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Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice) | 
 enlarge | Author: Joseph Delaney
Creator: Patrick Arrasmith
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $21.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 2128335
Format: Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 344
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1
ISBN: 0786286415
EAN: 9780786286416
ASIN: 0786286415
Publication Date: August 30, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Promotion: Save $10.00 when you spend $50.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Amazon.com. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout. Terms and Conditions
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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
Product Description
Capturing witches
Binding boggarts
Driving away ghosts 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. Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook's warning against girls with pointy shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county ... ?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
 Harry Potter meets Goosebumps: an intriguing new series for those who enjoy the scarier side of fantasy August 26, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Last Apprentice series (called the Wardstone series in England) presents the fearsome adventures of a young man who is destined for greatness, but on a lonely path. It should appeal to adolescents (roughly 10 or older) who like edgy fiction, who have grown beyond Goosebumps, and finished Harry Potter -- beyond the frightening and sometimes disturbing subject matter it is a story of a young boy who is learning to face ambiguities, learning to see that while there is bad and good in the world, most people cannot be categorized as either good or evil, that sometimes it is important to follow rules and sometimes one must trust one's instincts.
The Last Apprentice is set in an old world, somewhat like England, where the church is powerful, but not powerful enough to stop the things that go bump in the night. For that they need spooks -- seventh sons of seventh sons who devote themselves to the discovery of methods for controlling and eliminating creatures from the dark: ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts and more. The problem is there aren't very many willing or able to do what it takes, who can't take the loneliness, the long years of study, and the mistrust and fear they face from those who they serve.
Tom Ward doesn't know whether he has what it takes, but he has few options. When he becomes apprentice to the local Spook he doesn't know he will face witches and other dark things, sometimes armed only with his own wits and courage. The world depicted in the Last Apprentice series is a dark world and is getting darker -- but there are glimmers of hope and there are those who are sincere in their efforts to help others in need. The story, written in the first person, does a very good job of conveying his uncertainty and fear and leads in unexpected directions. I read this with my daughter, who is now eager to continue with the rest of the series. (I'm interested as well -- but a bit worried that the series will get scarier as it continues and that she may not be ready for the sequels.)
Series is not for the faint of heart August 14, 2008
A well-written, albeit gruesome, horror series, for kids who think it's great fun to be scared witless. The fourth and latest book (as of August 2008) is the darkest so far. There are a few too many creatures that want to suck human blood for my taste, but that quibble aside, all entries in the series so far are page-turners.
Great and exciting book August 7, 2008
I didn't know what to expect as I opened this book for the first time, a part me thought it would just be another bland young adult book but its so much more than that. The book has a naturally dark mood being that the protagonist, Tom Ward is learning to fight witches, ghosts, and boggarts. However this book strikes a perfect middle ground, making it a great read for any age group. The characters are also interesting, Tom Ward is the apprentice who must face his fears and control them, The Spook is a tough yet intelligent teacher, and Alice is a mischievous witch who takes a liking to Tom. Don't hesitate getting this if you've been looking for a fantasy series filled with adventure, and interesting characters.
Good start to a witchy series August 1, 2008
Tom is 13 years old and lives on a farm with his parents, older brother Jack, and Jack's wife Ellie. Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son and it is time for him to go off and learn a trade. His father has made arrangements for him to have a trial as the apprentice of the local Spook - the person who travels the county ridding the area of supernatural creatures such as boggarts and witches. Tom is scared of these creatures and very wary of the Spook. But his mother tells him that this is his future and he must go off and give it a try.
The Spook puts Tom through a number of challenges in order to see if Tom is up to the task of being his apprentice. Tom is very very scared of many of the things he has to go up against, but he soon finds that he has good instincts for this kind of work. However, his best instincts are not better than the tricks that Alice, a girl that is a witch, plays on him. Tom finds out that he is too trusting of other people and he must learn when to trust his instincts and heart. But will Tom and his family have harm come to them before Tom is able to handle himself and learn all that the Spook has to teach him?
Joseph Delaney has a good start to a fun series with this book. Chronicles of this type are favorites of many readers now that Harry Potter has set the stage for magic and otherworldly creatures. This book is of a similar genere as Harry Potter, Spiderwick Chronicles, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. With regard to it's level of sophistication, it rates beteween A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter. It is well written, teaches as it goes, and surely will prove to be an entertaining coming of age series.
Great for struggling readers! July 27, 2008
After reading Revenge of the Witch, I had to go out and get the second one because I wanted to know what happened to Tom and Alice. I think Alice is one of the most intriguing characters in the whole book because despite being a witch, she's not an evil person. Nor is she a good person.
And that's something this whole series (at least my impression) seems to convey - that no one is completely and utterly good or bad. We've all got a mixture of both.
I disagree with the reviewer who said s/he thought the book had misogynistic views. only ONE character has these views and it is shown by other, strong female characters, that he is wrong.
All in all, I think this would be a fantastic series for struggling readers, or those reluctant to put down the video games and pick up a book. The large text and illustrations make the reading go by fast - not to mention the pounding plot that doesn't really let up at any moment.
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