The Spook's Bestiary is John Gregory's guide to the dark. It is a must read for any spook apprentice and to my surprise an astonishingly good read.
If you are familiar with the Wardstone Chronicles, then surely you would be familiar with the Spook's Bestiary which was mentioned quite a few times within the series. Upon finishing it, I was blown away. The book gives so much details on the dark. From binding boggarts, witches, to introducing the old gods to so much more. This book is just full of information about the county and the denizens of the dark. Without a doubt Joseph Delaney wrote a very well written add on, to the Wardstone Chronicles.
The book not only acts as an encyclopedia to the denizens of the dark but it also includes past stories of John Gregory, the spook, and his earlier work. It also includes some stories of his master, Henry Horrocks, and some John Gregory's other apprentice. Without a doubt the addition of these stories makes the book so much more interesting. Also the integration of Greek mythology was just right, it does not quite follow the original myth, but it is tweaked and blended nicely to fit in the Spook's universe.
Another addition to this magnificent book, is the artwork. My goodness the artwork, as terrifying as it is, it is enticing to look at. The drawings are surely scary and one would be thankful that none of these exist, or do they. But they definitely give the readers an idea on what the creatures look like in the series.
To sum up, as a big fan, I really love this book and without a doubt a favorite of mine. The extracts are so detailed one would wonder, ‘How on earth does Joseph Delaney come up with this stuff-’, surely all of this can't come from personal experience, or do they. Nonetheless it is an amazing read and it is highly recommend that long time fans of the series should put this to their reading list. Although as a precaution, this should be at least be read after the 10th book, The Spook's Blood, to prevent any spoilers.
