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amibunk's review against another edition
3.0
While not a book that can stand on it's own, "The Spook's Tale" is a good addition to the Last Apprentice series. In these three short stories three characters' backgrounds are shared. My favorite by far is Grimalkin, the witch assassin. Because really, don't the words "witch assassin" sound super cool and just a little bit scary?
I wish these stories were longer with greater detail. I felt they only skimmed the surface and left me wanting more. Delaney is a plot driven author, so these insights into his characters were entertaining.
I wish these stories were longer with greater detail. I felt they only skimmed the surface and left me wanting more. Delaney is a plot driven author, so these insights into his characters were entertaining.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
3.0
Background stories of major characters and villains, as well as clips from the books.
domdiggs's review against another edition
4.0
The short stories were good for background information. Delaney told these short stories very well. I enjoyed having some of my questions answered.
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Delightfully horrid as usual, but lacking in the depth and breadth of others in the series. This is a quick mash-up of one-off short stories that attempt to fill in the background of some of the major players, like the Spook's early days. Alice's story is disappointingly brief, while the story of how Grimalkin becomes the witch assassin is nasty and terrifying. No mention of Tom's mother either, which was also disappointing.
madz2023's review against another edition
4.0
In this book the short story I loved the most would have to be Grimalkin's tale. It was def the most morbid, but I loved the whole assassin-y-ness of the whole thing. Plus Grimalkin is my favorite character! She's a witch AND an assassin, what more could you want?!?
genderbuckbaby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A nice perspective shift from the regular series. I love hearing from Grimalkin and alice.
just_tommye's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful insight to the mysterious spook, John Gregory!
duffypratt's review against another edition
2.0
The largest portion of this book is a short story written from John Gregory's point of view, detailing his first encounter with witches and boggarts several years before he became a spook's apprentice. It was a decent story, but contained nothing that I found surprising or revelatory. The writing style was solid and comfortable, and it was good to be back in Delaney's misbegotten county.
The second story I enjoyed a bit more, largely because I love Alice's manner of speech. It tells of the time when Mab and the Mouldheels captured and tortured Alice to get information so they could then capture Tom Ward. It's an episode that was left more or less to the imagination in Attack of the Fiend. I haven't yet read up to I Am Alice, but I enjoy her voice so much that I may raise these books on my list of priorities. (I haven't found the later books in any used bookstore, nor do they show up at our local Barnes & Noble. I would rather not get them on Kindle, but I've been reluctant to order them online. So I have come to more or less of a halt with this series.)
After the second story the book takes a radical turn downhill. When it was published, the Grimalkin tale was probably pretty exciting and it featured a new voice. Unfortunately, the same material in this tale is covered in I Am Grimalkin. And it may even be lifted word for word. That redundancy, for me, severely cheapened what was already a slim volume. And then, there is a "gallery of villains" which consists of nothing but very short excerpts from the books that had already seen publication. So the entire last third of the book was basically a waste.
The second story I enjoyed a bit more, largely because I love Alice's manner of speech. It tells of the time when Mab and the Mouldheels captured and tortured Alice to get information so they could then capture Tom Ward. It's an episode that was left more or less to the imagination in Attack of the Fiend. I haven't yet read up to I Am Alice, but I enjoy her voice so much that I may raise these books on my list of priorities. (I haven't found the later books in any used bookstore, nor do they show up at our local Barnes & Noble. I would rather not get them on Kindle, but I've been reluctant to order them online. So I have come to more or less of a halt with this series.)
After the second story the book takes a radical turn downhill. When it was published, the Grimalkin tale was probably pretty exciting and it featured a new voice. Unfortunately, the same material in this tale is covered in I Am Grimalkin. And it may even be lifted word for word. That redundancy, for me, severely cheapened what was already a slim volume. And then, there is a "gallery of villains" which consists of nothing but very short excerpts from the books that had already seen publication. So the entire last third of the book was basically a waste.