Rage of the Fallen (Last Apprentice Series #8)

by Joseph Delaney, Patrick Arrasmith

Overview

Who will be lost to the dark?

Thomas Ward has served as the Spook's apprentice for three years. He has battled boggarts, witches, demons, and even the devil himself. Tom has enemies: The Fiend stalks him, waiting for a moment of weakness. The terrifying Morrigan, goddess of witches, warned him never to set foot on her homeland, Ireland.

But now war has consumed their own country, and Tom, his friend Alice, and the Spook must flee to Ireland. The dark rages strongly there. No one can be trusted. Can Tom defeat the creatures that hunt him most fiercely?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062027580
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/17/2012
Series:	Last Apprentice Series
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	110,991
Product dimensions:	5.34(w) x 7.82(h) x 1.02(d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
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

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 strangely—yet characteristically for the series—anticlimactic. 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. Reviewer: Vikki Terrile

VOYA - Vikki Terrile

Tom Ward has faced more than his share of dark magic, but this installment in "The Last Apprentice" series finds him facing the devil himself. Serving as a Spook's apprentice, Tom is thrust into the hands of evil through most of this book. Fleeing their country because of civil war, Tom, Spook and Alice head to Ireland, home to boggarts and more terrifying supernatural creatures. Because Tom killed a malevolent witch, he and his friends find themselves being haunted by the most evil force of all: The Fiend. Tom learns his lessons well, even if painfully and at the expense of his best friend, Alice. Readers be warned: this book is full of gory, graphic violence and satanic references. It is not meant as an escape from the stresses of the real world. Written in easily separated chapters with frequent breaks, this may invoke reluctant readers to at least pick this up. It is written in such a way that this volume can stand alone, without having read the previous seven volumes in the series. Arrasmith's unique scratchboard illustrations are well worth a look and will hopefully expand the popularity of the incredibly detailed and time consuming art. That his work in included on more than just the book jacket is a treat, verging on holding ones interest more than the story itself. A tough story with lots of violence and darkness, but Good wins in the end, as well it should. Reviewer: Elizabeth Young

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Young