Review~The Spook's Destiny by Joseph Delaney




Title: The Spook
Author: Joseph Delaney
Release date: June 2011
Published by: Random House
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Callum Dalloway

Opening line: “Driven by the gentlest of breezes, our small fishing boat was sailing slowly west, bobbing gently towards the distant shore.”

Closing line: “Once that was extinguished, you were lost and truly alone, with only the dark for company.”

Favourite quote: “I scrambled out of bed, and soon realised that it had been more than a dream: here too a set of hoof prints had been burned into the floorboards. They were scorched deeper on the last occasion in my room at the inn. Time was running out. The power of the blood jar was almost at an end.”

I began reading these books when I was 11 years old, and at nearly 19 I am still hooked. The great thing about The Wardstone Chronicles is that the writing style never alienates despite becoming a year older every time a new book is released!
The book begins with Tom, Alice and the Spook himself fleeing the war in the County and travelling to Ireland, finding new dangers and demons to do battle with once they step ashore. As well as the Fiend himself after young Tom, he also faces the threat of the Morrigan, an ancient goddess from the dark.
As always, the pace is fast, and the moments where you feel the fear reading late at night are still there! Delaney
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There are huge events that change matters for the characters forever, complicating relationships and attracting more danger than ever before. Stand-offs, kidnappings, out of body experiences and nightmarish threats aplenty.

As the books have moved along, the dark has been growing more and more, and enemies are appearing from the shadows continuously. You can just tell the story is coming to an end, a large, cataclysmic stand-off no doubt, but I am very glad it is not this book the series ends with. I need more!

Addictive, easy to read but never bland or simple, I cannot recommend this series enough. If there are any Spook fans who drifted away from the books or stopped for one reason or another (although I doubt the numbers are few) you must continue as this story is far from over... Everyone else, get starting!!
’s Destiny’s descriptions are matter-of-fact, and the characters retain that mysterious quality they always had since the beginning. These books always have you question the characters’ loyalties, as well as whether things that happen are real, or illusions from the dark...’t give away too much of the story as the whole premise of the series is the suspense and uncertainty of the future. You cannot read this book without reading the others in the series, as there are many references to past events that are vital to understanding the story.