Spook's, published as The Last Apprentice in the United States, is a children's dark fantasy series by English author Joseph Delaney. It is published by imprints of Penguin Random House in the United Kingdom, and HarperCollins in the United States. The series has been published in 30 countries, with sales exceeding 4.5 million copies. It originated in 2004 with The Spook's Apprentice, which has been adapted into a play script, a feature film titled Seventh Son, and a French graphic novel.
The main series consists of 20 books, with three arcs. The Wardstone Chronicles, follows Thomas "Tom" Ward's journey as he apprentices under John Gregory, the spook of the County, situated in a fictionalized Lancashire. Through his mentorship, Tom masters the skills to confront supernatural threats. However, as the narrative unfolds, Tom finds himself confronting an even greater peril: the Fiend. The Starblade Chronicles, extends the adventures of Tom Ward, now a Spook, battling a grave evil endangering the County and beyond. Tom mentors his apprentice, Jenny, amidst formidable challenges. Brother Wulf, features the exploits of Brother Wulf, a novice monk, and Tom Ward.
There are also several related works, set in the same world, including two short story compilations, a bestiary, and two novellas.
Overview
The first arc of the series titled The Wardstone Chronicles, published from 2004 to 2013, follows Thomas "Tom" Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son who is apprenticed to the County's spook, John Gregory; a master fighter of supernatural evil. The Spook gives Tom practical instruction on tackling ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts, and all manner of other things that serve the Dark.
Tom soon discovers that most of John Gregory's apprentices have failed for various reasons, including being killed in the process of learning how to be a Spook. As the arc progresses, the focus expands to other characters such as the young witch Alice Deane and the witch assassin Grimalkin. Overall, the series develops the plotline of Tom being destined to save the world or be tortured by the Fiend, the father of all evil, for all eternity.
The County referenced in the series is based on Lancashire in the North of England. Various County fictional towns are thinly-veiled modern day cities; for example, the town of Priestown is based on Preston (where the author was born); Caster is Lancaster; Black Pool is Blackpool; Chipenden is Chipping.[1]
The first arc was followed by The Starblade Chronicles, a trilogy published from 2014 to 2017, continuing the adventures of Tom Ward, who has finished his apprenticeship and is now a Spook in his own right dedicated to fighting an unparalleled evil threatening the County, and the world. Throughout the trilogy, Tom mentors his own apprentice, Jenny, as they face daunting challenges together. This was then followed by Brother Wulf, published from 2020 to 2023; four books following the adventures of Brother Wulf, a young noviciate monk, and Tom Ward.[2]
The Spook's Curse (US: The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane) (2005)
The Spook's Secret (US: The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer) (2006)
The Spook's Battle (US: The Last Apprentice: Attack of the Fiend) (2007)
The Spook's Mistake (US: The Last Apprentice: Wrath of the Bloodeye) (2008)
The Spook's Sacrifice (US: The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons) (2009)
The Spook's Nightmare (US: The Last Apprentice: Rise of the Huntress) (2010)
The Spook's Destiny (US: The Last Apprentice: Rage of the Fallen) (2011)
Spook's: I Am Grimalkin (US: The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin) (2011)
The Spook's Blood (US: The Last Apprentice: Lure of the Dead) (2012)
Spook's: Slither's Tale (US: The Last Apprentice: Slither) (2012)
Spook's: Alice (US: The Last Apprentice: I Am Alice) (2013)
The Spook's Revenge (US: The Last Apprentice: Fury of the Seventh Son) (2013)
The Starblade Chronicles
Spook's: A New Darkness (2014)
Spook's: The Dark Army (2016)
Spook's: The Dark Assassin (2017)
Brother Wulf
Brother Wulf (2020)
Brother Wulf: Wulf's Bane (2021)
Brother Wulf: The Last Spook (2022)
Brother Wulf: Wulf's War (2023)
Related works
The Spook's Tale / Interception Point (2009) – A short story "The Spook's Tale" combined with Mark Walden's "Interception Point" as part of a small (128 pages) publication for World Book Day UK, which could be purchased at that event for a £1 coupon.[3]
The Last Apprentice: The Spook's Tale And Other Horrors (2009) – A collection of four short stories: "The Spook's Tale", "Alice's Tale", "Grimalkin's Tale", and "The Gallery of Villains". This compilation was published in the US, incorporating the earlier published "The Spook's Tale".
