Read All 13?

[Jasmine]

Apparently, there are thirteen books in this series. That is very long, so long in fact that it's off-putting I was wondering if there are certain books I could skip, just to make the series shorter and more enjoyable, or could someone reassure me in the fact that this series does not repeat itself/get needlessly stretched out?

Cheers!

[Ronatha]

I can't really answer this for you because I'm only on book 5, but I'm wondering the same thing. I don't really enjoy the series, I just have questions I need answered from the first book.

I'll read 'em all anyway

[Casondra]

I've read them all and they don't feel needlessly stretched out. Tom grows as a spook and a person. It's well worth it to read them all.

[James]

I can't help you out since I only read book one, but keep on the reading the series if you want to learn what happens in this book series.

[Greg]

I've read them all, except for the last one. I liked the first book, however, I can only recommend that you use the library to check out the other books.

I don't think the other books are very good, overall. The author basically can ONLY write with a single voice. He uses little tricks and turns of phrase when he writes for some of the other characters in later books, but it's not really convincing. A character - like Alice - seems interesting and intelligent... until the author writes something from her perspective, and she suddenly thinks and acts much like Tom, who consistently blunders through the books and only survives because other characters / fate saves him. This was okay in the first book, but it becomes more and more unsatisfying as the stakes are raised to astronomical heights rather quickly in the books.

The Delaney doesn't get better over the series, which is probably down to him cranking out so much in a relatively short period of time.

So... all I can say is that even if you loved the first book, you still might not like the rest.

[Ronatha]

I am actually almost done with the series and it turns out I've become hooked. Tom really does grow, and later books are written in the prospective of other characters.
It's still not a favorite, but it's definitely very interesting.
Unfortunately, my library wont get their hands on book 13 till mid April. But I am looking forward to it. Glad I kept reading.

[Ang]

I read the first ten books, and then the library had to catch up with me. In the meantime I read all ten again and then the final three. There are some stories that 'double up' if you read the Witches book, which is alone from the series. The plus in reading the Witches book is that you get some insight to Grimalkin and Alice, and as the stories are so good I didn't mind reading bits again. I did wonder about the purpose of Slithers Tale [book 11] as it seemed so different from the rest - but there is a reason. All in all a great series.

[Mark]

does the series become less childish as it goes on?

[Akherousia]

Helen wrote: "Apparently, there are thirteen books in this series. That is very long, so long in fact that it's off-putting I was wondering if there are certain books I could skip, just to make the series shorte..."

Hahaha, there's 13 books in the series, yes, but there's another new series this time with Tom Ward as a young man and as the spook of the county.

So I figure the new series are also going to be 13+ books strong. I'm on the third book of the wardstone chronicles. I've enjoyed the books so far. But I'm slighty bored with the books and there's stil so many other books I want to read that I left the Tom ward books and now I'm reading something else lol.