The Dark Assassin Joseph Delaney
Jannet Nevels
In his job as the county spook, seventeen-year-old Thomas Ward is used to battling boggarts, witches, and other creatures of the dark. But now he and his apprentice, Jenny, must team up with former rivals and enemies to fight the evil Kobalos warriors intent on destroying the county.
The fight has cost the life of a strong ally, Grimalkin the witch assassin. Determined to end the war with the demons, Tom leads Jenny and Alice to Pendle for one last epic clash. Loyalties will be tested, alliances will be broken, and not everyone will survive.
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.
Spook's, published as The Last Apprentice in the United States, is a children's dark fantasy series by English author Joseph Delaney. It is published by imprints of Penguin Random House in the United Kingdom and HarperCollins in the United States. The series has been published in 30 countries, with sales exceeding 4.5 million copies. It originated in 2004 with The Spook's Apprentice, which has been adapted into a play script, a feature film titled Seventh Son, and a French graphic novel.
The main series consists of 20 books, with three arcs. The Wardstone Chronicles, follows Thomas "Tom" Ward's journey as he apprentices under John Gregory, the spook of the County, situated in a fictionalized Lancashire. Through his mentorship, Tom masters the skills to confront supernatural threats. However, as the narrative unfolds, Tom finds himself confronting an even greater peril: the Fiend. The Starblade Chronicles, extends the adventures of Tom Ward, now a Spook, battling a grave evil endangering the County and beyond. Tom mentors his apprentice, Jenny, amidst formidable challenges. Brother Wulf, features the exploits of Brother Wulf, a novice monk, and Tom Ward.
The first arc of the series titled The Wardstone Chronicles, published from 2004 to 2013, follows Thomas "Tom" Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son who is apprenticed to the County's spook, John Gregory; a master fighter of supernatural evil. The Spook gives Tom practical instruction on tackling ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts, and all manner of other things that serve the Dark.
Tom soon discovers that most of John Gregory's apprentices have failed for various reasons, including being killed in the process of learning how to be a Spook. As the arc progresses, the focus expands to other characters such as the young witch Alice Deane and the witch assassin Grimalkin. Overall, the series develops the plotline of Tom being destined to save the world or be tortured by the Fiend, the father of all evil, for all eternity.
The County referenced in the series is based on Lancashire in the North of England. Various County fictional towns are thinly-veiled modern day cities; for example, the town of Priestown is based on Preston (where the author was born); Caster is Lancaster; Black Pool is Blackpool; Chipenden is Chipping.[1]
The first arc was followed by The Starblade Chronicles, a trilogy published from 2014 to 2017, continuing the adventures of Tom Ward, who has finished his apprenticeship and is now a Spook in his own right dedicated to fighting an unparalleled evil threatening the County, and the world. Throughout the trilogy, Tom mentors his own apprentice, Jenny, as they face daunting challenges together. This was then followed by Brother Wulf, published from 2020 to 2023; four books following the adventures of Brother Wulf, a young noviciate monk, and Tom Ward.[2]
In the County, Thomas "Tom" Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son, becomes apprenticed to John Gregory, a Spook who combats supernatural beings like boggarts, ghosts, and witches. Despite warnings, Tom befriends Alice Deane, a conflicted witch with ties to dangerous relatives, including Mother Malkin and Bony Lizzie. Alice inadvertently aids Malkin's escape, setting off a series of conflicts. Tom, guided by Gregory's teachings, confronts the witches using traditional tools like rowan wood and silver. Ultimately, Malkin is destroyed when Tom lures her into a pig pen, solidifying Tom's apprenticeship while leaving Alice as an uneasy ally in the ongoing battle against the forces of darkness.
In the heart of Priestown's cathedral catacombs, the Spook and his apprentice, Tom Ward, confront their long-standing foe, the Bane, a formidable creature undefeated by the Spook. However, their battle is complicated by the arrival of the Quisitor, an enforcer hunting those who dabble in dark arts. Meanwhile, Alice Deane strikes a perilous pact with the Bane, feeding it her blood and risking total control. Despite the Spook's apprehension, Tom's deepening friendship with Alice draws them closer, even as she manipulates the Bane to aid their cause. With the Spook imprisoned and facing execution, Tom, aided by Alice and the Bane, must rescue his mentor and lift Priestown's curse. Alice, too, grows to fear the Bane's influence, aligning with Tom and the Spook to devise a plan against it. In a final showdown, Tom and Alice confront the Bane, with Alice making a crucial plea for their safety. Seizing the opportunity, Thomas vanquishes the Bane, liberating Priestown from its malevolent grip.
