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Hi ho all in "The Land of Blog," Tis good to talk with you again.
At the moment I am a Youth Services Librarian without a home (not working at a Library). However I am still reading great books for tweens and teens. Therefore my name has been changed to Ronin Librarian Bill. Now you may be asking, what exactly is a Ronin. Well this is a pretty good/brief definition I found:
Ronin - in Japanese history, masterless samurai , knights of feudal Japan without Lords to serve.
Okay let's talk some recent reads:
The Last Apprentice: The Spook Bestiary, The Guide To Creatures Of The Dark by Joseph Delaney and Julek Heller - Well if you are a fan of The Last Apprentice Series, this book is a must for you or any other up and coming Spook. This book covers not only all the creatures that the Spook John Gregory has dealt with in his lifetime but also notes from the likes of Spook Apprentice Tom Ward, Past Apprentices, the much missed Spook Bill Arkwright and many more. Covered not only in text but with wonderful illustrations the book cover Boggarts (and believe me there are many different types). The most frighting of all Boggarts to me are Rippers which feed on animal and human blood (very dangerous) eventually killing their victims. Also of interest covered are The Old Gods (such as Aphrodite, Artemis, The Bane - a very nasty creature that can cause it's victims to be crushed, breaking bones and crushing internal organs, by exerting a tremendous amount of pressure, The Fiend (known by other names such as the Devil, Satan, Lucifer and The Father of Lies), Golgoth (Lord of Winter), Pan (The Horned God) and many more. Of course witches are covered (man there are so many types), Elementals and things Spooks and others have only heared tales of. This is a great companion piece to go with the series and even has some encounters by various Spooks featured guaranteed to curl the hair on your very head. Recommended for readers 11 years old and up!!!!!! Great Stuff!!!!!
The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin The Witch Assassin (Book 9) by Joseph Delaney - I have to tell you one of my favorite characters in this series the Witch Assassin Grimalkin of the Malkin witch clan. Once a sworn enemy of The Spook and Tom, she becomes a part of of an alliance between them and Alice. Spoiler Alert - The alliance is primarily the assurance that The Fiend is once and for all taken care of (that is put out of the picture if you know what I mean). Grimalkin has in her possession the head of The Fiend and is on the run from dark forces while Tom, The Spook and Alice search for a way to end The Fiends threat forever. If the head and body are reconnected The Fiend will live again so Grimalkin along with her apprentice Thorne are running from forces that even give Grimalkin a challenge. The main being an evil obscenity known as a Kretch that actually hurts Grimalkin very badly. How long can Grimalkin and Thorne keep ahead of the deadly hunt by the Kretch and other dark beings? Read and find out if this very cool knife throwing witch assassin is up to the task. A page turner for sure. Recommended for those 13 and up mainly because of the violence factor.
A very cool action pose of Grimalkin!!!!
I know it has been awhile since I wrote a review, but hopefully things will get better in the future and thanks to everyone who has been hanging with the blog.
Peace,
Bill
0 Comments on The Undiscovered Country and Beyound... as of 3/18/2013 11:47:00 AM
In the 10th book of the Last Apprentice series, we take a break from dealing with the Fiend do deal with an issue closer to home. Apparently, a large number of Romanian dark creatures have settled just over the county border. With the destruction of the Spook's library, they're at more of a loss in how to deal with them, as the Spook's notes and research into these spirits is long gone.
Yes, finally, we have a vampire, but these aren't sparkly hot guys. These are horrible, disgusting creatures that provide some the biggest danger we've seen so far.
We also get some horrible information about what Tom has to do next.
In ways, it's a place holder book. I do like that we get non-English creatures and there's the interesting twist of not having to travel to get them. We also really see how much the Spook has aged, and how Tom's apprenticeship is starting to come to an end, how he will soon be a Spook in his own right.
I still love this series (even if I'm a book behind) and OMG YOU GUYS!!! Did you see the movie comes out next fall? With JEFF BRIDGES as the spook? I'm excited, but getting nervous. Mother Malkin's a bit too pretty. And WTF is with this: "Based on the young-adult novel The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney,Seventh Son casts Bridges as Master John Gregory, a "Spook" who imprisoned the evil witch Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) centuries before." CENTURIES? Um, no. Spook's not THAT old! We'll see.
In the meantime, I'm going to curl up with the next book, Slither, which looks like an interesting departure. And, of course, counting down the days until September's release of I Am Alice.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
1 Comments on Last Apprentice: Lure of the Dead, last added: 3/7/2013
Hi all and happy Labor Day!!! Library Ninja Bill has been in unexplored territories investing the inner workings of what makes the world go round. The answers are elusive but he knows that they have something to do with love, caring for others and treating your fellow man (or woman) with respect and decency. I want ramble anymore and leave my philosophising to myself.
