Alice, he can't abandon her without trying to help her. Ultimately, it turns out that his instincts are right in many ways, and he has to stand by them even when things look most dire.
I really liked the backstory on Thomas' parents. That was very, very cool. Another look at the complexity of good and evil in this context of this story. But Delaney also stresses that it involves the choices that we make. If you're going to be a good person, you have to choose to do what is right, and if you take the step in the other direction, it's because of choices you make. Even in the contest of Christian belief, while we believe in salvation through faith, a person still has to choose to believe and to live a life that reflects that belief with the help of God's spirit living in them.
The Bane was a scary bad guy, and the story has some genuine chills and thrills. However, I didn't find it as magnetic as the first book. I think the Bane was too one-dimensional as a villain. Having said that, I still enjoy this series and I'm eager to see what the next book has to offer this reader.
I definitely wouldn't recommend this to any readers younger than a mature twelve. It's scary and it shows some really dark aspects of human nature. As far as parental oversight, reading this book would have some very important discussion points about what faith really represents and how the church has a responsibility to the community and others. This book does not show the church in a positive light at all.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
So I guess I should talk about my thoughts on the book. Frankly, I didn't like this as much as Book One. I guess I liked the evil witch villain more than I liked the Bane (and the weak humans he manipulated and used to do his evil).
The storyline touches in uncomfortable ways how the church may have done more harm than good in the fight against evil. Witches are being persecuted and burned (and many aren't even witches) in the name of God. Yeah, that can definitely lead to trouble when you use God as an excuse to hurt others or to manipulate things to your advantage over others. That doesn't speak to God's character at all, but many who don't know God can sometimes believe in the evil acts of people more than they believe in who God really is. The truth is that God is represented through a believer's actions than anything else.
The book shows that sometimes the worse evil is human evil. That's not to say that there is not an obvious supernatural component to this book. But frankly, if the Bane was not able to find humans to use and manipulate, he probably wouldn't have done as much harm in this book as he did.
One thing I can say about Delaney is that he taps into the complexity of human nature. Alice is a young woman who is on the edge. She tiptoes into the dark in the name of doing what is right, and young Thomas feels sympathy and loyalty for her that conflicts with his loyalty to his master, the Spook, John Gregory. Even though he knows and fears the worst about Alice, he can't abandon her without trying to help her. Ultimately, it turns out that his instincts are right in many ways, and he has to stand by them even when things look most dire.
I really liked the backstory on Thomas' parents. That was very, very cool. Another look at the complexity of good and evil in this context of this story. But Delaney also stresses that it involves the choices that we make. If you're going to be a good person, you have to choose to do what is right, and if you take the step in the other direction, it's because of choices you make. Even in the contest of Christian belief, while we believe in salvation through faith, a person still has to choose to believe and to live a life that reflects that belief with the help of God's spirit living in them.
The Bane was a scary bad guy, and the story has some genuine chills and thrills. However, I didn't find it as magnetic as the first book. I think the Bane was too one-dimensional as a villain. Having said that, I still enjoy this series and I'm eager to see what the next book has to offer this reader.
I definitely wouldn't recommend this to any readers younger than a mature twelve. It's scary and it shows some really dark aspects of human nature. As far as parental oversight, reading this book would have some very important discussion points about what faith really represents and how the church has a responsibility to the community and others. This book does not show the church in a positive light at all.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
October 7, 2019
Thomas Ward bir çıraktır fakat asıl Hayalet’in yakasında bir lanet vardır. Hayalet ve çırağı aldıkları elim bir haber sonucu Priestown’a gitmek durumunda kalırlar fakat yeraltında yaşayan çok tehlikeli bir yaratık vardır; Zehir. Burada sanırım kasabanın adının çevirilmesi gerekirdi çünkü kasaba papazların yuva yaptığı bir yer ve dini vecibelerine kendilerini kaptırmış bu kimseler kesinlikle Hayalet mesleğini küçümsemekte ve bunu günah olarak kabul etmektedirler. Bu sebeple bence Priest kelimesinin de anlamı düşünülürse çevirilmeliydi. Yazarın bilinçli bir isim seçtiğini düşünmekteyim. Her neyse, bu yaratık o kadar güçlü ki herkes onun gücünden korkuyor. Hayaletin kaderindeki laneti de düşündüğümüzde karanlık bir dehlizde kendimizi pusuya düşmüş buluyoruz.
Düzelti konusu gerçekten kabul edilemez. Tuşlara yanlış basmak başka Türkçeyi katletmek başka. Bu konuda Tudem Yayınlarının “direk” bu konuya el atmasını ve sayıyla rakam arasındaki farkı da bir an evvel öğrenmesini dilerim.
Düzelti konusu gerçekten kabul edilemez. Tuşlara yanlış basmak başka Türkçeyi katletmek başka. Bu konuda Tudem Yayınlarının “direk” bu konuya el atmasını ve sayıyla rakam arasındaki farkı da bir an evvel öğrenmesini dilerim.
April 25, 2022
SPOILER FREE
Much like The Spook’s Apprentice, The Spook’s Curse continues to introduce us to The County and the threats from the Dark that continue to plague it. Things get a little more out of hand, however, as Joseph Delaney introduces us to boggarts and there is an old, angry God plaguing Priestown in this fantasy book.
Thomas is such a good character. He’s constantly afraid, of course, but he’s braver than he is scared. And he’s smart. A surprising amount happens in The Spook’s Curse, considering the size, and it’s all brilliant.
The Quisitor is out and about, ready to burn any witches or spooks he finds. The Bane is beginning to grow in power, and his grip on the people of Priestown is a threat Thomas has to overcome. And before all of that, Thomas and the Spook have to deal with a boggart who is only getting bigger, stronger, and meaner.
The plot in The Spook’s Curse is fast-paced and not a page is wasted. Even though there is a lot of adventure and fighting the Dark, Delaney makes room for important character development.
