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The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #12
The Last Apprentice Prequel
Q: Was "The Last Apprentice Prequel" ever published?
A: Yes, it was a World Book Day publication in the UK. Later the USA bought it and made it part of a short story collection. It was the story of John Gregory as boy setting off to be trained as priest but meeting a spook on the way. They encounter a boggart and a witch.
Collection: The Spook's Tale and Other Horrors
World Book Day: The Spook's Tale / Interception Point
Stand alone: Amintirile Vraciului
A: Yes, it was a World Book Day publication in the UK. Later the USA bought it and made it part of a short story collection. It was the story of John Gregory as boy setting off to be trained as priest but meeting a spook on the way. They encounter a boggart and a witch.
Collection: The Spook's Tale and Other Horrors
World Book Day: The Spook's Tale / Interception Point
Stand alone: Amintirile Vraciului
Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2011
181 people are currently reading
8591 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Delaney
59 books3,982 followersJoseph Delaney was a full time writer living in Lancashire, in the heart of Boggart territory.
He was the author of Wardstone Chronicles, Starblade Chronicles, Arena 13, Aberrations and a new book came out in April 2020, Brother Wulf. This is a new spooks story featuring Tom and Alice, but introducing a new character, a young monk called Brother Wulf.
He first got the idea for the Spooks series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continued to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire's varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire.
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time.
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph described his method of writing as a process of discovery. He didn’t plot too far ahead and often didn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he made it up as he went along. He prefed writing dialogue to description, in which he said he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
Joseph had three children and nine grandchildren and was a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
www.josephdelaneyauthor.com
from publisher's website
He was the author of Wardstone Chronicles, Starblade Chronicles, Arena 13, Aberrations and a new book came out in April 2020, Brother Wulf. This is a new spooks story featuring Tom and Alice, but introducing a new character, a young monk called Brother Wulf.
He first got the idea for the Spooks series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continued to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire's varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire.
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time.
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph described his method of writing as a process of discovery. He didn’t plot too far ahead and often didn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he made it up as he went along. He prefed writing dialogue to description, in which he said he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
Joseph had three children and nine grandchildren and was a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
www.josephdelaneyauthor.com
from publisher's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
December 1, 2025
"When you face many enemies, hurt the strongest first."Alice is a powerful witch - one of the greatest ones that the County has ever seen - and potentially one of the evilest.
No one truly knows which direction her magic will go - she's willing to use the dark to defeat the dark, which displeases the Spook but Tom Ward (his apprentice) is willing to bend the rules if the need arises.
The fiend is bound, but the bindings are weakening and his followers are doing their best kidnap what remains of the Fiend to do a proper resurrection?
"There was more than one type of guilt. You might do something horrible that you later regretted. But you could also feel guilty for something you'd not done!"
I really like Alice and I was a bit surprised to get a whole story from her perspective.
While this story was rather good, I almost wish it was from Tom's perspective. I get that she's wrestling with really rough choices but the Alice in my head (based on the previous 11+ books) didn't quite match the Alice in book 12 and that threw me off.
It wasn't like she was a completely different character when we got her perspective, just...not what I imagined.
Audiobook Comments
When I first listened to this, I was furious. Where was Christopher Evan Welch?? After all, in the previous perspective-change (for I am Grimalkin), we kept Welch as the narrator.
But now, all of a sudden, the reader is female (Angela Goethals). And she would say some of the words (i.e. the Kobolos tribe) differently. After eleven books of Christopher Evan Welch as the narrator, I fully expect everyone on the audiobook team to know how all the made-up creatures' names are said and abide by his pronunciation.
And then, I googled why. Turns out Christopher Evan Welch passed away from lung cancer. I am so sorry to have lost such an amazing narrator. This series just won't be the same.
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August 22, 2015
Tom was reluctant to tell Alice exactly what must be done to defeat the Fiend, but she knows. She will venture into the Dark to retrieve the final weapon needed to rid the world of him. The dark is filled with his supporters and they will stop at nothing to stop her from achieving her goal. She must find the weapon quickly and exit because, while she is there, she is eating away at her life force. Staying in this place too long could mean forfeiting her life.
I liked this, but not as much as I thought I would. Alice is one of my favorite characters, so when I found out we would get a book narrated by her, I was beyond excited. Maybe I just expected way too much...
In this book, we learn of the 2 years Alice spent being trained by Bony Lizzie and her first encounter with the devil himself. We learn what her fears are and how lonely she's been in her short life.