The Spook's Stories: Witches (2009) – A collection of five short stories: "Meg Skelton", "Dirty Dora", "Alice and the Brain Guzzler," "The Banshee Witch", and "Grimalkin's Tale". Published in the US as The Last Apprentice: A Coven of Witches.
The Spook's Bestiary (2010) – A guidebook to the creatures found in the Spook's universe. Published in the US as The Last Apprentice: The Spook's Bestiary: The Guide to Creatures of the Dark.
The Spook's Stories: Grimalkin's Tale (2011) – Short story published as an e-book.
Alice and the Brain Guzzler (Storycuts) (2011) – Short story published as an e-book.
The Ghost Prison (2013) – A novella occupying the same universe, but with different characters and storylines.
Spook's: The Seventh Apprentice (2014) – A novella featuring the Spook's seventh apprentice, a boy named Will Johnson. Published in the US as The Last Apprentice: The Seventh Apprentice.
Seventh Son (2015) – The first two Spook's books, The Spook's Apprentice and The Spook's Curse, repackaged into one book as a film tie-in.
In the County, Thomas "Tom" Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son, becomes apprenticed to John Gregory, a Spook who combats supernatural beings like boggarts, ghosts, and witches. Despite warnings, Tom befriends Alice Deane, a conflicted witch with ties to dangerous relatives, including Mother Malkin and Bony Lizzie. Alice inadvertently aids Malkin's escape, setting off a series of conflicts. Tom, guided by Gregory's teachings, confronts the witches using traditional tools like rowan wood and silver. Ultimately, Malkin is destroyed when Tom lures her into a pig pen, solidifying Tom's apprenticeship while leaving Alice as an uneasy ally in the ongoing battle against the forces of darkness.
The Spook's Curse
In the heart of Priestown's cathedral catacombs, the Spook and his apprentice, Tom Ward, confront their long-standing foe, the Bane, a formidable creature undefeated by the Spook. However, their battle is complicated by the arrival of the Quisitor, an enforcer hunting those who dabble in dark arts. Meanwhile, Alice Deane strikes a perilous pact with the Bane, feeding it her blood and risking total control. Despite the Spook's apprehension, Tom's deepening friendship with Alice draws them closer, even as she manipulates the Bane to aid their cause. With the Spook imprisoned and facing execution, Tom, aided by Alice and the Bane, must rescue his mentor and lift Priestown's curse. Alice, too, grows to fear the Bane's influence, aligning with Tom and the Spook to devise a plan against it. In a final showdown, Tom and Alice confront the Bane, with Alice making a crucial plea for their safety. Seizing the opportunity, Thomas vanquishes the Bane, liberating Priestown from its malevolent grip.
The Spook's Secret
As winter settles in, the Spook is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of a stranger, prompting a hasty relocation from Chipenden to the winter house at Anglezarke, much to Tom's confusion. The winter residence, shrouded in darkness, harbours a cellar teeming with bound witches and boggarts, adding to its ominous aura. As the cold months pass, Tom delves deeper into his master's history, unravelling secrets about the enigmatic visitor, revealed to be the Spook's arch-nemesis, Morgan Hurst, a necromancer, who seeks to resurrect an old god. The unfolding revelations shed light on the Spook's past and the intricate web of conflicts that define their ongoing struggle against dark forces.
The Spook's Battle
Tom's mother's departure to Greece marks a pivotal shift in his life as he discovers three trunks she left behind, meant only for him to open. Upon the Spook's insistence, Tom and Alice Dean embark on a mission to retrieve the trunks, only to find their family abducted by witches and held in Pendle. Amidst revelations about the Spook's past and the identity of his mysterious visitor, Father Stocks, Tom navigates a treacherous landscape where alliances shift and betrayals abound. As Tom confronts his family's captors, including Mistress Wurmalde and the Mouldheel clan, he uncovers deep-seated secrets about his lineage and his mother's ties to dark forces. Through harrowing trials and sacrifices, Tom ultimately confronts the impending threat of the Fiend, defying grim prophecies and summoning courage to protect his loved ones and confront the darkness lurking within and beyond the County's borders.
