The Last Apprentice (Revenge of the Witch) [Paperback]

Joseph Delaney (Author), Patrick Arrasmith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 25, 2006

For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried—some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.

Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope, the last apprentice.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I was going to learn how to protect farms and villages from things that go bump in the night. Dealing with ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties would be all in a day's work. That's what the Spook did, and I was going to be his apprentice." Twelve-year-old Thomas Ward, as the seventh son of a seventh son, has no inheritance and is bored with farm work, and even though his new job will mean the superstitious villagers will forever shun him, he is eager to go off to adventure with the tall, hooded man he calls the Spook. His mother, a magical person herself, approves, and the Spook's teaching is strict but kind. But when Tom has only learned enough to be able to control their house-boggart, he is tricked by Alice, the young daughter of a witch family, into inadvertently releasing and then killing Mother Malkin, a witch the Spook has imprisoned in a pit. This is no polite wicca-type witch, but a snuffling, slime-trailing, cannibalistic creature reminiscent of Tolkien's nasgils. The story of Tom's escape from the reincarnated witch's hideous revenge is full of horrible details, as Alice helps, and then once again betrays him. This well-crafted novel marks an auspicious start for an exciting and fast series for young teens. (Ages 10-14) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–When 12-year-old Thomas, seventh son of a seventh son, is apprenticed to the local Spook, whose job is to fight evil spirits and witches, he expects a life of danger. However, the boy doesn't realize just how soon he'll face a powerful enemy alone, as Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away. Thomas is forced to use his wits, and the help of his enigmatic new friend, Alice, to fight the evil witch. And defeating her is only the start of the boy's problems. Delaney's characters are clearly presented and have realistic depth, and Thomas's mother and Alice stand out for their strong words and actions. The protagonist's voice is clear, and his conflicts over his actions ring true. This first entry in a proposed series is an excellent choice for readers who are looking for a more sophisticated alternative to R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books (Scholastic), and the pacing and edgy illustrations at the start of each chapter will appeal to reluctant readers. Delaney's rural, quasi-medieval world is populated by a variety of magic creatures, and readers will look forward to discovering more of them, along with Thomas, as the series continues. A solid choice, particularly for middle school boys.–Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060766204
• ISBN-13: 978-0060766207
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,568 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Who you gonna call? February 20, 2006

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

When a kid comes up to me in the library (I'm a children's librarian) and asks for something scary I usually hem and haw and eventually hand them "Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark", as a starter. If they ask for scarier fare (which, honestly, shouldn't be hard) I'm usually hard pressed to come up with something truly frightening. I suppose there's good old "Wait Till Helen Comes" but all too often children's books rely far more on atmosphere rather than out-and-out teeth chattering terror. Enter Joseph Delaney. Delaney has been writing fantasy and sorcery tales for adults since 1985 and with "Revenge of the Witch" he makes his first foray into the world of children's literature. A significant step it is too. Chilling, nail-biting, and downright enjoyable, the book is bound to be loved by reluctant readers, die-hard fantasy fans, and those good souls that appreciate a tincture of good children's literature.

Being the seventh son in a family means that when it comes to a lifetime occupation, there isn't much to chose from. Fortunately for Thomas Ward, he isn't just a seventh son. He's the seventh son of a seventh son and that means something special. Unlike normal people, Thomas can hear the ghasts of hanged men up on a hill near his home. He can sense and see things that would frighten even the stoutest of hearts. It seems logical then that he should be apprenticed to a spook. Spooks roam the county keeping people safe from everything from boggarts to witches. Thomas is doing well enough and goes to live in the spook's home. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when a local girl persuades Thomas to feed some sticky cakes to a witch trapped underground by the spook. Now Thomas must go head to head with a particularly nasty witch and her kin before innocent lives (including his own) are lost.

