Series Review - Spooks Apprentice: Books #2-4

  

The following is a three-book collection of reviews from The Spooks Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney.
Each installment is reviewed individually and given a rating reflecting my thoughts on only that installment.
The collection may later contain spoilers concerning events in previous installments. Proceed with caution.

The Spooks Curse
Author: Joseph Delaney
Series: The Spooks Apprentice/Wardstone Chronicles #2
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy | Childrens, Young Adult
Release Date: 30th June 2006
Publishers: Red Fox
No. Pages: 433
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, deal with the dark. Together they rid the county of witches, ghosts, and boggarts. But now there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs of the cathedral lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat; a force so evil that the whole county is in danger of being corrupted by its powers. The Bane..

As Thomas and the Spook prepare for the battle of their lives, it becomes clear that the Bane isn't their only enemy. The Quisitor has arrived, searching for those who meddle with the dark so he can imprison them - or worse.

Can Thomas defeat the Bane on his own? Is his friend Alice guilty of witchcraft? And will the Spook be able to escape the Quisitor's clutches?

The following review may contain spoilers concerning earlier books in the series.
If you have not read the previous installments, please proceed with caution.

It had been a while since I was Joseph Delaney's Spooks world - a good couple of months in fact, and during that time, I read a lot of books, so it's unclear to me as to whether my reaction to Spooks Curse is an honest reaction to the novel itself, or whether it's also been touched by the length of time it's taken me to continue to series. Spooks Curse was not a bad sequel, in fact, it provided and gave me everything I was wanting and expecting in the sequel, but there were areas it seemed to weaken in, and there were small moments of annoyance felt towards some of the characters themselves, but all in all, Spooks Curse is a good continuation of the series.

I can definitely see the similarities between Spooks Apprentice and Skulduggery Pleasant the more of Spook I read, and as of yet, I'm not sure whether this is a positive or a negative entirely, but I do enjoy the similarities when they stretch to the the general theme of childrens books. There's a joy that comes with childrens books, one that doesn't centre around a swoon-worthy romance, or judgements and secrets, theres much more of an honest and down to earth feel, although there's plenty of mystery to make up for those secrets, and I find myself enjoying the change in set up, pace and feel. The atmosphere surrounding Spooks Apprentice is one of depth and darkness, it's created with the aim of proving how one person is neither good or bad, but a part of both, and for a childrens series, it's definitely not afraid to go into detail. Damn, squashing people so flat that they are literally pressed into the brickwork on the wall, it's definitely not the sort of detail you see in other younger reads. I really love that Delaney isn't afraid to go into detail with these descriptions and that he sets the scenes beautifully and perfectly, with the arie feel of the darkness being a living thing and there being untrustworthy people, it's a enjoyable feature that works positively with the mystery surrounding some of the characters, and Delaney's fast-paced, simplistic writing.

Speaking of the characters, I confess, I felt a little disconnected to them a little within Spooks Curse, and as I've already mentioned, this could be down to the fact that it took me a while to continue the series, but it could also come down to the fact that the characters felt more disconnected to themselves. Reading about Toms's developing friendship with the Spook, how they interact with one another, how Tom's adventure and personality collide with the Spooks rules and how they work with one another, balancing each other out, and reacting to one anothers actions is however really good, it's a really positive master and student relationship, and their level of loneliness is much less in comparison to in Spooks Apprentice. I was also a little disappointed with Alice too on occasion, but from the looks of things and her future being so rocky, I can't wait to see how Delaney develops her character, I can imagined there's going to be some serious personality and action changes, but reading about hers and Tom's friendship that's slowly developing, and how the Spooks feelings towards Alice are changing too, they really lovely moments, and it's the feel of family that you gain from the three of them that really reaches out throughout the novel.

The actual plot itself probably could have been a little darker and scarier, considering how I felt about the first installment, and the Bane itself I had expected more from, but the feel and the writing was really well complimented with the action and the characters. The reveals and secrets that came to light, both about the Spook and Tom's Mam was really interesting too, it definitely brought something new to the table and created a more mature feel, which I feel might slowly feature throughout the next installments too. Maybe I had expected just a little too much of Spooks Curse after Spooks Apprentice, maybe I just wasn't in the exact right place when I continued the series, but Spooks Curse was just a little of a let down, but I'm both looking forward to and excited for what Delaney will bring to the table next.

