Clash of the Demons (Last Apprentice Series #6)

by Joseph Delaney, Patrick Arrasmith (Illustrator)

Overview

War looms on the horizon

As the Spook's apprentice, Tom Ward must protect the County from the creatures of the dark. But now his mother has returned from her homeland to seek his help. A dangerous ancient witch, Ordeen, is about to rise, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom's mother has mustered a powerful army—including Tom's friend Alice and the assassin Grimalkin—to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will abandon Tom as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061344640
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/27/2010
Series:	Last Apprentice Series
Pages:	395
Sales rank:	153,435
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Joseph DELANEY is the author of the internationally best-selling The Last Apprentice series, which is now a major motion picture, Seventh Son. He is a former English teacher who lives in the heart of boggart territory in Lancashire, England. His village has a boggart called the Hall Knocker, which was laid to rest under the step of a house near the church.

Editorial Reviews

The Last Apprentice series continues to be one of the best written of the last several years.

ALA Booklist

A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Anything but tame.

Horn Book (starred review)

"A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Anything but tame."

Horn Book

A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment.

The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

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. Reviewer: Vikki Terrile

VOYA - Vikki Terrile

In this sixth title from the fantasy series, "The Last Apprentice," young Thomas Ward, the Spook's apprentice who helps battle ghosts and other dangerous supernatural creatures, is reunited with his mother. She has been in her homeland, Greece, fighting the dark forces there, but now she has come to ask Tom's help. The Ordeen, a bloodthirsty witch, poses a terrible threat to the world, and Tom's Mam has made an alliance with other witches to defeat her and wants Tom to join them. But the Spook maintains that it is much too risky for Tom to join forces with servants of the dark: that is just what his enemy, the Fiend, wants. The Spook declares that if Tom does what his mother is asking him to do, his apprenticeship will be over. Of course, Tom heads off to Greece with his mother, accompanied by his witch friend, Alice, among other forces dedicated to fighting the Ordeen—and at the last moment, the Spook comes on board, as well. Danger threatens at every turn once they arrive in Greece, and the pace of the book picks up, with attacks by fire elementals and other terrible beings culminating in a battle to the death. British author Delaney writes suspenseful, action-filled scenes, with plenty of visceral details. Fans of this excellent series will not want to miss this installment, in which the theme is sacrifice: what is worth giving up to save others? Tom, and others, must make some difficult decisions in this story. Clash of the Demons also tells us more about Alice, and about Tom's mother, and introduces us to more satisfyingly creepy creatures. Atmospheric black-and-white illustrations contribute to the menacing mood. The ending promises further adventures, while anappendix in the form of Tom's journal provides more details about the scary beings he encountered. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick

Children's Literature - Paula Rohrlick

A gleefully chilling, eerily familiar tale that will leave readers whistling nervously in the graveyard while eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books