The whole seventh son of a seventh son idea has been used to great advantage by a wide variety of authors. The best known, I suppose, would have to be "Seventh Son" by Orson Scott Card. For his part, Delaney has taken great care to work British myths, legends, and local superstitions seamlessly into the framework of "Revenge of the Witch". If you see him discussing a hairy boggart or a cattle ripper you can bet that he's incorporated the idea from a regional belief or story. He's also worked his own experiences into the text. At one point in the book Thomas has to spend a night in a haunted house and at the stroke of midnight go into the basement to face whatever might be lurking below. The whole kid-spends-a-night-in-a-haunted-house idea is ancient and, had I heard about it without reading this book, I would have called it a bit trite. "Revenge of the Witch", however, makes the concept completely mind-blowingly frightening. The sequence, as it happens, was drawn from Delaney's own experiences as a child. In an interview with "The Independent", Delaney had this to say: "the haunted house in Watery Lane is a house that I lived in as a child. It was a terraced house next to a canal. When we lived there I used to have a recurring dream. I'd be in the room with my mother knitting and it would be warm and cosy. Then it would start getting darker and colder. I'd know that something was going to happen and I couldn't move. Then this thing would come up from the cellar and move into the room, like a shadow. It would pick me up and carry me towards the coal cellar. All of the children in our family had the same dream. Years later we talked about it and discovered that we'd all had the same dream. We all believed that if we'd been taken down into the cellar we would have died". So there you have it. The terrors of real life are neatly synthesized into a children's book that'll have you eyeing your own basement reluctantly for weeks on end.

The book was originally published in Great Britain and what with the British covers of children's books so often trumping America's I was amazed when I discovered that Greenwillow Publishers had tapped an especially unique resource right here at home. You see, for all the charms of "The Spook's Apprentice" (as it was called in England), there weren't any illustrations in the original tome. Enter our very own homegrown artist Patrick Arrasmith. Using a style that looks like woodcuts but may well be scratchboard art (it's difficult to tell and his homepage ain't saying) Arrasmith's art eloquently ups the creepy tone of "Revenge of the Witch" significantly. From its haunting cover art to illustrations of everything from a fist dripping blood to a single hand holding a candle flame, Arrasmith is the perfect complement to Delaney's dark tale. At first glance Arrasmith's work looks similar to that of "Wicked" illustrator Bill Sanderson, but of the two I think Arrasmith allows for a greater sense of atmosphere and tone.

There are plenty of nasty ends, bitten off fingers, and baby eating witches here to frighten off the weak. For those amongst you that don't mind a little gore with your scares and some fine fine writing as well, "Revenge of the Witch" is the perfect gift for the kids who want to be scared but find everything in the library a bit too tame.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A PROPERLY PULSE POUNDING READING October 4, 2005

By Gail Cooke HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Hard to believe but it's almost here - the spookiest night of the year, Halloween. It's a night for ghost stories and all manner of frightening tales. Put "The Last Apprentice" at the top of your list.

Young listeners in grades 5 through 8 will easily relate to Thomas and shiver as he tells his chilling story. He lived in England many, many years ago when Old Gregory was in charge of ridding the villages of devil's disciples and other forms of evil. Well, that is a taxing job and poor Gregory is weary, on his last legs, so to speak.

Someone has to take over for him but who? Several aspiring apprentices have come forward but none withstood the test of battling the trials and tribulations that beset the populace. Some of these lads were so afraid that they ran away; others, sorry to say, did not live.

Now, there is Thomas Ward. He's the only one left, the only hope for the plagued villagers. It's difficult to differentiate between a kind witch and a deadly one, the most venomous of all being Mother Malkin. But, this is something Thomas must learn - or die trying.

Stage, screen and television actor Christopher Evan Welch gives a properly pulse pounding reading of this horror filled tale as bodies emerge from the earth and a witch meets a particularly gruesome demise.

- Gail Cooke

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars thrilling fantasy September 24, 2005

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

Excellent book, highly recommended but read the back warning. This book is a bit scary. Haunted houses, ghosts witches, boggarts. A++ Must get