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A review by theretcon
The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
This series was a favourite of mine when I was a kid, so I did enjoy this as a nostalgic re-read. The lore and world building still feels interesting and cool. For a children's book it is really dark in parts which I wasn't expecting, so I would recommend as a not-too-scary Halloween read.
However, I was really shocked by the repeated, blatant misogyny in this book. The Spook, who is the teacher figure, repeatedly gives the main character Tom advice such as "don't trust women". (There's also a really graphic scene involving domestic violence FYI.) The Spook is presented as a fallible character and his viewpoint is challenged by Tom and his mother, but he is still an authority figure whose misogyny is somewhat backed up by the many dangerous witches in this book. This first book essentially sets up a conflict between women and men's forms of knowledge, and I'm interested enough to see how this develops to keep reading. However, I'm not sure how much I would recommend this for a younger audience.
However, I was really shocked by the repeated, blatant misogyny in this book. The Spook, who is the teacher figure, repeatedly gives the main character Tom advice such as "don't trust women". (There's also a really graphic scene involving domestic violence FYI.) The Spook is presented as a fallible character and his viewpoint is challenged by Tom and his mother, but he is still an authority figure whose misogyny is somewhat backed up by the many dangerous witches in this book. This first book essentially sets up a conflict between women and men's forms of knowledge, and I'm interested enough to see how this develops to keep reading. However, I'm not sure how much I would recommend this for a younger audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, and Sexism