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sereia8's review against another edition
2.0
This is a popular series at the library, and though I enjoyed it, it's a bit too creepy for me. Great for horror fans.
emmmalibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Vrai note : 4,5 ⭐️
J’ai lu pour la première fois ce livre il y a 4 ans ou 3 ans je sais plus exactement, mais c’est quand je l’ai clairement volé dans la bibliothèque de mon copain et clairement je regrette pas ! Suite à cette relecture je me suis souvenue que j’aime beaucoup cette histoire et que même si à première vue ça peut paraître jeunesse parce que le protagoniste à 13 ans, ça reste plus de l’horreur. De plus, Thomas est vachement mature pour un gosse de 13 ans, je pourrais pas vivre ce qu’il vit à mon grand âge et lui il réagit en mode « bah écoute c’est la vie ma foi »
J’ai lu pour la première fois ce livre il y a 4 ans ou 3 ans je sais plus exactement, mais c’est quand je l’ai clairement volé dans la bibliothèque de mon copain et clairement je regrette pas ! Suite à cette relecture je me suis souvenue que j’aime beaucoup cette histoire et que même si à première vue ça peut paraître jeunesse parce que le protagoniste à 13 ans, ça reste plus de l’horreur. De plus, Thomas est vachement mature pour un gosse de 13 ans, je pourrais pas vivre ce qu’il vit à mon grand âge et lui il réagit en mode « bah écoute c’est la vie ma foi »
jasmin0704's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Coming of age story, good YA fantasy
rainjrop's review against another edition
2.0
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. I could definitely tell its target audience is a bit younger than I'm used to reading, but that doesn't automatically make it a bad book. The main character, Tom, does pretty well for a YA/children's protagonist. I appreciated that while he made mistakes, he was able to realize it, come up with a plan, and handle the consequences as best he could with the resources and knowledge available. Many male YA protagonists are unbearably stupid and frustrating, but Tom did alright.
The book often ran darker than I was expecting, with the amount of murder, maiming, and dark imagery that Tom runs into. Those parts, while unexpected, gave the book drive and suspense at key moments.
Something that struck me in the novel, and by struck, I mean I literally stopped reading and went, "What the hell?" was the author's bits of wisdom he offers about women and the treatment of female characters. I will give him credit for Alice, who has a questionable or gray morality and isn't easy to fit into a box. She's conflicted, coerced, and wily, which makes her an interesting counterpart to Tom's more straightforward, do-good personality.
No, what I'm talking about are quotes like this: "She worked in a bakery, but sadly for both of them, she was a very pretty woman, and some pretty women can't be trusted" (pg. 58), "Never trust a woman" (pg. 100), "Well, in that case you could fall easy victim to [village girls'] tricks. So watch out for village girls" (pg. 100), "My dad once told me that women know things that men don't. That sometimes they have a certain look in their eyes, but when you see it, you should never ask them what they're thinking. If you do, they might tell you something you don't want to hear" (pg. 255), "She's just a girl now, but one day she'll be a woman, and some clever women are dangerous" (pg. 322).
Okay, one time is a one-off, but continually running into this weird sentiment throughout the book, which is clearly aimed at boys, is just bizarre and kind of shitty. I was struggling to decide whether the author was simply creating characters who thought this, but as these ideas come from various characters, it appears to me that this is the author's personal problem. The way he writes about women and girls are as if they're completely "other," unfathomable and untrustworthy, and always planning something behind your back. He writes about women as if they're the enemy or a completely different species that men can never hope to understand, and so should just let them work their womanly magic while keeping an eye on them just in case.
Yes, some women are dangerous and some are liars, just like men, just like the rest of humanity, but the way DeLaney writes about women just gives me an icky feeling that I find difficult to describe. Yes, the book takes place in a world where people ride horses and work on the family farm with a clear demarcation between men and women's tasks, but that's no excuse to impart the wise wisdom of "Never trust a woman" to young boys and girls reading these novels. I feel like it's irresponsible and short-sighted. It may not seem like a big deal to a lot of people, but letting that kind of crap slide in one book for kids means that it's going to slide in a lot of books. We need to set a better example and demand that authors pay attention.
On a final note, the book makes a big deal out of Tom and the Spook being left handed and specifically that the Spook carries his staff in his left hand. On the cover, he's carrying the staff in his right hand. C'mon people.
The book often ran darker than I was expecting, with the amount of murder, maiming, and dark imagery that Tom runs into. Those parts, while unexpected, gave the book drive and suspense at key moments.
Something that struck me in the novel, and by struck, I mean I literally stopped reading and went, "What the hell?" was the author's bits of wisdom he offers about women and the treatment of female characters. I will give him credit for Alice, who has a questionable or gray morality and isn't easy to fit into a box. She's conflicted, coerced, and wily, which makes her an interesting counterpart to Tom's more straightforward, do-good personality.
