Lure of the Dead (Last Apprentice Series #10)

by Joseph Delaney, Patrick Arrasmith

Overview

Nobody enters here after dark. Come back in the morning . . . if you're still breathing.

Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son, and apprentice to the local Spook. He has battled boggarts, witches, and the most powerful evils of the Dark. But his most trying task is yet to come.

When Tom and the Spook are deceived by one they trust, they find themselves in the most terrifying danger yet. Blood-hungry creatures have invaded a sleepy village. Tom can save the Spook—and the whole county—but only by betraying one of his greatest allies. With everything on the line, Tom must have the courage to stand and fight, and to face a choice that could break his heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062027603
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/21/2012
Series:	Last Apprentice Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 7.82(h) x 1.33(d)
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Joseph Delaney lives in Lancashire, England, in the middle of boggart territory.

Editorial Reviews

"Anything but tame."

Horn Book

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. Ages 11 to 15.

VOYA - Vikki Terrile

Anything but tame.

Horn Book (starred review)

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

ALA Booklist

Delaney’s mastery of suspense will grip even reluctant readers with his dramatic, beautifully paced prose.

The Times (London)