The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin, by Joseph Delaney, illustration by Patrick Arrasmith, Harper Collins Press, New York, 2013.
This book is told from a different perspective than most of the other Last Apprentice books. Here we have the thoughts of Grimalkin and her story. We are introduced to a different character, Thorne, who is Grimalkins apprentice. She and Agnes Sowerbutts rescue Grimalkin after she is poisoned by a creature from the dark, manufactured just to kill her. Grimalkin must take refuge to keep the head of the fiend safe, as she has the task of keeping the head from falling into the wrong hands until they can figure a way to destroy the fiend for ever. This task is daunting when most of the dark creatures want to restore the fiend so they can have more power. She takes refuge in Malkin Tower, where the lumia witch sisters of the apprentice's mother have taken control. One of the witches is becoming more human, while they other continues to fly like a dragon and is very formidable. They are guarding Tom's trunks, left him by his mother, and in witch someplace is the secret to destroying the fiend.
This book does not bode well for those who help Grimalkin. They are killed by forces of the dark. One of the lamia witches is destroyed, Agnes Sowerbutts is tortured and killed, and then even Thorne dies when her thumb bones are removed. Grimalkin then turns to Alice, to help restore her powers. Grimalkin actually loses the fiend's head, but Alice helps her recover the head. However Alice is more and more turning to dark magic. Will she be able to stay form becoming dark forever?
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