Book Spotlight: The Last Apprentice Series by Joseph Delaney

This is an ongoing YA Horror series by Joseph Delaney. At the moment, book 8 is already out, and no, it is not the last one (hooray!). I stumbled upon these books at the library and became immediately hooked, so much so that I would borrow three at a time and finish them in a week. Good thing all seven were already pubbed, or I would have spent time tearing my hair and crying out, “What happens next?” Luckily, by the time I finished #7, I discovered The Monstrumologist series (Rick Yancey) and was able to feed my love for horror while Mr. Delaney worked on book #8. Hee!

About the Author: (from Goodreads)

Joseph Delaney is a retired English teacher living in Lancashire. He has three children and seven grandchildren and is a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events. His home is in the middle of Boggart territory and his village has a boggart called the Hall Knocker, which was laid to rest under the step of a house near the church.

Most of the places in the Spook’s books are based on real places in Lancashire. And the inspiration behind the stories often comes from local ghost stories and legends.

The Spook’s Apprentice, The Spook’s Curse and The Spook’s Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children’s Book for the Year Award. The Spook’s Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
(In UK, the books are called The Spook’s Apprentice, while in the US, they are known as The Last Apprentice series.)

The Books:

Tom Ward, being the seventh son of a seventh son, becomes an apprentice to the County’s Spook, Old Gregory, in order to learn to combat the denizens of “The Dark” and protect the County and those he loves.

1. Revenge of the Witch
2. Curse of the Bane
3. Night of the Soul Stealer
4. Attack of the Fiend
5. Wrath of the Blood-eye
6. Clash of the Demons
7. Rise of the Huntress
8. Rage of the Fallen

     

     

It is a story of the battle between good and evil, and the blurred lines of in-between. This series is not nearly as gruesome as The Monstrumologist books, though if you were thinking of passing these onto your tween, or teen, you might want to check them out first. Everyone has a different “scare” threshold.

The ninth book in the series, I Am Grimalkin, is also already out though it is written in the witch assassin’s POV, and not Tom’s. I have yet to find this book.