Grimalkin the Witch Assassin (Last Apprentice Series #9)

by Joseph Delaney, Patrick Arrasmith

Overview

The book will haunt you.It's an international bestseller.But don't read it after dark!

The story of Grimalkin—Book Nine of The Last Apprentice series

Grimalkin never missed—except once. The only victim who escaped her blades was Tom Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son. Since then, the witch assassin has fought alongside the Spook's apprentice. Now you can hear her side of the story. What is Grimalkin's past—and what will her future be? Can Tom trust her to stay on the side of good? Or is the pull of the dark too strong to resist?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062082084
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/09/2013
Series:	Last Apprentice Series
Pages:	403
Sales rank:	53,605
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Joseph Delaney lives in Lancashire, England, right in the middle of boggart territory. His village has a boggart, called a hall knocker, which was laid to rest under the steps of a house near the church. Most of the places in The Last Apprentice series are based on real locations in Lancashire, and the inspiration behind the stories often comes from local ghost stories and legends.

Editorial Reviews

Following the battle that marks the first step toward destroying the Fiend, Grimalkin, the legendary witch assassin, has the gruesome responsibility of preventing his severed head from being returned to his bound body, thus bringing him back to power. Knowing this is only a temporary solution until Tom Ward and Master Gregory learn how to destroy the Fiend forever, Grimalkin must stay on the move, battling old foes and a new creature created just for her destruction. For the first time in the series, Delaney offers a new narrator, the intriguing Grimalkin, who has appeared previously as a mysterious support character. Each chapter begins with an epigraph highlighting what is to come, while the narrative switches from Grimalkin's first-person past narration to first-person present voice during battle scenes. As a narrator, Grimalkin is not markedly different from Tom Ward, and despite her fearsome reputation, she is surprisingly benign here. New characters, both human and creature, are introduced and quickly destroyed, and Delaney pulls out the time-worn trope of having Agnes magically cure the lingering effects of a deadly poison Grimalkin has suffered. This disappointing volume does continue to set Agnes up as an exceptionally powerful witch who will undoubtedly have a major role in the final destruction of the Fiend. Reviewer: Vikki Terrile

VOYA - Vikki Terrile

With twists and turns, the adventure of Tom Ward continues as the witch assassin, Grimalkin, comes to his aid by capturing the head of the Fiend. Now, she must overcome a variety of obstacles and the death of multiple comrades to locate a safe haven so she can unite with Tom and solve the puzzle of how to rid the world of the Fiend. This happens to be the first time I have ever read a book where the hero is only mentioned—does not make an appearance, and yet moves the story along. Well done. The characters jump off the page and feel real, especially in the fighting scenes as emotion conquers logic. The added element of the reincarnated creates an eerie tone while the action-packed pace and unpredictable sequences pull the reader in and out of reality. The unlikely occurs when the most evil character, Grimalkin, becomes loved. This book is part of the "Last Apprentice" series. Reviewer: Julia Beiker

Children's Literature - Julia Beiker

This installment deviates from The Last Apprentice's usual formula, following witch assassin Grimalkin instead of Spook's apprentice Thomas Ward after the events of Rage of the Fallen (2011). The Fiend has been bound but not killed, so his servants seek to restore him. To prevent this, Grimalkin took his decapitated head with her--it must be reunited with the bound body for the Fiend to rise again. Narrated by Grimalkin rather than presented as Tom's writing, the story is in present tense. The immediacy ratchets up tension as increasing numbers of powerful dark servants pursue Grimalkin. Although the legendary witch assassin is among the best killers to ever have lived, she is endangered by a kretch, a she-wolf/demon hybrid created by dark-magic users specifically to kill her. Forced to seek help, stubbornly self-reliant Grimalkin leaves a path of violent devastation among her allies wherever she goes, making painful sacrifices to thwart the Fiend while Tom seeks ways to kill him. The narration and short, free-verse poems at the beginning of each chapter give a complex look into Grimalkin's peculiar thought processes, and her history is unveiled through the personal stories her protégé enjoys hearing time and again. While her voice differs greatly from the familiar Tom's, the closer look makes her all the more intriguing. A good balance between dark action and emotional costs. (Fantasy. 11-15)

Kirkus Reviews