Thomas’ Mam is a fantastic character, and her relationship with her son is wonderful. Alice is complex as she is a witch but doesn’t want to belong to the Dark – she is Thomas’ friend, but there is a lot of trust she has to build up before John Gregory will give her the time of day.
The Spook’s Curse is another wonderful fantasy book, and there are more hints at how the Dark is growing in power over The County.
View the full review at The Fantasy Review
Much like The Spook’s Apprentice, The Spook’s Curse continues to introduce us to The County and the threats from the Dark that continue to plague it. Things get a little more out of hand, however, as Joseph Delaney introduces us to boggarts and there is an old, angry God plaguing Priestown in this fantasy book.
Thomas is such a good character. He’s constantly afraid, of course, but he’s braver than he is scared. And he’s smart. A surprising amount happens in The Spook’s Curse, considering the size, and it’s all brilliant.
The Quisitor is out and about, ready to burn any witches or spooks he finds. The Bane is beginning to grow in power, and his grip on the people of Priestown is a threat Thomas has to overcome. And before all of that, Thomas and the Spook have to deal with a boggart who is only getting bigger, stronger, and meaner.
The plot in The Spook’s Curse is fast-paced and not a page is wasted. Even though there is a lot of adventure and fighting the Dark, Delaney makes room for important character development.
Thomas’ Mam is a fantastic character, and her relationship with her son is wonderful. Alice is complex as she is a witch but doesn’t want to belong to the Dark – she is Thomas’ friend, but there is a lot of trust she has to build up before John Gregory will give her the time of day.
The Spook’s Curse is another wonderful fantasy book, and there are more hints at how the Dark is growing in power over The County.
View the full review at The Fantasy Review
November 21, 2012
Perhaps the silliest title I've seen. If you don't know what I mean, I suggest you look "bane" up in the dictionary. It comes straight from the Department of Redundancy Department.
Nonetheless, I liked the book and thought it was a very good sequel to Revenge of the Witch. In most series I've encountered, the second book will expand the world and the cast of characters. Here, while we do get to see a bit more of the County, the characters remain largely the same -- Tom, the Spook, and Alice are again central. Mam and Tom's family are on the periphery. We do get introduced to the Spook's brother, who may play a role later in the series. But otherwise, the new characters tend to be antagonists, and antagonists who are unlikely to reappear in the series. I don't think that's a bad thing, but the book felt much more like a standalone book as a result, and less like the blossoming of a bigger series.
From what I can see, the main tension in this series will be whether it's OK to use dark magic to accomplish good. As a result, even though Tom and the Spook are the main focus of the stories, I think the most interesting characters are the women -- Alice and Mam. Delaney hasn't actually revealed it yet, but it's pretty clear that Mam has a dark past. Tom hasn't guessed (and it will be interesting to see how he deals with his blindness on the topic), but it seems clear that Mam is a lamia witch with a bad past, and she is a powerful one at that. I'm surprised that Delaney has managed to hold this in suspense for the first two books.
After two books, I think this series has a lot of promise. The ending here (spoiler coming) share's much with the ending of Harry Potter, but I think Delaney nails the idea of sacrifice much better than Rowling did, and he notably did this a year and a half before Deathly Hollows came out.
Nonetheless, I liked the book and thought it was a very good sequel to Revenge of the Witch. In most series I've encountered, the second book will expand the world and the cast of characters. Here, while we do get to see a bit more of the County, the characters remain largely the same -- Tom, the Spook, and Alice are again central. Mam and Tom's family are on the periphery. We do get introduced to the Spook's brother, who may play a role later in the series. But otherwise, the new characters tend to be antagonists, and antagonists who are unlikely to reappear in the series. I don't think that's a bad thing, but the book felt much more like a standalone book as a result, and less like the blossoming of a bigger series.
From what I can see, the main tension in this series will be whether it's OK to use dark magic to accomplish good. As a result, even though Tom and the Spook are the main focus of the stories, I think the most interesting characters are the women -- Alice and Mam. Delaney hasn't actually revealed it yet, but it's pretty clear that Mam has a dark past. Tom hasn't guessed (and it will be interesting to see how he deals with his blindness on the topic), but it seems clear that Mam is a lamia witch with a bad past, and she is a powerful one at that. I'm surprised that Delaney has managed to hold this in suspense for the first two books.
After two books, I think this series has a lot of promise. The ending here (spoiler coming) share's much with the ending of Harry Potter, but I think Delaney nails the idea of sacrifice much better than Rowling did, and he notably did this a year and a half before Deathly Hollows came out.
February 17, 2013
This book wastes no time with the boring introduction and plunges us straight into the bidding of Tom's first boggart. Just like the first book, Joseph Delaney manages to evoke feelings of fear and dread on almost every page. I was really crept out by the Bane and his whispers and description. I can still picture it in my mind...
Anyway, in this book, we learn more about the characters including the Spook's involvement with two women, one being a witch! No wonder, he warns Tom to be careful of girl with pointy shoes. And Tom's mom, I knew there was something different about her but I didn't expect her to be a... (I'm not going to spoil you) but how she and Tom's dad met reminds me of the Greek myth of Andromeda and Perseus.
Also, Alice is back and she is closer to the Dark than ever. It is interesting to see her work with Tom and the Spook. I like how Tom has a soft spot for her so he would try and defend her against the Spook.
Overall, a really great sequel! I take back what I said about reading it at night not being a good idea. It gives you the perfect atmosphere which makes the book even more effective so I suggest to read it at night :P
Anyway, in this book, we learn more about the characters including the Spook's involvement with two women, one being a witch! No wonder, he warns Tom to be careful of girl with pointy shoes. And Tom's mom, I knew there was something different about her but I didn't expect her to be a... (I'm not going to spoil you) but how she and Tom's dad met reminds me of the Greek myth of Andromeda and Perseus.
Also, Alice is back and she is closer to the Dark than ever. It is interesting to see her work with Tom and the Spook. I like how Tom has a soft spot for her so he would try and defend her against the Spook.
