ALA Booklist (Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2009)

The Last Apprentice series continues to be one of the best written of the last several years. Here, in the sixth entry, Tom, the Spook's apprentice, must face up to several things he'd rather not: his friend Alice being the daughter of the Devil, his mother returning to her feral roots, and the notion that sometimes you must form alliances with enemies. As in previous books, the writing is direct, and the plotting and characters, most not of the human variety, are smart and believable. Naturally, fans of the series are the best audience, but this is accessible even to those just jumping in.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Mysticism and mystery again intertwine with suspense as witch, witch assassin, and everyone in between fight the same enemy. Delaney sheds light on the past, bringing present loyalties into question; fans will share Tom's shock at this volume's events and revelations. The high-stakes battle is as grim as Arrasmith's atmospheric black-and-white illustrations portend, setting up a dangerous challenge for the series' protagonist.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Tom Ward is overjoyed to learn that his mother, who has been battling the Dark in Greece, is returning to the County to see him. Tom soon learns, however, that his mother's visit is no holiday; she is there to ask him, his master John Gregory, and an alliance of the Pendle witches to return with her to Greece to fight the Ordeen, an old god whose presence could herald a universal turn toward the dark. Delaney gathers many characters readers have met along the way in The Last Apprentice series, including Alice Deane, Tom's friend and daughter of the devil himself, and Grimalkin, the witch assassin. The narrative drags in places, and even the climactic scene of the defeat of the Ordeen is rather lackluster. But what is most interesting here is the dynamic that Delaney establishes between light and dark. Can Tom defeat the forces of darkness using dark powers given to him by the women who fight beside him? The growing conflict between Tom (who trusts Alice and his Mam, believing that if their methods are not always purely of the light, their intentions certainly are) and Gregory (who fears any help from the dark will damage Tom beyond repair) hints at things to come. In the end, Tom is given a choice between sacrificing his soul or allowing darkness to enter the world. His moral dilemma will leave readers wondering what they would have done in Tom's shoes as they eagerly await the next installment.ùVikki Terrile.