Title: The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch
Author: Joseph Delaney
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Medieval
Age Range: 10+
TV Guide Snippet: Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son apprenticed out to the Spook where Tom learns the wiles and ways to defeat ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, and witches.
Plot Summary: Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son. As his father has used up most of his favors on the five brothers that proceeded him, Tom is made the apprentice of the County Spook. The Spook has been ridding the County of ghosts and ghasts for a long time. Within this time, there have been twenty-nine other apprentices who have met various fates from fleeing to dead as a door nail. Tom is the last apprentice the old Spook can train.
Tom's training begins with lectures and books on boggarts, but he is quickly diverted to witches when a girl in pointy shoes helps in against a local gang of boys. He extends her a favor. She cashes it in quickly by asking him to give some cakes to a witch at midnight that lives in a pit under the Spook's power. The next morning, the Spook is called away to the east. When Tom checks on the pit, he notices the iron bars to the pit are bent. What was in that cake? How were these thick solid bars bent? Who did this? Did the witch get out?
Anything Critical: While I put this book in the age range of 10+, there are some pretty graphic descriptions. What I mean by graphic descriptions has nothing to do with violence or gore. In one passage, Delaney describes the movement of one of the witches that stuck with me as a writhe, slither, and float upon the ground. Somehow, the image and motion manifested and grew inside my subconscious. It totally gave me a nightmare. Not one of those shake it off kind of nightmares, but one of those nightmares that give you the serious heebees and cause you to talk to yourself, "Okay, it's 3 AM, what can I do between now and 9 AM when I start work, because there's no way in hell I'm going back to sleep. Thanks book."
It does offer some good life lessons. Tom makes a lot of mistakes that he will pay for later on down the road. Most of them are because he does not give the ol' Spook full disclosure. If Tom had given him the whole story, he would have had an easier time with life. Much like teens his age, he suffers the conciquences for not seeking wiser council.
Satisfaction Level: 95%
Curriculum Ties: English, History
Challenge Issues: Magic, Paranormal, Witches
Program Ideas: I tried doing a book discussion but failed completely. I think one could have kids make silver chains, like out of gray paper x-mas style, or have like a witch themed party goin' on with some of those wicked cakes... Well, minus the real ingredients (shiver). It could also serve as a movie launch with all of the things from movie like the poster or sword or other mythical creatures. You know, kickoff party type stuff.
Currently Reading: Service - Marcus Luttrell (I can read adult books too!)