Joseph Delaney, bless his heart, writes strong female characters. Grimalkin, Bony Lizzie, Morwena, Tom's mother, the Skelton sisters, Nessa Rowler, Mab, Agnes, and little Alice. All are fierce and able to stand their ground. Will they not rip the throat of any man, woman, or beast who stands in their way? Will they not knowingly and willingly put themselves in danger to achieve their means? Will they not get back up every single time they fall, and try and try and try again until they are either dead or victorious?
Some of then are ambitious and power hungry, some are out seeking revenge on those who wronged them, and others are driven to do things they normally wouldn't do in order to save friends and strangers alike.
Whether they are malevolent or benign, there is one thing they have in common. They are strong-willed, opinionated, and brave women who bow to no one. The type of women that can change the course of history. They can start wars or end them. They can place you on top of the world or bury you six feet underground.
I live for strong females, those on the written page as well as those in the real world. I want to know that little girls need not look too hard to find girls to look up to.
Whether you love Fantasy and magic and look up to characters like Sabriel and Hermione, or perhaps you prefer magic-less characters like Scout Finch and Katniss, strong women are all around just waiting to be met.
Okay, so maybe little girls won't aspire to be witch assassins or necromancers, but they can see these characters' determination and absolute refusal to give up or stand down and maybe emulate it and learn from it.
Don't underestimate the power of a good book!
_____________________________________________________
September 12 update:
I can now say that I am a proud owner of this book.
"I'm a bad girl, bad inside.
My hair is kindling; my flesh tallow; my bones dry twigs.
One day I'll burn in the fires of hell. As sure as eggs will rot, that's the truth.
So there ain't no use denying it.
My name is Alice."
This is going to be good!
The only bad thing is my copy of the book came with the godforsaken Major Motion Picture sticker. I guess we can't have everything we want in life...
___________________________________________
Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. That Cover!
Be still, my beating heart!
I've never been more excited for a book.
Ever.
Not even Mockingjay had this kind of effect on me, guys.
I will pay any amount of money to have this precious thing in my hands.
But I'm warning you, red sticker, stay away from my copy of this book!
Oh, how I loathe those "Major Motion Picture" stickers.
__________________________________________
May 19, 2012
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!
There's going to be a book from Alice's pov. Why am I JUST finding out now?!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm SOOOO excited. I LOVE ALICE!
OMGOMGOMG
This is Alice.
Actually, it's Alicia Vikander, but she will portray Alice in the upcoming movie: The Seventh Son. Which will start playing onOctober 18, 2013 February 6, 2015!
YAAASSSS
I liked this, but not as much as I thought I would. Alice is one of my favorite characters, so when I found out we would get a book narrated by her, I was beyond excited. Maybe I just expected way too much...
In this book, we learn of the 2 years Alice spent being trained by Bony Lizzie and her first encounter with the devil himself. We learn what her fears are and how lonely she's been in her short life.
Joseph Delaney, bless his heart, writes strong female characters. Grimalkin, Bony Lizzie, Morwena, Tom's mother, the Skelton sisters, Nessa Rowler, Mab, Agnes, and little Alice. All are fierce and able to stand their ground. Will they not rip the throat of any man, woman, or beast who stands in their way? Will they not knowingly and willingly put themselves in danger to achieve their means? Will they not get back up every single time they fall, and try and try and try again until they are either dead or victorious?
Some of then are ambitious and power hungry, some are out seeking revenge on those who wronged them, and others are driven to do things they normally wouldn't do in order to save friends and strangers alike.
Whether they are malevolent or benign, there is one thing they have in common. They are strong-willed, opinionated, and brave women who bow to no one. The type of women that can change the course of history. They can start wars or end them. They can place you on top of the world or bury you six feet underground.
I live for strong females, those on the written page as well as those in the real world. I want to know that little girls need not look too hard to find girls to look up to.
Whether you love Fantasy and magic and look up to characters like Sabriel and Hermione, or perhaps you prefer magic-less characters like Scout Finch and Katniss, strong women are all around just waiting to be met.
Okay, so maybe little girls won't aspire to be witch assassins or necromancers, but they can see these characters' determination and absolute refusal to give up or stand down and maybe emulate it and learn from it.
Don't underestimate the power of a good book!
_____________________________________________________
September 12 update:
I can now say that I am a proud owner of this book.