Right now I am reading a great book (almost finished actually) by one of my favorite authors Stephen King. The book is an adult book about time travel, the late 50s and early 60s, the assignation of a great American President and what some consider the end of a time of innocence and the beginning of America's downfall. The book is 11/22/63. Below is a tune mentioned in the book several times, "In The Mood," by the late and great Glenn Miller. In the book the characters dance the Lindie Hop to this song in several key scenes. As King puts it: "To dance is to live," or something close to that. Check it out (the dance appears occasionally, but however danced to the music groves):
Too Cool!!!!!!!!!! Okay enough, let's get to some reviews of other books I have read lately. Let me know what you think if you get the time. The Last Apprentice - Rise of The Huntress byJoseph Delaney - This installment of The Last Apprentice Series has the Spook, Tom, Alice and Tom's dogs Claw, Blood and Bone. Returning from their epic adventure in Greece. Their land is at war with invaders and when they arrive home they find the Spook's house destroyed and that some very dangerous prisoners have escaped (one being the witch Boney Lizzie, Alice's mother and a darn powerful witch who uses bone and blood magic). They decide it is best to leave and cross the ocean to the island of Mona. This turns out to be a big mistake as they are not welcome and things go very wrong, very quickly. They find big trouble on Mona as Boney Lizzy has also relocated there and about taken over the entire island with the help of a terrible demon known as a buggane (it hides beneath the earth and tunnels sucking the life force out of its victims). Lizzy has a score to settle with the Spook and the Spook appears to be weakening with age. Tom and Alice with the help of others must take up the slack for the weakened Spook and also keep on their toes because who knows when the Fiend will show up. Recommended for those 10 and up.
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - This is the first book in a series about 14-year-old Kendra and 12-year-old Seth Sorenson who have to spend their summer at a nature preserve run by their grandparents. Their Grandpa Sorenson is present when they first arrive, but their Grandmother is conspicuously absent. They are given strict rules to follow and told to never leave the house or it's yard without being accompanied by a responsible party. Grandpa Sorenson has two helpers that live in or near the house, Dale a quite man who likes to be left alone and Lena the kind housekeeper. What they do not know and come to discover is that this nature preserve is much more than meets the eye. It is actually a land preserve for magical creature (both good, neutral or evil) that has to be carefully watched over for the safety of all its inhabitants and the rest of the world in general! Their are fairies, centaurs, golems, naiads, witches, demons among many other creatures on the preserve that have to carefully be kept in certain areas and separated for many reasons. There are certain times of the year when these areas are opened and the creatures allowed to roam. This can be a very dicey and dangerous time and the caretakers make sure to be in their well protected home on the preserve at these times for safety reasons. Kendra and Seth quickly find out what the preserve is all about and find wonders and great dangers that they have to deal with. The main being the witch Muriel Taggert and the demon Bahumat and finding out what happened to their Grandmother and how they can save her. This is a fun and exciting story filled with equal amounts of chills and laughter. Also it is the first in a series that I look forward to reading. Recommended for those 10 years and up.
Later all and peace,
Bill
1 Comments on Musings and Books Read by A Library Ninja, last added: 9/19/2012
Now I am ready--ready to kill. Ready to kill them all. I have become the mother of death. She trots at my heels, hanging onto my skirt, giggling with glee, leaving wet footprints of red blood on the green grass. Can you hear her laughter? Listen for it in the cries of my victims. p 372
For the ninth book in the Last Apprentice series (not counting the companion novels) we get a change of narrator.
Tom only appears briefly in this tale, as this book follows Grimmalkin. At the end of Rage of the Fallen, Tom had sliced off the Fiend's head. Grimalkin took it to keep it safe, and so we follow her as the Fiend's allies (including a terrifying new creature) hunt her down.
Lots of adventure, lots of death, less blathering on about right and wrong and shades of gray.
A different apprentice, too, this time, Grimalkin's apprentice.
I missed Tom, the Spook, and Alice, but I loved Grimalkin's voice. I think giving her a book to carry the plot forward really helps keep the series fresh. I loved seeing how she saw the world and her job. I loved learning her backstory, but it was often woven into the narrative a bit clumsily. On the other hand, we get a lot of background information on witches, witch-lore, and witch politics without the usual info-dump by Gregory or Alice.
This is one of my favorite books in the series.
I need to reread it as a final copy though. While there was A LOT of white space and notes of art to come, only the opening pages were illustrated. I didn't realize how much Patarick Aeeasmith's work really adds to the overall feeling of this series until it was missing. It was like a giant hole in my reading experience.
Some worship dark gods, others serve the light; but I walk alone. I am Grimalkin p 156
*All quotations are from the ARC and therefore are not final
ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
0 Comments on Grimalkin the Witch Assassin as of 1/1/1900
When the library at Chippenden burned, this was the only book left. A companion book to the Last Apprentice series, it explains all the creatures of the dark that the Spook and Tom have encountered, complete with annotations of further information learned by the Spook, Tom, and other apprentices. We also get some new background stories, such as what happened the first time Morgan tried to raise Golgoth.
What’s most interesting is there is a lot of information on Romanian old gods, witches, demons and elementals. We haven’t seen Delaney’s Romania yet, but my curiously is definitely piqued and I’m guessing (hoping) that this means the next book will take place in Romania. I wonder why and how??
I really like Delaney's in-between books in this series and how they really flesh out other characters and give background information--some of which is vital and some of which is just rather interesting.