No, what I'm talking about are quotes like this: "She worked in a bakery, but sadly for both of them, she was a very pretty woman, and some pretty women can't be trusted" (pg. 58), "Never trust a woman" (pg. 100), "Well, in that case you could fall easy victim to [village girls'] tricks. So watch out for village girls" (pg. 100), "My dad once told me that women know things that men don't. That sometimes they have a certain look in their eyes, but when you see it, you should never ask them what they're thinking. If you do, they might tell you something you don't want to hear" (pg. 255), "She's just a girl now, but one day she'll be a woman, and some clever women are dangerous" (pg. 322).
Okay, one time is a one-off, but continually running into this weird sentiment throughout the book, which is clearly aimed at boys, is just bizarre and kind of shitty. I was struggling to decide whether the author was simply creating characters who thought this, but as these ideas come from various characters, it appears to me that this is the author's personal problem. The way he writes about women and girls are as if they're completely "other," unfathomable and untrustworthy, and always planning something behind your back. He writes about women as if they're the enemy or a completely different species that men can never hope to understand, and so should just let them work their womanly magic while keeping an eye on them just in case.
Yes, some women are dangerous and some are liars, just like men, just like the rest of humanity, but the way DeLaney writes about women just gives me an icky feeling that I find difficult to describe. Yes, the book takes place in a world where people ride horses and work on the family farm with a clear demarcation between men and women's tasks, but that's no excuse to impart the wise wisdom of "Never trust a woman" to young boys and girls reading these novels. I feel like it's irresponsible and short-sighted. It may not seem like a big deal to a lot of people, but letting that kind of crap slide in one book for kids means that it's going to slide in a lot of books. We need to set a better example and demand that authors pay attention.
On a final note, the book makes a big deal out of Tom and the Spook being left handed and specifically that the Spook carries his staff in his left hand. On the cover, he's carrying the staff in his right hand. C'mon people.
valouche13's review against another edition
5.0
That novel blew my mind! It is now a standard for me by which I measure all other spooky books!
Well-researched, historical elements are seamlessly integrated into the story where the author describes magical and surreal events as though they were real!
The use of old clichés such as the fog rolling in on a cemetery will have you smiling until you realize it actually brought chills through your spine...
Do not read it at night!! ;)
Well-researched, historical elements are seamlessly integrated into the story where the author describes magical and surreal events as though they were real!
The use of old clichés such as the fog rolling in on a cemetery will have you smiling until you realize it actually brought chills through your spine...
Do not read it at night!! ;)
crafti_kate's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not used to reading books written for a slightly younger audience, though I thoroughly enjoyed The Spook's Apprentice.
The characters are well developed and the storyline is well thought out. Though the theme of witches, wizards and evil ghosts etc is a common theme for books in this genre, The Spook's Apprentice still has a unique and original feel to it.
I must admit, I was quite shocked at the darkness in this book, there were scenes and descriptions that made my skin crawl and I've no doubt make the younger readers scared of all the things that go bump in the night. The humorous side to the story is well received and there is a good dose of each throughout.
All in all, a good quick read and I look forward to reading the others in this series.
The characters are well developed and the storyline is well thought out. Though the theme of witches, wizards and evil ghosts etc is a common theme for books in this genre, The Spook's Apprentice still has a unique and original feel to it.
I must admit, I was quite shocked at the darkness in this book, there were scenes and descriptions that made my skin crawl and I've no doubt make the younger readers scared of all the things that go bump in the night. The humorous side to the story is well received and there is a good dose of each throughout.
All in all, a good quick read and I look forward to reading the others in this series.
naits's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
First in The Last Apprentice paranormal fantasy series for middle-grade readers (a.k.a., the Wardstone Chronicles) and revolving around Thomas Ward, the county’s young — last — hope.
My Take
Whoa…his Mam sure is hard on him! Telling him he can never come home again. I suspect Delaney using first-person protagonist point-of-view helps make this even more heartrending.
It’s a simple and very easy-to-read tale of a young man thrust into a role he hadn’t expected and didn’t particularly want, especially when his mentor is such a curmudgeon! Delaney does a nice job of introducing the characters, setting the scene, and creating the culture, all while properly imbuing a sense of the horror of what Tom experiences. Parents, you needn't worry that this is too horrific.
On the whole I enjoyed Revenge of the Witch, and yes, I’ll be reading Curse of the Bane next.
What I did not enjoy was how stupid Tom could be, those cakes a case in point.
It’s all about making your way in the world, whether you be witch, farmer, or protector. There is much to learn and rarely the time to learn it.
The Story
Tom has no time to worry about the things he still sees in the night, for he’s off to apprentice with Old Gregory.
It’s an interesting life for Tom, until he ignores the strictures Old Gregory places on him … until babies and children start to go missing.
The Characters
Thomas Ward is from a family of farmers and as a younger son, a seventh son, will inherit nothing. Dad, a seventh son, and Mam, who knows more about plants and medicines than the local doctor, are his parents. Jack is the oldest who will inherit Brewer’s Farm and is married to the pregnant Ellie. "Snout" butchers the pigs.
The Spook is Old Gregory, the man who protects the farms and villages from things that go bump in the night, and he’s served for 60 years. One brother is a priest and the other a locksmith.
