The Last Apprentice: The Spook’s Tale audiobook

This book is more of an interlude or a supplement to The Last Apprentice series. It is well written and interesting nonetheless, but not as fantastic as a full-fledged book would have been. Although we don't have a long wait "Clash of the Demons" comes out the end of August '09.There are three stories in this book. The first details how the Spook became a Spook. This story was okay; it gives you some background around the Spook. Nothing that is really surprising, but a decent story.The second story is about what happened to Alice when she was in Pendle right before Tom came to rescue her. This was my least favorite story of the bunch. Again no surprises and a very brief story.The third story made the book worth having. This was the story of how Grimalkin became a witch assassin. I think Grimalkin is a fascinating character and found this story to be an interesting read. It made me wish that Delaney would write some books from Grimalkin's point of view...maybe he can do that after he is done with Tom Ward's story :-)Overall I enjoyed this book. It is just filler for the main event though and I am eagerly awaiting "Clash of the Demons"!

Great back-story for many of the characters who are in the books.

Another fun, spooky read!Loved this collection of stories that supplements The Last Apprentice series. I had already finished the novels but wanted to read this and am glad I did. It is a wonderful little glimpse into how John Gregory got his beginnings in the world of the supernatural and what led him to becoming an actual Spook. And there's a little tale that has some of Alice's inner thoughts as she is trapped in a tricky situation. And lastly, there's a tale about Grimalkin's youth and her becoming the actual witch assassin. Grimalkin is my favorite character in the series so I love reading anything about her. And while this is a very quick read, it is full of adventure, witches and even a boggart. I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of this series!

So good!!!

I knew this book wasn't a continuation of the series, I knew that it contained some short stories that involved the characters and their adventures, but I also wasn't sure when exactly to read it. I wasn't sure if it was all simply backstories of the characters involved or if was a sort of hindsight view into some of their actions pertaining to a certain book or books in the series.I was happy that the tone of the book hadn't changed from the tone used in the main series. The first story, centering around John Gregory's first meeting with the Spook that would later become his mentor, feels like the sort of backstory that can be read any time after the first book, possibly even before, but I feel it adds more to the Spook's character if it's learned after we have our initial idea about the Spook is formed.The second story focuses on Grimalkin, whether it adds more to her character I do not know, for I have not reached her appearance in the book series. Because of the type of backstory that this is, I feel it to be supplementary information, therefore suggesting it be read after meeting her in the series.The last tale is told from Alice's point of view during a time where she has been captured. Again, due to this capture happening after the first 2 books it feels more like something that should be read after knowing the initial story.What follows is a small directory listing the various villains Tom Ward is to face/has faced, and while it lists which book they are from I feel like it gives away just a hint too much of what happens in, what are supposed to be, tense moments of the original book.Therefore I suggest reading this selection of short stories after at least the 3rd or 4th book in the series.

The last apprentice spooks tales a fantastic book taking a new perspective of a famous character in the series Gregory. Now for people who don't know who Gregory he is was the spook for Tom the main character in the last apprentice books. In this book you'll see how Gregory grew up and he became a spook by telling through 3 short stories about how he became a spook. The first stories was about how when he was a kid that h had a gift to see ghost same as his brother but he doesn't come into play in the stories but they both had the gift until one day a spook lost his apprentice so he gets to know Gregory. Then he becomes the spook apprentice. In the next story he tells how when he was in his teen years he talks about all his adventure when he was growing up. Until book three where sadly Gregory master died. this happens when he's adult but he became wiser and understood that his master was a great person who understood people's safety. This ends up leading to the first book when Gregory hires Tom as his apprentice. I would highly suggest people to read this that's if you did read the first one yet.

One of the few authors that can force me to read scary stories and enjoy them. I`m otherwise inclined to skip the gore and blood and `things that go bump in the night`, but Delaney keeps things so exciting and action packed that i just want to know what happens to the weirdly sympathetic people in the Spook series, and so i read these horror books and cant wait for the new ones to come out. And so what if im a bit jumpy after reading them and if youd jump out of a closet and yelled boo at some point in my reading session, you'd probably have to pay for my funeral and hefty compensation for my kid for de-mothering him, because i will probably keel over after having a heart-attack.

A nice start to what is sure to be a short tale. I'm excited about reading these three back stories. I wonder what insight they will hold for the future spook books in the series. This one will bring us some understanding of the Spook's motives and morals. I keep forgetting he was going to be a priest before he became a spook.Read more and add your own commentary at R. J. Spindle

I enjoyed this book, but the tale of Alice I didn't like much. The sentences were very short making me a little frustrated while reading because there were extra details. My favorite was the story on Grimalkin, and I enjoyed learning of her past, and how she came to be. The Spook's story helped me understand a little more about him, and since reading that I have grown to like him a little more (don't ask why).

The best short story in this selection is about the witch assassin Grimalkin, and how she won her way into being the most fearsome assassin ever. It's pretty gory and graphic, but awesome all the same. The volume also gives some of John Gregory's past, and how he came to be a spook, as well as some of Alice Dean's background, and exciting clips from previous books.

This is an addition book, aside from the series with different point of view from the spooks, Alice and Grimalkin, and with different style of writing too according to the character.I hope the author writes another addition book that includes Mam's point of view, I want to read about her story and maybe Meg's too.

My favorite story was the first one. There we meet a young gregory 12 years old. He was so cute. The second story was about Alice. She is just everything. All the things she does for Tom is incredible. The last story was about Grimalkin again. This was a shorter story of a story we all ready read before.

The spook's tale and other horrorsJoseph a 7th of 7th son starts geting nightmares at the age of 7 making a deal with his brother of waking each other up;. when he's 12 he leaves the house to make something of his life when he founds a death apprentice. he has to find shelter because of the rain finding him agin. when he enters a witvhes house and the teacher helps him fight her.

A nice side book telling some bits of the story from other characters' point of view, and some interesting new background info as well. A bit too short and not really surprising to a fan of the series that has read the first four or five books, but still worth it.

As with the other books in The Last Apprentice series, I liked this book. It is kind of an intermission book...mostly stories about the characters introduced in the series. Most of it I already knew but it was a fun read anyway. Looking forward to the release of the next book!