ROMANIA!
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
Hi all out there in "The Land of Blog." Where did the summer go? I can't believe it's September already. Well at least football season has started and I am a huge college football fan. I went to collage at The University of South Carolina and thus I am A big Gamecock fan. We are classic underachievers and kings of disappointment, kinda like the Charlie Brown of the college football world, but we never give up. Who knows maybe this year we will do really well.
Go Gamecocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well that's not really what I'm here to talk about so let's get things moving along with some recent good reads:
The Last Apprentice - Clash of The Demons by Joseph Delaney - This is the sixth instalment in this awesome series. Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, is recruited by his Mam who has returned home from Greece to take on a great evil she has been fighting there sense the death of her husband and Tom's Dad. She also recruits Tom's Master The Old Spook Gregory, a former Spook Trainer Bill Arkwright, Witches from different clans that share interest with Mam's fight, The crafty Witch Assassin Grimalkin, others, and last but not least Tom's close friend Alice (also a Witch). They are all headed to Greece to take on a powerful Old God, The Ordeen who appears in her Citadel, The Ord, every few years to terrorize humanity. In the past an order of monks located in Greece have been able to contain her malevolence to a small part of Greece. However with the Fiend now on the lose, the monks are in danger of being destroyed and the destruction caused by the Ordeen and her monstrous followers unleashed upon all parts of the world. There journey is long and they face many evils before reaching the monks in Greece such as Fire and Tapper Elementals (the first using the powers of fire and the second harnessing the power of rock and earth, Maenalds (women from Greece who have gone mad and are deadly cannibals), Sirens, Lamia Witches, and more. Then at the end of their journey there is the great evil citadel of The Ordeen and the demons and monstrosities that live within. Not everyone will return from this adventure and those that do can count themselves amongst the very lucky. Can't wait for the next book!!!! Recommended for those 9 and up!!!!!
Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity by Dave Roman - This Graphic Novel is one of the most original I have read in awhile. The stories in this GN revolve around a mered of different characters attending a school which just happens to be in Outer Space. There are two many characters to talk about so I will introduce you to just a few (you can find out about the rest by checking this excellent GN out). The first character we are introduced to is Hakata Soy who gave up his place in a superhero team wh
0 Comments on Gamecocks,Demons and Astonaut Chickens!!! as of 1/1/1900
Greetings all yea blog o readers!!!! Tis I Library Ninja Bill with more great reads, powerful zen and general goofy information.
I recently went to the movies an saw Thor and the new Pirates of the Caribbean Movie. All I can say is they were both awesome!!!!!! The Green Lantern Preview looks pretty cool and I really want to see the new X-Men movie. So many movies, so little money (geeeezzzzz). I sensed, during the movies I have seen however, some Rick Riordan envy. Let's examine the evidence:
Okay enough of the silly stuff (unless it relates to books) and let's talk about some recent reads by yours truly:
Good Evening (or morning, afternoon, whatever) it is I your master of ceremonies Necromancer/Spook Ninja Bill. Man have I got some good stuff for ya, but first a spooky little clip:
Spooky Stuff - Awooooooooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!! Now for some super cool spooky reads:
Hold me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride -
This book is awesome!!!!!!!! I finished reading it in record time as it sucked me in and left me waiting for more. The story is about a teen-age boy named Sam, who unknown to him, his mother is a witch and father carries the genetic code for necromancy. Sam has flunked out of school and is working in a dead in job at a fast food joint with his friends Ramon, Brooke and Frank. Sam has always felt out of place and strange but does not learn why until one night at work he runs into a man named Douglas who he and his friend offend. The next thing he knows, that night after work he and his friends are attacked by a super strong human (or what appears to be). Sam's life starts to spiral out of control as his friend Brooke is beheaded, but her head is still alive and talking. Douglas, we find out, is the head of a council of fey and fairytale creatures that live right beside humans in the everyday world. Douglas discovers that Sam is also a Necromancer and decides to use him for his own evil purposes. Fear not though as Sam and his friends, plus new ones he makes such as Brid (a hybrid Werewolf), are not going down without a fight. This is an exciting, scary story that promises more books to follow. Man, I sure hope so! Recommended for teens (13 and up).
Check out this video for the book and tell me you are not intrigued:
The Last Apprentice, Attack of The Fiend by Joseph Delaney - This is the forth book in this series and they just keep getting better and better ( I have already started the next book). In this installment The Spook, his apprentice Tom and Alice (a young budding witch whose future for good or evil is undetermined, but who is a good friend to Tom) set off for the town of Pendle to take care of the witch clans that have grown out of control. The three main witch clans in Pendle are The Malkins, The Deanes and The Mouldheels. Things start of bad for our brave adventures and steadily get worse. Tom's brother Jack and his family are attacked and kidnapped by witch clans from Pendle soon after the travellers reach it. Tom and Alice take off to see wha
0 Comments on Is it getting spooky around here or is it just me? as of 1/1/1900
Heyo all, It's Library Ninja Bill with what appears to be a very depressing post; if you just read the title. Let me tell ya something though....the end has never bee so fun!!! What the heck am I talking about? Check it out:
Warning: The Last Apprentice books can be quite scary as the creatures that a Spook must take on can do some pretty horrible stuff. So if you or your parents don't want you reading this sort of material, DON'T!!!!!!!!!
