The Spook's Stories: Witches by Joseph Delaney‏

Summary from Goodreads

This is a fabulous collection of stories based on many of the witches from Joseph Delaney's Spooks books.

Ever wondered why the Spook doesn't trust girls who wear pointy shoes?

Or why Grimalkin became the Assassin for the Malkin Witch clan?

Find out all this and more in this a dark and eerie collection.

You don't have to know the Spook's books to enjoy the stories. They're all standalone and absolutely haunting. A perfect introduction to the world of The Spook's Apprentice. But for any fans of the series out there, this collection will be a must-have.

 My Review

This is a chilling little insight into the lives of some of the most dangerous witches in the County. It is an absolute must read for fans of the series and I enjoyed it a whole lot!

Inside there are 5 different stories about 5 different witches.  The first is about how Meg Skelton came to be living with the Spook and how she came to be the forbidden love of his life.

The second is about Dirty Dora, and how she became a dead witch, roaming the grounds of the Witch Dell in search of blood. We get to see how she got her revenge on those who caused her untimely death.

Alice Deane is also in here, we see the challenges she faces when she is forced to train as a witch under the care of the deadly, Lizzy! She faces Lizzy's chilling familiar, who needs to feed upon brains in order to survive. It's either kill or be killed for poor Alice....

Grimalkin's tale is a dark and vengeful one, about her first encounter with the Fiend. We get to see where her hatred came from and how she became the feared and most deadly assassin she is today.

The last tale is Tom Ward's account of his encounter with what he thought was a banshee. When really it was something far more sinister and she is on a revenge mission that she wont give up lightly. Tom will have a tough job facing this banshee witch!

Out of all the tales, Alice Deane's is by far my favourite - it is absolutely terrifying and had me really creeped out. I loved Alice's bravery and watching her plot against the disgusting thing that would do anything to end her first.

The Spook's Stories: Witches is a fantastic addition to the Wardstone Chronicles, it is chilling, thrilling and a real must read. Joseph Delaney never lets me down.

4/5 Stars

*Special thanks Bodley Head for the review copy*