The Spook's Secret
Author: Joseph Delaney
Series: The Spook's Apprentice/Wardstone Chronicles #3
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy | Childrens, Young Adult
Release Date: 5th July 2006
Publishers: Red Fox
No. Pages: 400
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

It's going to be a long, hard, cruel winter. And there couldn't be a worse place to spend it than up on Anglezarke.

Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who captures witches and drives away ghosts. As the weather gets colder and the nights draw in, the Spook receives an unexpected visitor. Tom doesn't know who the stranger is or what he wants, but the Spook suddenly decides it's time to travel to his winter house, Anglezarke. Tom has heard it will be a bleak, forbidding place, and that menacing creatures are starting to stir somewhere on the moors nearby.

Can anything prepare Tom for what he finds there? What if the rumors about the evil beast called the Golgoth are true? And how much danger will Tom be in if the secrets the Spook has been trying to hide from the world are revealed?

The following review may contain spoilers concerning earlier books in the series.
If you have not read the previous installments, please proceed with caution.

I'm pleased to say that Spook's Secret was to me, the book that Spooks' Curse should have been. Delaney brought the depth and darkness from Spook's Apprentice back in this installment, with much gloomier and eerie scenes, with more twisted and dangerous characters and some pretty intriguing character developments, secrets and reveals - it was everything I was hoping a sequel would be and more, and most definitely rekindled my appreciation for this series.

I think what I enjoyed more about this installment in comparison the last was that I felt right back at home with the characters. A part of me feels that my time away from the series hindered this previously, and while that's not really Delaney's fault, I do think it hinders his writing in that the original wait for installment could have certainly created not-so realistic views on how good this actual series is, and that's a shame, because when Delaney's characters shine, they shine brilliantly. However, none of Delaney's characters are perfect, and I find he likes to perfect this message in his work - Tom, try as he might, still makes very simple and illogical mistakes, and he's a child, he's bound, he's bound to think with his emotions and his feelings rather than his mind from time to time, and he's not going to have wise experiences on his shoulders which only highlights those wise decisions when he has them, how much he grows, not only as a person, but into a future Spook. This, alongside Alice, who, no matter what she does, is branded with a lack of trust, with a lack of positive compliments, and that shapes her as a person and gives her more respect not only for the simplest things in life, like friendships and loyalty, but for herself too, and the Spooks, Gregory himself, who's proven to not be the firm, stronghold that the county would believe him be, he has secrets, dark and dangerous, and his deteriorating charcater only extends the exploration of his life's experiences, his mistakes and his regrets, and each of these characters, these leading characters, brings and shapes the messages that Delaney hides so well within his novels. The messages of trust and friendship, of belief and second chances, or respecting elders, even when they're not so wise or well, and trusting not only your instincts, but your heart too. It's Delaney's characters that bring that extra spark to his work, and it's what Spook's Secret had, that Spook's Curse did not.

Another feature Spook's Secret had that Spook's Curse lacked was a really interesting and honestly, really intriguing plot and premise. There were lies, mysteries, action and plot devices abound, whether it be the scenes with boggats or with Meg and Spooks, or the develops that took place in Tom's personal life, between his Mam and his Pa and what it meant for his future, all woven and twisted within a very eerie, very dark, and very, almost terrifying premise, especially for a children's novel was really extremely good. Delaney has never been afraid to get deep into the creepy and the scary and he didn't let up in this installment either - his writing was the perfect blend of informative, but eerie, and still kept the voices and the personalities of the characters brilliant throughout. His world building and his overall plot development was absolutely wonderful throughout Spook's Secret - he wasn't afraid to violently kill off characters, he wasn't afraid to talk sacrifices and murder, to talk power and the afterlife, Delaney uses all these features and more, his talent of weaving the horror, the creepy, and scary and the damn right horrible into a really, quite thrilling read that not only manages to please, but keeps the attention of one not-so-child-like reader, and that is a success.

I do believe that as I continue reading the installments and as Tom and Alice grow and age, I'll come to find their characters easier to connect to on a more persona level, especially where it concerns their forbidden romance, and I think that with age comes more logic and more thinking, which will turn this series from a utterly fantastic childrens collection, to a really foreboding, interesting and dark teen read, and seeing, watching, reading this series develop and being aware of the smaller plot details that occurred within Spook's Secret and how they will create the basis for future installments, I'm pretty much dying to know where Delaney will take this series next. It'll never be a perfect series, but as childrens and middle grade books though, these I would seriously recommend.