Overall, a really great sequel! I take back what I said about reading it at night not being a good idea. It gives you the perfect atmosphere which makes the book even more effective so I suggest to read it at night :P
May 24, 2015
"Curse of the Bane" is another installment in the Last Apprentice chronicles that relates the adventures of Tom Ward and his mentor the Spook who travels around and rids people of supernatural monsters.
I have been enjoying this series even though some of the scenes depictted are rather dark in atmosphere for a young adult book. As a middle schooler I would have really enjoyed this series had it been available then. Heck, as an adult I really enjoy this series!
The writing is smart and the stories are very engaging. i especially appreciate the on-going relationship that young Tom Ward has with a young witch named Alice. Not everyone is evil through and through and it may be that their cicumstances are harder to deal with than what others are dealing with. Mr. Delaney has given his characters a sense of compassion that is in tension with the job they are tasked to do.
All in all, a very enjoyable read even though there are hints of more darkness to come.
"Curse of the Bane" is a very good adventure story with memorable characters. Recommended.
I have been enjoying this series even though some of the scenes depictted are rather dark in atmosphere for a young adult book. As a middle schooler I would have really enjoyed this series had it been available then. Heck, as an adult I really enjoy this series!
The writing is smart and the stories are very engaging. i especially appreciate the on-going relationship that young Tom Ward has with a young witch named Alice. Not everyone is evil through and through and it may be that their cicumstances are harder to deal with than what others are dealing with. Mr. Delaney has given his characters a sense of compassion that is in tension with the job they are tasked to do.
All in all, a very enjoyable read even though there are hints of more darkness to come.
"Curse of the Bane" is a very good adventure story with memorable characters. Recommended.
March 20, 2017
Third time through with this audiobook. I can't believe I originally gave it 5 stars. Hmm. I had recently given birth when I first rated it, so maybe I was on some kind of high? I don't know. The second time through was because my audiobook options were really limited. This time around it was to listen to it with my boys. My 10 year old gave it 5 stars, my 16 year old gave it 4. I'd say 3.5, rounded down because the narrator was not easy to listen to. Most of his voices were purposefully shaky, and it was really annoying.
The plot on this one just didn't interest me as much as the other books.
The plot on this one just didn't interest me as much as the other books.
December 11, 2021
این کتاب رو به اندازهی جلد پیش دوست نداشتم. هر چقدر که کتاب قبلی سر راست و شیوا بود این کتاب پر از آب بندی و اتفاقات بی فایده بود. شخصیتها اصلا قابل پیش بینی نبودند ( و این رو به عنوان تعریف نمیگم :)) ) پایان داستان اصلا راضی کننده نبود و در کل داستان هم اونقدر جذاب نبود که منو مجاب به ادامه دادن کتاب کنه. شاید یک فرصت دیگه هم به این مجموعه بدم و جلد بعدی رو بخونم چون معمولا کتاب دوم مجموعههای طولانی چنگی به دل نمیزنن ولی کتاب بعدی قراره مشخص کنندهی این باشه که آیا این مجموعه رو ادامه میدم یا نه.
March 24, 2016
O carte de la care am am avut așteptări foarte mari și care nu m-a dezamăgit. Delaney se pricepe de minune la poveștile alerte și, pe alocuri, înspăimântătoare, fără să facă vreun deserviciu personajelor strălucite pe care le-am întâlnit în primul volum.
September 29, 2017
3/5
not perfect also not bad
around average
not perfect also not bad
around average
February 18, 2018
4.5 porque hubiese querido un final del "problema" más rimbombante (aunque la explicación de por qué no lo fue, me dejó muy satisfecha)
"Se agradece que las brujas coman bebes" o cómo se disfruta una novela de fantasmas, espantos y otras varias edificantes compañías
No sé por qué no se habla más de esta saga de libros, cuando es tan "sabrosa". Intuyo que tal vez es porque sólo están traducidos los tres primeros al español y como sabemos, a muchos les da pereza leer en un idioma que no es el suyo o simplemente, no saben que existe. De cualquiera manera, es una pena, porque son realmente buenos.
Tom es el séptimo hijo del séptimo hijo y como tal, tiene la facilidad de "see dead people" entre otras muchas cosas bucólicas y pastoriles, como los boggarts y amigos varios de ese tipo. Salvo por eso, Tom es como cualquier hijo de vecino quien, al ser el menor de una familia numerosa, debe buscarse un oficio para vivir (es eso o morir de hambre o ser vilipendiado por tu familia) Por esta cualidad y gracias a la diligencia de su peculiar madre, termina de aprendiz de "Espectro", un viejo cascarrabias, a medida camino entre un chamán y un exorcista, quien se dedica a limpiar el condado de alimañas sobrenaturales. A parte de eso, un trabajo honrado algo peculiar, no hay ninguna otra elemento típico de las historias de "elegidos" adolescentes: ni una gran maldición ni una profecía ni haber matado a Valdemort, nada, sólo son las peripecias de un chico aprendiendo un oficio, tratando de no morir en el intento (y de no meter a la niña que le interesa en una fosa y taparla con una piedra por la eternidad). Por eso amo esta historia, porque es una que ya conocemos, pero a la vez no.
La primera novela va de cómo Tom se acostumbra al Espectro (Spook en inglés), la denominación que se le da al que ejerce el trabajo de lidiar con lo sobrenatural fuera de la iglesia establecida y de cómo traba amistar con Alice, una chica de su edad, sobrina de una bruja, quien le ocasionará más de un problema y mucho interés. El libro cuya reseña leen, trata de sus avances como aprendiz, de cómo vuelve a encontrarse cona Alice (en medio de un peligro terrible para el Espectro y para él mismo) y como luchan contra un terrible y malvado ser gargolesco, llamado La Pesadilla. Cómo ven, son tramas sencillas, lo suficientemente interesantes para picar tu curiosidad, ideales para pasear un buen rato y sobre todo, muy bien escritas e hiladas. El autor tiene un oficio excelente y realmente cuenta la historia de una manera entretenida y muchas veces, creepy. Creo podría decir que cada novela es como un capítulo de los X Files, te presenta un "monstruo de la semana" y te invita a ver cómo los personajes se las arreglan con él.
