The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane (Book 2) audiobook

Let me open this with a caveat or two.First always be sure that your children/youths are mature enough to read any YA novel, this one included. Be sure that when reading a fantasy novel especially one with a horror context that they have a good reality concept.Second and for this novel be aware of the attitude in these books (The Wardstone Chronicles in the UK or The Spook's Apprentice books in the US) toward "the church". I'm not Roman Catholic, but am a Christian. Were my kids small, I'd have let them read thee books (they were both able to read young plus I read to them from a very early age). While the author never says "Catholic" here, we have priests, brothers, "making the sign of the cross", and (later) it's mentioned that the only thing "Spooks" and "Priests" have in common is celibacy. There is a...somewhat negative view of "the church" while the main character expresses a view that he believes in God, he apparently has little use for the church. I kept remembering a line from the movie Men in Black, when Tommy Lee Jones was explaining how bad it was that the alien was "a bug". Will Smith's character answers "you were stung as a child weren't you?" I wonder if maybe the writer had a bad experience with someone in the Catholic church... Well whatever, this will be a non-issue for some and big issue for others. I'd say read the books first then use your judgement... you do something that's extremely unusual in this day and age, act like a parent.Okay, all that aside, these are (so far) well written books and I (as an over the hill old curmudgeon) enjoy them/this one. Again we are with Tom Ward the apprentice Spook who seems constitutionally unable to do what he's told by his master or be honest with him for that matter and therefore ends up in the soup. Of course, the Spook himself isn't perfect and sets up his own "fall into the soup pot" situations. Here we must deal with a threat from the Spook's younger days. He has to go "back" to the "Priest town" and face a threat that almost killed him before...a threat of terrible proportions. Of course he must also face...The Quisitor (read Inquisitor).It's bound to get sticky.While there are flaws this is a good book, the second in what looks like it might be a pretty good YA series. I plan to follow it up. I've run across a lot of youth books I felt weren't...all that great, lately. It's good to find one that's fairly well told and based on an interesting idea. I'd say, try it. See what you think. **************** Some spoilers below ******************** Tom also has to go on dealing with Alice (whom we met in the fist volume). She just can't seem to keep out trouble and is apparently never going to be able to stay away from "the dark". The Spook has a sure remedy for that however...the witch pit, and Tom just can't bear the thought. He uses something from the Spook's past however, something he's not supposed to know about to keep her from it.But is that for the best? I find myself wondering about the Spook's witch remedy (is being trapped and starved in a pit better than burning? It's a tricky question and one reason I advise parents to be aware.)I also wonder if "in the end" Alice may not be Tom's weakness. Oh well, like I said a pretty good series, so far.

Bu seriyi okumayarak hata yapıyorsunuz. Tek söyleyeceğim bu.

SPOILER FREEMuch like The Spook’s Apprentice, The Spook’s Curse continues to introduce us to The County and the threats from the Dark that continue to plague it. Things get a little more out of hand, however, as Joseph Delaney introduces us to boggarts and there is an old, angry God plaguing Priestown in this fantasy book.Thomas is such a good character. He’s constantly afraid, of course, but he’s braver than he is scared. And he’s smart. A surprising amount happens in The Spook’s Curse, considering the size, and it’s all brilliant.The Quisitor is out and about, ready to burn any witches or spooks he finds. The Bane is beginning to grow in power, and his grip on the people of Priestown is a threat Thomas has to overcome. And before all of that, Thomas and the Spook have to deal with a boggart who is only getting bigger, stronger, and meaner.The plot in The Spook’s Curse is fast-paced and not a page is wasted. Even though there is a lot of adventure and fighting the Dark, Delaney makes room for important character development.Thomas’ Mam is a fantastic character, and her relationship with her son is wonderful. Alice is complex as she is a witch but doesn’t want to belong to the Dark – she is Thomas’ friend, but there is a lot of trust she has to build up before John Gregory will give her the time of day.The Spook’s Curse is another wonderful fantasy book, and there are more hints at how the Dark is growing in power over The County.View the full review at The Fantasy Review