"I'm a bad girl, bad inside.
My hair is kindling; my flesh tallow; my bones dry twigs.
One day I'll burn in the fires of hell. As sure as eggs will rot, that's the truth.
So there ain't no use denying it.
My name is Alice."
This is going to be good!
The only bad thing is my copy of the book came with the godforsaken Major Motion Picture sticker. I guess we can't have everything we want in life...
___________________________________________
Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. That Cover!
Be still, my beating heart!
I've never been more excited for a book.
Ever.
Not even Mockingjay had this kind of effect on me, guys.
I will pay any amount of money to have this precious thing in my hands.
But I'm warning you, red sticker, stay away from my copy of this book!
Oh, how I loathe those "Major Motion Picture" stickers.
__________________________________________
May 19, 2012
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!
There's going to be a book from Alice's pov. Why am I JUST finding out now?!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm SOOOO excited. I LOVE ALICE!
OMGOMGOMG
This is Alice.
Actually, it's Alicia Vikander, but she will portray Alice in the upcoming movie: The Seventh Son. Which will start playing on
YAAASSSS
June 10, 2018
5/10
Whereas the last book was filler but still enjoyable to me, this one felt like too much of a stretch and it was more of a slog than anything. I was onboard for the idea of an Alice POV story but not one which spends half the time set in the past.
The series is near the end and this one only fractionally pushes things closer (don’t get me started on the final chapter of this!). I liked the idea of Alice questing in some selfless task but things just didn’t hold my attention, especially with the past events being dragged up.
Probably the weakest of the series for me but I’m keen to see the resolution in the final instalment. After reading the last two it made me realise I’m ready to say goodbye to this series now and probably won’t bother with any sub series.
Whereas the last book was filler but still enjoyable to me, this one felt like too much of a stretch and it was more of a slog than anything. I was onboard for the idea of an Alice POV story but not one which spends half the time set in the past.
The series is near the end and this one only fractionally pushes things closer (don’t get me started on the final chapter of this!). I liked the idea of Alice questing in some selfless task but things just didn’t hold my attention, especially with the past events being dragged up.
Probably the weakest of the series for me but I’m keen to see the resolution in the final instalment. After reading the last two it made me realise I’m ready to say goodbye to this series now and probably won’t bother with any sub series.
February 3, 2016
This is reportedly the penultimate novel in the wickedly entertaining Wardstone Chronicles. Yet the quality of any novel or series is not purely in how it entertains but also in the writing and in the way that characters and the story are created.
It is no secret that I rate this as one of my favourite young adult series. It is rather dark, but it appears to hold the right balance that I like in a novel, a balance whereby evil exists, tragedy happens but all happens to be resolved in the end.
I easily rated the previous novel Slither as one of the lesser works in this series simply because it was a filler novel. A novel that did little but fill in the minor details for the reader rather than progress the overall plot. The quality of writing did not diminish but the focus shifted dramatically as did the details.
One could say the focus shifts here too, as the reader observes how Alice undertakes a mission into the dark to find the final of three swords needed to finally defeat the Fiend. Alice is one of the most interesting characters in this series, because of all the characters she most exemplifies the fight between good and evil. She was raised to be an evil witch with a parentage of evil but yet makes a conscious choice to strive towards good. Tom on the other hand as a character is her opposite - raised good and struggles against the power of using evil.
That is the most fascinating aspect of this series to me: the battle between good and evil. Most of the time evil is shown as having the stronger power but I think that Joseph Delaney is hiding a truth about the nature of good and evil. Evil is simply easier to get power from - is it not easier to steal power (as bone witches and blood witches do) than to gain power through the act of self-discovery and purity?
As one of my university friends noted, this series has an incredible amount of subtlety which is its strength. And such key strengths are indeed recognised within this novel and then played upon to great effect, creating a story that recognises where the series has come from and where it is headed. Surely I am not the only one looking forward to the grand finale in the next book, due I believe, next year. All of which means that any reader interested in fantasy or young adult fiction should start racing through these novels. It will be worth your time.
March 22, 2017
Neznam dal sam se zasitio serijala ili je kvalitet drastično opao ali ne uživam ni približno u ovim knjigama kao nekada. Glavni razlog koji bi naveo je što se oseća kao da je knjiga neka pod priča, nešto manje važno a ne glavni deo serijala. Pratimo samo jedan lik većim delom, i to ne smeta previše, ali smeta što se koriste stari negativci, što ima previše flešbekova i što se glavna priča jedva i pomera.
