Wednesday 22 April 2009

The Spooks Curse by Joseph Delaney


Pages 425

Published by Bodley Head in 2005

Challenges - 100+ and Once Upon A Time.


Last week I read and reviewed the first one of this series of books called The Spook's Apprentice and you will find the review here.

I loved this book, just as much as I did the first. The story is riveting and I found I couldn't put it down. The only difference with this book was that it was a lot darker than the first..

This book finds the Spook unwell and Thomas is sent off to save the Spook's brother from a rather nasty boggart, which is sucking all the blood from his body. Thomas works really hard to save him, but unfortunately he dies.

The Spook and Thomas then set out to Priestown for the funeral of the Spook's brother. Priestown is as it sounds, a town full of churches and priests. The Spook is concerned about the change in the town and reveals to Thomas that he has unfinished business there, dealing with the underlying evil that is slowly taking over the town. The evil comes in the form of the Bane, a really rather nasty creature who takes over people's minds and sucks their blood for strength. He lurks underground in the catacombs and the Spook knows he has to face him and finish him off once and for all, before the town suffers any more.

Whilst in Priestown, the Quisitor, arrives with a cart full of witches to kill. He is a nasty character of the Matthew Hopkirk type, accusing people of witchcraft, torturing them, taking their houses and their belongings and then killing them. One of the witches he has caught, is Alice, the witch who saved Thomas in the first book. Thomas must find a way to save her.
The Quisitor has always wanted to capture the Spook for a long time and manages to catch him in Priestown. Luckily Thomas escapes and then sets about the task of saving his master and Alice. He manages to get into the church where they are held, but runs into the Bane on his journey. The Bane tries to lure Thomas to the dark side, but fails and Thomas manages to rescue all the prisoners except the Spook. Alice is free, but falls again to the dark side and allows the Bane to help her in turn for the price of her life.

Eventually with Alice's and the Bane's help as he must do Alice's bidding three times before she belongs to him, they manage to rescue the Spook. However, the Quisitor follows in hot pursuit.

Also in this book, we learn more about Thomas's mother, who it becomes clear is a witch, who was originally quite evil, but was saved by Thomas's dad and is now a good witch.

The story then starts to get a lot darker, as the Bane gathers strength, he carries out some very wicked acts. It even had me cringing at his actions. The Spook then sets out on a mission to finally rid the world of the Bane.

I am so caught up in this series now, I can't wait to read the third one. It really is quite a dark book and I am beginning to wonder if the series will get darker as the books go on. The books definitely have the Harry Potter feel about them, as they start off nicely, but then get darker and more evil as the series progresses.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone enjoys the Harry Potter type fantasy. I am not sure of I would let any younger children read it, as there are some rather nasty scenes in it. Everyone else, read them, you will love them too.

Thanks for stopping by.

3 comments:

  1. This sounds good, although fantasy usually isn't my thing. Sometimes I surprise myself by liking something out of my norm.

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  2. You're such a fast reader! Keep Bad Blood for as long as you like. It was only sitting on the book shelf. Thanks for your scrapping book - hope the girls got it back to you in one piece.

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  3. It does sound a bit like something that would happen in the Harry Potter world. I may have to give these a whirl, thanks!

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