Curse of the Bane: The Last Apprentice, #2

Finding this book brand new in the hardback edition was difficult, but Amazon had my back. The book shipped quickly and arrived in excellent condition. Everything is as it should be. The only thing that could've sweetened the deal is if they offered it with a dust jacket/cover. Overall, I'm pleased with the book!

I started reading Joseph Delaney's Last Apprentice books when I learned a new movie was to be released called, Seventh Son, and that the film was based on the first two books in the now thirteen book series. Click on the link to read my review of the first book, Revenge of the Witch. I have since finished the second book, Curse of the Bane. In short, I even more excited to see Seventh Son than I had been prior to reading the books.The dust jacket flap gives a brief synopsis of the novel as such:The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, rid the county of witches, ghosts, boggarts, and other creatures of the dark. And there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat; a force so evil that the whole county is in danger. The Bane!But the Bane is not their only enemy. The Quisitor arrives, intent on hunting down anyone who meddles with the dark. Thomas Ward and the Spook must prepare for the battle of their lives.Just for some background, Thomas Ward is the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. While his father was able to call in favors for employment for the first six sons, Thomas was given to Old Gregory. Old Gregory is a Spook. A Spook is not always the most popular person in any county. They are, however, needed. They wrestle witches and boggarts and spirits and anything supernatural to protect their county. Six months into his apprenticeship, Thomas is beginning to appreciate his new position.When the Spook's brother dies, the Spook and Thomas must journey to Priestown for the funeral. Priestown is a town filled with priests, and priests are especially not fond of Spooks. Once in town, they learn that the evil Quisitor is there. The Quisitor accuses people of witchcraft, and burns them, but only after hours and sometimes days of endless torture. Additionally, below the town in the maze of catacombs, is a bound malevolent creature known as the Bane. It is a powerful being that, if released from captivity, will reek havoc on counties far and wide!When the Quisitor captures both the Spook and Thomas' friend, (and witch), Alice, the nightmare begins. With limited training, Thomas must call on all of his knowledge to find a way to free his friends before they are burned to death. Disobeying all commands he must figure out how to outsmart the Quisitor and deal with an angry and vengeful Bane.Family, friendship, and unexpected sacrifices fill the chapters of this page turning adventure. Yes. Delaney's series is a young adult fantasy / horror. Let me tell you, I am thoroughly enjoying the tales! They are horrific and suspenseful. The characters are very well drawn. The background stories and prophecies and sinister plots are compelling. I have purchased all thirteen books in the series, and am not sure I will be able to stop reading until I have finished the very last one!Curse of the Bane was action packed. I will be curious to see how the 1st and 2nd books are incorporated into one film.Phillip TomassoAuthor of Damn the Dead and Blood River

A solid follow up and definitely an improvement in writing quality compared to the first.Book came in great condition, wouldn't think it sat in a shipping box in the back of a moving truck at all.

Young Tom Ward and his master, the Spook (Old Gregory)have had a turn of bad luck that's been years in the making. While the Spook is sick, Tom goes down to a small village where one of the Spook's brothers is a priest. The brother has tried to stop a Boggart, a malicious being capable of murder. After a breath-taking opening, Tom wins and loses. The Boggart is bound, but the Spook's brother eventually dies. While attending the funeral in Priestown, the Spook runs into the Quisitor, a man dedicated to burning witches and punishing those who get too close to the Dark. The Spook is high on the Quisitor's list. Furthermore, the Bane -- one of the strongest and most evil of the denizens of the Dark -- still lies buried in the catacoombs beneath the town. It's held prisoner by an ancient curse, but it's growing stronger. The Spook tried to rid the town of it once and failed, nearly losing his life. When the Spook is taken prisoner, only Tom is left to save the day. And to do that, he has to risk everything, learn more about his master and his mother than he'd ever wanted to, and find a strength inside himself that he didn't know he had.This is Joseph Delany's second book, and the second book in this series. I'm anxiously awaiting more.As in the first novel, Delaney manages to evoke the feelings of the macabre, fear, and dread on nearly every page. I found myself totally immersed in the story. Instead of a superficial return, though, Delaney deepens the characters even more from the first book. You'll learn things in this novel that you didn't know and might only have suspected from the first one. Alice is back as well, and still practicing witchcraft, which makes her interesting and a threat to Tom.The books are written on a level that kids can enjoy them, but adults who love fantasy, history, and a good scare on a quiet night of reading will enjoy these books as well. Delaney's world is as deeply evolved as Harry Potter's, and seems to be growing by leaps and bounds in geography as well as legends. These books should be on every library shelf, and in the homes of everyone who loves a good story.

This is the second book in the Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney. The book continues the story of the Spook and his young apprentice, Tom Ward.The Spook and Tom deal with the dark - witches, boggarts and warlocks, ghosts and ghasts. Because of this, they are not popular with the majority of the community (Tom is warned at the very beginning of his apprenticeship that his job will be a lonely one), especially priests. So when the Spook announces that they are going to Priestown, Tom senses that there may be trouble ahead. However, the reason for going there is too important to be ignored, for it is there, below the town in the catacombs, that they are to face a terrible evil that is known as 'the Bane'. The Bane is a terrible creature that is able to use the priests or other people of the town to do its bidding - it is able to read your mind, enter your thoughts and dreams - people are tricked into offering it blood, some are so tormented by it that they only see suicide as a way out of its control. However, Tom discovers an old curse that doesn't bode well for their mission; if the prophecy is realised, Tom may lose a great friend.This is the basic plot. Just like the first book in this series, Delaney has managed to create great characters. Alice returns, a girl who has witches in her family yet Tom is determined to see the best in her. As in the first book, Alice is perhaps one of the best characters - Delaney uses her to great effect in attempting to illustrate how good and evil are often very close together, things are not quite so black and white as some other children's books like to suggest. The relationship between Tom and the Spook is also developing more; Tom learns things about his master that shock him and trouble him. It is because of this that adults are able to enjoy the books so much; this series is incredibly intelligent, original, and brilliantly written. You are not given all the answers. There are times when you doubt certain characters for the things they do, even the main character Tom. Rather than being a book about good against bad, it is a book which shows how good can sometimes come from bad and vice-versa.All in all, this is a fantastic series. While it may never be as well known as Harry Potter, I think it is far more clever than the popular wizard series. Highly recommended.

It's a scary book. That's what I love about it. I look forward to reading it every night until I fall asleep. Great book!!!!!!!😎😎

Fantastic book, fantastic quality.

The first book in the Wardstone chronicles was excellent, it was spooky, witty and suspenseful. Delaney has delivered us another winner with the second title, The Spooks curse, which takes is farther away from the spooks house and into Priestown where an evil lurks in the catacombs, an evil the spook has faced before. The writing is once again thrilling, scary, perfectly described and when reading the pages seem to flick past in a blur. The characters of Tom and Alice are developing well, but Delaney wisely leaves many details about the Spooks life secret, which gives his character a sense of mystery that makes the books even more enjoyable. The situations are scarier, the enemy more evil and terrifying and the book is longer which is a huge bonus, though i still finished in two days and am desperate to read the third.Not since the Harry Potter books have i so anticipated the sequels.

Randomly stumbled upon this series as a 10 year old who got his dad to buy him a book so he could look grown up at an airport. Going away for a week, never having an intention to read the book. Awkwardly, it was the 4th in the series instead of the first. That didn't matter though, I read it, I read from cover to cover. Now if I'm not reading one of them, I'm listening to the audio books (also amazing i might add).The spook is harsh yet lovable. Alice devious yet so intriguing. Tom absolutely infuriating in his ignorance.Just a shame the movie is trash.