Lo que si me gustaría señalar, es que creo que estás novelas deberían ser más largas, con más desarrollo y finales más complejos. Pero, como dije en la reseña del primer libro, algunas veces menos es más y lo prefiero así que con hojas extras sin sentido. En todo caso, espero que se explaye más en los que siguen.De Verdad, me encantaría que tuvieran 100 o 200 hojas más.
Una de las cosas que más me gustan de estas historias, es que en esta realidad, el mal es realmente mal, nada de malvados sexys cuya maldad radica principalmente en una "sexualidad oscura y tentadora" (si, te miro a ti Darkling de "Sombra y hueso") Acá, las brujas de comen a los niños, hacen pasteles de sangre y en cualquier momento puede venir un boggart en medio de la noche a chupar el tuetano de tus huesos. Además a los sospechosos de brujería se les clavan agujas y se les arroja al agua para que se ahoguen, a las lamias se les clavan las manos a rocas para que mueran quemadas por el sol y cualquiera puede morir aplastado por un ser monstruoso. Insisto, en estas trama la maldad no esta estereotipada ni es "romántica" con un aire de oscuridad y condena byroniana (cualidad por la cual estoy un poco harta de que lo único que puedan hacer los malos es tratar de seducir y así atraer a la oscuridad a las pobres doncellas de las novelas, como si no hubiera otras cosas peores que eso), no hay nada de "maldad idealiza" y eso es maravilloso. Está es una de las principales razones de por qué la novela tiene escenas muy creepys y algo repugnantes, cosa que celebro. De hecho, en una de mis actualizaciones, comenté que la lectura me había hecho tener pesadillas con la caza y quema de brujas, así que háganse una idea de las interesantes escenas que nos pinta el autor. Ojo, tampoco es Gore o desagradable tipo peli de terror de serie b, pero para ser una novela "middle grade" es bastante "intensa" (como alguien señaló por ahí, idea que comparto plenamente)
Desde un tiempo a esta parte, me he dado cuenta que disfruto mucho las novelas que tienen como punto de vista principal, el de un protagonista masculino, de ahí mi shelf "Bart Simpson point of view". No quiero parecer sexista, pero estoy aburrida de la heroína kickass, quien anda repartiendo desastres porque "ella lo vale", alegando contra las responsabilidades que las "coharta en su libertad" (insertar "Let it go" de Frozen, en cualquier versión) y enamorándose por ahí, como si no hubiese nada mejor que hacer. Quiero que me entiendan bien, no tengo ningún problema con una de este tipo que sea inteligente/coherente, tampoco con las del tipo "frágil que necesita ser salvada", porque hasta esas chicas pueden ser interesantes, si son bien retatradas. Creo que lo problemático, no es el punto de vista femenino, sino como l@s autor@s lo tratan en sus tramas. No es que el POV de un hombre sea más interesante de por sí, sino que últimamente, en los libros que leo, la chica aburre o exaspera. En términos Disney, ahora hay muchas Elsas dando vueltas y pocas Mulán o Bellas.Pero acá, aunque la historia está tratada desde la perspectiva de Tom, la protagonista, Alice es un personaje súper interesante. Ella siempre está transitando entre el bien y el mal, a punto de desviarse, recurriendo a malos medios para obtener buenos fines. Es inteligente y muy lista, osada, pero no al punto de armar un lio sólo porque se le ocurrió que algo tenía que ser como a ella le sale de donde sea que tiene el cerebro. Alice es un muy buen personaje y la "enigmática" mamá de Tom, también. Ambas son una muestra de que no es necesario andar pateando culos para ser un buen personaje femenino.
En fin, recomiendo mucho estás novelas. Son livianitas, bien escritas, entretenidas y "sabrosas". No hay grandes sorpresas, pero la trama es lo suficientemente interesantes y bien construida, como para hacerte pasar un excelente momento mientras las lees.También debo mencionar, como punto a favor, que carecen por completo ese humor tipo "gag" de serie gringa que tanto odio y que me hizo desagradable los libros de Rick Riordan. Otra cosa favorable y que facilita mucho la lectura, es que, debido a cómo está narrada la historia, te encariñas fácilmente con los personajes
Personalmente, cuando acabe con el tercer libro, leeré resto de la saga en inglés :)
"Se agradece que las brujas coman bebes" o cómo se disfruta una novela de fantasmas, espantos y otras varias edificantes compañías
No sé por qué no se habla más de esta saga de libros, cuando es tan "sabrosa". Intuyo que tal vez es porque sólo están traducidos los tres primeros al español y como sabemos, a muchos les da pereza leer en un idioma que no es el suyo o simplemente, no saben que existe. De cualquiera manera, es una pena, porque son realmente buenos.
Tom es el séptimo hijo del séptimo hijo y como tal, tiene la facilidad de "see dead people" entre otras muchas cosas bucólicas y pastoriles, como los boggarts y amigos varios de ese tipo. Salvo por eso, Tom es como cualquier hijo de vecino quien, al ser el menor de una familia numerosa, debe buscarse un oficio para vivir (es eso o morir de hambre o ser vilipendiado por tu familia) Por esta cualidad y gracias a la diligencia de su peculiar madre, termina de aprendiz de "Espectro", un viejo cascarrabias, a medida camino entre un chamán y un exorcista, quien se dedica a limpiar el condado de alimañas sobrenaturales. A parte de eso, un trabajo honrado algo peculiar, no hay ninguna otra elemento típico de las historias de "elegidos" adolescentes: ni una gran maldición ni una profecía ni haber matado a Valdemort, nada, sólo son las peripecias de un chico aprendiendo un oficio, tratando de no morir en el intento (y de no meter a la niña que le interesa en una fosa y taparla con una piedra por la eternidad). Por eso amo esta historia, porque es una que ya conocemos, pero a la vez no.