The Last Apprentice: Night of The Soul Stealer by Joseph Delaney - This is the third book in the series, following Revenge of The Witch and Curse of The Bane, and this title does not disappoint. The Spook (Mr. Gregory), his apprentice Tom and the young witch Alice are back dealing with more than ever before. In this story not only do they have to take on Stone-Chuckers and other beasties, but while wintering in the Spook's home in Anglezarke Tom meets the love of Mr. Gregory's life, Meg. Meg is a very dangerous witch that the Spook is keeping imprisoned by drugging her tea. Wait a minute, he loves her but keeps her memory of what she is fogged and distorted. This can only lead to bad things... Add to that an evil Necromancer, a mage who controls the dead for his own selfish purposes, named Morgan (who also was once the Spook's apprentice) and the return of an ancient god called Golgoth ("The Lord of Winter") and I'd say the Spook and company have a very full plate indeed!!!! This is a great series that just keeps getting better. If you click on "Curse of The Bane" above you can look at my review on this blog of that book. As for "Revenge of the Witch" read the next entry below.
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of The Witch by Joseph Delaney - Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son and in the world of magic that makes him extremely special. Tom lives in what appears to be medieval England (or around that tim
0 Comments on Soul Stealers & Annihilation = Bummer!!!!! as of 1/1/1900
The last kids books I remember finding quite genuinely spooky were Joseph Delaney's series called The Spook's Booksand I think I may have fallen a few books behind which should be rectified. I see from a quick visit to his site that your can now read the first of the series,
0 Comments on Book or Treating as of 1/1/1900
Ok, so I was under the impression that this was a 7-book series, making this the LAST book.
But I was wrong. This is definitely not the last one.*
The war that has always been in the background of this series has finally come to the county. Chipenden is a burned-out shell and the Spook's house, and library, are gone. As is Bony Lizzie.
The Spook, Tom, and Alice flee to Mona, an island between the County and Ireland. Mona's being overrun by refugees and they are cold people-- if you're lucky, you'll be sent back to the County. If you're not, the old are fed to the fishes, the young are pressed into labor, and many are tried as witches. And when Bony Lizzie also shows up on the island... it goes from bad to worse.
The people of Mona chilled me-- more than any of the supernatural creatures and Dark Magic that we've come across. In this book, it wasn't the buggane that creeped me out, it was the citizens of Mona-- their extreme cruelty. Also, the savageness of the invading army.
And, once I realized I wasn't getting all of my answers or a final resolution, I was actually really happy I don't have to say good-bye yet. I like the fact that this series never sucker-punches you at the end. There is an over-arching plot with unresolved issues, but you can stop reading at any time. I don't continue to read because I must know what happens next, I keep reading because Delaney tells such a good, creepy story. I keep reading because it's so good, not because a major bombshell is dropped in the final pages.
I have some thoughts I'm mulling through on the title of the book, but they're kinda spoiler-y, so I've hidden them here.
*In addition to talking about doing edits on Book 8, Delaney's website mentions that he's writing a separate book about Alice, and a separate one about Grimalkin. SWEET.
Book Provided by... my wallet. I couldn't wait for my library to get it in. I am impatient.
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
0 Comments on Last Apprentice: Rise of the Huntress as of 1/1/1900
In this volume, we have the Spook's story of how he met and fell in love with Meg Skelton, and how it went wrong. It sheds further light on why he distrusts witches, especially relationships with witches. We have Alice's story of her first days with Bony Lizzie, we have remembrances of one of the dead witches buried in Witch Dell, and we have a story told by Tom of when he and Bill Arkwright found a Celtic Witch Assassin (rather different than the English witches.) AND! We get the first two chapters of Rise of the Huntress-- upon their return from Greece, Tom, Alice, and the Spook discover that the War has finally come to the County. The Spook's house, and more importantly, his library, have been burned and destroyed. Bony Lizzie has escaped and the Fiend is still loose... CAN NOT WAIT!
If you're a fan of the series, this is a fun book to hold you over until we get to find out what happens next. I like that it's actual stories with characters we know well and characters that are only on our periphery instead of something like an encyclopedia of facts...
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
Well all out there in "The Land of Blog," I guess you have heard the bad news about the Library System, a bunch of people were laid off, but the good news is that at least for the next couple of months all libraries will remain open. It's looking like my last day will be April 1. I just want you all to know how much I have enjoyed my time employed with this Library System and working on this blog. You all are the best and I hope you have found some good reads here along with having a few laughs. I want you all to carry on and help Mr. Carl with this great "Boys Rule Boys Read" Blog. I'm sure I speak for Zack in that we will be continue to follow the blog and post reviews in the future (we will just be members of the general public).
Okay, now for some happy stuff.
