Curse of the Bane

Wow! This was great! Just as scary and exciting as the first book, and even more riveting. There is nothing like a good scary book for fun. The Spooks Apprentice Tom Ward gets in a little deeper trouble in this second installment and quickly begins to fight off tougher demons and things more evil than he could have ever imagined. The book starts off with the Spook too sick to work, so Tom starts right out learning to battle and bind his first high-level boggart and does it with bravery and insight to make his master proud. But thankfully after that first good job done, the action never stops throughout and this novel will keep you up all night for sure. The character of the young witch Alice plays a bigger part in this book and one show more never knows which side she is on, but readers will find her character very endearing and loveable. The loyal friendship deepens between her and Tom much to the Spooks dismay,but the two are strong and creative in fighting the forces of evil together and more than once in these books save each others lives. Another intriguing ingredient added to this volume is that we get a little more information on Tom's mysterious mother, leaving us to wonder what her part will be in the finale. Not for the faint of heart or for kids who get nightmares, these books are horrifying and descriptively scary, albeit delicious to devour! I just can't wait for book three! show less

Review Originally Posted At: FictionForesight

Dan S’ Review:
Curse of the Bane was an interesting sequel to Joseph Delaney’s Revenge of the Witch. Set a bit after the events of the first book, Tom is beginning to show signs of growth and is starting to become a much better Spook (as shown even from the very first chapter of the book). However, even with his increasing skill and wit, is it enough to beat the next creature of the dark?…Well for that you will have to read it yourself. Overall this review is going to be very brief because I don’t feel there is much to add really. The reason for this is because if you read our first review of Revenge of the Witch, you will know how I felt about this book as well.

The writing style, show more character flaws, and everything else I mentioned is the same with the exception being that you do in fact learn a bit more history and lore about the world Joseph Delaney created with this series. This book reads just like the next chapter after a brief fast-forward in time for Tom to train a bit more. Other than that I can’t say much else, other than that the ending for the book I found to be a bit more predictable than the last, but still enjoyable.

So with that in mind, my rating of this book is 4 out of 5 stars and if you want more of my opinion, check out our last review of its predecessor: Revenge of the Witch!



Treavor G’s Review:
3.5 Stars…. Again!

Curse of the Bane was as thrilling, mysterious and just plain spooky as Joseph Delaney’s first novel Revenge of the Witch.

A Quick Summary:

Beginning shortly after the conclusion of Revenge of the Witch, Curse of the Bane opens with Thomas Ward working on his first independent assignment. With his master ill, it is up to Thomas to bind a nasty boggart who is wreaking havoc on a nearby village. Just another day at the office for a future spook. Unfortunately this assignment hits a bit closer to home than most. While Thomas did succeed in binding the boggart, his success came at a cost. That cost? The life of the priest that the boggart was feeding off of. The priest who also happens to be the Spook’s brother.

As it turns out, all priests are buried in a place called Priestown (Clichéd? A bit, but we’ll let it slide). While the Spook wants to go and pay his last respects to his brother, he is also a bit wary. Priestown is no friend to spooks, and the punishment for being caught there would be certain death. Danger aside, the Spook decides he and Thomas must go, but not just for his brothers sake.

Long ago the Spook fought one of the most evil and dangerous creatures to walk this earth…. the Bane. Now, even banished to the catacombs of Priestown, the Bane is causing more and more problems. Corrupting the city above has allowed it to grow stronger and stronger. Soon the prison may not be enough to hold it. It is up to the Spook and Thomas to stop the Bane once and for all. But this is easier said than done. The world is on the line, and danger is everywhere.

The Good:

Spooky, spooky, spooky. I said it before with Revenge of the Witch, and I will say it again now, Joesph Delaney scares the crap out of me. I never thought a young adult novel could be scary, not in the least. Mr. Delaney corrected my way of thinking the first time around, and has put me in my place yet again. Now I’m not one for scary in the first place, so this could have a big effect, but none-the-less. Being forewarned with the previous novel, I made sure to read this one only when the sun was out. Boy am I glad of that. I expect I would have jumped out of my skin at every pin drop otherwise.

Character development was much better this time around. I made a note to talk about this even before I read this book because of how left out I felt with the last one. I enjoyed learning more about the Spook’s back-story. It helped me to be able to identify with him more, and thus become more connected with the story. It made his actions and reactions more understandable because you could see where he was coming from. The same could be said for Thomas. It’s the little insights about him and his family that made him feel less like a puppet, and more like a real boy!

Oh the emotions. I know I've talked a bit about the scariness that this book evokes with its readers, but lets talk a bit more about the emotions of the characters. Black and white, good and bad, these are not phrases I would use to describe this book. Nothing is that simple when it comes to Joseph Delaney. His ability to create characters that are both conflicted and resolved is quite interesting. I mean here we have Thomas who wants to remain loyal to his master, become a great spook, etc, and yet he is constantly stepping on his own toes in the process. His sympathy and compassion make him unpredictable, even when the choice should be obvious. Before I labeled this naïvety, and he still is naïve, but now we know it’s more out of care than stupidity.