The Spook's Mistake
Sent north to be trained by Bill Arkwright, Tom Ward confronts the relentless challenges of Arkwright's harsh tutelage in the haunted mill amidst treacherous marshlands. As Tom grapples with the rigorous training, the stakes escalate when the Fiend dispatches his formidable daughter, Morwena, a potent water witch, to obliterate Tom. Arkwright's error in judgement leaves Tom vulnerable, forcing him to confront his adversaries alone. With the aid of Alice Deane and the Spook, Tom embarks on a perilous battle against overwhelming dark forces. However, the Spook's mistake, with its potentially dire consequences, threatens to tip the scales in favour of the darkness, testing the limits of Tom's resilience and challenging the collective strength of his allies against the looming shadow of the Fiend's influence.
The Spook's Sacrifice
Tom Ward, confronted with the looming threat of the Ordeen and the Fiend, is torn between his loyalty to his master, the Spook, and his duty to his mother, Mam, who reveals her identity as lamia with a complex past. As they journey to Greece to confront the Ordeen, Tom grapples with dark forces, including the Fiend's temptations and the use of dark magic by allies and enemies alike. Amidst betrayals, traps, and sacrifices, including Mam's ultimate sacrifice to stall the Ordeen, Tom faces his destiny as a fighter against the Dark. Through Mam's letters and a final spiritual encounter, Tom finds closure and resolve to continue his apprenticeship, now with Alice Deane, the daughter of the Fiend, by his side, as they navigate the treacherous waters of the supernatural realm.
The Spook's Nightmare
As war engulfs the County, the Spook, Tom, and Alice Deane seek refuge on the perilous Isle of Mona, only to find themselves ensnared in its turmoil. The island's inhabitants are gripped by fear and suspicion, subjecting suspected witches to cruel tests and sentencing them to the buggane's wrath if found guilty. Lord Barrule, a formidable shaman aligned with the buggane, adds to their peril. However, their challenges escalate with the return of Bony Lizzie, driven by a vengeful quest against the Spook for her years of imprisonment in his garden's pit. Amidst the chaos and looming threats, the trio must navigate treacherous alliances and confront the darkness that threatens to consume them all.
The Spook's Destiny
In a daring quest to the southwest of Ireland, the Spook, Tom Ward, and Alice Deane confront a formidable Celtic witch and her allies, the goat mages, who seek to resurrect the ancient deity Pan. As Tom grapples with the relentless forces of darkness, he stumbles upon the Destiny Blade, a weapon with a sinister appetite for bloodshed. Despite daunting odds, their alliance gains strength with the unexpected arrival of Grimalkin, a formidable witch assassin known for her allegiance to the dark. Together, they face formidable challenges and unearth dark secrets in their relentless pursuit to thwart the resurrection of Pan and preserve the fragile balance between light and shadow.
Spook's: I Am Grimalkin
Grimalkin, the formidable witch assassin, initially crosses paths with Tom Ward, whose fate is intertwined with becoming the apprentice to Master Gregory, the Spook. Despite their initial adversarial encounter, Grimalkin's motivations are fueled by her relentless quest for vengeance against those responsible for her son's brutal demise. Driven by her personal vendetta, Grimalkin elects to ally herself with Tom and the Spook in their daring endeavour to bind the Fiend, a malevolent force threatening their world. Central to their strategy is the imperative task of safeguarding the Fiend's severed head, a pivotal component essential for their mission's success. Grimalkin's lethal skills and unwavering determination infuse the narrative with intrigue and intensity as they navigate the perilous journey ahead.
The Spook's Blood
The story unfolds with Tom Ward's visit to Malkin Tower, where he confronts the harrowing truth about the necessary steps to vanquish the Fiend once and for all, leaving him grappling with despair and the weight of his destiny. Subsequently, Tom and John Gregory are enticed to Todmorden under the guise of replenishing the Chipenden library's books, only to encounter a town plagued by fear and ominous foreboding after sundown. As they confront the lurking darkness, they find themselves embroiled in a desperate battle for survival against sinister forces, where even the formidable alliance of Tom, John Gregory, Alice Deane, and Grimalkin may prove insufficient. Amidst the chaos, the Spook's blood is spilled, and the malevolent Vampire God, Siscoi, is unleashed from the depths of darkness, escalating the perilous stakes they face.