La primera novela va de cómo Tom se acostumbra al Espectro (Spook en inglés), la denominación que se le da al que ejerce el trabajo de lidiar con lo sobrenatural fuera de la iglesia establecida y de cómo traba amistar con Alice, una chica de su edad, sobrina de una bruja, quien le ocasionará más de un problema y mucho interés. El libro cuya reseña leen, trata de sus avances como aprendiz, de cómo vuelve a encontrarse cona Alice (en medio de un peligro terrible para el Espectro y para él mismo) y como luchan contra un terrible y malvado ser gargolesco, llamado La Pesadilla. Cómo ven, son tramas sencillas, lo suficientemente interesantes para picar tu curiosidad, ideales para pasear un buen rato y sobre todo, muy bien escritas e hiladas. El autor tiene un oficio excelente y realmente cuenta la historia de una manera entretenida y muchas veces, creepy. Creo podría decir que cada novela es como un capítulo de los X Files, te presenta un "monstruo de la semana" y te invita a ver cómo los personajes se las arreglan con él.
Lo que si me gustaría señalar, es que creo que estás novelas deberían ser más largas, con más desarrollo y finales más complejos. Pero, como dije en la reseña del primer libro, algunas veces menos es más y lo prefiero así que con hojas extras sin sentido. En todo caso, espero que se explaye más en los que siguen.De Verdad, me encantaría que tuvieran 100 o 200 hojas más.
Una de las cosas que más me gustan de estas historias, es que en esta realidad, el mal es realmente mal, nada de malvados sexys cuya maldad radica principalmente en una "sexualidad oscura y tentadora" (si, te miro a ti Darkling de "Sombra y hueso") Acá, las brujas de comen a los niños, hacen pasteles de sangre y en cualquier momento puede venir un boggart en medio de la noche a chupar el tuetano de tus huesos. Además a los sospechosos de brujería se les clavan agujas y se les arroja al agua para que se ahoguen, a las lamias se les clavan las manos a rocas para que mueran quemadas por el sol y cualquiera puede morir aplastado por un ser monstruoso. Insisto, en estas trama la maldad no esta estereotipada ni es "romántica" con un aire de oscuridad y condena byroniana (cualidad por la cual estoy un poco harta de que lo único que puedan hacer los malos es tratar de seducir y así atraer a la oscuridad a las pobres doncellas de las novelas, como si no hubiera otras cosas peores que eso), no hay nada de "maldad idealiza" y eso es maravilloso. Está es una de las principales razones de por qué la novela tiene escenas muy creepys y algo repugnantes, cosa que celebro. De hecho, en una de mis actualizaciones, comenté que la lectura me había hecho tener pesadillas con la caza y quema de brujas, así que háganse una idea de las interesantes escenas que nos pinta el autor. Ojo, tampoco es Gore o desagradable tipo peli de terror de serie b, pero para ser una novela "middle grade" es bastante "intensa" (como alguien señaló por ahí, idea que comparto plenamente)
Desde un tiempo a esta parte, me he dado cuenta que disfruto mucho las novelas que tienen como punto de vista principal, el de un protagonista masculino, de ahí mi shelf "Bart Simpson point of view". No quiero parecer sexista, pero estoy aburrida de la heroína kickass, quien anda repartiendo desastres porque "ella lo vale", alegando contra las responsabilidades que las "coharta en su libertad" (insertar "Let it go" de Frozen, en cualquier versión) y enamorándose por ahí, como si no hubiese nada mejor que hacer. Quiero que me entiendan bien, no tengo ningún problema con una de este tipo que sea inteligente/coherente, tampoco con las del tipo "frágil que necesita ser salvada", porque hasta esas chicas pueden ser interesantes, si son bien retatradas. Creo que lo problemático, no es el punto de vista femenino, sino como l@s autor@s lo tratan en sus tramas. No es que el POV de un hombre sea más interesante de por sí, sino que últimamente, en los libros que leo, la chica aburre o exaspera. En términos Disney, ahora hay muchas Elsas dando vueltas y pocas Mulán o Bellas.Pero acá, aunque la historia está tratada desde la perspectiva de Tom, la protagonista, Alice es un personaje súper interesante. Ella siempre está transitando entre el bien y el mal, a punto de desviarse, recurriendo a malos medios para obtener buenos fines. Es inteligente y muy lista, osada, pero no al punto de armar un lio sólo porque se le ocurrió que algo tenía que ser como a ella le sale de donde sea que tiene el cerebro. Alice es un muy buen personaje y la "enigmática" mamá de Tom, también. Ambas son una muestra de que no es necesario andar pateando culos para ser un buen personaje femenino.
En fin, recomiendo mucho estás novelas. Son livianitas, bien escritas, entretenidas y "sabrosas". No hay grandes sorpresas, pero la trama es lo suficientemente interesantes y bien construida, como para hacerte pasar un excelente momento mientras las lees.También debo mencionar, como punto a favor, que carecen por completo ese humor tipo "gag" de serie gringa que tanto odio y que me hizo desagradable los libros de Rick Riordan. Otra cosa favorable y que facilita mucho la lectura, es que, debido a cómo está narrada la historia, te encariñas fácilmente con los personajes
Personalmente, cuando acabe con el tercer libro, leeré resto de la saga en inglés :)
November 6, 2015
Όπως το περίμενα έτσι λοιπόν ήταν !! Πολύ ΚΑΤΑΠΛΗΚΤΙΚΟ βιβλίο και 2ο μέρος της σειράς και πολύ καλύτερο από το 1ο βιβλίο Ο Μαθητευόμενος του Σπουκ !!! Πολύ πιο τρομακτικό από το 1ο βιβλίο και είμαι σίγουρος ότι και τα επόμενα βιβλία της σειράς έτσι ακριβώς είναι !!!Με λίγο περισσότερη δράση και ανατριχίλες αυτό το βιβλίο όντως ξεπερνάει το 1ο βιβλίο και οπωσδήποτε θα διαβάσω και τα υπόλοιπα 7 βιβλία της σειράς Τα Χρονικά του Ευλογημένου Λιθαριού που έχουν βγεί μέχρι τώρα και έχω αποκτήσει μέχρι στιγμής και τα 7 !!
