Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not to be Read After Dark, 9 Aug 2004
The Spook's Apprentice is a children's horror novel set in the time of the Pendle Witches. The eponymous Spook is a man whose job it is to protect the local villagers from witches, boggarts and all other evils, yet despite his invaluable service, he is shunned by all. After the death of his last apprentice, the Spook enrolls young Thomas Ward, who, being the seventh son of a seventh son is qualified for the position. However, he soon discovers that this is no mere accident of birth.Thomas is left the entire night in a haunted house as a kind of initiation into his new job. The twist in this scene is perhaps a little too obvious. Thomas progresses with his lessons - but before long, the Spook is called away on an urgent matter in Pendle, and rather recklessly leaves his inexperienced young apprentice behind. During his absence, Thomas makes a rash promise to Alice (a girl with pointy shoes), and is tricked into releasing Old Mother Malkin, who was buried alive as punishment for killing the villagers' children and drinking their blood. Once she is free, Thomas's problems really begin - and it seems that the only person he can turn to for help is the one who got him in this mess ... Alice. Alice is perhaps the most interesting character in the book. The reader is never certain whether she is to be trusted or not. Is she as well-intentioned as she claims, acting under duress - or is she an evil scheming trickster out to lure Thomas to the same bloodthirsty fate as the previous apprentice? 'Not to be read after dark,' it says on the back cover. Perhaps it's not quite as scary as the publishers would have you believe - but it's still sufficiently chilling for most young readers. Certainly not suitable for those under 8 or 9, or those prone to nightmares, as some of the imagery is quite intense: (ghosts of dying soldiers hung on a tree - a witch who wants to drink a new born baby's blood - a boy who has his fingers cut/chewed off by a boggart, and many others). However, if you're 13 or older and enjoy something on the gruesome side, this is an adventurous tale with many a cliff-hanger. It's somewhat difficult to settle on a star rating for this book. To be honest, this kind of dark horror is not to my tastes; I prefer my fantasy reading material to be a little more light-hearted - preferably with a few laughs. However, putting that aside, I award 4 stars for the quality of writing. This is a well-written novel, briskly paced and with some good characterization. For those who live in Lancashire, the local history of the Pendle Witches may be of particular interest - but this book may well appeal to any teen with morbid or gothic tastes.
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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Spook, 5 Sep 2005
If you're an adult, don't dismiss these books as simply 'kid's stuff'!I'm nearly 43, and I was as captivated by the Ward Chronicles, as my 15 yr old daughter and sons of 11 and eight years. These books have much to offer an adult audience. The plots are fast-moving, brilliantly written and, above all, totally enthralling. Joseph Delaney is an imaginative author, who makes it impossible to put down his stories once you've picked them up. Even as an adult, it was easy to slip into young Tom Ward's mind, and really see the events from his viewpoint. Or, perhaps having a more experienced imagination just adds to the thrills!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great (and good) surprise!, 31 Aug 2007
I bought this series through Amazon.co.uk, and at first I really thought it would be a great series. When I received the books though, it came as a small dissapointment. Why? They are not as long as they seem. Their design and cover is incredible (UK cover). I think it really fits, but the book itself is way smaller than the number of pages suggest. For this reason it took me some time to read this book.
And how much time I missed. Though short, the first book is very sattisfying, and the climax and end of it are amazing. I then began to read the second one (this one), and I couldn't let it go. I stayed awake longer than I should in order to finish it, but it was worth it. It is quite easy to read, and the story is marvellous, you just can not stop reading it, for every time a problem is solved a new one appears, and the relationship between Tom and Alice has some pretty interessing twists. All around, I believe this is the best book in the series (so far). The third book (Spook's Secret) is but slower, and focus a lot on the Spook's past, perhaps a little too much. The last one released (Spook's Battle) is once again set at a quick pace, having many dramatic moments. And once again it reaches an intense climax. A very interesting series, by a new and promising author.
Oh, and if you stop to actually imagine and "feel" some of the scenes, you may find out it is actually scary!
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