343 pages
"For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried--some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.
Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope; the last apprentice.
Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook's warning against girls with point shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county...?" -Book Jacket
This series is an English one, originally published as The Wardstone Chronicles. It's written for older tweens/young teens. After reading book one I think it's safe to say that so far it doesn't hold a candle to the Australian apprentice series written for that same age group--the Ranger's Apprentice. That series sucks you in from the get go, adults included.
The back of the dust jacket of this book says, "WARNING: NOT TO BE READ AFTER DARK. Especially page 148." So...I was expecting something really scary on page 148, but nadda. There were a few other parts that were definitely scary after page 148 however, and by the middle (or just past middle) of the book I started to get drawn in to the story. Thomas and the Spook are a lot like Will and Halt from R.A. only much less developed. There is definite potential here though. There are some intriguing things about Thomas's mom, the Spook's past, and a hint of a prophecy about Thomas that interest me enough to keep reading the series and I hope the next books have more depth to them. If you're looking for a fantasy series and you haven't read Ranger's Apprentice you should absolutely read that one first. Book 10 comes out in April!
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