The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons (Book 6)

Well let's see, I am a 40 year old male that sometimes get embarrassed when I read the grade level for these Joseph Delaney books, but let me tell you; they are very entertaining. I love how all the forces come together for this installment. Great story telling. The problem is you read the books so fast and you end up wanting more. So I picked up the the Witches Revenge and started reading it again. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a great good vs. evil book.

When I cracked open this book and saw a screaming woman with bloodied knives in each of her hands, and a face covered in swirling Maori-like tattoos staring up at me, I knew I would once again be frightened out of my wits for the entire time it would take me to read Clash of the Demons. Delaney returns with a more powerful than ever, frightful tale of the latest adventure of the Spook and young Tom Ward. Tom's mother has returned from Greece and wishes him and the Spook to accompany her back to her homeland to fight off the greatest of evil beings, that if not slayed, will destroy the country and soon the world. So desperate for assistance in her plight she gathers up all the local witches, including Gramalkin whom we have fought before, and pulls together all of Tom's past foes to fight evil with evil as she believes it is her only chance to rid the world of the abomination called the Ordeen. The Spook doesn't like the sound of this plan one bit, and at first refuses to go as it is against his principle to fight the demons of the world with darkness itself, but he is finally convinced after talking with fellow spook Arkwright, and Mam herself, that it will be THE only way to win this war. Alice too, Tom's friendly witch-amore that we saw banished from Chipenden by the Spook in the last episode, is also called upon to help and make the journey. It is a sorrowful, weary and terrified band of both light and dark that board the ship Celeste, all silently praying they will come back alive. With a few shocking surprises regarding who Tom's mother is, and a couple of visits from Tom's old arch enemy the Fiend, the motley group of bloodthirsty witches and ghost-busting spooks arrive in the land of Meteora to battle the dark in a gory bloodbath like we've never seen before in this series of books. Alice redeems herself, the Spook resigns himself, two party members sacrifice themselves for the cause, and Mam, finally after seven books, reveals all to Tom, what she was, what she is, and what she shall become. Tom is given hard choices with few options in the Clash of Demons, but the reader will enjoy his growing strengths and power as he learns to recall and put to use all that the Spook has taught him over the years, proving to be a force to be reckoned with as the forces of good and evil challenge his wits and test his skills. Scarier than the previous books, I couldn't put this book down and loved every drop of blood that fell upon my quickly turned pages. Once again the illustrator also deserves high praise, I thought this batch of drawings heart-stopping and fabulous to behold. I thought that this being book seven for the seventh son of the seventh son, would finish off the series, but as it appears by the ending, there is thankfully more to come. I never tire of these Last Apprentice stories and do hope they never end. They scare me to death but I smile as I devour them hungry for more!!!

I have no idea how Delaney manages it, but he just keeps getting better with every book. This book is the best in the series so far. I finished the book in one day and I am eagerly waiting for the next book. Lets hope the next book isn't the final installment, because this is by far the best ongoing fantasy series. I would hate it to finish.

What can I say but these book's just keep getting better and better.This is one series that's a must have, each year I can't wait for it's new release. I don't know how it's possible but each year the new book top's the one from before.I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, thing's are really heating up now and can't wait to see what happen's next.Excellent read.

Fantastic! I've read all the books, and Clash of the Demons is the best one so far. A truly great book, full of suspense, shocking revelations, and supernatural creatures. I can't wait for the next (and possible final) book in the series.