Book
Wrath of the bloodeye / Joseph Delaney ; illustrations by Patrick Arrasmith.
As danger increases in the County, Tom is sent far north by his master to be trained by Bill Arkwright, another Spook. Arkwright lives in a haunted mill on the edge of a treacherous marsh and his training methods prove to be harsh and sometimes cruel. But he has toughened up many previous apprentices and now he must do the same for Tom and prepare him for the gravest dangers of his life.But when the Fiend sends his own daughter, the ancient powerful water witch Morwena, to destroy Tom, Arkwright makes an error of judgement and Tom finds himself facing his enemies alone. The Spook and Alice realising his danger, hasten to his aid but will even their combined strengths suffice in the face of such terrible dark power? And what is the Spook's mistake, the consequences of which might give final victory to the dark?
Record details
- ISBN: 9780061344596 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 9780061344602 (library binding)
- ISBN: 9780061344619 (paperback)
- Physical Description: 511 p. : ill ; 21 cm.
- Publisher: New York : Greenwillow Books, 2008.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Originally published in Great Britain as "The Spook's mistake" by Bodley Head in 2008. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | King's shilling -- Truth of things -- Late reply -- The mill -- Shrill high scream -- Water lore -- Frog kicks -- Fisherman's wife -- Whacks and lumps! -- Spook's letter -- Witch's finger -- Morwena -- Hermit of Cartmel -- Dead man! -- Dancing finger -- Trail of blood -- Pursuit -- Two messages -- Bargeman's daughter -- No choice at all -- Hobbled -- Widdershins -- Witch bottle -- The folly -- Grimalkin -- Unthinkable -- Hard bargain -- Fight on the marsh -- Where I belong -- Black barge -- Whose blood? -- Journal of Thomas J. Ward. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Apprentices > Juvenile fiction. Supernatural > Juvenile fiction. Witches > Juvenile fiction. |
| Genre: | Fantasy fiction. |
| Topic Heading: | Good and Evil Heroes and Heroines Horror |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at South Central Regional Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morden Library | YA F Del v.5 (Text) | 35864000386613 | Young Adult | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2009 December #1
The Last Apprentice series continues to be one of the best written of the last several years. Here, in the sixth entry, Tom, the Spook's apprentice, must face up to several things he'd rather not: his friend Alice being the daughter of the Devil, his mother returning to her feral roots, and the notion that sometimes you must form alliances with enemies. As in previous books, the writing is direct, and the plotting and characters, most not of the human variety, are smart and believable. Naturally, fans of the series are the best audience, but this is accessible even to those just jumping in. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2009 Spring
The Spook sends Thomas off to work for dour and unpredictable Bill Arkwright. There, Thomas prepares to confront the Bloodeye, a terrifying water witch. In his fifth book, Tom's character and skills continue to develop in satisfying ways. As usual, the eerie setting is conveyed through Delaney's spare descriptions and Arrasmith's darkly evocative illustrations. Copyright 2009 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2013 Fall
Slither, a creature from the brutal Kobalos land far north of hero Tom Ward's county, agrees to transport two young sisters to safety in exchange for ownership of the eldest sister, Nessa. Alternating Nessa's voice with Slither's is necessary to keep readers' sympathies engaged in perhaps the darkest Last Apprentice book yet. As usual, black-saturated pages are the illustrations' hallmark. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2013 Spring
As always, this series' take on supernatural lore is as dark as Arrasmith's striking black-saturated illustrations. Spook's apprentice Tom is presented with a difficult decision: saving his master and defeating the Fiend for good will require Tom to betray someone he's closest to. Strong-stomached series fans who've lasted this long will welcome this horrifying, danger-ridden tenth installment. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2011 Fall
In his eighth adventure, Spook's apprentice Tom Ward faces the fury of Scarabek, sister of the witch he helped kill in the last installment. For readers who aren't afraid of a jibber, a Fiend, or a five-dollar word, the series continues to deliver. Arrasmith's stark images against pitch-black backgrounds make it even clearer that this is a dark world. Copyright 2011 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2011 Spring
Delaney once again combines chills with character development as Tom and others face difficult questions. Should common enemies always create allies? Can Tom kill his friend Alice's murderous mother? Meanwhile, the soul-sucking demon buggane poses a constant threat. Arrasmith's black-and-white illustrations reinforce the idea that the supernatural creatures, even Tom's temporary cohorts, are worth a shudder. Copyright 2011 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2010 Spring
Mysticism and mystery again intertwine with suspense as witch, witch assassin, and everyone in between fight the same enemy. Delaney sheds light on the past, bringing present loyalties into question; fans will share Tom's shock at this volume's events and revelations. The high-stakes battle is as grim as Arrasmith's atmospheric black-and-white illustrations portend, setting up a dangerous challenge for the series' protagonist. Copyright 2010 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2008 December
