Rise of the Huntress

In Rise of the Huntress Bony Lizzie makes her epic return. Is Tom ready?
****This post has spoilers****

These grim plotlines are really dragging me down; I think I need a break from the Spook Series. Nothing ever goes well anymore. Yeah they defeat the bad guys, but never without some sacrifice. It’s one step forward, eight steps back.

In Rise of the Huntress the Spook’s house is burned to the ground, the boggart never to be seen again. I was bitterly sad about that. Poor little boggart! Come live with me! Then they leave the County because it’s too dangerous. But find that the new place is worse. Really? Was battling new bad guys in a new place not exciting enough? We needed everyone on the island trying to kill the Spook, Alice, and Tom? It just gets old. They are constantly running, fighting, and failing epically only to be saved by Alice at the last moment. Also, I am repeatedly irritated with the Spook/Alice interaction. He wants to throw her in a pit, she saves their lives…for like the billionth time. Would it kill the Spook to say thank you? Apparently. And I have lost count of the time he has told Tom to leave Alice behind or tried to separate them.

See? This is why I need a break. I love this series, but the dark is wearing on me.

But not before I do a bit more complaining. Bony Lizzie makes her return in this novel. And we find out that Pendle witches grow to their full strength at 40. Which conveniently was one day after she broke free of the Spook’s garden. What a coincidence that she becomes really, really powerful, almost unstoppable right after she escapes, just in time to come after Tom and the Spook! Not. I was really disappointed with Delaney. Usually his plot lines are fantastic, and the best criticisms I can come up with are only nitpicks.

Maybe it is just because I have read this series too fast. Maybe if I had more time in between each book I would feel differently.

Some good things about this book? Alice is starting to get really powerful, which is exciting, but scary. And also the Spook decided to call on Grimalkin for help. So that is VERY exciting. Can’t wait to see more of her.

Even though I have groaned and complained through most of this post (as I did during the last 50 pages of this book) I still give it four stars. Because it still deserves it. It’s score shouldn’t suffer just because I’m burned out of reading this series.

Thus, I am going to give The Last Apprentice Series some space. At least for the next day, if not the next few days, I will be reading other books. Tomorrow I will be reading The Maze Runner which someone recommended to me.