Spook's: Slither's Tale
Slither, a creature devoid of humanity, roams beyond the protective confines of the County, preying upon unsuspecting humans by feasting on their blood as they sleep. When a local farmer passes away, Slither sees an opportunity to indulge in his sinister desires by targeting the farmer's daughters. However, the farmer strikes a deal with Slither: in exchange for safeguarding the younger girls, Slither is granted permission to claim the eldest daughter, Nessa, as he pleases. Thus begins a perilous journey fraught with treachery, where adversaries lurk at every corner. Among these foes is Grimalkin, the formidable witch assassin, relentlessly pursuing a means to obliterate the Fiend once and for all. As Slither and Nessa navigate the dangers that surround them, they find themselves entangled in a deadly game of survival amidst Grimalkin's relentless pursuit and the looming shadow of darkness.
Spook's: Alice
Alice Deane, the steadfast companion of Tom Ward, embarks on a harrowing journey into the heart of darkness. Having battled alongside the Spook and Tom Ward against malevolent forces, Alice now finds herself alone in the treacherous realm of the dark. Unbeknownst to Tom, Alice harbours dark secrets from her past, haunting memories she hoped to leave behind forever. Now faced with the daunting task of acquiring the final weapon essential for vanquishing the Fiend, Alice confronts the daunting prospect of her own mortality. Failure to secure the weapon would plunge the world into perpetual darkness and despair, while success may demand the ultimate sacrifice—her own life at the hands of Tom. As Alice grapples with the encroaching darkness threatening to consume her, she must summon the strength to resist its insidious allure and prevent its malevolent grasp from overwhelming her completely.
The Spook's Revenge
Tom Ward finds himself grappling with profound revelations and mounting threats as he navigates a treacherous path fraught with darkness and betrayal. As Alice Deane delivers the final hero blade and cryptic instructions to Tom, he is confronted with the weight of his responsibilities as the Spook's apprentice. However, secrets emerge, including Tom's mother's identity as the first lamia, shedding light on his family's tangled history. The discovery of the Wardstone's mysterious powers and ominous prophecies heightens the sense of impending doom, leading to a relentless pursuit to thwart the resurgence of the Fiend. Despite valiant efforts, Tom faces heart-wrenching betrayals, including Alice's defection to the dark side under the influence of Lukrasta. With allies lost and adversaries closing in, Tom confronts formidable challenges, including a climactic battle against Lukrasta and the daunting task of preserving the County's fragile balance of light and shadow. As the dust settles and the Fiend's reign ends, Tom grapples with the aftermath, seeking solace in protecting the County and honouring the legacy of his fallen mentor, John Gregory. Amidst the turmoil, Tom's journey unfolds with themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit against the encroaching darkness.
The Starblade Chronicles
Spook's: A New Darkness
Tom Ward assumes the mantle of the Chippenden Spook after his mentor John Gregory's death. Tom faces new challenges, including the Kobalos incursion threatening the County. Alongside him is Jenny, a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, who possesses unique magical abilities. As they confront a Kobalos mage terrorising the land, Tom must retrieve the Starblade, a powerful weapon buried with his mentor. Grimalkin, a former ally turned adversary, complicates matters with her vendetta against the Kobalos. Tom's journey unfolds amidst freezing temperatures and escalating danger, setting the stage for the next chapter in the battle against darkness.
Spook's: The Dark Army
In the aftermath of Tom Ward's death, despair grips those left behind as they face the impending threat of a dark army poised to plunge the world into eternal winter. With Tom gone, the pressing question looms: Who will step up to continue the battle against the forces of darkness? As time dwindles, the remaining allies must rally together to confront the looming darkness before it returns to the County, altering the world irreversibly.