In this fifth volume of Delaney's popular series, Tom Ward is sent to train with one of his master's former apprentices, now a spook in the county's watery north. Arkwright, burdened with a family tragedy, drinks heavily but has much to teach if only Tom can survive long enough to learn. Adding water witches and skelts to his creepy creature collection, Delaney picks up where the previous novel ended, once again pitting Tom against things he may not be ready to face. Arkwright is a convincingly troubled man, flawed and violent but ultimately redeemed. There continues to be something unsettling about the roles that female characters play in the series, however. In this volume, the only women readers meet are in the form of witches or monsters-a strong, independent woman labeled "daft" by her neighbors, a selkie chased back to sea after the other wives' jealousy brings Arkwright to sort her out, and the ghost of Arkwright's mother whose suicide after the accidental death of her husband has bound her to this earth. These women are memorable characters-perhaps none more so than young Alice, whose connection to the devil himself is revealed-and yet stacked solidly on the dark side of Delaney's world of good and evil. How the author develops the story surrounding Alice will more than likely reveal what this gender divide means, but fans of the series will be eager to read the next installment no matter how it plays out.-Vikki Terrile2Q 2P Dunnion, Kristyn. Big Big Sky. Red Deer Press/Carolyn Deardon, 2008. 348p. $14.95 Trade pb. ISBN 978-0-88995-404-5. 2Q 2P S This futuristic novel follows a group of five highly trained, programmed female warriors, called a StarPod, who are controlled by ScanMans. Although they are trained to be a tight-knit group, the story opens as Rustle, Loo, Roku, Shona, and Solomon are beginning to doubt one another. When the Pod is summoned to the Living Lab, they realize that they must try to escape or find themselves deplugged-dead. Loo finds herself changing, mutating unexpectedly, as do the other Pod members. Meanwhile survival is a struggle outside the mountain where the Pod was raised and programmed. Amid the violence and chaos, Loo gives birth to her and Rustle's podling just before she dies. Although dystopian novels can be fascinating, this one falls flat. The clearest notion of where and when the story is set and what is supposed to be going on comes from the blurb on the back of the book. Like much in the dystopian genre, the story is very dark but leaves a glimmer of hope at the end with the podling's birth. Violence and subject matter as well as the Pod's own private linguistic patterns mark this novel for high school readers who want something in the speculative fiction genre that looks at militaristic programming of humanoids, and the power of survival instinct. Overall the book moves at an awkward pace, enhanced by the shifting perspectives among the principle players in the story, none of whom are terribly engaging. This book will find limited readership.-Mary Ann Darby PLB $18.89. ISBN 978-0-06-134460-2. 4Q 4P M J Copyright 2008 Voya Reviews. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2013 June
The eleventh book in Delaney's interminable series introduces Slither, a Kobalos mage who farms a territory in order to dine on the bodies of the humans who live there. When he receives three human girls as part of a trade made with a dying man, he begins to doubt his own powers even as he must face his world's most challenging foes. This is a disturbing book; not scary as a work of horror for teens, just deeply unsettling in its depiction of women. Human women are enslaved by the Kobalosâkept on chain leashes, held in pens to bear Kobalos offspring, and tortured until the Kobalos can no longer resist them and consumer their bodies. There is also a graphic description of how the Kobalos women were brutally massacred in a genocide dismissed by Slither as a "time of temporary insanity." Grimalkin, the witch assassin, turns up in this new land, helps Slither prevail, and also frees the human slaves. The first-person narrative shifts between Slither and occasionally Nessa, the oldest human girl, without any notation that the change has happened. Nessa's narratives add little to the story, so the momentary confusion at the start of each chapter is both annoying and unnecessary. In addition, there are enough Kobalos words to necessitate frequent asides in the narrative and a fourteen-page glossary. Grimalkin's adventures here further her quest to help Tom defeat the Fiend, but even the presence of the most interesting character in the series is not enough to make this creepy novel worth recommending.âVikki Terrile 3Q 4P M J Copyright 2011 Voya Reviews. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2012 December
