Again, this is strange as I read this book under a different title Last Apprentice Clash of the Demons, but clearly the same book as described in the reviews. Odd and confusing! Nevertheless, still loving this series. I am happy to say the characters are developing nicely, with just the right mix of mystery and consistency. Each book has its own story with its own conclusion, but also a clear role in the larger developing story. I will say that I am going to take a small break from the series since I have a huge backlog of book club and recommendations stacked at my bedside, but I have already bought the next book so I don't expect the gap to last long… :) Joseph Delaney, The Last Apprentice Series; Book #6Clash of the DemonsTom Ward, apprentice to the local Spook, is bestowed the ever-increasingly challenging job of learning how to fight evil entities, dark mysteries, and protect the County from unimaginable horrors. He will one day be able to take over his masters burden as the Chipenden spook, being the last and best apprentice John Gregory has ever had. In Clash of the Demons, Tom receives a letter from his Mam, informing him of the rising power of the Dark in her own homeland, Greece. She has made costly alliances, but all for the greater good, attempting to thwart a powerful, bloodthirsty dark servant and an ancient enemy of hers, The Ordeen. With that being such a challenge already, The Fiend (the dark born into flesh) will be backing her every step, making her an adversary worthy of sacrifices to destroy for good. Tom, his Mam, Alice, Bill Arkwright, Grimalkin, and the Spook will need all the help they can get to come out alive and continue to fight the dark. Tom Ward is special. He’s not only a seventh son of a seventh son, making him a natural enemy of the Dark, he is also his Mam’s son too. That sounds redundant, yes, until we find out that Tom Ward’s Mam is Lamia, “The Mother of all Witches, and once a truly faithful servant to the Fiend.” She wasn’t ever human, and with her blood, the blood of a true servant of the dark, combined with the strength and bravery of a seventh son of a seventh son, Tom has been forged into a weapon combining both good and evil for the purpose of “striking fear and cowardice into the hearts of every dark servant, and become the hunter of the dark itself.” This and the fact that throughout the book, they fight the Dark with the proven, call them untainted methods, as well as with the Dark, creates a constant struggle between the Light and Dark, that twists you through a meandering path of madness, deception, heartache and free will after every turn. The presentation of ends justifying the means has never been so complex and consequential. This amazing series takes good and evil, and pits them against each other, all the while keeping you wondering how the characters stay so vividly separate, yet work together to achieve a common goal.Delaney’s masterful prose creates an unprecedented world of witches, boggarts, ghosts, and fearsome creatures. When you decide you’re brave enough to read through the lines of blood splattered horror and sickening sadness, pick up this enthralling masterpiece of a series and lose yourself in the pure, heart stopping suspense and you’ll see exactly why the ALA Booklist called this “one of the best written series of the last several years.”
What do You think about The Spook's Sacrifice (2009)?
The Spook's Sacrifice is the sixth book in the Spook's Series. In this book Tom's mother plays an important role. She wants Tom to join her in a fight against the Ord, her sworn enemy.The world is getting darker and darker and Tom has to give up some of his beliefs to do what he has to do. The Fiend is never far away. Fortunately Alice will stand by him again. A lot of terrible things happen and they are all sinister and gruesome. Not all enemies can be defeated at once and Tom finds himself in dire situations many times. What will they cost him and does Tom come out completely intact? I loved this book just as much as the previous ones, these books are truly wonderful!
—siddu
The Spook's Sacrifice is the sixth book in the Spook's Series. In this book Tom's mother plays an important role. She wants Tom to join her in a fight against the Ord, her sworn enemy.The world is getting darker and darker and Tom has to give up some of his beliefs to do what he has to do. The Fiend is never far away. Fortunately Alice will stand by him again. A lot of terrible things happen and they are all sinister and gruesome. Not all enemies can be defeated at once and Tom finds himself in dire situations many times. What will they cost him and does Tom come out completely intact? I loved this book just as much as the previous ones, these books are truly wonderful!
—Gwenythe
So far they just keep getting better and I can't wait to get the next book.
—AyOPhuse807
