Grimalkin, the Witch Assassin

March 1, 2012
This installment deviates from The Last Apprentice's usual formula, following witch assassin Grimalkin instead of Spook's apprentice Thomas Ward after the events of Rage of the Fallen (2011). The Fiend has been bound but not killed, so his servants seek to restore him. To prevent this, Grimalkin took his decapitated head with her--it must be reunited with the bound body for the Fiend to rise again. Narrated by Grimalkin rather than presented as Tom's writing, the story is in present tense. The immediacy ratchets up tension as increasing numbers of powerful dark servants pursue Grimalkin. Although the legendary witch assassin is among the best killers to ever have lived, she is endangered by a kretch, a she-wolf/demon hybrid created by dark-magic users specifically to kill her. Forced to seek help, stubbornly self-reliant Grimalkin leaves a path of violent devastation among her allies wherever she goes, making painful sacrifices to thwart the Fiend while Tom seeks ways to kill him. The narration and short, free-verse poems at the beginning of each chapter give a complex look into Grimalkin's peculiar thought processes, and her history is unveiled through the personal stories her protege enjoys hearing time and again. While her voice differs greatly from the familiar Tom's, the closer look makes her all the more intriguing. A good balance between dark action and emotional costs. (Fantasy. 11-15)

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May 15, 2012
Grades 7-10 The previous books in the Last Apprentice series have focused on the Spook and his apprentice, Tom Ward, who try to rid the countryside of witches, spooks, and other manner of unsavory creatures. But last time out, they were able to separate the Fiendthe devilfrom his head. Now their coconspirator Grimalkin, the witch assassin, is fleeing with said head, as she tries to keep her own self intact. This foray into the life of a new character works well, giving Delaney the opportunity to shape his elegantand frighteningwriting for a female character starring in her own story. Grimalkin, a brutal, often cruel fighting machine, nevertheless can display emotion, especially when it comes to her own apprentice, Thorne. As in the other action-filled books, horrendous, slimy, rotting, dripping moments don't stop, but also, as in the rest of the series, there is heart here as well as meat. (The metaphorical kind. The other would just be torn apart and devoured.)(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Witch Grimalkin narrates her own volume, which highlights the violent witch's point of view and makes this ninth installment even darker than usual for the series. Her alignment with the heroes from the previous books and the attachments she forms in this one make her a somewhat more sympathetic character. Heavy black illustrations contribute to the macabre atmosphere.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)