The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons [Hardcover]

Joseph Delaney (Author), Patrick Arrasmith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: The Last Apprentice | Publication Date: August 25, 2009

"You can't make alliances with witches and suchlike and hope to avoid being drawn toward the dark."

As the Spook's apprentice, Thomas Ward's first duty is to protect the County from ghosts, boggarts, and other dangerous creatures. But now his mother has come back from her homeland to seek his help. One of the most dangerous of the old witches, Ordeen, is about to return to earth, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom's mother has mustered a powerful army—including Tom's friend Alice, the Pendle witches, and the assassin Grimalkin—to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will refuse to take Tom back as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Last Apprentice series continues to be one of the best written of the last several years. Here, in the sixth entry, Tom, the Spook’s apprentice, must face up to several things he’d rather not: his friend Alice being the daughter of the Devil, his mother returning to her feral roots, and the notion that sometimes you must form alliances with enemies. As in previous books, the writing is direct, and the plotting and characters, most not of the human variety, are smart and believable. Naturally, fans of the series are the best audience, but this is accessible even to those just jumping in. Grades 6-9. --Ilene Cooper

Review

“A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) )

Praise for The Last Apprentice series: “This is the stuff of skin-prickling campfire stories.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“Anything but tame.” (Horn Book (starred review) )

“The Last Apprentice series continues to be one of the best written of the last several years.” (ALA Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061344621
• ISBN-13: 978-0061344626
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #486,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joseph Delaney formerly taught media and film studies at a high school in Blackpool, England. He lives with his family in Lancashire, in the middle of boggart territory.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book... even better series., September 8, 2009

By 

Hootch (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons (Hardcover)

Well let's see, I am a 40 year old male that sometimes get embarrassed when I read the grade level for these Joseph Delaney books, but let me tell you; they are very entertaining. I love how all the forces come together for this installment. Great story telling. The problem is you read the books so fast and you end up wanting more. So I picked up the the Witches Revenge and started reading it again. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a great good vs. evil book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Demons, Devils and Witchy Women, September 8, 2009

By 

Jeannie Mancini "vernefan" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons (Hardcover)

When I cracked open this book and saw a screaming woman with bloodied knives in each of her hands, and a face covered in swirling Maori-like tattoos staring up at me, I knew I would once again be frightened out of my wits for the entire time it would take me to read Clash of the Demons. Delaney returns with a more powerful than ever, frightful tale of the latest adventure of the Spook and young Tom Ward.

Tom's mother has returned from Greece and wishes him and the Spook to accompany her back to her homeland to fight off the greatest of evil beings, that if not slayed, will destroy the country and soon the world. So desperate for assistance in her plight she gathers up all the local witches, including Gramalkin whom we have fought before, and pulls together all of Tom's past foes to fight evil with evil as she believes it is her only chance to rid the world of the abomination called the Ordeen. The Spook doesn't like the sound of this plan one bit, and at first refuses to go as it is against his principle to fight the demons of the world with darkness itself, but he is finally convinced after talking with fellow spook Arkwright, and Mam herself, that it will be THE only way to win this war. Alice too, Tom's friendly witch-amore that we saw banished from Chipenden by the Spook in the last episode, is also called upon to help and make the journey.

It is a sorrowful, weary and terrified band of both light and dark that board the ship Celeste, all silently praying they will come back alive. With a few shocking surprises regarding who Tom's mother is, and a couple of visits from Tom's old arch enemy the Fiend, the motley group of bloodthirsty witches and ghost-busting spooks arrive in the land of Meteora to battle the dark in a gory bloodbath like we've never seen before in this series of books. Alice redeems herself, the Spook resigns himself, two party members sacrifice themselves for the cause, and Mam, finally after seven books, reveals all to Tom, what she was, what she is, and what she shall become.

Tom is given hard choices with few options in the Clash of Demons, but the reader will enjoy his growing strengths and power as he learns to recall and put to use all that the Spook has taught him over the years, proving to be a force to be reckoned with as the forces of good and evil challenge his wits and test his skills.

Scarier than the previous books, I couldn't put this book down and loved every drop of blood that fell upon my quickly turned pages. Once again the illustrator also deserves high praise, I thought this batch of drawings heart-stopping and fabulous to behold. I thought that this being book seven for the seventh son of the seventh son, would finish off the series, but as it appears by the ending, there is thankfully more to come. I never tire of these Last Apprentice stories and do hope they never end. They scare me to death but I smile as I devour them hungry for more!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book in an amazing series, September 19, 2009

By 

T. Foster (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons (Hardcover)

Another great book in a very fun, well-written series. I enjoy these books as much as my 15-year old son. I don't usually like horror, but these books are page-turners. They ARE gory and frightening, so not appropriate for kids under 10 or 11, in my opinion. Read Book One first. Each book has its own complete story and conclusion, but they build upon one another, adding more information with each book. The main character, Thomas Ward, is extremely likeable (a humble hero) and he's surrounded by an intriguing mix of fascinating side characters. The problems Tom faces are never simple, and the answers are never clear. He often must choose between two terrible choices. Which keeps me turning pages. The plot moves along as a very brisk pace. In fact, my one complaint with this series is that the books end too soon. I read this book in two days and eagerly await more.