Με περισσότερη σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα και εφιαλτικές σκηνές και περιγραφές η πολύ τρομερά καταπληκτική ιστορία με τις σκοτεινές και ανατριχιαστικές και επικίνδυνες περιπέτειες και μπελάδες του Τόμ, της Άλις και του Σπουκ συνεχίζεται καλύτερη από πρίν αυτή την φορά λίγο πιο μακριά από το Τσίπντεν την έδρα επιχειρήσεων των αποστολών του Σπουκ και βασικό κύριο κομμάτι και τόπος ολόκληρης της πλοκής, της σειράς και των περιπετειών του Σπουκ προς την Παπαδούπολη μια ιερή πόλη που φυλάει ένα επικίνδυνο, σατανικό και θανάσιμο πανίσχυρο πλάσμα με το όνομα Φαρμάκι: Μια σχεδόν πανίσχυρη οντότητα με σκοτεινές δυνάμεις που την κάνουν να είναι σαν θεός προκαλεί μεγάλο κακό με τις σκοτεινές δυνάμεις της στους κατοίκους και τους ιερείς της Παπαδούπολης αναγκάζοντας τους να προκαλέσουν τρομερά και φρικτά πράγματα μέσα στην πόλη !!
Για αυτό λοιπόν ο Σπουκ μαζί με τον Τόμ και την Άλις ταξιδεύουν προς την πόλη αυτή για να σταματήσουν το Φαρμάκι, να ανακαλύψουν κάποια θανάσιμα μυστικά ο ένας για το παρελθόν του αλλουνού και να τελειώσουν κάποιες άλλες δουλειές επίσης !!
Στην πορεία τους θα έρθουν αντιμέτωποι με τόσες δοκιμασίες, φίλους και εχθρούς από το παρελθόν, το παρόν και το μέλλον τους, στην οποία πορεία και κυρίως για τις ανάγκες της ιστορίας και των περιπετειών τους θα συμμετέχουν πολλοί μα διάφοροι χαρακτήρες που θα παίξουν ο καθένας τον ρόλο του, αλλά επίσης και ο ένας με τον άλλο !!! Σας προτείνω αυτό το βιβλίο μαζί με όλα τα άλλα βιβλία του Σπουκ !!!!!!!! Μην χάσετε τις τρομερές και ανατριχιαστικές περιπέτειες του Τόμ !!!
Είναι η απόλυτη σειρά σκοτεινής εφηβικής φαντασίας τρόμου οπού και μεγάλοι άνθρωποι ακόμη και παιδιά των 9 χρονών μπορούν να απολαύσουν αλλά επίσης η συγκεκριμένη σειρά είναι ότι πρέπει για τις Απόκριες και μπορεί να αντικαταστήσει πολλά από τα βράδια σας που θέλετε να δείτε ταινίες τρόμου αλλά έχετε βαρεθεί τις ταινίες τρόμου, έτσι λοιπόν μπορείτε αντί για ταινία τρόμου να διαβάσετε τα βιβλία του Σπουκ !!!!!!!!
Καλές σκοτεινές και στοιχειωμένες απολαύσεις και ευχαρίστηση να έχετε φίλοι μου με αυτή την καταπληκτική σκοτεινή εφηβική σειρά φαντασίας !!!!!!!!
Με περισσότερη σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα και εφιαλτικές σκηνές και περιγραφές η πολύ τρομερά καταπληκτική ιστορία με τις σκοτεινές και ανατριχιαστικές και επικίνδυνες περιπέτειες και μπελάδες του Τόμ, της Άλις και του Σπουκ συνεχίζεται καλύτερη από πρίν αυτή την φορά λίγο πιο μακριά από το Τσίπντεν την έδρα επιχειρήσεων των αποστολών του Σπουκ και βασικό κύριο κομμάτι και τόπος ολόκληρης της πλοκής, της σειράς και των περιπετειών του Σπουκ προς την Παπαδούπολη μια ιερή πόλη που φυλάει ένα επικίνδυνο, σατανικό και θανάσιμο πανίσχυρο πλάσμα με το όνομα Φαρμάκι: Μια σχεδόν πανίσχυρη οντότητα με σκοτεινές δυνάμεις που την κάνουν να είναι σαν θεός προκαλεί μεγάλο κακό με τις σκοτεινές δυνάμεις της στους κατοίκους και τους ιερείς της Παπαδούπολης αναγκάζοντας τους να προκαλέσουν τρομερά και φρικτά πράγματα μέσα στην πόλη !!
Για αυτό λοιπόν ο Σπουκ μαζί με τον Τόμ και την Άλις ταξιδεύουν προς την πόλη αυτή για να σταματήσουν το Φαρμάκι, να ανακαλύψουν κάποια θανάσιμα μυστικά ο ένας για το παρελθόν του αλλουνού και να τελειώσουν κάποιες άλλες δουλειές επίσης !!
Στην πορεία τους θα έρθουν αντιμέτωποι με τόσες δοκιμασίες, φίλους και εχθρούς από το παρελθόν, το παρόν και το μέλλον τους, στην οποία πορεία και κυρίως για τις ανάγκες της ιστορίας και των περιπετειών τους θα συμμετέχουν πολλοί μα διάφοροι χαρακτήρες που θα παίξουν ο καθένας τον ρόλο του, αλλά επίσης και ο ένας με τον άλλο !!! Σας προτείνω αυτό το βιβλίο μαζί με όλα τα άλλα βιβλία του Σπουκ !!!!!!!! Μην χάσετε τις τρομερές και ανατριχιαστικές περιπέτειες του Τόμ !!!
Είναι η απόλυτη σειρά σκοτεινής εφηβικής φαντασίας τρόμου οπού και μεγάλοι άνθρωποι ακόμη και παιδιά των 9 χρονών μπορούν να απολαύσουν αλλά επίσης η συγκεκριμένη σειρά είναι ότι πρέπει για τις Απόκριες και μπορεί να αντικαταστήσει πολλά από τα βράδια σας που θέλετε να δείτε ταινίες τρόμου αλλά έχετε βαρεθεί τις ταινίες τρόμου, έτσι λοιπόν μπορείτε αντί για ταινία τρόμου να διαβάσετε τα βιβλία του Σπουκ !!!!!!!!
