Book Review: SPOOK'S BESTIARY by Joseph Delaney

SPOOK'S BESTIARY by Joseph Delaney


Product Details

ISBN: 9780370329796

Format:Hardback

Imprint:RH UK Juvenile

Published:01/12/10

Subject:Child Fiction : Teenage Reader



A stunning illustrated guide to the denizens of the Dark written by the Spook himself.

DESCRIPTION OF BOOK

A companion title to the phenomenally successful Spook’s Apprentice series. Discover how to bind a boggart and deal with a dead witch in this fascinating and lavishly illustrated Spook’s own “notebook”.



A must for die-hard fans of the series and an irresistible introduction to the Dark and the dangerous for new recruits.



“My name is John Gregory. What follows is my Bestiary – my personal account of the denizens of the dark I’ve encountered, together with the lessons I have learned and the mistakes I have made. I have held nothing back, and my hope is that the spook who follows me will continue to keep this record of the practical ways in which we deal with the dark.”

Review

Joseph Delany is the author of a popular YA series called “The Wardstone Chronicles” and Spook is the main character. This book has been written as a sort of guidebook/diary of how to deal with the various creatures found within the Wardstone series. To add flavour to the overall theme of the book, an antique leather look cover complete with rusty clasps has been used for the cover and the inside pages are given a rough and well used appearance with hand drawn sketches of the creatures described.

John Gregory, the famous County Spook, is the author of this tome of creatures, with Gregory giving the reader comprehensive information about all the creatures he has encountered, and how they can be defeated. Covered in this book are the creatures mentioned in The Wardstone Chronicles, such as grave-wreckers, hall-knockers and rippers, Lamia witches, Selkies, kelpies, bugganes, boggarts, boggles and barghests. There are also some new short stories to keep the young reader entertained, with additional background information to the Chronicles.

Packed with fascinating allusions to Lancashire’s towns and countryside and lavishly illustrated with truly fantastic drawings by the very talented Julek Heller, this book is a must have companion to Delany’s brilliant series.