Slabo.
Završiću serijal u nadi da će zadnja knjiga biti daleko bolja.
Slabo.
Završiću serijal u nadi da će zadnja knjiga biti daleko bolja.
Read
August 21, 2025If I had a nickel for every story where the author obviously and sickeningly falls in love with their own [not necessarily manic] pixie dream girl, I could retire and write my own story where I fall in love with the [manic? panic] pixie dream girl... and toss it into the bin, where it belongs. That purged, we would move on.
September 28, 2017
Ok, so Alice is in this to be the bad-ass. She go's into the Dark to get a blade as well as fighting again old enemies who Alice help kill - who want her dead. Oh, and apparently Alice has to be sacrificed for reasons of unneeded-ness and to make this series come out as a story of a romantic tragedy like Romeo and Juliet. And spoiler alert - not even close to it.
This series has fallen so far down at this point that I'm crossing my finger that the LAST book will at least be 3 stars worthy because if not I just wasted so much time in this series since book 6 to now!!!!!
SO much unnecessary filler has been put in this series with no need to, the only reason its their is to extended the series out for more book installments! But I would have wanted to pay full price for less books with a more focused story with no drag or repeated dialogue, than paying less money for each book for more books with so much drag and leaving me to beg for this to be over and where I'm starting to dislike or already dislike my favourite characters. At the end of any book series or standalone's - I want to feel left with wanting more, more about the characters, the world and/or law of the book/s. Not because the author hasn't given the readers enough in their books but because we want to see more - because the author gave themselves and their audience their all: gave their heart and soul! That's what I love about books and writers!
She meets Pan and makes a deal with him. Okay... Then meets Thorne who offers to help her through the different domains and then betrays her just because, and then because she later feels bad for it she comes back to help her. Okay....... And Alice knows that each time she uses her magic that it takes her closer to being a malevolent witch. Okay, I'll bring up why this plot point is useless as well, and she now is more closer to being an evil witch at the end of the book and it was all for nothing!!!
And we get flashbacks too: In the first book the author wrote that Alice was a witch who is a young innocent, who is unwillingly forced to do what her guardian Bony Lizzie says. Where she is still learning about her abilities and to control her powers, and from out of nowhere in this book we learn that she actually knew everything about her abilities and was able to use it long before meeting Tom. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!
And in the end it turned out Alice risked her life and soul for nothing, as well as the weapon she was supposed to get from the depths of hell and risked her life for - was for nothing, it was not needed. Alice went to her fathers realm and fought for her life through the whole book for a weapon that was NOT going to help them kill the Fiend and was just there to slow down and extend the plot! That's all.
This series has fallen so far down at this point that I'm crossing my finger that the LAST book will at least be 3 stars worthy because if not I just wasted so much time in this series since book 6 to now!!!!!
SO much unnecessary filler has been put in this series with no need to, the only reason its their is to extended the series out for more book installments! But I would have wanted to pay full price for less books with a more focused story with no drag or repeated dialogue, than paying less money for each book for more books with so much drag and leaving me to beg for this to be over and where I'm starting to dislike or already dislike my favourite characters. At the end of any book series or standalone's - I want to feel left with wanting more, more about the characters, the world and/or law of the book/s. Not because the author hasn't given the readers enough in their books but because we want to see more - because the author gave themselves and their audience their all: gave their heart and soul! That's what I love about books and writers!
She meets Pan and makes a deal with him. Okay... Then meets Thorne who offers to help her through the different domains and then betrays her just because, and then because she later feels bad for it she comes back to help her. Okay....... And Alice knows that each time she uses her magic that it takes her closer to being a malevolent witch. Okay, I'll bring up why this plot point is useless as well, and she now is more closer to being an evil witch at the end of the book and it was all for nothing!!!
And we get flashbacks too: In the first book the author wrote that Alice was a witch who is a young innocent, who is unwillingly forced to do what her guardian Bony Lizzie says. Where she is still learning about her abilities and to control her powers, and from out of nowhere in this book we learn that she actually knew everything about her abilities and was able to use it long before meeting Tom. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!
And in the end it turned out Alice risked her life and soul for nothing, as well as the weapon she was supposed to get from the depths of hell and risked her life for - was for nothing, it was not needed. Alice went to her fathers realm and fought for her life through the whole book for a weapon that was NOT going to help them kill the Fiend and was just there to slow down and extend the plot! That's all.
