The Wardstone Chronicles are a series of young adult fantasy novels, written by Joseph Delaney. The story revolves around Thomas J. Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son who can see creatures of the Dark others cannot even glimpse.
In order to learn how to deal with his gift, he is trained as a "Spook". The series is largely based on Joseph Delaney's local area - Lancashire, England. The "County" is Lancashire, "Priestown" is Preston, Lancaster is "Caster", Chipping is "Chipenden" and Blackpool "the black pool".
The Wardstone Chronicles mixes fantasy, supernatural, folklore and mythology to produce a series of exceptional scope and imagination. The folklore evident is also taken partly from the local area, including the "Pendle Witches" who were the most famous witches in english legal history. Hanged in the year 1612 at the Lancaster Gaol, the Pendle Witches were believed to have been responsible for the murder of seventeen people in and around the Forest of Pendle.
The novels have been released to great success in the USA, under the series name "The Last Apprentice", Warner Bros are currently filming the first book to be a major feature film called "Revenge of the Witch" which is due to be released in 2009.
reviews in the series
The Spook's Sacrifice
by Joseph Delaney
The Spook's Sacrifice is a young adult fantasy novel written by Joseph Delaney and is the sixth book in the Wardstone Chronicles.
Tales of chilling fantasy, Tom is the spooks apprentice, and his duty is to protect the county from the dark, but his Mam is in trouble in her homeland ...
The Spooks Mistake
by Joseph Delaney
The Spooks Mistake (called Wrath of the Bloodeye in the USA) is the fifth volume in the Wardstone Chronicles series of young adult fantasy books written by Joseph Delaney.
As the county becomes more and more dangerous, Tom is sent to study under another Spook called Bill Arkwright,...
The Spooks Battle
by Joseph Delaney
The Spooks Battle (called Attack of the Fiend in the USA) is the fourth novel in the Wardstone Chronicles, written by young adult fantasy writer Joseph Delaney.
Mam has returned to her homeland of Greece to fight the rising dark in the land. Back at the family farmhouse she has lef...
The Spooks Secret
by Joseph Delaney
The Spooks secret (called Night of the Soul Stealer in the USA) is a young adult fantasy novel by Joseph Delaney and is the third volume in the Wardstone Chronicles.
Winter approaches, the nights are drawing in and it is time for Tom Ward and his master to move to the winter house,...
The Spooks Curse
by Joseph Delaney
The Spooks Curse (called Curse of the Bane in the USA) is a young adult fantasy novel from the writer Joseph Delaney and is the second volume in the Wardstone Chronicles.
The Spook and his protege, Thomas Ward have traveled to Priestown on order to wrap up some unfinished business....
The Spooks Apprentice
by Joseph Delaney
The Spooks Apprentice (called Revenge of the Witch in the USA) is an young adult fantasy novel written by Joseph Delaney and is the first volume in the Wardstone Chronicles (called The Last Apprentice in the USA).
Thomas is a 13 year old farm boy with a difference, he is the sevent...