On May 1 a brand new Comic Book Store will be opening in Charlotte called "Spandex City" (after all many superheroes wear spandex costumes). This is also Free Comic Book Day and Michael, who owns the store and is a super nice guy, will be contributing 10% of all Opening Day sales to The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System. So be a hero for a day and have a good time by dropping by the store. I know I will be. The web site for the store is www.spandexcity.com.
Now a word of endorsement from a well known Superhero!!!!!
May 1st Grand Opening Endorsement fromGreen Lantern!!!!!!
Be there or be square!!!!!!!!
Now for my last official book review and boy is it a good one:
Ok, some REALLY big things going on here. Mam's returned and needs help in her homeland of Greece. The Ordeen is an old and powerful witch and returns to Earth every seven years and kills everything in her way. She's usually contained by the prayers of the monks in the monasteries around the plain where she appears. This year, with the Fiend on Earth, the prayers won't be enough. Mam needs all the help she can get if she's going to stop the Ordeen. In addition to Tom, the Spook, and Bill Arkwright, Mam's also enlisted the witches.
The Spook's black-and-white way of seeing the world, good, and evil, continues to cause rifts between him and his apprentice. They are driven even further apart at a time when they most need to be together. This series continues to explore some big ideas of good and evil while staying an exciting adventure story that ups the ante with every new addition. In this particular volume, I really enjoyed the new setting and how the Greek views of how to make a good Spook differ from the British ones. Also, you thought you knew the truth about Mam? Yeah, I thought I did too. Apparently not. Delaney blew my mind with that one!
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
1 Comments on Spook Field Trip, last added: 12/9/2009
This book is on my Cybils reading list, and I have never read a single book in the series. I am planning to start with book 1 today, but are there any in between that I could skip without hurting my enjoyment of this one too much?
A nice slim volume to keep us happy (by which I mean scared) until the next Last Apprentice Book, Clash of the Demons, comes out (Which it has! Huzzah!)
The majority of this book is made up of three short stories. The first is the eponymous Spook's Tale, the longest of the three. It tells us of an adventure John Gregory had when he left home to become a priest. Along the way he met the Spook he would eventually train with and had to face a bone-snatching boggart and a witch.
Then comes Alice's story of what happened in Attack of the Fiend, when she goes to Pendle alone.
The third tells of how and why Grimalkin became the witch assassin and also offers reasons as to why she's willing to partner in Tom Ward's quest to rid the world of the fiend.
The last bit is filler-- a run down of the major villains we've seen so far and excerpts from the previous books that illustrate their villainry.
This is a great one for fans and the reader is left with some very big (but enigmatic) clues as to what will happen next in the series!
This is a collection of fairy tales from the world of Harry Potter. These are the tales that wizarding children grow up on. A copy of this was rather important during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
They contain all sorts of morals that you usually find in such things and are illustrated by Rowling herself. It doesn't add much to the Harry Potter story, not in the same way Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them did. (If you haven't read it, you should. You'll find out that there's much more to Crookshanks than meets the eye.) But, it is still enjoyable and super-fans will probably really like it. I know I did.
2 Comments on Short Story Companions, last added: 8/27/2009
Tales of Beedle the Bard was definitely a fun read for super-fans... which I am, apparently! :) I was a little late to the world of Harry Potter -- I started reading them all right before Deathly Hallows came out -- but it didn't take long for me to get totally obsessed!
I changed the poll over the sidebar, because I left a few things off. I revoted for everyone that had voted, so your votes are still counted. If that makes sense. ANYWAY! Check out my sidebar (yes, JacketFlap and GoogleReaders, you will have to visit my blog... :) And vote on what you want to see me read/read me review during MotherReader's 48 Hour Challenge in June. I can't make a decision, so I'm passing the buck. HA!
Anyway, Thursday night, I went to class, I went out to dinner with a friend, and then I came home, curled up on the couch with Sasskerdoodle (aka, Sassy, aka my dog, or, as I call her, my puppy friend) and read
This the the 6th and latest installment in the Sisters Grimm series. In this one, the Grimms are the only non-Ever Afters left in Ferryport Landing after Mayor Heart and the Sheriff of Nottingham have run everyone else out of town.
Mr. Canis has been arrested and is struggling ever more to keep the wolf at bay.
Bluebeard is presenting the prosecution (and trying desperately to win Snow White) so who better to hire for the defense than Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. They're not sure they can win (the Mad Hatter, is, after all, the judge) but are happy to one again be a thorn in Nottingham's side.
Of course, Sabrina's not so sure they should even try, especially since Daphne won't go get the secret weapon. When Sabrina steals the key and sneaks out, even Puck is disappointed in her, and Daphne won't even look at her anymore...
There is the bright lining though, as it appears that finding Goldilocks might be closer than ever...
I feel this is more of a place-holder novel in the series. It wasn't as heart-pounding exciting as Magic and Other Misdemeanors but rather one of those books to get you to the next exciting one. If that makes sense.
Despite the lack of tension (as compared to the last book) you still get the (now dark) zaniness of Ferryport Landing, I mean, the whole scene with the Scarecrow as the town's librarian? I also loved Puck's take on the situation-- Oz is a swindler, so the Scarecrow's brain must have been second hand. A good one for fans of the series, but you definitely won't get what's going on if you haven't read the previous ones.