Spook's: The Dark Assassin
In the shadowy realm between earth and oblivion, an enigmatic assassin stalks, their identity and purpose shrouded in mystery. As the people of the County cower in fear of encroaching beasts determined to wage war on their land, the daunting question arises: How can they withstand adversaries empowered by the might of a god? Amidst despair, a glimmer of hope emerges as whispers suggest that the elusive creature lurking in the darkness may hold the key to salvation for the embattled County.
Brother Wulf
Brother Wulf
The plot revolves around Brother Beowulf, a scribe for Spook Johnson, who embarks on a journey with Tom Ward and Alice Deane to rescue Johnson from a witch. Along the way, they encounter dangers and revelations about the nature of spooks and witches. As they confront various challenges and betrayals, including encounters with powerful beings like Circe, they must make difficult choices to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Brother Wulf: Wulf's Bane
Brother Wulf, apprentice to Spook Johnson, finds himself entangled in a world of magic and danger. He encounters allies like Tom Ward, Alice Deane, and Tilda, as well as adversaries such as Circe and the Malkin clan. Through battles, trials, and sacrifices, Wulf discovers his own powers and learns to navigate the complexities of the supernatural realm. With the guidance of mentors like Hrothgar and Grimalkin, Wulf confronts dark forces and ultimately plays a crucial role in defeating Circe. Alongside his companions, he embarks on a journey to confront the Pendle witches and confronts challenges that test his loyalty, courage, and resilience.
Brother Wulf: The Last Spook
The narrative unfolds with Tom Ward and Alice Deane navigating supernatural perils, including the resurgence of the Fiend and encounters with dark forces in Priestown. Simultaneously, Wulf undergoes a transformative journey, delving into his training with Hrothgar, confronting the bound wraiths, and ultimately facing the daunting challenge of destroying the Fiend. As the threads of their stories intertwine, themes of sacrifice, destiny, and the struggle against malevolent forces weave a gripping narrative that culminates in a climactic showdown against the darkness.
Brother Wulf: Wulf's War
The prologue sets the stage for his encounters with powerful entities like Golgoth, the Lord of Winter, and the enigmatic Loki. Wulf embarks on a mission to find Grimalkin and Thorne, his companions in the fight against dark forces. As he navigates through Silverdale and Silvertown, facing traps and revelations, Wulf grapples with prophecies foretelling his demise and the machinations of trickster gods. Alongside Jenny and other allies, Wulf confronts demons and witches, engaging in battles that shape the fate of both the mortal realm and the supernatural domain. Amidst alliances and betrayals, Wulf's quest leads him to face Golgoth himself, culminating in a climactic showdown that tests his resolve and resourcefulness. With the epilogue hinting at the possibility of temporal manipulation and reflections on the consequences of altering the past, Wulf's odyssey comes full circle, leaving lingering questions about destiny, sacrifice, and the nature of heroism.
Characters
Thomas Jason "Tom" Ward: apprentice to John Gregory and the seventh son of a seventh son, also the son of the ancient and powerful sorceress lamia; from his father he has inherited the gifts of a spook and from his mother the ability to speed up, slow down, and halt time, the ability to locate his prey supernaturally, the ability to heal from otherwise-fatal wounds like a lamia witch, and a "lamia form" that increases his strength, speed, durability, and healing but also anger and bloodlust.
John Gregory: the Spook for the County who mentors Tom Ward.
Alice Deane: a witch who becomes Tom's closest friend. She is the daughter of Bony Lizzie and the Fiend and an immensely powerful witch who walks the line between good and evil.
Bony Lizzie: a malevolent witch, Alice's ex-teacher and cruel mother. She is captured by Gregory but later freed and attempts to conquer the Isle of Mona, but is killed.
Mother Malkin: a powerful malevolent witch, who was killed by Ward.
Tusk: an abhuman, and Mother Malkin's son, who was killed by Gregory.
Agnes Sowerbutts: Alice's aunt and Lizzie's sister, a benign witch, healer, and midwife who helps Alice and a young Grimalkin. She is killed for helping Alice by pro-Fiend witches, "living" on as a dead witch.
Adriana: a bird witch on the Isle of Mona who allies herself with Ward, Gregory, and Alice Deane and helps thwart and kill Lizzie.