May 27, 2018
Just one thing worse than the dark, ain't there? And that's what's inside it - the things that call it home.
June 30, 2025
Sigh. This just dragged. I excitedly bought this one but it took me from March until June to finish this one. I am not looking forward to book #13 and was told it was a letdown, so maybe that's why I wasn't in such a rush to finish this one. This dragged, and the cop-out towards the end so the prophecy they have been screeching about for about 11 books no longer matters was a mess. I just wish that Delaney had focused on the plots/character development and not getting to 13 books.
If you are not a long-time reader, would suggest not starting here. It takes a long winding road to get to "I Am Alice". No spoilers for long timer readers, but read on only if you want to know......................
SPOILERS FOR PRECEDING BOOKS
We all know that Alice is the daughter of the Fiend and a witch (who she helped killed along with her friend Tom. Now Alice has been told she's the key to getting a weapon that will kill the Fiend but will require her death. Alice refuses to let the dark hurt Tom, so she goes into a dark place where she is tracked down by former foes (even ones that have died) in order to get back to Tom before Halloween and their last stand.
Eh. This was bad. I was excited to get into Alice's head in this one, but I think the flashbacks to earlier events we had not heard about was not that engaging. And of course we find out about many secrets Alice has been hiding. It was just too much stuff. And slow as anything. So freaking slow.
There is a lot of almost deaths, former friends and foes as I said earlier and it just does not make for an exciting read.
And the end...sigh what a cop out. But it ties into this book the events of "Slither" and someone warned me that comes up again and I don't know you guys, I may just take an audible on even finishing this series.
If you are not a long-time reader, would suggest not starting here. It takes a long winding road to get to "I Am Alice". No spoilers for long timer readers, but read on only if you want to know......................
SPOILERS FOR PRECEDING BOOKS
We all know that Alice is the daughter of the Fiend and a witch (who she helped killed along with her friend Tom. Now Alice has been told she's the key to getting a weapon that will kill the Fiend but will require her death. Alice refuses to let the dark hurt Tom, so she goes into a dark place where she is tracked down by former foes (even ones that have died) in order to get back to Tom before Halloween and their last stand.
Eh. This was bad. I was excited to get into Alice's head in this one, but I think the flashbacks to earlier events we had not heard about was not that engaging. And of course we find out about many secrets Alice has been hiding. It was just too much stuff. And slow as anything. So freaking slow.
There is a lot of almost deaths, former friends and foes as I said earlier and it just does not make for an exciting read.
And the end...sigh what a cop out. But it ties into this book the events of "Slither" and someone warned me that comes up again and I don't know you guys, I may just take an audible on even finishing this series.
July 16, 2024
I have been trying to finish this series since I was 13
July 11, 2013
Excellent penultimate book in the Wardstone series...set up nicely for the 13th (?) & final book!
Was a little slow to start, a bit 'samey' for the first few chapters, until it started delving into Alice's history & her life before she met Tom & the Spook. Alice has always been one of my favourite characters in any series, but in this book I just wanted to give her a big hug for the childhood she never had, and promise her all the bad stuff has gone away. But I can't, and it hasn't. This latest offering didn't suffer from not having Tom & the Spook in it, for flashbacks re-visited Mother Malkin, Boney Lizzie & a cameo from Grimalkin, and the reappearance of Thorne who made a short debut in 'I am Grimalkin'. Once it got going it was worthy of 5 stars, but had to lose one due to the slow start.
I was lucky enough to meet Joseph Delaney a few years back and chatted to him regarding the series (was around the time of Book 8) and he had no clue where the series was leading to, that it just evolved as it went - all I can say is, evolution rocks!
Will be very sad to read the last book and hope the upcoming film based on 'The Spook's Apprentice' (titled 'The Seventh Son', I think) does the series justice!
Was a little slow to start, a bit 'samey' for the first few chapters, until it started delving into Alice's history & her life before she met Tom & the Spook. Alice has always been one of my favourite characters in any series, but in this book I just wanted to give her a big hug for the childhood she never had, and promise her all the bad stuff has gone away. But I can't, and it hasn't. This latest offering didn't suffer from not having Tom & the Spook in it, for flashbacks re-visited Mother Malkin, Boney Lizzie & a cameo from Grimalkin, and the reappearance of Thorne who made a short debut in 'I am Grimalkin'. Once it got going it was worthy of 5 stars, but had to lose one due to the slow start.
