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sophielisa's review against another edition
1.0
Definitely a book written for young boys, and definitely not a book I’d recommend to anyone. The plot was rather boring but gruesome, and the book described women as untrustworthy, unpredictable and distracting. It also had themes which suggested that most women were witches and that men (the Spooks) had the power and responsibility to decide what happened to the women. It was an easy read and said interesting things about how we all have the capacity for good and evil, but those were essentially its only redeeming features. There were also some interesting morally ambiguous characters, but they weren’t terribly well developed. I don’t like being so critical of a book, but I really didn’t like what this book said about women, and the plot and writing style were not enough to redeem this book for me.
waveycowpar's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good story, very country English...
Interested to see the movie, it looks as if it will be very different
Interested to see the movie, it looks as if it will be very different
lu_bookks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
3.75
This book was very interesting. I feel like there could have been more, i did enjoy the read tho. I was a fast read.
libraryofretellingsandstars's review against another edition
5.0
"The Last Apprentice Seventh Son" by Joseph Delaney contains both "Revenge of the Witch" and "Curse of the Bone" following Tom the last apprentice to Spook as he learns, and they fight against the darkness.
I would give "The Last Apprentice Seventh Son" by Joseph Delaney a 5-star review because, 1; I loved the characters and the adventure and 2; this was a super fun and fast read for me.
I would give "The Last Apprentice Seventh Son" by Joseph Delaney a 5-star review because, 1; I loved the characters and the adventure and 2; this was a super fun and fast read for me.
tbr_the_unconquered's review against another edition
3.0
Jeff Bridges : that’s the guy I think of when I was figuring out as to why I pulled up this book from a pile at the library. The scraggly beard, flowing mane of hair and the looks of a wanderer suited him to a T. Fierce eyes set behind bushy eyebrows and a look that appraised you in one glance : all stuff that Bridges can easily pull off. It was only after I read this book that I figured out that the character of John Gregory, is a very close approximation of Bridge’s portrayal of this character. The movie was panned by critics and viewers alike but the book is a fairly good one. This volume collects the first two stories in the lives of John and his apprentice Thomas Ward.
The first story - The Spook’s Apprentice, is a sort of warming up of the bond that forms between John and his apprentice. With hard experience, young Thomas realizes that the spook is a person who travels the countryside getting rid of the evils that plague the population. His job is not one that makes him popular specifically in the eyes of the Church. But that does not mean that he is a magician who dispels evil with a well-placed spell and a waving of his wand. . The spook relies on a series of proven procedures that help him overcome even the most mischievous of evil spirits with a mix of science, shrewdness and a strong mind. Thomas has the uphill task of learning the trade of being a spook and trying to survive in the process too. He matches wits against witches, sadistic sidekicks and other creepy crawlies and survives by the skin of his teeth. He is pitted against the ancient evil in the form of a witch – Mother Malkin in this tale. The second part - The Spook’s Curse has them trying to rid the world of an ancient entity called the Bane. This story is both good and bad at the same time. The good part is that it is more complicated than its predecessor. The author builds an emotional backdrop to this story which is much more satisfying than its older brother. The bad part is that the ending is a rushed one and a tad too formulaic. The character of Alice, who is Thomas’s friend also gets much more prominence here.
Darker, gritty fantasy stories have corrupted me to such an extent that simple fare appears too bland ! The story of the spook and his apprentice fell into this latter category. While the rich use of stories from the English countryside is well done, the characters are too much of black and white shades that it appears very predictable. The intended audience is also a younger one which means that horror factor is a great deal watered down.
Definitely worth a read and light years better than the movie adaptation.
The first story - The Spook’s Apprentice, is a sort of warming up of the bond that forms between John and his apprentice. With hard experience, young Thomas realizes that the spook is a person who travels the countryside getting rid of the evils that plague the population. His job is not one that makes him popular specifically in the eyes of the Church. But that does not mean that he is a magician who dispels evil with a well-placed spell and a waving of his wand. . The spook relies on a series of proven procedures that help him overcome even the most mischievous of evil spirits with a mix of science, shrewdness and a strong mind. Thomas has the uphill task of learning the trade of being a spook and trying to survive in the process too. He matches wits against witches, sadistic sidekicks and other creepy crawlies and survives by the skin of his teeth. He is pitted against the ancient evil in the form of a witch – Mother Malkin in this tale. The second part - The Spook’s Curse has them trying to rid the world of an ancient entity called the Bane. This story is both good and bad at the same time. The good part is that it is more complicated than its predecessor. The author builds an emotional backdrop to this story which is much more satisfying than its older brother. The bad part is that the ending is a rushed one and a tad too formulaic. The character of Alice, who is Thomas’s friend also gets much more prominence here.
Darker, gritty fantasy stories have corrupted me to such an extent that simple fare appears too bland ! The story of the spook and his apprentice fell into this latter category. While the rich use of stories from the English countryside is well done, the characters are too much of black and white shades that it appears very predictable. The intended audience is also a younger one which means that horror factor is a great deal watered down.
Definitely worth a read and light years better than the movie adaptation.
dragontalon's review against another edition
2.0
I read these books when i was younger and decided to read them again with the movie coming out but i just couldnt get into it.
jesm98's review against another edition
2.0
I read the real version of this novel.
I started this book a very long time before I was able to finish it. I mostly enjoyed this fantasy novel, but it didn’t suck me in and keep me turning pages long into the night. While it was a good book, I don’t know that I will be running out to find any more in this series.
Because this book was so long, I almost feel like I should break it up into the two books that it really is!
I started this book a very long time before I was able to finish it. I mostly enjoyed this fantasy novel, but it didn’t suck me in and keep me turning pages long into the night. While it was a good book, I don’t know that I will be running out to find any more in this series.
Because this book was so long, I almost feel like I should break it up into the two books that it really is!
penguininabluebox's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. Not really my cup of tea. Like, the world in itself was interesting, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The characters just seemed boring and the writing was bland, so I couldn't quite get myself to be invested in the story, which also - seeming interesting at first - appeared to be quite unoriginal the further it progressed.