The Last Apprentice (12) I Am Alice

The Last Apprentice: I Am Alice by Joseph Delaney, illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith, Harper Collins Books, New York, 2014.  This story is told from the perspective of Alice, the friend of the apprentice Tom Ward.  Alice is the daughter of a bad witch (previously killed) and the Fiend.  She travels to the realm of the dark, to retrieve a knife, which Tom is to use to sacrifice Alice in order to destroy the Fiend.  In this book we see the afterlife of the damned, and the world in which they life.  It is a strange world, and Alice fights many of her old foes.  And there are some old foes who turn out to be on her side.   She even faces gods of the dark.  And of course there is her own mother, and water witches and creatures too many to mention.  Many of them are seeking revenge.  Thorne, Grimalkin's apprentice lost her life when her thumbs were removed becomes an ally, and then a betrayer, and then ally again.  They must travel into the throne room of the fiend, who of course is not there as he is bound.  This is a book of peril, and gross monsters.  Just when all is lost, Alice finds a most unusual ally.  We also understand a bit more where Alice's powers come from and who teaches her to use them.  I=She is always wary that if she uses them too much she will go to the dark side, a fate she hopes to avoid.

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (9) Grimalkin The Witch Assassin

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?

Book Review: The Last Apprentice 11: Slither

The Last Apprentice: Slither by: Joseph Delaney, illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith, (2013)

In this story we are introduced to new characters.  Way to the north live creatures who prey on humans for the most part, using their women as slaves for breeding and drinking their blood.  (Their favorite meal is blood.)  Slither is a Haizda Mage, meaning he controls an area to the south, where humans live, and feeds off the blood of the farmer’s children and animals.  He has incredible skills, to make himself large and small, as well as fighting skills, and he uses magical powers he derives from souls and from blood.  He has formed an agreement with one farmer where he only feeds from the animals, and leaves the daughters alone.  However when the farmer dies in an accident, things change.  He gives his oldest daughter to the mage as a slave, for an agreement to take the two young daughter to safe keeping.  Thus a traveling adventure begins. 

However things do not go well.  They are all taken captive.  Nessa, the oldest daughter saves the life of Slither, for which he rescues them.  However in doing so he kills a couple formidable foes.  Now he is sent to trial by fighting against a beast which has never been defeated.  Grimalkin joins him in this fight.  She is drawn to the area by a meteor with special metal. 

In this book, Delaney is more naturalistic than most of his other books, although he tend to this flavor.  This book, the description of the effects of a disease carried by poison in the talons of the beast is just too much.  It gets beyond disgusting.

Book Review: The Last Apprentice 10: Lure of the Dead

Lure of the Dead by Joseph Delaney, illustrated by Patrick Arasmith, Greenwillow Books, Harper Collins, New York, 2012.

This is the tenth book of this series of witch hunting and battling with the dark.  This book represents quite a battle, and for a time it appears the end of the spook.  It is looks like the head of the Fiend may be lost as the Romanian witches are conjuring a God of the dark.  However Tom Wards mother is with him I spirit and guides his steps. 

This book is exciting, and growing more so. Alice has returned to the dark, seeking a special weapon to complete a set needed to end the fiend.  However, if what Tom's mother has said is true, Tom will need to sacrifice the person he loves most, Alice in this case.  How will he ever do this?

Book Review: The Last Apprentice: The Spook's tales and Other Horrors.

The Last Apprentice: The Spooks Tales and Other Horrors  Joseph Delaney, Patrick Arrasmith, random House, New York, 2009.

Much of the material in this book is review.  However, it does tell the Spooks story and he became an apprentice and his first dealing with witches.  He was traveling to school and become lost and a spook rescued him.  He was a seventh son of a seventh son and his thumb bones would have been a prize to a witch, who almost had him.  The spook was able to help him, and he was able to help the spook bind a boggart and a witch. 

The parts that were mostly review was the story of the creatures of the dark and Alice’s story.  New material was the story of Grimalkin who told how she became the witch assassin—with the goal of destroying the fiend.

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (8): Rage of the Fallen

The Last Apprentice Eight Rage of the Fallen by Joseph Delaney, illustrations by Patrick Arrasmith, Random House PUblishing, New YOrk, 2011.

In this case, the fallen is the twin sister of the water witch that Tom, The Apprentice, and Bill Arkwright killed while he was in training with Arkwright.  The Apprentice, his Master and Alice all travel to the Green Isle to escape the war, and there they are drawn into a battle against the dark, while at the same time the witch seeks to extract her revenge.  Part of that revenge is to give Alice to the Fiend, where she is taken to hell.  The dark god Mogorath, a large crow, is released to chase Tom, and Pan, another god of the never world is also released, but turns out to like Tom.  Many adventures with times I couldn’t put the book down and wanted to know what happened next.  These books are very good reads.  The major battle in this book is against the Fiend, who comes for Tom’s soul, but finds himself bound by silver spears instead. 