The Spook's Battle
Author: Joseph Delaney
Series: The Spook's Apprentice/Wardstone Chronicles #4
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy | Childrens, Young Adult
Release Date: 5th July 2007
Publishers: Red Fox
No. Pages: 496
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who banishes boggarts and drives away ghosts. But now a new danger is threatening Tom's world. The witches are rising and the three most powerful clans are uniting in order to conjure an unimaginable evil.

Tom and the Spook set out to stop the witches before they unleash the demon. But when Tom finds himself on his own, he wonders if he has the courage and cunning to defeat the most powerful enemy he has ever encountered.

The following review may contain spoilers concerning earlier books in the series.
If you have not read the previous installments, please proceed with caution.

Spooks Battle was very different to that of it's previous installments in that, my enjoyment level went through the roof to the point were I forgot not once, but on both occasions I sat down to read it, to actually take any notes whatsoever, and that's a very rare feat. Very few other reads have had such a reaction, or lack thereof, the most memorable being The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan, and in a few ways, Delaney and Riordan share many features in common. They each have developed vast worlds with secrets, reveals and new characters deep into the vast corners of their imagination, they've each introduced, developed and made me fall in love with their young, teenage, leading male in their stories, and they've written a story so well that I just know they've got more up their sleeves to come, and that excites me.

What was most interesting to me during Spook's Battle is that it wasn't really the Spook's battle, but more Tom's battle towards becoming a Spook, and that changed not only the dynamics of the series and the relationship between Tom and every other character in this series, but most of all, changed him in his development, in his choices, in his actions and in his thought process, everything down from his priorities, and that possibly was the best and most painful part of the reading process during Spook's Battle. Tom's choices defined who he became, he became quicker on his feet, both in mind and body, he realised the importance of relying on yourself most of all, rather than prophecies and other characters and he finally came to terms with not only his own past, but where he came from, who he came from, and where his story is headed, the things he most sacrifice and just how many people he might lose along the way. Delaney keeps his cards firmly close to his chest when it comes to the ones he plays in this series, but he's played very little so far, and if the previous four installments are anything to go by, Tom's development will only continue to grow, and so will the world he lives in.

While Delaney's world is gorgeous, dark, eerie, mysterious and in every way, a nod to the United Kingdom, his hometown of Lancashire most, it's his characters that stand out most. Tom, still a young boy, is becoming more and more like an adult, and in many ways, is becoming a firm favourite of mine. He makes mistakes, he trusts easily in those he possibly shouldn't, and risks a lot for those he cares about most, but he's changing, he's making decisions that brand him differently, to those he cares most about and therefore changes the relationship he has with them, to his enemies and how they see and fear him. He's becoming such a strong, able character, and there's plenty more to see from him as this series continues. However, Tom's development introduces a decline in the Spooks ability and only highlights how close and how dangerous the following installments will be - the Spook's trust and faith in Tom, belief and knowledge of Tom's ability sets the stage for Tom's future, and for the eventual end of the Spook; it's a painful trust, but how Delaney explores it through the relationship Tom and the Spooks have, rather than that of a father/son relationship, or a master and student, but more of a friendship, of understanding, of a respect and overall appreciation for other, it's a solid foundation that continues to grow both characters, but Tom most of all. Even Alice's growth and development as a character is complimented by Tom himself, and watching their friendship, and their ever so beautiful and subtle romance blossom is definitely one of the features I like most in this series - it's a honest and pure emotion of friendship, loyalty and trust that they share, and to see that becoming something worth so much more is extremely wonderful, especially since it's not thrown directly in your line of sight - it doesn't interfere with the plot or the stories as a whole, and doesn't encourage the characters to make foolish decisions.. well - most of the time anyway.

Delaney produced yet another really interesting and fascinating plot within Spook's Battle, with reveals I may or may not have figured much earlier on in the series, with touches of family and loyalty between Tom, his AWOL mother and his family, and his friendships he's developing. The actual premise itself, with the witch coven's and the devil himself maybe was a little too far fetched; personally, I don't see how it benefited the witches to do such a thing, and neither do I see how that part of the plot took an entire book to fill, it probably could have been shortened and explored much more, and there seemed to be more history, more reveals and more secrets than the actual title implied, and yet still, I really found myself enjoying it immensely. With another nine books in the series to go, I'm more than intrigued at where Delaney will take this series, the other smaller for now plot points and the characters that were meeting, how he will developed all of these features, and most of all, see just how much more Tom changes. Not for those thrill seekers looking for high fantasy but for those looking for the creeps, for the dark, for the quick and the easily followed plots and the amazing, multi-layered, well developed characters, Spooks is definitely worth the time it'll take to read.