The Beast Awakens

Joseph Delaney

May 2018 · Puffin · Narrated by Lee Ingleby

About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

Interesting new book. I wonder if it'll tie into the last apprentice series? I'm not very familiar with Britain's geography so I don't know how close they are, or if they take place in the same universe even, but it would be interesting.

About the author

Joseph Delaney was the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold millions of copies. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore. Joseph passed away in August 2022, shortly after handing in his last manuscript.