Horshaw is…
…a pit village with the largest coalyards in the county where Old Gregory has his house. (His winter house is in Anglezarke.) Tommy is one of the children who go missing.
Near Pendle Hill are…
…where the witches live. Alice is Bony Lizzie’s favorite niece. Old Mother Malin is a live witch buried in the ground.
Boggarts come in all sorts: free boggarts can roam far from home and do endless mischief; a bound boggart can’t move at all; naturally bound boggarts can’t move more than a few yards; hairy boggarts may be evil or good; hall knockers play tricks and rap on walls and doors; stone chuckers can rain stone on you for weeks; and, cattle rippers also like human blood.
Now, witches come in four types: the ones who don’t know they’re witches; good witches; evil witches; and, those who are falsely accused. Bone magic is used by necromancers. Blood magic is powered by human blood, particularly that of children. Bone-bound is when the spirit of a dead witch is trapped inside her bones. Leys are lines of power beneath the earth. Ghasts are fragments of spirits; ghosts are spirits unable to move on.
The Cover and Title
The cover has the feel of a woodcut and is dark in its browns. It’s the bearded Spook, hooded and cloaked in gray, brown knee high cuffed leather boots, a thick chain dangling from his waist, carrying a staff and lit lantern, stalking through the cemetery. The background is of dead grasses amongst the leaning tombstones with a broken stone wall behind him, the trees bare in this late autumn story. The series information is at the very top in an embossed, aged gothic red with the tiny title under it in an embossed brown, both backed with a creamy widespread shadow. The author’s name is centered at the bottom in white with a round red seal promoting its forthcoming movie, Seventh Son.
The title is the inciting incident, the Revenge of the Witch.
My Take
Whoa…his Mam sure is hard on him! Telling him he can never come home again. I suspect Delaney using first-person protagonist point-of-view helps make this even more heartrending.
It’s a simple and very easy-to-read tale of a young man thrust into a role he hadn’t expected and didn’t particularly want, especially when his mentor is such a curmudgeon! Delaney does a nice job of introducing the characters, setting the scene, and creating the culture, all while properly imbuing a sense of the horror of what Tom experiences. Parents, you needn't worry that this is too horrific.
On the whole I enjoyed Revenge of the Witch, and yes, I’ll be reading Curse of the Bane next.
What I did not enjoy was how stupid Tom could be, those cakes a case in point.
It’s all about making your way in the world, whether you be witch, farmer, or protector. There is much to learn and rarely the time to learn it.
The Story
Tom has no time to worry about the things he still sees in the night, for he’s off to apprentice with Old Gregory.
It’s an interesting life for Tom, until he ignores the strictures Old Gregory places on him … until babies and children start to go missing.
The Characters
Thomas Ward is from a family of farmers and as a younger son, a seventh son, will inherit nothing. Dad, a seventh son, and Mam, who knows more about plants and medicines than the local doctor, are his parents. Jack is the oldest who will inherit Brewer’s Farm and is married to the pregnant Ellie. "Snout" butchers the pigs.
The Spook is Old Gregory, the man who protects the farms and villages from things that go bump in the night, and he’s served for 60 years. One brother is a priest and the other a locksmith.
Horshaw is…
…a pit village with the largest coalyards in the county where Old Gregory has his house. (His winter house is in Anglezarke.) Tommy is one of the children who go missing.
Near Pendle Hill are…
…where the witches live. Alice is Bony Lizzie’s favorite niece. Old Mother Malin is a live witch buried in the ground.
Boggarts come in all sorts: free boggarts can roam far from home and do endless mischief; a bound boggart can’t move at all; naturally bound boggarts can’t move more than a few yards; hairy boggarts may be evil or good; hall knockers play tricks and rap on walls and doors; stone chuckers can rain stone on you for weeks; and, cattle rippers also like human blood.
Now, witches come in four types: the ones who don’t know they’re witches; good witches; evil witches; and, those who are falsely accused. Bone magic is used by necromancers. Blood magic is powered by human blood, particularly that of children. Bone-bound is when the spirit of a dead witch is trapped inside her bones. Leys are lines of power beneath the earth. Ghasts are fragments of spirits; ghosts are spirits unable to move on.
The Cover and Title
The cover has the feel of a woodcut and is dark in its browns. It’s the bearded Spook, hooded and cloaked in gray, brown knee high cuffed leather boots, a thick chain dangling from his waist, carrying a staff and lit lantern, stalking through the cemetery. The background is of dead grasses amongst the leaning tombstones with a broken stone wall behind him, the trees bare in this late autumn story. The series information is at the very top in an embossed, aged gothic red with the tiny title under it in an embossed brown, both backed with a creamy widespread shadow. The author’s name is centered at the bottom in white with a round red seal promoting its forthcoming movie, Seventh Son.
The title is the inciting incident, the Revenge of the Witch.
karrama's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it enough to read more of the series, but so far it's not the greatest of it's kind.
laura_mayfair's review against another edition
3.0
Darker than I had expected. Very Grimms fairy tale-esque. It would be a good book to read around Halloween. I enjoyed it -- but not enough to grab future installments.