Here are another couple of books I had reserved for Halloween: The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane, and The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer, books 2 and 3 of The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney.
I discovered this series by chance — I randomly got it off Bookmooch a couple of years ago (mainly because and read it for Halloween last year. I liked the first book so much, and as luck would have it, the series is available here (P289 each at National Book Store!) so I immediately put the next two books on my Christmas wishlist last year, and got them via the Flips Flipping Pages Kris Kringle. And here came Halloween again, so I broke out books 2 and 3!
In Book 2, Curse of the Bane, we find Tom Ward now apprenticed to the Spook (the town’s all-around go-to guy for supernatural phenomena), John Gregory. An attack from a nasty ripper boggart kills the Spook’s brother, Father Gregory, so the Spook and Tom hie off to Priestown to pay their last respects to the late priest. The Spook isn’t in the best of health, but he is determined to rid the cathedral catacombs of an evil force that has been lying in wait and messing with the minds of the priests for years: the Bane. More trouble brews when the Quisitor comes to town, determined to flush out anyone who is dealing with the dark — including the Spook. Tom must gear up to face the Bane alone, and save the Spook before it’s too late.
This book was not as scary as the first book, but it covers a lot of ground, in terms of how the occupation of town Spook isn’t necessarily accepted by society, from the townsfolk to the clergy, and a not-so-loosely-worded commentary on clerical abuse, as well as good and evil. It also goes deeper into Tom’s character, as he prepares himself for a life of isolation and loneliness (like Jon Snow!) as a future Spook, and he learns a little bit more about his master through John Gregory’s relatives. Of course, the bits in the catacomb and the effects of the Bane on the people within its reach are quite hair-raising, so there’s still plenty of scares to go around.
In The Night of the Soul Stealer, Tom and the Spook hie off to Anglezarke, where the Spook keeps his winter home. Anglezarke is dark and cold and forbidding, and Tom longs for warmer days… especially when he finds what the Spook has been hiding in his basement. One of the Spook’s former apprentices, Morgan, also appears in this book, demanding a magical item from his former master. When the Spook refuses Morgan’s request, he targets Tom instead, stopping at nothing in his plans to unleash the evil beast Golgoth. Tom must decide where his loyalties lie in order to survive this harsh winter.
Now this was one scary book — I think it’s a combination of the change of setting, as well as all the, erm, close encounters (!!!) with certain creatures that had my nerves strung out from cover to cover. And I can’t tell you why, except that there isn’t a dull moment in this book, and it’s my favorite one in the series so far. This book also builds on the trust issues Tom has with his master, as he gets to know more about the Spook’s past. And very, very interesting — Tom’s mam is a revelation in this book — something that has been bubbling beneath the surface since the first book — and I feel she’ll be more than just Tom’s mother in the next books.
After reading these two books, I wanted to kick myself for not picking them up sooner. I had high hopes for the series after the first book and I wasn’t disappointed. Considering I’m not much of a horror fan, it’s really surprising how I’ve enjoyed this series so far. I’m also surprised it hasn’t gotten more recognition. I don’t personally know anyone who’s actually read this series, and from the looks of it, there is a small (but loyal!) following in the UK (different titles in the UK, all beginning with “The Spook”) and the US.
It’s definitely a series for young readers who want a good scare (and who can take it), but I think a lot of grown-up readers will enjoy the series too. The books are rich with European folklore: various types of witches, beasts and spirits, as well as folk practices in dealing with these creatures — like digging a pit and trapping the creature in it! There’s a sincerity to the voice that makes you feel as if the ghastly events are actually happening, as opposed to a tall tale spun out with the intention of scaring the reader. I find the books well-written too; the language is quaint and old-fashioned, adding authenticity to the story, and yet it all flows together effortlessly, making it a pleasure to read.
And the stories are seriously scary, like, read-with-a-book-light-under-the-covers-scary! The books tackle all the supernatural elements as if they were everyday occurences, or at least, not common but entirely plausible; as if a boggart chucking stones in your backyard was more of a nuisance than a terror, or that it’s your misfortune to meet a girl wearing pointy shoes (pointy shoes = witch). It’s subtly written in a way that isn’t baiting for a scream, but makes the hair at the back of your neck bristle in fear, and I really love how the suspense-building (scenes that literally leave you stewing restlessly in your seat!) is actually scarier than coming face to face with the horror. And let me tell you, I’m not the type who normally hankers for a good scare when picking out books to read, and yet right after I read the second book, I was eagerly tearing off the plastic seal on book 3!
I’ve decided on completing the US editions — mainly because of their availability here, but also because of the lovely woodcut illustrations by Patrick Arrasmith and the bonus section: Tom’s notebook in the back, filled with his lessons and all sorts of useful information on dealing with dark creatures.
There are 11 books out in the series so far: 9 novels, 1 book of short stories, and 1 “Bestiary,” while the last novel will be released in 2013 (Joseph Delaney has apparently said he is stopping at 12). There’s also a movie in the works — “The Seventh Son” with Jeff Bridges as the Spook and Ben Barnes as Tom Ward — too old, I think, but maybe the movie will cover all books, so I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt (let’s hope I’m not disappointed).
In the meantime, I’ll be catching up on this series over the holidays!
***
The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane, trade paperback, 4/5 stars
The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer, trade paperback, 5/5 stars
Books #98-99 for 2011
Base on your post, I think it is really interesting read! I love books that can trigger suspense with their words. Sometimes horror books failed to bring out the horror and became a just plain text to the readers. AND folklore! Oh, how I love folklore: beast, witches, trolls haha. AND europe! One of the places I want to visit someday. Nice post. :)
If you love folklore, I think you’re gonna love this series — there are Pendle witches and Greek witches, old gods like Golgoth, different types of boggarts, elementals, and ghasts, ghosts, and banshees!
Book 1 is The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch. I can’t wait for you to read it!!!
Dang. I still haven’t gotten around to reading the first book. Haay. Hopefully I’ll be able to soon (did you notice that there are so many great books now? Agh. The agony of choosing what to buy. Hehe
Great review as always, Bloo! ;)
True, so many books, so little time! :P
I do hope you get to read this series — I highly recommend it!
wow! nice review :) this is just in time for me since i’m on the lookout for a new book or series to read. I also love folklore, seems like this is one series that will be hard to put down. can’t wait to get my hands on these books! :)
thanks for the great review!
Do let me know what you think if when you get around to reading it :)