From: Julie Corsaro <juliecorsaro2>
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:09:21 -0400

British author Joseph Delaney?s The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch is a new supernatural fantasy that is engaging, frightening, expertly plotted, and action-packed. Thirteen-year-old Thomas Ward is an apprentice to the Spook, the individual who keeps the community free of boggarts, ghosts, and other nasty creatures. After Thomas is tricked into releasing a malevolent witch from captivity, he struggles to keep both himself and his beloved family safe. Thomas? casual, convincing adolescent voice and common concerns like separating from his parents and forging an identity temper such horrific events as being buried alive. The pen-and-ink (I think) drawings that open each chapter are eerie. The book is ripe for a sequel with questions remaining about why Thomas is ?The Last Apprentice? and intimations that his mother may be a witch, albeit a good one. I think ?The Last Apprentice? has the potential to appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Lois Duncan, alike.

Julie Corsaro

P.S. Thomas tells his streamlined story in retrospect so readers know that he will get out of even the worse jam. But they can?t be so sure about his sister-in-law who has just given birth or her baby.

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Received on Wed 19 Oct 2005 05:09:21 PM CDT