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laserdiscreader's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Solid installment in the series
dullshimmer's review against another edition
4.0
Night of the Soul Stealer is the third book in The Last Apprentice or Wardstone Chronicles series. In it we see Tom and the Spook go up north to the Spook's winter house. While there Tom and the Spook are going to have to deal with some loose ends from the Spook's past. The first is a Meg, a witch and someone who the Spook cares for. The second is, Morgan, a former apprentice to the Spook who has turned to the dark and seeks to destroy the Spook.
Much like the previous books, I really enjoy the world in The Last Apprentice series. It is interesting and full of dangerous and interesting things. It's certainly not a world I would want to live in, but getting to visit via book is makes for an interesting story. The weakness of the Last Apprentice series has always for me been my liking of the characters.
I do really like Tom Ward quite a bit. He can be a bit daft and make poor decisions, but I think with each book he's gaining skill and knowledge and that shows. I also liked Alice a bit more in this one as well. She seems to be trending in the right direction with her life and I enjoy her and Tom's friendship.
I still have yet to really warm to the Spook, John Gregory, but I kind of think you're supposed to feel that way about him. He's gruff and taciturn a good portion of the time. He also tends to be someone who likes to tell other people what to do, but then not follow his own advice. I did like him a bit more in this one, but he's still not my favorite. I think I like his brother Andrew, who we met in the last book, more than him even though he's not in it too much.
I also didn't really care for some of the new characters either. Meg was just not really developed all that well. While I kind of understand her motivations and such, it felt like she jumped to super evil really quick and then mellowed out again just as quickly. I didn't really like the arrangement that The Spook had with her, but I felt that went a bit too crazy for a bit.
I didn't really like Morgan because he was just also kind of one dimensional. He was so focused on power and influence that he just didn't care about anything else. In some ways that makes him fit the villain role nicely, but he wasn't really a very good antagonist.
I do really enjoy the book and the story that it tells, I felt like this one was filled will all kinds of twists and turns. Some of these I saw coming and others I didn't. It made for an interesting tale, but I still think that the characters are kind of hit or miss. They're getting better and may even crack five stars if that continues. I guess I'll have to see what happens with the next book.
Much like the previous books, I really enjoy the world in The Last Apprentice series. It is interesting and full of dangerous and interesting things. It's certainly not a world I would want to live in, but getting to visit via book is makes for an interesting story. The weakness of the Last Apprentice series has always for me been my liking of the characters.
I do really like Tom Ward quite a bit. He can be a bit daft and make poor decisions, but I think with each book he's gaining skill and knowledge and that shows. I also liked Alice a bit more in this one as well. She seems to be trending in the right direction with her life and I enjoy her and Tom's friendship.
I still have yet to really warm to the Spook, John Gregory, but I kind of think you're supposed to feel that way about him. He's gruff and taciturn a good portion of the time. He also tends to be someone who likes to tell other people what to do, but then not follow his own advice. I did like him a bit more in this one, but he's still not my favorite. I think I like his brother Andrew, who we met in the last book, more than him even though he's not in it too much.
I also didn't really care for some of the new characters either. Meg was just not really developed all that well. While I kind of understand her motivations and such, it felt like she jumped to super evil really quick and then mellowed out again just as quickly. I didn't really like the arrangement that The Spook had with her, but I felt that went a bit too crazy for a bit.
I didn't really like Morgan because he was just also kind of one dimensional. He was so focused on power and influence that he just didn't care about anything else. In some ways that makes him fit the villain role nicely, but he wasn't really a very good antagonist.
I do really enjoy the book and the story that it tells, I felt like this one was filled will all kinds of twists and turns. Some of these I saw coming and others I didn't. It made for an interesting tale, but I still think that the characters are kind of hit or miss. They're getting better and may even crack five stars if that continues. I guess I'll have to see what happens with the next book.
lucymudie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
freuious's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
blondiesreadingcorner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
jasmin0704's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Still hate Alice but the Spook is becoming more mysterious. Tom is becoming better the more he knows but still annoys me that he doesn't listen or learn from past advise.
frannieman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
calbowen's review against another edition
5.0
This series has gotten darker, but then, in a series about a boy that fights witches and other creatures, what do you expect.
First, hats off to Mr Delaney. He is doing one thing correct, and that is that he creates a complete story within his set of given pages. There is finality when you read the last page, with a glimmer of the future beyond. The future is not bright and cheery, but it is a future for Tom, and one that I want to follow.
Alice has been there throughout, and is proving to be a companion through and through as well.
And, then there is the spook. He is still very much the grumpy old man, but his moments do soften him a bit.
Tom is growing, and everything that he has learned is used, and he continues to grow, and the reader along with him. This is a wonderful series and very much what I would compare to Harry Potter, if he were a witch hunter instead of a wizard.
First, hats off to Mr Delaney. He is doing one thing correct, and that is that he creates a complete story within his set of given pages. There is finality when you read the last page, with a glimmer of the future beyond. The future is not bright and cheery, but it is a future for Tom, and one that I want to follow.
Alice has been there throughout, and is proving to be a companion through and through as well.
And, then there is the spook. He is still very much the grumpy old man, but his moments do soften him a bit.
Tom is growing, and everything that he has learned is used, and he continues to grow, and the reader along with him. This is a wonderful series and very much what I would compare to Harry Potter, if he were a witch hunter instead of a wizard.