Mam/Lamia/Zenobia: Tom's mysterious mother, the original lamia witch.
Wynde and Slake: two lamia witches and Mam's spiritual "sisters" who ally themselves with Ward.
Wurmalde: a Greek witch and old enemy of Mam who nearly killed her.
Bill Arkwright: the Spook for the County north of Caster, and a previous apprentice of Gregory. He is killed helping the others escape the Ord.
Judd Brinscall: a spook and former apprentice of John Gregory who primarily worked in Romania before moving to Caster to take up the late Arkwright's place.
Grimalkin: the Malkin witch assassin who formed an alliance with Tom and the Spook to destroy the Fiend, who killed their son.
Thorne Malkin: a witch and Grimalkin's apprentice as witch assassin. She is killed defending the Fiend's severed head.
John Ward: Tom's father and a seventh son, who saved Tom's mother's life.
Jack Ward: Tom's oldest brother, inherited the farm except for one room meant for Tom.
James Ward: Tom's second oldest brother, a blacksmith by trade. Also helped fight the Pendle witch clans.
Tibb: a mysterious creature of the Dark created by the Malkins to see into the future.
Mab Mouldheel: a young witch and Mouldheel witch clan leader. Her potent scrying motivates the rival Malkins' creation of Tibb.
Morgan Hurst: a necromancer and fallen apprentice of Gregory who tried to summon Golgoth.
Meg Skelton: the mysterious lamia witch that lives in John Gregory's winter house in Anglezarke. Formerly Gregory's lover.
The Fiend: Old God and the Devil. Primary antagonist later killed by Tom Ward.
Lukrasta: an ancient immortal dark mage and creator of the power-granting Doomdryte grimoire, wrongly believed dead. To combat the Kobalos, an all-male non-human warrior race intent on killing all human males and enslaving all human females (to ensure their species' survival), he allies with Alice and Pan.
Horn: an abhuman who can see darkness in oneself.
Kratch: the Boggart who serves the Spook in Chipenden.
Slither: a skilled and powerful Kobalos mage forced by circumstance into taking up arms against his kind.
Talkus the Unborn: a new Kobalos God who takes over the Fiend's place as the strongest dark entity after Ward kills the Fiend.
Golgoth: Old God and god of winter whom Morgan attempted to summon.
Siscoi: Old God and vampire god who serves the Fiend.
Pan: Old God and nature god who forced Alice to ally with Lukrasta.
Hecate: Old God and self-proclaimed Queen of the Witches, later killed and usurped by Grimalkin.
The Bane: former Old God who declined in power into a demon, killed by Ward, the Spook, and Alice.
The Ordeen: Old God killed by her enemy Mam as a lamia/zenobia.
Publication
The Wardstone Chronicles, was published from 2004 to 2013. In the United Kingdom, the hardbook editions were published by The Bodley Head, an imprint of Penguin Books,[4] and paperbacks by Red Fox, an imprint of Random House.[5] In the United States, it was published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.[6] The Starblade Chronicles, was published from 2014 to 2017 by the same publishers.[7]Brother Wulf was published from 2020 to 2023 by Puffin; also an imprint of Penguin Books.[8]
Illustrations
The illustrator for the UK versions David Wyatt, providing the original series covers and the illustrations for each chapter.[9] The US versions were illustratied by Patrick Arrasmith; in addition to the cover art, Arrasmith designed pen and ink drawings which precede every chapter in the books.[10]The Last Apprentice: A Coven of Witches was illustrated by Tim Foley[11] and The Spook's Bestiary was illustrated by Julek Heller.[12]
The US audiobooks were produced by Harper Audio. Christopher Evan Welch read books 1 through 10,[20] and he was joined by Angela Goethals in reading Book 11.[21] Welch also read the short story collection The Spook's Tale And Other Horrors.[20] Welch died of lung cancer in 2013.[22]Angela Goethals read Book 12[23] and Alexander Cendese read Book 13.[24]
Adaptations
In 2014, Stephen Delaney, Joseph Delaney's son, along with his father, published an adaption of The Spook's Apprentice into a 160-page play script, under the title The Spook's Apprentice - Play Edition.[25]
In 2023, a French graphic novel adaptation of The Spook's Apprentice was published under the title L'Épouvanteur, Tome 1: L'Apprenti épouvanteur. Pierre Oertel authored the text and Benjamin Bachelor provided the illustrations.[27]
Reception
The Spook's series has been published in 30 countries, with sales exceeding 4.5 million copies.[28]
Critical reception of the series has been positive,[29][30] with two of the books in the series making the ALSC's 2006 list of "Notable Videos/DVDs, Recordings, Software, and Subscription Services" and the YALSA's list of "Fabulous Films & Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults" for 2009.[31][32]The Spook's Apprentice was the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year award.[33]
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The Spook's Apprentice is a 2004 children's dark fantasy novel by Joseph Delaney. It was published by The Bodley Head and Red Fox in the United Kingdom, and Greenwillow Books in the United States. It is the first story in The Wardstone Chronicles arc of the Spook's series. The book has sold over 3 million copies and was the winner of the Sefton Book Award, Hampshire Book Award and Prix Plaisirs de Lire. It has been adapted into various mediums, including a play script, feature film titled Seventh Son, and a French graphic novel.
