It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The Beast Awakens

The Beast Awakens

Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Beast Awakens by Joseph Delaney, read by Lee Ingleby.


They heard shouting, and cries of fear. Crafty looked down the slope and realised what had happened to cause so much panic. Without warning, the dark wall of the Shole had advanced.


Crafty can't remember a time before the Shole - the terrifying mist that has engulfed most of Britain, leaving those trapped in it to either die or be transformed into horrifying monsters: the aberrations. Crafty has been stuck in his family's cellar for nearly a year, his only companions his restless, whispering dead brothers, and an unusually friendly aberration he names the Bog Queen.

But then Crafty's life abruptly changes. He is ordered to report to the Castle, where he will train as a gate grub - operators of magical portals that allow the mysterious guild of Gatemancers to explore within the Shole. It is a dangerous job, with a very short life expectancy...

To survive, Crafty will have to use every inch of his cunning - whatever the cost.

Reviews

  • Praise for The Spook's Apprentice series: Be warned - these books are seriously scary
    The Times

About the author

Joseph Delaney

Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.
Learn More

Sign up to the Puffin newsletter

Stories, ideas and giveaways to help you spark young imaginations