Joseph Delaney


Joseph Henry Delaney is a British author, known for his dark fantasy series Spook's.

Life and career

Joseph Henry Delaney was born in 1945 in Preston, Lancashire. He attended Preston Catholic College and then worked as an apprentice engineer and fitter. He studied A levels at night school before beginning his degree course at Lancaster University in 1972. Following graduation he eventually became an English teacher at the Blackpool Sixth Form College, where he helped start the Media and Film Studies Department.
His first works were written under the pseudonym J. K. Haderack. Beginning with the publication of the first book of the Spook's series in 2004, published under his real name, Delaney achieved international success chronicling the adventures of his lead character, Thomas Ward. The Spook's series is published in 25 countries, and sales have exceeded a million copies.
Delaney retired from teaching following publication of the second of the Spook's books and now writes full-time. He identifies J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert as two authors who were his biggest inspirations. Delaney shares the same name with the late Joseph H. Delaney, an American science fiction author of several books and short stories.
He has a wife, three children and nine grandchildren.

Works

''Spook's''

Spook's follow Tom Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son, on his adventures as apprentice to John Gregory, the local "Spook" or master fighter of supernatural evil. John is the Spook for "the County" and gives Tom practical instruction on tackling ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts, and all manner of other things that serve "The Dark". Tom soon discovers that most of his predecessors have failed for various reasons—including death. As the Chronicles progress the focus expands to other characters such as the assassin Grimalkin and the young witch Alice Dean.

''The Wardstone Chronicles''

Overall the first series' arc, titled The Wardstone Chronicles, develops the plot line of Tom being destined to either save the world or destroy it. "The County" referred to in the Chronicles is based on Lancashire in the north west of England. Several of the locations mentioned in the books are thinly-veiled versions of actual places; Priestown is the author's hometown of Preston, Caster is Lancaster, Black Pool is Blackpool, and Chipenden is Chipping.
  1. The Spook's Apprentice – 2004
  2. The Spook's Curse – 2005
  3. The Spook's Secret – 2006
  4. The Spook's Battle – 2007
  5. The Spook's Mistake – 2008
  6. The Spook's Sacrifice – 2009
  7. The Spook's Nightmare – 2010
  8. The Spook's Destiny – 2011
  9. Spook's: I Am Grimalkin – 2011
  10. The Spook's Blood – 2012
  11. Spook's: Slither's Tale – 2013
  12. Spook's: Alice – 2013
  13. The Spook's Revenge – 2014

    ''The Starblade Chronicles''

The Starblade Chronicles are a trilogy following the continued adventures of Tom Ward, who has finished his apprenticeship and is now a Spook in his own right dedicated to fighting an unparalleled evil threatening the County, and the world. However, unlike past Spooks, Tom is only seventeen, and he is met with doubt and distrust by many in the County owing to his age. Complicating matters is his interactions with Jenny; the sixteen-year-old girl who seeks to be his apprentice, notwithstanding that women have never been Spooks before. The Wardstone and Starblade Chronicles are referred to as The Spook's Series.
  1. Spook's: A New Darkness – 2014
  2. Spook's: The Dark Army – 2016
  3. Spook's: The Dark Assassin – 2017

    ''Aberrations''

Aberrations follows the story of Crafty, who has been stuck in his family's cellar for nearly a year. His only companions are his restless, whispering dead brothers, and an unusually friendly aberration he names the Bog Queen.
  1. The Beast Awakens – 2018
  2. The Witch's Warning – 2019

    ''The Spook's Apprentice: Brother Wulf''

The Spook's Apprentice: Brother Wulf follows the adventures of novice monk Brother Beowulf.
  1. Spook's: Brother Wulf – 2020

    ''Spook's'' spin-offs

Delaney has also written spin-off novels set in the world of Spook's:
Arena 13 follows the adventures of sixteen-year-old Leif, who seeks to become the champion of the notorious Arena 13 fighting pit and destroy Hob, the evil creature who rules and terrorises the city zone of Midgard and who destroyed Leif's family.
  1. Arena 13 – 2015
  2. Arena 13: The Prey – 2016
  3. Arena 13: The Warrior – 2017

    Other works

In 2014, Stephen Delaney, Joseph Delaney's son, adapted The Spook's Apprentice into a 160-page play script; it is published under the title The Spook's Apprentice - Play Edition.
A 2014 film adaptation of The Spook's Apprentice was produced by Legendary Pictures, directed by Sergey Bodrov, and entitled Seventh Son. Ben Barnes played Tom Ward, Jeff Bridges was the Spook, Julianne Moore was Mother Malkin, Alicia Vikander was Alice Deane, Kit Harington was Billy Bradley, Djimon Hounsou was Radu, and Antje Traue was Bony Lizzie.