Curse of the Bane is the second book in The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney. It continues the story of Thomas Ward as he apprentices under the Spook. The story opens with Thomas working on capturing a boggart without the aid of the Spook since he is sick. In the process the local priest who had failed to handle the boggart dies from injuries he acquired in the process. Upon returning to Chippenden Thomas learns the priest was one of the Spook’s brothers and they are now traveling to go to the funeral. Something that is apparently rather dangerous since the town where it is being held is under a curse from the creature known only as the Bane. Arriving in town separately they work on finding out the current situation only to discover that the Witch Finder is in town and considers the Spook to be dealing with the devil and a viable target for a burning. Having to dodge the other clergy and the forces under the Witch Finder, Thomas and the Spook work to find and neutralize the Bane which only becomes more complicated when they discover that Alice has already been captured.
This was an interesting book in that it continues the story of Thomas as he trains to fight all of the things that go bump in the night, so to speak. At the same time it also paints an interesting picture of how people at the time actually viewed these types of events and circumstances. What I find most interesting is how it seems to contradict itself without realizing. When discussing what Thomas learns from the Spook it often implies everything is black and white with no shades of grey, meaning that the things they fight often are that way by their very nature and have no other choice. At the same time it also exhibits several instances where these same types of creatures seem to go against that very same nature in order to not do whatever mean, malicious, or mischievous things that would have sent the Spook after them. While this may seem minor it still grabbed my attention a little and made me curious about how things actually work in this world. Something I rather enjoyed about this book is how it doesn’t necessarily follow the same plot as the first book. I mean there are similarities between the two but there are also some rather massive differences which helps to make the story not feel like it is merely following a set formula like so many similar series seem to do. This may change with later books but it doesn’t seem to be the case so far which I rather like. The story and plot are relatively simple though which makes sense considering the intended age range so it should hold decent appeal for younger readers. Overall it is a good addition to a good series and I am happy giving it four out of five stars.
This is a good example of a teen fantasy story and a good series so far meaning that teens or older kids who enjoy the fantasy genre should enjoy this series. I would suggest kids older than about nine or ten would probably be the best age range considering everything though obviously anybody older as well. This is the second book and while you could read it as a stand-alone I would recommend you read the previous book first in order to get a better picture of how things have developed. It is a good book though and if it sounds appealing I hope you will consider trying it. If you do consider sharing your thoughts in the comments.