The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney

          The Last Apprentice series is about a young man named Tom Ward. Tom is the seventh son of the seventh son, which gives him special abilities. One night, Tom hears something on Hang Man’s Hill and his mom walks outside and does something that makes the noises stop. Tom’s mom wants him to be a spook, so she sends a letter to the Spook asking him to give Tom an apprenticeship. He agrees and comes to pick up Tom. After the Spook and Tom go up to Hang Man’s Hill, Tom discovers that the noises that he heard were ghosts that had been hung there from the war.

The Spook lives in Chippeden, and he takes Tom there. The Spook teaches Tom about the dark, and one of the things he told Tom was to never trust girls with pointed shoes. Later, the Spook told Tom to go out and get some groceries. On his way back, Tom meets a girl with pointed shoes who saves his life from some kids trying to rob him. The girl’s name is Alice. Alice’s aunt is Bony Lizzy, one of the most terrible witches in the country. Later on, the Spook, Tom, and Alice defeat Bony Lizzy and bind her in a pit that is six feet by six feet, coated with salt, and covered with iron bars. The iron and salt both drain the witch’s power.

          I loved this book. It put you in the action from the second you started to read. This book was suspenseful and exciting. It seamed like every time you turned around there was someone after Tom. This was one of my favorite books. I strongly suggest reading all the books, so it makes sense. If you are into magic and witchcraft, this is a book for you.