4.5 porque hubiese querido un final del "problema" más rimbombante (aunque la explicación de por qué no lo fue, me dejó muy satisfecha) "Se agradece que las brujas coman bebes" o cómo se disfruta una novela de fantasmas, espantos y otras varias edificantes compañías No sé por qué no se habla más de esta saga de libros, cuando es tan "sabrosa". Intuyo que tal vez es porque sólo están traducidos los tres primeros al español y como sabemos, a muchos les da pereza leer en un idioma que no es el suyo o simplemente, no saben que existe. De cualquiera manera, es una pena, porque son realmente buenos.Tom es el séptimo hijo del séptimo hijo y como tal, tiene la facilidad de "see dead people" entre otras muchas cosas bucólicas y pastoriles, como los boggarts y amigos varios de ese tipo. Salvo por eso, Tom es como cualquier hijo de vecino quien, al ser el menor de una familia numerosa, debe buscarse un oficio para vivir (es eso o morir de hambre o ser vilipendiado por tu familia) Por esta cualidad y gracias a la diligencia de su peculiar madre, termina de aprendiz de "Espectro", un viejo cascarrabias, a medida camino entre un chamán y un exorcista, quien se dedica a limpiar el condado de alimañas sobrenaturales. A parte de eso, un trabajo honrado algo peculiar, no hay ninguna otra elemento típico de las historias de "elegidos" adolescentes: ni una gran maldición ni una profecía ni haber matado a Valdemort, nada, sólo son las peripecias de un chico aprendiendo un oficio, tratando de no morir en el intento (y de no meter a la niña que le interesa en una fosa y taparla con una piedra por la eternidad). Por eso amo esta historia, porque es una que ya conocemos, pero a la vez no.La primera novela va de cómo Tom se acostumbra al Espectro (Spook en inglés), la denominación que se le da al que ejerce el trabajo de lidiar con lo sobrenatural fuera de la iglesia establecida y de cómo traba amistar con Alice, una chica de su edad, sobrina de una bruja, quien le ocasionará más de un problema y mucho interés. El libro cuya reseña leen, trata de sus avances como aprendiz, de cómo vuelve a encontrarse cona Alice (en medio de un peligro terrible para el Espectro y para él mismo) y como luchan contra un terrible y malvado ser gargolesco, llamado La Pesadilla. Cómo ven, son tramas sencillas, lo suficientemente interesantes para picar tu curiosidad, ideales para pasear un buen rato y sobre todo, muy bien escritas e hiladas. El autor tiene un oficio excelente y realmente cuenta la historia de una manera entretenida y muchas veces, creepy. Creo podría decir que cada novela es como un capítulo de los X Files, te presenta un "monstruo de la semana" y te invita a ver cómo los personajes se las arreglan con él. Lo que si me gustaría señalar, es que creo que estás novelas deberían ser más largas, con más desarrollo y finales más complejos. Pero, como dije en la reseña del primer libro, algunas veces menos es más y lo prefiero así que con hojas extras sin sentido. En todo caso, espero que se explaye más en los que siguen.De Verdad, me encantaría que tuvieran 100 o 200 hojas más.Una de las cosas que más me gustan de estas historias, es que en esta realidad, el mal es realmente mal, nada de malvados sexys cuya maldad radica principalmente en una "sexualidad oscura y tentadora" (si, te miro a ti Darkling de "Sombra y hueso") Acá, las brujas de comen a los niños, hacen pasteles de sangre y en cualquier momento puede venir un boggart en medio de la noche a chupar el tuetano de tus huesos. Además a los sospechosos de brujería se les clavan agujas y se les arroja al agua para que se ahoguen, a las lamias se les clavan las manos a rocas para que mueran quemadas por el sol y cualquiera puede morir aplastado por un ser monstruoso. Insisto, en estas trama la maldad no esta estereotipada ni es "romántica" con un aire de oscuridad y condena byroniana (cualidad por la cual estoy un poco harta de que lo único que puedan hacer los malos es tratar de seducir y así atraer a la oscuridad a las pobres doncellas de las novelas, como si no hubiera otras cosas peores que eso), no hay nada de "maldad idealiza" y eso es maravilloso. Está es una de las principales razones de por qué la novela tiene escenas muy creepys y algo repugnantes, cosa que celebro. De hecho, en una de mis actualizaciones, comenté que la lectura me había hecho tener pesadillas con la caza y quema de brujas, así que háganse una idea de las interesantes escenas que nos pinta el autor. Ojo, tampoco es Gore o desagradable tipo peli de terror de serie b, pero para ser una novela "middle grade" es bastante "intensa" (como alguien señaló por ahí, idea que comparto plenamente)Desde un tiempo a esta parte, me he dado cuenta que disfruto mucho las novelas que tienen como punto de vista principal, el de un protagonista masculino, de ahí mi shelf "Bart Simpson point of view". No quiero parecer sexista, pero estoy aburrida de la heroína kickass, quien anda repartiendo desastres porque "ella lo vale", alegando contra las responsabilidades que las "coharta en su libertad" (insertar "Let it go" de Frozen, en cualquier versión) y enamorándose por ahí, como si no hubiese nada mejor que hacer. Quiero que me entiendan bien, no tengo ningún problema con una de este tipo que sea inteligente/coherente, tampoco con las del tipo "frágil que necesita ser salvada", porque hasta esas chicas pueden ser interesantes, si son bien retatradas. Creo que lo problemático, no es el punto de vista femenino, sino como l@s autor@s lo tratan en sus tramas. No es que el POV de un hombre sea más interesante de por sí, sino que últimamente, en los libros que leo, la chica aburre o exaspera. En términos Disney, ahora hay muchas Elsas dando vueltas y pocas Mulán o Bellas.Pero acá, aunque la historia está tratada desde la perspectiva de Tom, la protagonista, Alice es un personaje súper interesante. Ella siempre está transitando entre el bien y el mal, a punto de desviarse, recurriendo a malos medios para obtener buenos fines. Es inteligente y muy lista, osada, pero no al punto de armar un lio sólo porque se le ocurrió que algo tenía que ser como a ella le sale de donde sea que tiene el cerebro. Alice es un muy buen personaje y la "enigmática" mamá de Tom, también. Ambas son una muestra de que no es necesario andar pateando culos para ser un buen personaje femenino. En fin, recomiendo mucho estás novelas. Son livianitas, bien escritas, entretenidas y "sabrosas". No hay grandes sorpresas, pero la trama es lo suficientemente interesantes y bien construida, como para hacerte pasar un excelente momento mientras las lees.También debo mencionar, como punto a favor, que carecen por completo ese humor tipo "gag" de serie gringa que tanto odio y que me hizo desagradable los libros de Rick Riordan. Otra cosa favorable y que facilita mucho la lectura, es que, debido a cómo está narrada la historia, te encariñas fácilmente con los personajes Personalmente, cuando acabe con el tercer libro, leeré resto de la saga en inglés :)