Also, in March, the new Last Apprentice book came out and it was taking my library too long to order it, so finally I just went to the bookstore and bought my own copy.
The Spook knows that the witch clans at Pendle are banding together, which can only mean evil. He's taking his time to carefully plan to counter it, but then when Tom goes home to see what was in Mam's trunks, he finds the farm destroyed and the trunks missing...
So, it's off to Pendle immediately to save Tom's inheritance, not to mention Jack, Ellie, and the baby who are being held hostage.
The Pendle clans have joined forces to raise the Devil himself. If they succeed, they won't be able to control him after a day or two and it'll be bad for everyone.
Unfortunately for Tom and the Spook, the witches have created a monsterous creature that can see in mirrors to spy on people. A creature that lives off human blood.
But, Tom and the Spook have Alice, as long as she stays on their side...
I read recently that this is a 7 book series, so, Book 4 is the pivotal book of such things. It ends much darker than the others and we can tell something bigger is looming. It's also creepier yet. They're making a movie of this series and on one hand, I'm really excited, but on the other hand, I don't think I would be able to actually watch it. The books are scary enough!
But, on a lighter note, Ingrid Michaelson opened last night's show with this. PRICELESS.
1 Comments on Super Awesome Sequels I Can't Sit Still For, last added: 4/19/2008
Ohhh I'm so jealous that you saw Ingrid Michaelson! And that is hilarious! :D
Jennie said, on 4/20/2008 9:16:00 AM
She does a good concert. I didn't even know she was in town, but for once, Facebook told me a piece of information I could use! Now it's just back to telling me that Juno is on DVD. I know that. The TV tells me, Amazon frontpage tells me, emails from Barnes and Noble tell me... I think Ellen Page is about to show up on my doorstep and tell me...
Thinking about vampires somehow got me thinking about Joseph Delaney. Which is slightly odd, as there are no vampires in the books of his I've read. Even odder is the fact that when I went to look him up I found this in his wiki-entry:
On first leaving school he started work as an apprentice engineer. Delaney went on to become an English teacher, before setting up the Media and Film Studies department at Blackpool Sixth Form College. He specialised in vampire literature.
From there I progressed to Delaney's website here.
In the U.K. the series of wonderfully frightening novels by Joseph Delaney is known as The Wardstone Chronicles, while over here it's known as The Last Apprentice. Apparently the fourth novel in the series is to be published this side of the Atlantic in March - which makes me wonder how we missed number three. (Oh wait, now I remember, I bought number two twice.)
The first three novels (over here) are titled Revenge of the Witch, Curse of the Bane, Night of The Soul Stealer. The fourth, to be released next month is called Attack of the Fiend. (But the fifth will be published in June in the U.K. so we may have to sneak over and get it - I've had this same problem reading Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies Detective novels).
The Last Apprentice novels are full of quite believable ghosts, witches and boggarts, and the hero is a spook's apprentice - a boy charged with confronting the world of the unquiet dead. I was pleased to read that one of the settings of the novels, Priestown, is based on Delaney's hometown of Preston - which also happens to be my maternal grandfather's birthplace.
I haven't heard the audio versions - wonder if they are read with a Lancashire accent? - but a friend bought them for her son and found they were too frightening. Isn't that wonderful? Think how seldom books are actually too frightening these days.
After Revenge of the Witch, I wondered how quickly the premise would get old and these books start to all read the same. Three books in, this hasn't happened yet, and I'm starting to think it won't.
The weather is cooling and it's time for Tom and the Spook to move to his winter house. It promises to be a long, cold winter and Anglezarke is nowhere near as nice as Chippenden. There's no garden-- the witches and boggarts are buried in the basement. The Spook's past is coming back to haunt Tom with dire consequences. It's going to be a bitter winter, and when the Spook is taken out of comission, it's up to Tom to make sure that spring will eventually come.
The dark is gathering forces and it's starting to become obvious that these first few volumes in the series are just the warm-up for what's about to come. I can't wait.
(Reviews of Revenge of the Witch here, Curse of the Bane here)
So, you know how when you are totally in love with a series and you pre-order the next volume as soon as possible and then just kinda drop everything to read it when it comes through the door? Please tell me I am not the only person like this.
Anyway, here are some books that fall in that category. I read these most of these day they came out. I'm just slow to talk about them.
Ok, I didn't preorder this. But I totally pre-reserved it at the library. If anything, this book is scarier, creepier, and grosser than the first one. And possibly even better.
Thomas Ward and the Spook are off to Priestown (which, as you can imagine, is a town full of Priests, and they're never fans of Spooks). The Bane is an evil thing that crushes its victims flat and is starting to control the minds of the people living near its prison, in the catacombs underneath the church. Thomas and the Spook need to finish it once and for all, but the Spook has tried, and failed before.
Oh, and they're going to be hanged for being Spooks. All in a days work!
Ok, once again, something I pre-reserved. I only have so much bookshelf space people!
The kid's in Sam N's class are back. It's summer, and they've all found jobs. Marriages are on the rocks, international crime rings seemingly have ties to Geyser Creek and deep secrets of the past are uncovered. Probably the best book in this series since the first one.
