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A New Darkness

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The first book in a chilling new trilogy from the author of the internationally bestselling Last Apprentice series! Tom Ward is an apprentice no longer—he is a full-fledged spook battling boggarts, witches, and other creatures of the dark. A New Darkness is the first in a three-book arc that introduces brand-new readers to Joseph Delaney's haunting world.

Tom Ward is the Spook, the one person who can defend the county from bloodthirsty creatures of the dark. But he's only seventeen, and his apprenticeship was cut short when his master died in battle. No one trusts Tom's skill, not until he's proven himself. And a fifteen-year-old girl named Jenny knows more about the three mysterious deaths in the county than Tom does. She is a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and she wants to be Tom's first apprentice—even though a female spook is unheard of. Together, Tom and Jenny will uncover the grave danger heading straight toward the county, and they'll team up with a witch assassin to confront it.

A New Darkness begins a three-book arc that will introduce new readers to Joseph Delaney's deliciously scary imagination, and electrify his longtime fans. A New Darkness is perfect for every reader who loves thrills, chills, action, and adventure—no prior knowledge of The Last Apprentice series is necessary!

The Last Apprentice series, the first internationally bestselling series about Tom Ward, is now a major motion picture, Seventh Son, starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Olivia Williams, Antje Traue, Djimon Hounsou, and Julianne Moore as Mother Malkin.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 28, 2014
      Delaney launches a trilogy that picks up after the events chronicled in his Last Apprentice series. With his mentor dead, 17-year-old Tom Ward has become the new Chipenden Spook, despite his incomplete training and young age, and as such he must contend with “ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, witches, and all manner of things that go bump in the night.” He’s joined by 15-year-old Jenny, who claims to be the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and who wants to be his new apprentice. While Jenny’s training begins, the two run afoul of a new threat, as the dreaded Kobalos finally make their long-awaited move into the County. Tom, Jenny, and the witch-assassin Grimalkin embark on a desperate gambit to learn more about their mysterious enemy, undertaking a perilous journey that may prove fatal. Delaney makes it easy for new readers to enter the off-kilter alternate England he’s created, one fleshed out by dark magic and strange creatures. The story drags a little in places, but it’s still a solid, suspenseful, and spooky adventure with a fiendish cliffhanger. Ages 13–up.

    • School Library Journal

      August 1, 2014

      Gr 8 Up-The tale of Tom Ward from "The Last Apprentice" series (HarperCollins) continues. At 17, Tom is no longer an apprentice, but the Chipenden Spook after the death of his master. As a Spook, Tom's job is to protect his territory from ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, witches, and any other beasties that threaten the villagers. Reluctantly, he takes on his own apprentice, a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, named Jenny. Jenny and Tom encounter a formidable new threat, the Kobalos. The Spook calls on his alliance with the witch, Grimalkin. Together, the three travel north to watch the spectacle of Kauspetnd, a deadly Kobalos assassin who has been challenging human champions to a fight to the death and always wins. The trio hopes to find out more about the Kobalos, but little does Tom know that Grimalkin has a much bigger plan. A plethora of action involving ghastly creatures, sword fights, and magic coupled with just enough backstory and description make this novel engaging enough to keep even the most reluctant reader turning pages until the end. Tom's story has a doozy of a cliff-hanger that is sure to bring teens back for more. Delaney fans and new readers are sure to enjoy this first book of a planned trilogy.-Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT

      Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2015
      The first in an unillustrated follow-up trilogy to the Last Apprentice series shows Tom taking over the late Spook's work. The narration alternates between Tom's voice and his would-be apprentice Jenny's; Tom resists the idea of a female Spook. Last Apprentice fans will find the same creepy imagery and a few surprises, and the backstory is clear enough for new readers.

      (Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • Booklist

      September 1, 2014
      Grades 8-11 After the conclusion of the Last Apprentice series, Tom Ward became the spook of Chipenden, and now he spends his days helping ghosts, capturing witches, and defeating dangerous boggarts in the county. It's a lonely life, so when spritely Jennythe seventh daughter of a seventh daughterpersistently asks Tom to take her on as an apprentice, he agrees, even though there has never been a girl spook before. She proves particularly helpful when they investigate a series of murders and discover a kobalos, a dangerous, powerful creature from a race bent on conquering humans. Together with the witch Grimalkin, Tom and Jenny set out to the far north to learn about the kobalos' impending invasion. Delaney's matter-of-fact narrative, alternating between Jenny's and Tom's perspectives, starts slow, but horrific scenes of grotesque monsters and the threat of danger gradually seep through and heighten the tension all the way up to the cliff-hanger ending. Fans of the Last Apprentice series will be happy to see Tom at work again, but there's enough background that new readers will have no trouble jumping in. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Delaney's acclaimed Last Apprentice series made it on to the New York Times best-seller list, and those fans will likely be eager to read the continuation of the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

    • Kirkus

      August 1, 2014
      Newly minted spook Tom Ward takes on a surprising new apprentice and investigates a gathering storm in the first installment in this Last Apprentice sequel series. A mysterious evil is abducting and slaughtering residents of Chipenden. Tom is joined by Jenny, a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter who dreams of becoming a spook and wields some unique powers of her own. The witch assassin Grimalkin returns, and the trio investigates the assailant and the dark purpose it serves. Filling his tale to the brim with creepy creatures and cultural exposition, Delaney does his best to establish this new series as a newb-friendly continuation of the Last Apprentice universe. He succeeds, but the deep dive into back story gets in the way of the action at times. The narrative moves forward in fits and starts, constantly interrupted by awkward paragraphs explaining who relates to whom and what the history between them is. Fans may enjoy the shoutouts, but new readers will just want to get on with the exploits at hand. The adventure itself is serviceable, but it feels like a long preamble for bigger things to come. To make matters worse, a smart, shocking narrative decision late in the book is undercut by the novel's final sentence, a pivot that may well provoke groans rather than curiosity. Promising but questionably formed. (Grimalkin's notes, glossary) (Fantasy. 10-14)

      COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.9
  • Lexile® Measure:770
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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