Synopsis: 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.Review: Violent evil spirits lurking in dark catacombs, demonic possession, people getting tortured and burned alive for being falsely accused of being witches, religious corruption, using evil to fight against evil, and that's just the beginning. The second installment in this series is another splash of gothic-horror goodness accompanied by entertaining fantasy drama. Thomas still has much room to grow on me, but Alice and Spook are great characters. The harsh and sometimes cruel wisdom of Spook accompanied by the morally questionable antics of Alice the witch are fun to watch. This book helped to tie the three together in a time of great darkness, they make quite the oddball trio but I can't help but look forward to what spectacular wickedness they throw themselves into next now that they've aligned themselves.***My Social MediaMy Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorrorMy Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...

Well, It is starting to get interesting, this feels like Harry Potter only the horror version, unlike Mr. Potter, who had so many many friends, Thomas doesn't have that much, only his mother and the Spook, but what a mother!!!! Good things about the book, expansion of the Delaney world, earlier ghosts, witches and boggarts, now we have the Bane, a tougher, more malevolent entity, more glimpses of Mr. Gregory's bygone days and yesteryears, origin of Mister and Missus Ward and of course, we see how Thomas begins to grow!!!!More Alice!!!! Began she is to the Dark Side!!!

Really enjoying Alice and the grumpy SpookReview to come!Audiobook CommentsNarrated by Christopher Evan Welch. He seems like a pretty darn good narrator. I'm pretty happy with how consistent he is between this and the first novel.YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

I enjoyed this book much more than the first one (though I did like the first one a lot as well). My favorite part of these stories is seeing Alice develop as a character.

4,5

Nešto dinamičniji nastavak, ne automatski i bolji. Zadržana je delimično ona prijatna atmosfera.

“One day this house will belong to us, Tom. Don’t you feel it?” she asked Tom and the Spook have been working together to defeat the darkness. But, when the Spook gets the news about his brother, they set a journey to Priestown to attend the spook brother's funeral alongside with some unfinished business that they need to deal with. Deep down under the Cathedral catacombs, lurks a creature that Spook himself can’t defeat; a force that so evil that put the County is in danger being corrupted by its power; The Bane.Though, it looks like that the Bane is not their only enemy when the Quisitor has arrived to give a punishment to those who meddle with the evil works by keeping them as a prisoner, and they have no chance to stay alive.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? I really enjoyed reading this book much more than the first one because it was a well written and had strong characters that I’m quite sure some reader will enjoy it. I was disappointed by some part of the book that I little bit dislike, mainly about the portrayal of religion in this book. Even though the author was no specific about what kind of worship they devoted, but it was somewhat obvious. I’m not a religious person, but in my opinion, it made the story dull and slow. “That’s just superstition, Thomas,” Father Cairns said at last. “Being the seventh son of the seventh son means nothing. It’s just an old wives’ tale. The true explanation for John Gregory’s power is something so terrible that it makes me shudder just to think about it. You see, John Gregory has made a pact with hell. He sold his soul to the Devil.” However, I still salute to the author for writing a story that had a huge impact on my life with his writing. I never felt so scared reading a book with witches and boggart or evil forces that would cause me to fall from the chair because THE STORY KEPT ME ON THE EDGE ON MY SEAT. I highly recommend this book to those who like middle-grade fantasy