When we last saw Sabrina, Daphne, Puck & Co., Puck's wings had been torn off and he was dying. SO! The family makes its way to New York City, the heart of the Faerie Kingdom so Puck can get well...
It turns out that Veronica Grimm (before she went missing) was a hero here. Sabrina is NOT HAPPY to find this out. She is angrier than ever. Then, King Oberon is found poisoned and an innocent Faerie is blamed. Sabrina wants out of the game, and Grandma Grimm lets her quit, but now Daphne won't talk to her...
This is one of my favorites in the series. The change of locale and new cast of characters keeps the scenario from getting repetitive and old. Also, it's not often that you see the cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream making fractured appearances in children's literature. Where it's funnier if you're familiar with the play, it still works for people who haven't read or seen it (and I think most of the target audience falls into this category).
I also love the introduction of the Godfathers. More Mafia than turning pumpkins into coaches, they're brilliant. As is Bluebeard as a Wall Street financier. Once again, all jokes that younger readers aren't going to fully understand, but it's not only for adults.
The changing and evolving relationship between Sabrina and Daphne is one of the best, and most subtle, parts of this series, and this is a good volume (if less subtle) in that regard.
This hasn't even been published in the US yet, but Amazon will obtain a UK copy for you.
Clarice has some bigger worries in this latest installment (and more pages in which to explore them! yippee!) It's still zany and fun and silly and everything you love about Clarice, but also deeper and older. Betty moves away and everyone's cranky and she's so worried and anxious about everything that she's not sleeping anymore, which isn't helping with school. There's a new girl, Clem, and everyone seems to love her, but Clarice doesn't trust her at all.
There's still a lot of Ruby, a lot more of Marcie (as she's back from France) and less of Minal Cricket. A must read for Clarice fans.
1 Comments on Sequels I've Neglected--Kid Lit, last added: 5/23/2007
Apparently, The Spook's Battle the fourth book in the Wardstone Chronicles series is out here in the UK in July - at least so Amazon.co.uk are telling me today. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:
In the fourth instalment in the "Wardstone Chronicles", Mam has returned to her own land, Greece, to fight the rising power of the dark there. In a special room in the family farmhouse, she has left behind trunks and boxes only to be opened by her youngest son Tom. Meanwhile, in Pendle, the covens are rising and the three most powerful witch clans are rumoured to be uniting in order to conjure an unimaginable evil. Together, they will be capable of raising the dark made flesh - the Devil himself. Tom and the Spook will need to set off for Pendle quickly to avert the unthinkable but first Tom must journey home. Could it be that the boxes will reveal more about his mother's past? And will these powerful secrets place Tom's family in ever greater danger?
Judging by the numbers of comments I get from teens on my reviews of the earlier books, there are going to be some very happy readers this summer !
2 Comments on The Spook's Battle - Joseph Delaney news, last added: 4/12/2007
I was working through a stack of books, cataloging them for the junior high library where I was subbing. I was changing and adding MARC tags as per our district's specifications when this book appeared on the top of the stack.
The cover had a softly burnished silvery purpley glow. The art work by Patrick Arasmith reminded me of 19th century woodcut illustrations. It was almost square in shape. I noted the wide margins and easy spacing between the lines of text. I flipped back to the verso of the title page and saw the elegant, unusual font was Cochin and the book design was by Chad W. Beckerman. This tome was absolutely gorgeous. The first page of each chapter was printed with a black background and white text along with another woodcut style vignette, white on black.
Oh nooo, this is Book 2 of a series. Surely, the librarian has the first one? Yes!
Just to prove I am not a slacker, I finished the entire stack of books. I cataloged the audiobooks and the videos. I printed the barcodes and the spine labels and imported the records into the database. Then I raced to the stacks to find Book 1. Happily, the all-powerful library aide gave me permission to check it out (the sad price my librarians pay for having me in to catalog) and I was one happy camper.
I had not encountered The Last Apprentice series before. There is very little about the author Joseph Delaney at the HarperCollins site. This is all it says.
Joseph Delaney lives with his family in Lancashire, England, in the middle of boggart territory.
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, 2005
Young Thomas Ward is a seventh son of a seventh son and it seems his mother has known all her life that he would be apprenticed to the area’s spook. The Spook has the job of dealing with unpleasant and dangerous spirits and apparitions, sort of a nineteenth century ghostbuster. This is an important job but spooks are feared and shunned by ordinary folk.
Leaving his family, Thomas starts his new life, mindful that the Spook's last apprentice was killed by one of the deadly spirits they were called on to dispatch. The Spook is a demanding teacher. Thomas keeps a notebook which he fills with every bit of learning his master imparts. He learns how to dig a pit exactly the proper dimensions for burying a boggart, and all manner of facts about witches and spirits.
When the Spook warns Thomas to beware of girls with pointy shoes he does not think much about it until he meets the mysterious Alice, a girl his own age, who wears pointy shoes. She comes from a family of dangerous witches but he wants to help her. As small children begin to go missing from the village, Thomas realizes the evil threat Alice and her family represent. Is Alice so far gone to the darkness that she cannot be saved?