With the Fiend temporarily restrained and the war over, Tom, Alice, and Master Gregory return to Chipenden to oversee the rebuilding of the Spook's house. The Spook's extensive library was destroyed in the fire, and soon a mysterious note arrives offering a collection of books for sale to replace what was lost. Along with Judd, a former Spook's apprentice connected to the note's author, Tom and his master journey to see these books, only to encounter a sect of Romanian witches and demons committed to doing the Fiend's work and restoring him to power Book ten in Delaney's The Last Apprentice series continues the incremental pace of the plot, introducing yet another old apprentice and collection of denizens of the dark. Tom learns that he will have to sacrifice Alice to banish the Fiend forever, but it may be difficult for the reader to fear this, since Delaney often creates life-or-death situations for his characters that they neatly escape. Here, Tom believes his master has been killed and tortured by the Romanian demons, but a sophisticated reader will predict the outcome of this almost immediately, deadening any suspense. Several instances of characters suddenly remembering the exact information needed to save the day are grating, as is Tom's continued and constant wondering about the wisdom of using Alice's dark magic in their fight against the dark. Many of this book's illustrations are genuinely sinister and may help build the tension in what is otherwise a lackluster installment in this long series.âVikki Terrile 3Q 4P M J Copyright 2011 Voya Reviews. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2010 December
The County is at war and the Spook's apprentice, Tom Ward; his master; and Alice return home from Greece to find the Spook's homeâand his priceless libraryâburned to the ground. Fleeing invading soldiers, they cross the sea to the island of Mona where they must face the new threat of a "buggane," as well as that of their old foeâand Alice's motherâthe witch, Bony Lizzie There is little in this seventh installment of Delaney's series that feels new, although Tom's role, as Alice points out, is growing as his master's is fading. Mr. Gregory is not the force he once was and Tom makes more than one reference to his sadness at seeing his master so low and defeated. Delaney continues to explore what is the most interesting theme in his series: whether the fight against evil ever justifies the use of "dark" magic. By the end of the book, with the buggane (a shape-shifter that sucks out a person's life force then feasts on the shell that is left behind) and Bony Lizzie vanquished, the Spook and his young helpers realize they must next fight the Fiend (the devil himself) and contact Grimalkin, the witch assassin, for an uneasy alliance. Delaney's narrative tends to tell more than show, and consequently, this set-up for the next book in the series is quickly summarized. The pact with Grimalkin should prove fascinating and if this adequate installment is a necessary step to get there, the series' fans will happily take it.âVikki Terrile 3Q 4P M J Copyright 2010 Voya Reviews. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2009 December
Tom Ward is overjoyed to learn that his mother, who has been battling the Dark in Greece, is returning to the County to see him. Tom soon learns, however, that his mother's visit is no holiday; she is there to ask him, his master John Gregory, and an alliance of the Pendle witches to return with her to Greece to fight the Ordeen, an old god whose presence could herald a universal turn toward the dark. Delaney gathers many characters readers have met along the way in The Last Apprentice series, including Alice Deane, Tom's friend and daughter of the devil himself, and Grimalkin, the witch assassin. The narrative drags in places, and even the climactic scene of the defeat of the Ordeen is rather lackluster. But what is most interesting here is the dynamic that Delaney establishes between light and dark. Can Tom defeat the forces of darkness using dark powers given to him by the women who fight beside him? The growing conflict between Tom (who trusts Alice and his Mam, believing that if their methods are not always purely of the light, their intentions certainly are) and Gregory (who fears any help from the dark will damage Tom beyond repair) hints at things to come. In the end, Tom is given a choice between sacrificing his soul or allowing darkness to enter the world. His moral dilemma will leave readers wondering what they would have done in Tom's shoes as they eagerly await the next installment.âVikki Terrile 4Q 4P M J Copyright 2009 Voya Reviews. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2011 August
As the war in The County continues and the threat from the Dark increases, Spook's apprentice, Tom Ward; his master, Mr. Gregory; and his good friend, Alice, flee the island of Mona for Ireland. They become involved in a long-standing battle between wealthy landowners and the dark goat mages whose twice-yearly rituals to draw the power of the old god Pan are threatening Ireland. At the same time, Tom is being threatened by a Celtic witch he helped to kill, and the dark magic Alice worked to free her and Tom from the Fiend has weakened, leading to the inevitable battle with the devil himself This eighth book in the Last Apprentice series shares the same strengths and flaws as the previous books. Delaney's first-person narrative emphasizes the limits of that point of view; readers' experience of the action is always moderated through Tom, and his recitation of events often lacks the emotional punch one would expect from battles with terrifying creatures of the dark. The capture of the Fiend, as well as Alice's recovery from a torturous stay in hell, are quickly resolved and strangelyâyet characteristically for the seriesâanticlimactic. Fans of the series will cheer the return of the witch assassin Grimalkin, possibly the books' most intriguing character, and having stuck with the series thus far, likely will be looking forward to the ninth installment.âVikki Terrile 3Q 4P M J Copyright 2011 Voya Reviews.
