Last Apprentice series books 6 and 7

Clash of the Demons and Rise of the Huntress by Jospeh Delaney, 408 and 436 pages


So far I have enjoyed reading the Last Apprentice series but in these two books it starts to slip a bit. Not only are there more "world ending" threats but they have taken on an unexpected darkening. I liken it to the darkness and uneasiness that crept into the Harry Potter series. You have this underlying belief that everything will turn out fine like most series do, but also this nagging doubt that maybe it won't.

I have never been a fan of the the repeated world ending threats. As I have said in a previous post you know with near certainty that the world is not going to end. I suppose it might have been a tad more believable if I had read these when they came out, but since I know there are still half a dozen more books the world can't end. This "spoiler" removes some of the suspense from the books and just leaves you guessing at how they are going to save the world this time.

The series is still full of adventure and is still worth reading though I hope Delaney doesn't get stuck in this bigger and deadlier plot escalation.

Last Apprentice books 1 and 2

Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch and Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney, 344 and 455 pages.

Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son and therefore can see things that others can't. While this causes him some problems early on it does make him perfect for the job of Spook. The Spook is the person who is called in to stop any supernatural being that is causing problems. The current one is a Mr. Gregory, and while he is doing fine he is in need of an apprentice. These books are the journals or the retellings of Tom as he both trains and learns the job of a Spook.

The Last Apprentice series reminds me of a non magical Dresden Files. It has the same outcast hero that while needed is not always liked or accepted. They both have supernatural beings that interact with the mortal world and must be stopped when they start to become bothersome. And lastly they both tend to rely heavily on the luck of the main character in defeating the baddie. The series reads quickly but tends to give stuff away in the chapter titles, which is kind of annoying.