Καλές σκοτεινές και στοιχειωμένες απολαύσεις και ευχαρίστηση να έχετε φίλοι μου με αυτή την καταπληκτική σκοτεινή εφηβική σειρά φαντασίας !!!!!!!!
October 2, 2020
Synopsis: 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 force so evil that the whole county is in danger of being corrupted by its powers. The Bane. As Thomas and the Spook prepare for the battle of their lives, it becomes clear that the Bane isn't their only enemy. The Quisitor has arrived, searching for those who meddle with the dark so he can imprison them—or worse.
Review: Violent evil spirits lurking in dark catacombs, demonic possession, people getting tortured and burned alive for being falsely accused of being witches, religious corruption, using evil to fight against evil, and that's just the beginning. The second installment in this series is another splash of gothic-horror goodness accompanied by entertaining fantasy drama. Thomas still has much room to grow on me, but Alice and Spook are great characters.
The harsh and sometimes cruel wisdom of Spook accompanied by the morally questionable antics of Alice the witch are fun to watch. This book helped to tie the three together in a time of great darkness, they make quite the oddball trio but I can't help but look forward to what spectacular wickedness they throw themselves into next now that they've aligned themselves.
***
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Review: Violent evil spirits lurking in dark catacombs, demonic possession, people getting tortured and burned alive for being falsely accused of being witches, religious corruption, using evil to fight against evil, and that's just the beginning. The second installment in this series is another splash of gothic-horror goodness accompanied by entertaining fantasy drama. Thomas still has much room to grow on me, but Alice and Spook are great characters.
The harsh and sometimes cruel wisdom of Spook accompanied by the morally questionable antics of Alice the witch are fun to watch. This book helped to tie the three together in a time of great darkness, they make quite the oddball trio but I can't help but look forward to what spectacular wickedness they throw themselves into next now that they've aligned themselves.
***
My Social Media
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
April 3, 2015
Изчадието, което плени душите на свещениците: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Във втората част Прогонващия духове отстъпва крачка назад и освобождава пространство за своя чирак Томас Уорд, който вече има достатъчно умения, за да се справя с обичайната част от задълженията – борба с чудовищни богъри, сблъсъци с вещици, озаптяване на призраци и други. Но този път драмата не беше около личните му увлечения – вместо това Джоузеф Дилейни възкресява мрачен епизод от миналото на Прогонващия духове, в който се е сблъскал с ужасяваща зла сила: Изчадието. Това същество е затворено под Прийстаун, мястото, тъпкано със свещеници, което само по себе си за мен е достатъчно стряскащо, дори без те да се оказват пионки в ръцете на демон.
Книги от Locus Publishing
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Във втората част Прогонващия духове отстъпва крачка назад и освобождава пространство за своя чирак Томас Уорд, който вече има достатъчно умения, за да се справя с обичайната част от задълженията – борба с чудовищни богъри, сблъсъци с вещици, озаптяване на призраци и други. Но този път драмата не беше около личните му увлечения – вместо това Джоузеф Дилейни възкресява мрачен епизод от миналото на Прогонващия духове, в който се е сблъскал с ужасяваща зла сила: Изчадието. Това същество е затворено под Прийстаун, мястото, тъпкано със свещеници, което само по себе си за мен е достатъчно стряскащо, дори без те да се оказват пионки в ръцете на демон.
Книги от Locus Publishing
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Read
February 5, 2016İlk kitaptan hem daha güzel hem daha hareketli bir kitaptı, ilk sayfalarda başlayan hareket kitabın geri kalanına da hakim oldu. Kitap Thomas ve hayaletin, Zehir adlı çok kötü bir düşmanla mücadelesini konu alıyor ve tabii ki olaylar sadece Zehir'le sınırlı kalmıyor, başka düşmanlarda var.
Okurken hiç sıkılmadım, sayfalar hızla aktı gitti, yazarında tempoyu düşürmemesi okumayı daha zevkli hale getirdi.
Hayaletin Laneti gerilimi bol güzel bir kitaptı. Türüne göre güzel ve başarılı bir seri, ben sevdim ve devam etmekte istiyorum. İlerleyen kitapların daha güzel olacağını umuyorum.
http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
Okurken hiç sıkılmadım, sayfalar hızla aktı gitti, yazarında tempoyu düşürmemesi okumayı daha zevkli hale getirdi.
Hayaletin Laneti gerilimi bol güzel bir kitaptı. Türüne göre güzel ve başarılı bir seri, ben sevdim ve devam etmekte istiyorum. İlerleyen kitapların daha güzel olacağını umuyorum.
http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
July 28, 2015
Well, It is starting to get interesting, this feels like Harry Potter only the horror version, unlike Mr. Potter, who had so many many friends, Thomas doesn't have that much, only his mother and the Spook, but what a mother!!!!
Good things about the book, expansion of the Delaney world, earlier ghosts, witches and boggarts, now we have the Bane, a tougher, more malevolent entity, more glimpses of Mr. Gregory's bygone days and yesteryears, origin of Mister and Missus Ward and of course, we see how Thomas begins to grow!!!!
More Alice!!!! Began she is to the Dark Side!!!
Good things about the book, expansion of the Delaney world, earlier ghosts, witches and boggarts, now we have the Bane, a tougher, more malevolent entity, more glimpses of Mr. Gregory's bygone days and yesteryears, origin of Mister and Missus Ward and of course, we see how Thomas begins to grow!!!!
More Alice!!!! Began she is to the Dark Side!!!
April 4, 2015
Nešto dinamičniji nastavak, ne automatski i bolji. Zadržana je delimično ona prijatna atmosfera.
May 8, 2021
I enjoyed this book much more than the first one (though I did like the first one a lot as well). My favorite part of these stories is seeing Alice develop as a character.