As winter settles in, the Spook is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of a stranger, prompting a hasty relocation from Chipenden to the winter house at Anglezarke, much to Tom's confusion. The winter residence, shrouded in darkness, harbours a cellar teeming with bound witches and boggarts, adding to its ominous aura. As the cold months pass, Tom delves deeper into his master's history, unravelling secrets about the enigmatic visitor, revealed to be the Spook's arch-nemesis, Morgan Hurst, a necromancer, who seeks to resurrect an old god. The unfolding revelations shed light on the Spook's past and the intricate web of conflicts that define their ongoing struggle against dark forces.
Tom's mother's departure to Greece marks a pivotal shift in his life as he discovers three trunks she left behind, meant only for him to open. Upon the Spook's insistence, Tom and Alice Dean embark on a mission to retrieve the trunks, only to find their family abducted by witches and held in Pendle. Amidst revelations about the Spook's past and the identity of his mysterious visitor, Father Stocks, Tom navigates a treacherous landscape where alliances shift and betrayals abound. As Tom confronts his family's captors, including Mistress Wurmalde and the Mouldheel clan, he uncovers deep-seated secrets about his lineage and his mother's ties to dark forces. Through harrowing trials and sacrifices, Tom ultimately confronts the impending threat of the Fiend, defying grim prophecies and summoning courage to protect his loved ones and confront the darkness lurking within and beyond the County's borders.
Sent north to be trained by Bill Arkwright, Tom Ward confronts the relentless challenges of Arkwright's harsh tutelage in the haunted mill amidst treacherous marshlands. As Tom grapples with the rigorous training, the stakes escalate when the Fiend dispatches his formidable daughter, Morwena, a potent water witch, to obliterate Tom. Arkwright's error in judgement leaves Tom vulnerable, forcing him to confront his adversaries alone. With the aid of Alice Deane and the Spook, Tom embarks on a perilous battle against overwhelming dark forces. However, the Spook's mistake, with its potentially dire consequences, threatens to tip the scales in favour of the darkness, testing the limits of Tom's resilience and challenging the collective strength of his allies against the looming shadow of the Fiend's influence.
Tom Ward, confronted with the looming threat of the Ordeen and the Fiend, is torn between his loyalty to his master, the Spook, and his duty to his mother, Mam, who reveals her identity as lamia with a complex past. As they journey to Greece to confront the Ordeen, Tom grapples with dark forces, including the Fiend's temptations and the use of dark magic by allies and enemies alike. Amidst betrayals, traps, and sacrifices, including Mam's ultimate sacrifice to stall the Ordeen, Tom faces his destiny as a fighter against the Dark. Through Mam's letters and a final spiritual encounter, Tom finds closure and resolve to continue his apprenticeship, now with Alice Deane, the daughter of the Fiend, by his side, as they navigate the treacherous waters of the supernatural realm.
As war engulfs the County, the Spook, Tom, and Alice Deane seek refuge on the perilous Isle of Mona, only to find themselves ensnared in its turmoil. The island's inhabitants are gripped by fear and suspicion, subjecting suspected witches to cruel tests and sentencing them to the buggane's wrath if found guilty. Lord Barrule, a formidable shaman aligned with the buggane, adds to their peril. However, their challenges escalate with the return of Bony Lizzie, driven by a vengeful quest against the Spook for her years of imprisonment in his garden's pit. Amidst the chaos and looming threats, the trio must navigate treacherous alliances and confront the darkness that threatens to consume them all.
In a daring quest to the southwest of Ireland, the Spook, Tom Ward, and Alice Deane confront a formidable Celtic witch and her allies, the goat mages, who seek to resurrect the ancient deity Pan. As Tom grapples with the relentless forces of darkness, he stumbles upon the Destiny Blade, a weapon with a sinister appetite for bloodshed. Despite daunting odds, their alliance gains strength with the unexpected arrival of Grimalkin, a formidable witch assassin known for her allegiance to the dark. Together, they face formidable challenges and unearth dark secrets in their relentless pursuit to thwart the resurrection of Pan and preserve the fragile balance between light and shadow.
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