Book #13
The Spook's Secret ~ Joseph Delaney
I think that one of the main problems with reading the books in a series one after the other, is that they can get a bit samey and you get bored with them after a while. This is the third book in The Wardstone Chronicles series and I've read them all back to back which may not be such a good idea. As well as them getting a bit samey, it's hard to think of new things to say about them!
Spoiler Warning! If you've not read this book, then there are spoilers ahead!
This books takes the Spook and his apprentice to their winter house at Anglezarke where a hard winter is threatened. At the winter house, Tom meets Meg, one of the Spook's previous loves and her surprising secret is revealed. Except that it's not really, because it's made blatantly obvious in the previous book that she's a lamia witch. What is surprising is that she can't tell that Tom also has that in his background. Although it's not specifically said, I have no doubt that Mam is also a lamia witch and as such has passed some of her qualities on to Tom. Surely Meg should be able to recognise that?
There's also the introduction of Morgan, one of the Spook's previous apprentices who didn't make the grade. Morgan is labouring under the delusion that the Spook is his father, although why he thinks this is not made clear. He's supposed to be intelligent and also has the power to speak to the dead, so why he doesn't just ask his now deceased mother the truth of his father's identity is beyond me. Maybe logic doesn't make for interesting reading! Morgan wants to raise Golgoth, an old god of winter, in order to become very powerful. I'm not sure if Golgoth is based on an actual local legend, it doesn't sound at all familiar to me in that respect; however, the idea of having someone who creates an eternal winter is very familiar to anyone who has read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
I think I would have to say that this book is not as good as the previous one in my opinion. The characters haven't grown much and the plot is rather thin and drawn out for far too long. The fourth book is set in Pendle and deals with the witches up there, so that might be interesting reading.