September 8, 2019
Review to come.
November 18, 2023
jak byłem kidosem to bardziej mi się podobało 😭😭😭
February 25, 2015
It had been a while since I was Joseph Delaney's Spooks world - a good couple of months in fact, and during that time, I read a lot of books, so it's unclear to me as to whether my reaction to Spooks Curse is an honest reaction to the novel itself, or whether it's also been touched by the length of time it's taken me to continue to series. Spooks Curse was not a bad sequel, in fact, it provided and gave me everything I was wanting and expecting in the sequel, but there were areas it seemed to weaken in, and there were small moments of annoyance felt towards some of the characters themselves, but all in all, Spooks Curse is a good continuation of the series.
I can definitely see the similarities between Spooks Apprentice and Skulduggery Pleasant the more of Spook I read, and as of yet, I'm not sure whether this is a positive or a negative entirely, but I do enjoy the similarities when they stretch to the the general theme of childrens books. There's a joy that comes with childrens books, one that doesn't centre around a swoon-worthy romance, or judgements and secrets, theres much more of an honest and down to earth feel, although there's plenty of mystery to make up for those secrets, and I find myself enjoying the change in set up, pace and feel. The atmosphere surrounding Spooks Apprentice is one of depth and darkness, it's created with the aim of proving how one person is neither good or bad, but a part of both, and for a childrens series, it's definitely not afraid to go into detail. Damn, squashing people so flat that they are literally pressed into the brickwork on the wall, it's definitely not the sort of detail you see in other younger reads. I really love that Delaney isn't afraid to go into detail with these descriptions and that he sets the scenes beautifully and perfectly, with the arie feel of the darkness being a living thing and there being untrustworthy people, it's a enjoyable feature that works positively with the mystery surrounding some of the characters, and Delaney's fast-paced, simplistic writing.
Speaking of the characters, I confess, I felt a little disconnected to them a little within Spooks Curse, and as I've already mentioned, this could be down to the fact that it took me a while to continue the series, but it could also come down to the fact that the characters felt more disconnected to themselves. Reading about Toms's developing friendship with the Spook, how they interact with one another, how Tom's adventure and personality collide with the Spooks rules and how they work with one another, balancing each other out, and reacting to one anothers actions is however really good, it's a really positive master and student relationship, and their level of loneliness is much less in comparison to in Spooks Apprentice. I was also a little disappointed with Alice too on occasion, but from the looks of things and her future being so rocky, I can't wait to see how Delaney develops her character, I can imagined there's going to be some serious personality and action changes, but reading about hers and Tom's friendship that's slowly developing, and how the Spooks feelings towards Alice are changing too, they really lovely moments, and it's the feel of family that you gain from the three of them that really reaches out throughout the novel.
The actual plot itself probably could have been a little darker and scarier, considering how I felt about the first installment, and the Bane itself I had expected more from, but the feel and the writing was really well complimented with the action and the characters. The reveals and secrets that came to light, both about the Spook and Tom's Mam was really interesting too, it definitely brought something new to the table and created a more mature feel, which I feel might slowly feature throughout the next installments too. Maybe I had expected just a little too much of Spooks Curse after Spooks Apprentice, maybe I just wasn't in the exact right place when I continued the series, but Spooks Curse was just a little of a let down, but I'm both looking forward to and excited for what Delaney will bring to the table next.
3.5 stars
I can definitely see the similarities between Spooks Apprentice and Skulduggery Pleasant the more of Spook I read, and as of yet, I'm not sure whether this is a positive or a negative entirely, but I do enjoy the similarities when they stretch to the the general theme of childrens books. There's a joy that comes with childrens books, one that doesn't centre around a swoon-worthy romance, or judgements and secrets, theres much more of an honest and down to earth feel, although there's plenty of mystery to make up for those secrets, and I find myself enjoying the change in set up, pace and feel. The atmosphere surrounding Spooks Apprentice is one of depth and darkness, it's created with the aim of proving how one person is neither good or bad, but a part of both, and for a childrens series, it's definitely not afraid to go into detail. Damn, squashing people so flat that they are literally pressed into the brickwork on the wall, it's definitely not the sort of detail you see in other younger reads. I really love that Delaney isn't afraid to go into detail with these descriptions and that he sets the scenes beautifully and perfectly, with the arie feel of the darkness being a living thing and there being untrustworthy people, it's a enjoyable feature that works positively with the mystery surrounding some of the characters, and Delaney's fast-paced, simplistic writing.
Speaking of the characters, I confess, I felt a little disconnected to them a little within Spooks Curse, and as I've already mentioned, this could be down to the fact that it took me a while to continue the series, but it could also come down to the fact that the characters felt more disconnected to themselves. Reading about Toms's developing friendship with the Spook, how they interact with one another, how Tom's adventure and personality collide with the Spooks rules and how they work with one another, balancing each other out, and reacting to one anothers actions is however really good, it's a really positive master and student relationship, and their level of loneliness is much less in comparison to in Spooks Apprentice. I was also a little disappointed with Alice too on occasion, but from the looks of things and her future being so rocky, I can't wait to see how Delaney develops her character, I can imagined there's going to be some serious personality and action changes, but reading about hers and Tom's friendship that's slowly developing, and how the Spooks feelings towards Alice are changing too, they really lovely moments, and it's the feel of family that you gain from the three of them that really reaches out throughout the novel.
The actual plot itself probably could have been a little darker and scarier, considering how I felt about the first installment, and the Bane itself I had expected more from, but the feel and the writing was really well complimented with the action and the characters. The reveals and secrets that came to light, both about the Spook and Tom's Mam was really interesting too, it definitely brought something new to the table and created a more mature feel, which I feel might slowly feature throughout the next installments too. Maybe I had expected just a little too much of Spooks Curse after Spooks Apprentice, maybe I just wasn't in the exact right place when I continued the series, but Spooks Curse was just a little of a let down, but I'm both looking forward to and excited for what Delaney will bring to the table next.
3.5 stars
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