Full of folklore, the story is down right scary. The book carries this advice on the back cover, “Warning: Not to be read after dark—especially page 148.”
The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney, 2006
The Spook has returned to Priestown for the funeral of his brother, who was killed by a boggart. There is danger in Priestown. One of the most malevolent spirits the Spook ever dealt with is locked in the catacombs beneath the cathedral. Unable to kill it, the Spook confined the Bane behind a silver gate but its influence and poison are spreading and all it needs is a willing soul to free it from its prison.
Because the town and the country side are under threat from the Quisitor, a priest conducting Inquisition style retribution on anyone or anything suspected of supernatural dealings, Tom and his master hope to attend the funeral and then leave town quickly.
The Quisitor returns unexpectedly with prisoners and Tom sees that Alice, the girl with the pointed shoes, has been swept into his trap. She will be burned for witchcraft along with other innocents. The Spook is also captured, betrayed by a member of his own family.
This is a first rate read. These books are wonderfully creepy, full of atmosphere and the book design will make them accessible for readers of all strengths (as are the Charlie Bone series). There is just enough burning at the stake, blood sacrifice and live burials to keep things interesting but not overtly graphic.
I don't know how many kids are aware of this series. They need to know about it NOW!
6 Comments on The Last Apprentice, last added: 3/31/2007
These sound like something my brother would enjoy. He's hard to find books for, so thanks for the recommendation!
Michele said, on 3/1/2007 2:08:00 PM
They're BRILLIANT !! I've read the first three of the series (they're known as "The Spook's Apprentice", "The Spook's Curse" and "The Spook's Secret" over here !) They're all reviewed on my Blog...
Camille said, on 3/1/2007 4:04:00 PM
Yes, I remember that now. They have different covers over here. The US book design is just fantastic. So there is a third one. Yippee!
I wonder if you could get an interview with him for EOTF?
Michele said, on 3/5/2007 1:33:00 PM
I tried to reply to this the other day and Blogger was having none of it ! So I shall try again !
I could try contacting Joseph Delaney re. an interview. Perhaps in time for the publication (here) of the fourth book (no idea when that will be, mind you !) I'll see what I can find out...
Anonymous said, on 3/31/2007 6:04:00 AM
omg i luv the book and i hope ther is a third!!!they really left me hanging and i am very proud to say i own both 1 and 2
Camille said, on 3/31/2007 3:53:00 PM
anonymous-- The 3rd book is already out in England. I can't wait for it to be out here too!
The Last Apprentice: The Spook Bestiary, The Guide To Creatures Of The Dark by Joseph Delaney and Julek Heller - Well if you are a fan of The Last Apprentice Series, this book is a must for you or any other up and coming Spook. This book covers not only all the creatures that the Spook John Gregory has dealt with in his lifetime but also notes from the likes of Spook Apprentice Tom Ward, Past Apprentices, the much missed Spook Bill Arkwright and many more. Covered not only in text but with wonderful illustrations the book cover Boggarts (and believe me there are many different types). The most frighting of all Boggarts to me are Rippers which feed on animal and human blood (very dangerous) eventually killing their victims. Also of interest covered are The Old Gods (such as Aphrodite, Artemis, The Bane - a very nasty creature that can cause it's victims to be crushed, breaking bones and crushing internal organs, by exerting a tremendous amount of pressure, The Fiend (known by other names such as the Devil, Satan, Lucifer and The Father of Lies), Golgoth (Lord of Winter), Pan (The Horned God) and many more. Of course witches are covered (man there are so many types), Elementals and things Spooks and others have only heared tales of. This is a great companion piece to go with the series and even has some encounters by various Spooks featured guaranteed to curl the hair on your very head. Recommended for readers 11 years old and up!!!!!! Great Stuff!!!!!
The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin The Witch Assassin (Book 9) by Joseph Delaney - I have to tell you one of my favorite characters in this series the Witch Assassin Grimalkin of the Malkin witch clan. Once a sworn enemy of The Spook and Tom, she becomes a part of of an alliance between them and Alice. Spoiler Alert - The alliance is primarily the assurance that The Fiend is once and for all taken care of (that is put out of the picture if you know what I mean). Grimalkin has in her possession the head of The Fiend and is on the run from dark forces while Tom, The Spook and Alice search for a way to end The Fiends threat forever. If the head and body are reconnected The Fiend will live again so Grimalkin along with her apprentice Thorne are running from forces that even give Grimalkin a challenge. The main being an evil obscenity known as a Kretch that actually hurts Grimalkin very badly. How long can Grimalkin and Thorne keep ahead of the deadly hunt by the Kretch and other dark beings? Read and find out if this very cool knife throwing witch assassin is up to the task. A page turner for sure. Recommended for those 13 and up mainly because of the violence factor.
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the fourth book in the Wardstone Chronicles series is out here in the UK in July - at least so Amazon.co.uk are telling me today. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:
This is a good review! Nothing beats a realistic vampire to its true-grit. I look forward to more reviews from you, thank you!