Finally, I loved the plot reveals. They weren’t anything overwhelmingly amazing, but they were pretty good. There were a couple of points I found myself re-reading just to make sure I understood exactly what was being said. It was almost like “oh man, that was that girl?!”. It had that kind of mystery that the first book was lacking.

The Bad:

As much as this book improved on its predecessor, it was still lacking in a few areas.

First lets address Tom’s utter lack of foresight. I mean this time around he has a bit stronger level of conviction in his decisions, but he still isn’t using his head. He makes these gut calls in the spur of the moment that anyone can see will bite him in the backside before the end is through. I understand he has to make difficult choices, but I mean think it through man. Ultimately his gut calls win out, but so much conflict could have been avoided if he would just think.

The action. It’s there, but it’s not really there. That is to say, while I did find this thrilling, it’s still missing that special feeling that would really push it over the top. I really hate to mention movies when I’m talking about book reviews but hear me out. If you've ever seen the movie adaptation of the first novel you’d know it’s absolutely nothing like the book. In fact pretty much everything is different besides the name of the characters, and the basic premise of the seventh son. However, the action that took place at the end of that film was awesome! That’s what I wanted for this book. I wanted the action to feel like all the stops were being pulled out. Like this was it. I’m still looking for that feeling. So much build up to a flat ending, that’s what really hurt this book for me.

Other:

Maybe this doesn’t need to be mentioned, as this is just a work of fiction, but there is quite the religious overtone in this book. It’s not to say that this is all about religion, or negativity towards religion, but there is something there. I’m curious if this was just a plot booster, or if this has some basis in Delaney’s real world feelings towards religion as a whole.

Overall:

Curse of the Bane was a decent followup to a decent book. I won’t go on and on saying this is something so special, or that you must read it now because it’s unlike anything you've ever read before. That’s simply not the case. But if you’re looking for a good book, with a some spookiness to it, you've got the right read. I think I’ll continue with this series to see how it progresses. Here’s for hoping for some chills, thrills and action along the way!

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I'm not sure how I felt about this book. Although it was a wonderful story, I don't like the way it portrays women, which makes me skeptical about providing it to students. All three women who get any main role in the book are portrayed as temptresses and are all connected to the dark. I really enjoyed the artwork that begins every chapter. The wood print style is gorgeous and fits the time that this book feels like it is set in fantastically.

Thomas Ward is the apprentice to the county Spook who teaches Thomas how to fight ghosts, witches and boggarts. Now the two must journey to Priestown to fight a creature so evil and so strong that even the Spook is terrified of it. On top of that The Quisitor has come to Priestown and he's intent on destroying all people who may or may not be witches or wizards.

This second book is a good continuance in the series. Thomas has grown some since the first book but he's still got a lot to learn. Delaney does a good job of telling this story quickly with a fast pace and lots of drama. He also leaves some little questions in the air that he can build on answer in the books to come.

While I do not agree with all of the religious views presented in the book, this book is one of my favorites. It could be classified as YA or children's horror, but it is so much more than a horror story.

The dark is gathering strength and it is up to the Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, to keep it at bay. As they battle the latest threat, we learn a little more about the Spook's hidden past and new details about Thomas' mother's mysterious origins.

My favorite aspects of the book, besides the wonderfully fascinating characters, are its perspectives on life. The story speaks of the good and evil dwelling within each of us, expounding that it is our choices, not circumstances, that make us who we are. We must choose to step toward show more the light or the dark. Also, the idea of destiny versus free will is brought to the surface again after the topic was introduced in the first book of the series. Is life playing out according to a predetermined fate or is it a blank book waiting to be filled?

Readers will not want for page-turning, bone-chilling adventure in this second installment of the series. And after turning the last page, it will take enormous willpower not to pick up book three straightaway.

The book could be frightening to very young children, but older readers will find it scary enough to be truly exciting without causing too much fright-induced insomnia. It's even more fun to read after dark (and by candlelight), especially knowing that you can shut the book and return to safety whenever you wish -- if you can stand to put it down before the last page has been turned. show less

Great combination of fantasy tropes and a gothic setting reminiscent of medieval England, this series about an apprentice ghost hunter is perched somewhere between YA and adult reading. The pace is quick, the world-building intriguing, and the ink drawings which begin each chapter are suitably grim.

"None of us is either all good or all bad ~ we're all somewhere in between ~ but there comes a moment in each life when we take an important step, either toward the light or toward the dark. "

This series is so surprising so far. I didn't expect to like this as much as I do. But it's highly entertaining and full of monsters and magic. The story is still full of the Spook and him not giving much information but we finally have a little more back story.

It also, of course, has Tom. Tom is learning more and his training is going well. Except he is still headstrong and no terribly obedient. It doesn't matter what the Spook asks, Tom almost always asks for an explanation and information to make his own decision. It can get a little frustrating show more but....he's just a boy and is constantly putting his life in danger, so it does make a little sense that he wants more information.

Finally, Alice is back. I know, I didn't think she would be so soon either but she is. The tale twists the three of them together again and we get to learn another thing that the Spook and Tom must face. I'm looking forward to book #3. show less