Joseph Henry Delaney was an English author best known for his children's dark fantasy series, Spook's, inspired by the folklore, history and geography of Lancashire. The series has been published in 30 countries, achieving sales of over 4.5 million copies.
The Sith are the main antagonists of many works in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark side of the Force and use it to seize power by any means necessary, including terrorism and mass murder; their ultimate goals are to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. The various antagonistic factions in the franchise, namely the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the First Galactic Empire, the Imperial Remnant and the First Order all originated, with the Sith. Sith, known individually as Sith Lords, are, by nature, ruthless. At any point a single individual assumes absolute authority amongst their kind and is granted the honorific Dark Lord of the Sith. Sith culture is based on perpetual treachery and betrayal. The fate of Sith Lords is, typically, to be murdered and replaced by their own apprentices. Sith teach their apprentices to revere the dark side of the Force, to give full reign to aggressive emotions such as rage and hatred, and to believe that others are expendable in the pursuit of power, it makes the Lords' demise inevitable.
Alice Nutter was an English woman accused and hanged as a result of the Pendle witch hunt. Her life and death are commemorated by a statue in the village of Roughlee in the Pendle district of Lancashire.
The trials of the Pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history, and some of the best recorded of the 17th century. The twelve accused lived in the area surrounding Pendle Hill in Lancashire, and were charged with the murders of ten people by the use of witchcraft. All but two were tried at Lancaster Assizes on 18–19 August 1612, along with the Samlesbury witches and others, in a series of trials that have become known as the Lancashire witch trials. One was tried at York Assizes on 27 July 1612, and another died in prison. Of the eleven who went to trial – nine women and two men – ten were found guilty and executed by hanging; one was found not guilty.
The Lancashire Witches is the only one of William Harrison Ainsworth's forty novels that has remained continuously in print since its first publication. It was serialised in the Sunday Times newspaper in 1848; a book edition appeared the following year, published by Henry Colburn. The novel is based on the true story of the Pendle witches, who were executed in 1612 for causing harm by witchcraft. Modern critics such as David Punter consider the book to be Ainsworth's best work. E. F. Bleiler rated the novel as "one of the major English novels about witchcraft".
Seventh Son is a 2014 American action fantasy film directed by Sergei Bodrov, and starring Ben Barnes, Jeff Bridges, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington and Julianne Moore. It is loosely based on the 2004 novel The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. The story centers on Thomas Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son, and his adventures as the apprentice of the Spook. After having its release date shifted numerous times, the film was released in France on December 17, 2014, and in Canada and the United States on February 6, 2015, by Universal Pictures. Seventh Son received generally negative reviews from film critics and it earned $114 million on a $95 million budget.
The Amityville Asylum is a 2013 British horror film written and directed by Andrew Jones. It is the eleventh film to be inspired by Jay Anson's 1977 novel The Amityville Horror. Sophia Del Pizzo stars as Lisa Templeton, a young woman who is hired to work as a custodian at High Hopes Psychiatric Hospital, an asylum that was built on the site of a haunted house in Amityville, New York.
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