I was lucky enough to meet Joseph Delaney a few years back and chatted to him regarding the series (was around the time of Book 8) and he had no clue where the series was leading to, that it just evolved as it went - all I can say is, evolution rocks!
Will be very sad to read the last book and hope the upcoming film based on 'The Spook's Apprentice' (titled 'The Seventh Son', I think) does the series justice!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2014
Another great story!
Because of my schedule, I ended up listening to it more than reading it and I loved the narrator's way of telling the story. It was like having Alice directly telling her story to me. I also loved the witches accents :)
May 30, 2023
80% flashbacks, 20% Alice being thirsty, 400 pages of worldbuilding again
March 21, 2021
Nice to get to know more about the background of my favourite character in the Spook's apprentice series. The witches are refreshingly creepy and cruel, compare to other more recent books with the "nice poor witch look" that are popular. Also in here you got Alice who are a reminder that all doesn't need to be evil. These cruel ones are more a reminder how they where seen back in the days. A easy quick read in the UK hardcover version. Feels good to return and soon finish this long series. Creepy and good for kids as well as adults.
November 20, 2019
The penultimate book! I was really looking forward to having an Alice centric book, but was suprized at . Even so, it was a good read. Looking forward tot the conclusion!
September 25, 2019
Review to come.
July 18, 2019
It makes more sense after reading the last book.
June 11, 2025
I was looking forward to a book from Alice's POV but after the last 5 books I set my expectations low. I should have put it down to the bottom of the barrel low with how the book ended. It was revealed that Alice's whole ordeal in the dark to get the dagger that will help defeat the Fiend once and for all was all for nought as Grimalkin has found another way to do that. Another thing is that Alice journeying in the dark and putting her as close to being a malevolent witch as can be was all for nothing. Bottom line: the whole book was unnecessary. This whole book was filler which basically means 4 out of the last 6 books have just been there to extend the series. It was nice to see Thorne again and to learn more about Alice's past with Bony Lizzie but when about half your book takes place in that past it disjoints the story and makes it hard to get back into the main story. Another aspect I didn't like was that Alice had been able to use and control her magic this entire time which came out of nowhere because this whole time we were led to believe that she was still innocent when she first began her journey with Tom. I have lost hope in this series but I only have to get through one more which will be a relief.
August 29, 2017
When Joseph Delaney began branching off, and writing some books in the Last Apprentice series focusing of characters other than Tom, I was a bit skeptical. As it happens though, I might like them best. 'Alice' is told, obviously, by Alice, Tom's best friend. The story jumps back and forth in time. We learn about her past and how she grew up with Bony Lizzie and then, in the present, how she is trying to complete the task she was given and retrieve the last dagger Tom needs for the ritual to banish the fiend forever.
Alice has always been one of my favorite characters (second only to Grimalkin, her book was also my favorite in the series), so I was happy that she should finally get her say. I look forward to the next and, if I read correctly, sadly last installment in the series, Book 13.
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Alice has always been one of my favorite characters (second only to Grimalkin, her book was also my favorite in the series), so I was happy that she should finally get her say. I look forward to the next and, if I read correctly, sadly last installment in the series, Book 13.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
October 27, 2015
Ich musste einfach mal wieder 5 Sterne für ein Spook's Buch vergeben, zumal der Band komplett aus Alices Sicht erzählt ist. Man erfährt nochmal einige Dinge aus ihrem Leben, von denen man vorher nichts wusste, was ich sehr spannend fand. Die Rückblicke zwischendrin waren nur manchmal etwas verwirrend.
Oh Alice, honey!
Oh Alice, honey!
October 4, 2020
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/alice-by-jo...
While an enjoyable and fast-paced read, one issue I had was the lack of any real escalation. When they finally arrive in the throne-room, what they face hardly feels like the final boss it should be. But my main complaint came at the end, when it appears – pending the 13th and final volume – that the entire exercise proved unnecessary. Alice seems to have risked her life and soul for no real purpose. If I’d been her, I would have been more than a bit miffed at getting what’s not much more than a “Thanks, but we’re going in another direction” for her efforts. On that basis, this is probably a book where you should probably enjoy a gruesome and chilling journey, instead of the rather underwhelming final destination.