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (7): Rise of the Huntress

The Last Apprentice: Rise of the Huntress by: Joseph Delany, illustrations by: Patrick Arrasmith, Greenwillow Books, New York, 2010.  
It would surprise you who the huntress turns out to be.  In this book, the county is overrun as the war goes poorly.  This includes the Spook's home, which is burned and his library destroyed, and the boggart is gone.  The find themselves refugees and flee to a nearby island.  This is a bad mistake.  Boney Lizzy, a bone witch has also escaped to the island.  So everywhere on the island they are picking up anything that has anything to do with the dark, and testing them with a roll down a hill with a spiked ball.  If they survive they must be witches and are fed to the buggane, a creature of the dark.  Tom and Alice are taken prisoner, and survive the roll, but are captured all the same.  Bony Lizzy is also captured, and they make a pact to escape.  Bony Lizzy manipulates things to take over the island, and the Spook, Alice (Lizzy's daughter) and To the apprentice are especially sought out for slow deaths.  And Lizzy has tapped into the buggane's cache of stolen human energy from his victims over the years.  These books seem to grab me and keep me reading.  I was up late last night finishing this one.  I have a few days off as the next book is at work.

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (6) The Clash of the Demons

The Last Apprentice (6) Clash of the Demons Joseph Delaney Patrick Arrasmith, Glenwillow Books, New York, 2009.

This book is highlighted by the clash of two demons, Lamia (who turns out to be the mother of the apprentice) and the Ordeen, an ancient monster from the depths who reappears every seven years in Greece bent on destruction and drinking the blood of others.  With her comes a whole host of other bad things, Lamia witches and elementals which are fiery orbs that burn people.  Of course the Ordeen is the worst enemy of these.  And that is the task of our group this time, the destruction of the Ordeen.  Mam or Lamia, the Apprentice’s mother is a long enemy of the Ordeen, and has planned for its destruction for years; however with the reappearance of the Fiend (Devil) the dark is becoming more powerful, and the Ordeen will soon become even more destructive.  Mam makes an alliance of witches and spooks, normally on opposite sides of the spectrum, to help her in this task.  Many perils are faced.  Lamia witches want to suck your blood, tappers crash the roofs of caves on your head, and many other perils from the dark side. 

In this case the final victory comes with a heavy cost.  Our apprentice bargains his soul to the Fiend in order to achieve success.  Some day that debt will come due.

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (five): Wrath of the Bloodeye (2008)

The Last Apprentice (five): Wrath of the Bloodeye, Joseph Delaney illustrated by: Patrick Arrasmith, Glenwillow Books,  New York, 2008.

In this book, because of the danger to the Apprentice, he is loaned out to another Spook for further training.  Bill Arkwright is more demanding, especially physically.  He is younger and determined to help the apprentice improve his fighting skills with the staff, by beating up our apprentice until he picks up the skills. Arkwright lives in the north, closer to the ocean and in marshy country.  The Apprentice will face attacks from the water witches.  Of special note is the Bloodeye, whose eye makes hypnotizes those who see it; but only one person at a time.  She is a fierce opponent, and is the daughter of the Fiend.  A strange alliance with past enemies develops, but can this alliance be trusted?  I am enjoying this series.  The back cover says these books should not be read at night, and true they have some scary characters. 

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (3): Night of the Soul Stealer

The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer by Joseph Delaney, illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith, Glenwillow Books, New York, 2006.

The winter means a move to Anglezarke Moor, and dealings with different people of the dark.  Anglezarke holds some of the Spook’s secrets, including the witch he loves, who he keeps by keeping her drugged.  Alice, the young witch, travels with them, but does not stay in their home, but with some farmers close by; whose son is delving into the dark arts.  Morgan Hurst wants to unleash the old god Golgoth, because he feels this will give him power; the power to kill others at his will.  But to do so, he must steal a book from the Spook, and recruits Tom the Apprentice to help him, by controlling and torturing the soul of Tom’s recently departed father.  This leads to a climax and a classic confrontation between good and evil.  My only worry is that these books are beginning to delve into witchcraft, and this can be scary.

One comment, there were three or for times I thought "Why did the author write that?"  It seems he states somethings which are already obvious or assumed.

Book Review: The Last Apprentice (2): The Curse of the Bane

The Last Apprentice (2): The Curse of the Bane by: Joseph Delaney Glenwillow Books, Great Britain 2005.  Illustrations by Patrick Arrasmith.

For those who don’t know a bane is a terrible monster, who has been confined to the catacombs.  He was weak for a time, but is now gaining in power, and controlling the minds of others.  Evil is becoming more rampant in the land.  Gregory, the Spook, is determined to destroy him.  However there is much in his way, including the Inquisitor who want to burn the Spook at the stake and rid him of evil.  He is also after the apprentice, Tom Ward, and has captured Alice, Tom’s favorite witch.  The Inquisitor is after anyone he feels he could destroy and fatten his pockets with their property.  He enjoys making others suffer.  The only thing which could be worse would be for the bane to be released into the country side; which is what happens.  This is a tale with lots of danger, and not for the weak at heart.