While an enjoyable and fast-paced read, one issue I had was the lack of any real escalation. When they finally arrive in the throne-room, what they face hardly feels like the final boss it should be. But my main complaint came at the end, when it appears – pending the 13th and final volume – that the entire exercise proved unnecessary. Alice seems to have risked her life and soul for no real purpose. If I’d been her, I would have been more than a bit miffed at getting what’s not much more than a “Thanks, but we’re going in another direction” for her efforts. On that basis, this is probably a book where you should probably enjoy a gruesome and chilling journey, instead of the rather underwhelming final destination.
July 22, 2019
After a loooong break I decided to jump back in and finish this series so slid back in where I had left off. Alice is book 12 in Joseph Delaney's middle grade/YA 'Spook's' series, The Wardstone Chronicles, and this book centres entirely on Alice (no surprises there🤣).
I thought I would enjoy a book devoted to Alice much more than I did. The first 80 or so pages were a bit difficult to get into but it all picked up nicely after that. There is nothing wrong with the story, it was more that I missed Tom and The Spook's presence.
Overall an enjoyable read but one of the slightly weaker books of the series, I think.
I thought I would enjoy a book devoted to Alice much more than I did. The first 80 or so pages were a bit difficult to get into but it all picked up nicely after that. There is nothing wrong with the story, it was more that I missed Tom and The Spook's presence.
Overall an enjoyable read but one of the slightly weaker books of the series, I think.
July 4, 2025
My girl Alice deserved a better book, I’m so sad 😭
In my opinion the biggest problems of this story were avoidable and could have been reshaped into actually making sense, which is very frustrating. Besides that, we were cheated out of the meaningful internal dialogue and emotional payoff that this type of quest has the potential to have.
All in all, a disappointment, a waste of time (the last chapter, hello??) and the weakest book in the series by far, which hurts because it presented the perfect opportunity to flesh out one of the mains characters and highlight the importance of the bonds shared between her and her allies, most notably our main character Tom.
In my opinion the biggest problems of this story were avoidable and could have been reshaped into actually making sense, which is very frustrating. Besides that, we were cheated out of the meaningful internal dialogue and emotional payoff that this type of quest has the potential to have.
All in all, a disappointment, a waste of time (the last chapter, hello??) and the weakest book in the series by far, which hurts because it presented the perfect opportunity to flesh out one of the mains characters and highlight the importance of the bonds shared between her and her allies, most notably our main character Tom.
September 22, 2024
The last few books in the series have all been quite a detour from the main storyline and it feels like it's an attempt at dragging it out to get a few more books out of it. This book does at least have a connection to that plot - it's detailing Alice's journey to get a particular item that is needed to help destroy the Fiend permanently. It's interesting to get something from Alice's point of view but we don't really get to see more of her character. The vast majority of the book is taken up with flashbacks! There's two, one that lasts for 12 chapters (twelve chapters!!) and a shorter one later on. They're vaguely relevant but the first one really doesn't need to be so long which makes it just feel like padding. Overall it's an okay read but I also feel that it's not a necessary read. I've generally given the other books three stars but this one feels more like a two star.
March 11, 2018
J'ai adoré ce tome ! J'ai beaucoup aimé être du point de vue d'Alice pour avoir son avis véritable sur les derniers événements. Je l'ai trouvée très courageuse, elle a beaucoup grandi dans ces derniers tomes et cela se ressent.
Néanmoins le point de vue de Tom me manque un peu !
Néanmoins le point de vue de Tom me manque un peu !
March 11, 2021
Least favorite. Between random twists in the story and flashes to the past that lasted too long to remember what was going on in the present I was annoyed. It wasn’t bad necessarily, just extremely irritating to me.
March 9, 2017
Alice est moins intéressante à suivre que Tom je trouve mais ce voyage dans l’obscur n'en reste pas moins passionnant. Encore une fois un livre que j'ai adoré !
July 15, 2018
It took sooo lonnnngggg to finish this book. I loved the “I Am Grimalkin” filler because it was so action packed. This book had so much lull in the middle it was beyond ridiculous. There was like 10 chapters on ONE backstory. Had that one backstory been 2-3 chapters long it could’ve been a much better book. I did enjoy the description of the different domains & how the beings of the dark “survive”. I was absolutely elated to see Thorne again!!!
April 27, 2021
This book is filler and provides some background. I am a huge fan of the series so I loved it but if your not a super fan this might not be for you.
November 4, 2021
3.5
#girlboss
#girlboss
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