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The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #11
Spook's: Slither's Tale
My name is Slither, and before my tale is finished, you'll find out why . . .
Slither is not human. Far from the Spook-protected County, he preys upon humans, sneaking into their homes to gorge upon their blood while they sleep.
When a local farmer dies, it's only natural that Slither should want to feast on his lovely daughters. But the farmer has offered him a trade: in return for taking the younger girls to safety, Slither can have the eldest daughter, Nessa, to do with as he wishes . . .
Slither's promise takes him and Nessa on a treacherous journey where enemies await at every turn. Enemies that include Grimalkin, the terrifying witch assassin, still searching for a way to destroy the Fiend for good.
Slither is not human. Far from the Spook-protected County, he preys upon humans, sneaking into their homes to gorge upon their blood while they sleep.
When a local farmer dies, it's only natural that Slither should want to feast on his lovely daughters. But the farmer has offered him a trade: in return for taking the younger girls to safety, Slither can have the eldest daughter, Nessa, to do with as he wishes . . .
Slither's promise takes him and Nessa on a treacherous journey where enemies await at every turn. Enemies that include Grimalkin, the terrifying witch assassin, still searching for a way to destroy the Fiend for good.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
178 people are currently reading
6481 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Delaney
59 books3,981 followersJoseph Delaney was a full time writer living in Lancashire, in the heart of Boggart territory.
He was the author of Wardstone Chronicles, Starblade Chronicles, Arena 13, Aberrations and a new book came out in April 2020, Brother Wulf. This is a new spooks story featuring Tom and Alice, but introducing a new character, a young monk called Brother Wulf.
He first got the idea for the Spooks series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continued to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire's varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire.
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time.
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph described his method of writing as a process of discovery. He didn’t plot too far ahead and often didn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he made it up as he went along. He prefed writing dialogue to description, in which he said he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
Joseph had three children and nine grandchildren and was a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
www.josephdelaneyauthor.com
from publisher's website
He was the author of Wardstone Chronicles, Starblade Chronicles, Arena 13, Aberrations and a new book came out in April 2020, Brother Wulf. This is a new spooks story featuring Tom and Alice, but introducing a new character, a young monk called Brother Wulf.
He first got the idea for the Spooks series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continued to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire's varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire.
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time.
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph described his method of writing as a process of discovery. He didn’t plot too far ahead and often didn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he made it up as he went along. He prefed writing dialogue to description, in which he said he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
Joseph had three children and nine grandchildren and was a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.
www.josephdelaneyauthor.com
from publisher's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
November 30, 2025
" 'Nessa,' the beast growled. 'Open the door and let me in.' "Nessa and her two sisters live in the haizda of a kobolos mage (Slither). Meaning they (unwittingly) live in the territory of a creature of the dark and are subject to his ruling.
Their father (Old Rowler) is aware and does his best to keep them safe, and while Slither is as honorable as kobolos mages can be...their father is always wary.
" 'How are your three daughters keeping? I hope they're well,' I asked, opening my mouth a little wider.
The candle began to dance and shake in Old Rowler's hands..."
When their father is lost, the three sisters must turn to other means of protection. Right before he dies, he strikes one last bargain. In exchange for Nessa, Slither must deliver the other girls to a their aunt and uncle's home.
This works well for Slither, especially given the rules of his people dictate that the must bring in one human slave every forty years and his was due soon.
Nessa understands her position, Slither understands his duty...and yet he finds himself oddly charmed by the girl. Not by her looks (she is quite ugly by his people's standards) but by her fierce protectiveness, her inner strength but alas, he must follow the rules...or does he?
Honestly, this was my favorite of the Last Apprentice series (not counting the Revenge of the Witch because the first book of a series is always top notch).
I might be a weird one but I'm a fan of random spin-off novels in the middle of series. This one had almost nothing to do with the main plot but the characters were interesting (and quite unique) which was enjoyable for me.
The culture of the Kobolos tribe was horrifying and fascinating, terrible and intriguing. I really enjoyed the world-building and I am curious how it will affect the rest of the series.
I liked the brief appearance of old friends (hello Grimalkin!) and overall, I would definitely recommend this book!
Audiobook Comments
Read jointly by Christopher Evan Welch and Angela Goethals. I would've preferred for just Welch to narrate (after all, he's done the previous 10 books) but I get why they used two (changing perspectives and all).
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March 3, 2017
Duze vreme nisam citao ovaj serijal tako da priznajem da sam mozda malo zardjao po pitanju radnje ili likova ali...
Ova knjiga nema nikakva prava da bude deo glavnog serijala vec bi trebala biti side prica. Od glavnih likova nema nikoga tako da se osnovna prica skoro uopste ne razradjuje a i sama kolicina price je dosta manja za ponudjeni broj strana. Da je bilo oko 100 do 150 strana bilo bi daleko bolje. Atmosfera je ipak odlicna i pocetka je dosta zabavan i ume da uvuce ali poslednja trecina je daleko dosadnije i prosto upropasti dobar pocetak.
Sve u svemu rekao bih da se ovo moze mirno preskociti. Steta.
Ova knjiga nema nikakva prava da bude deo glavnog serijala vec bi trebala biti side prica. Od glavnih likova nema nikoga tako da se osnovna prica skoro uopste ne razradjuje a i sama kolicina price je dosta manja za ponudjeni broj strana. Da je bilo oko 100 do 150 strana bilo bi daleko bolje. Atmosfera je ipak odlicna i pocetka je dosta zabavan i ume da uvuce ali poslednja trecina je daleko dosadnije i prosto upropasti dobar pocetak.
Sve u svemu rekao bih da se ovo moze mirno preskociti. Steta.
October 15, 2012
You rule Grimalkin!!
I bow down to your greatness! :P
I bow down to your greatness! :P
March 22, 2015
I have a theory that Delaney decided that, much like the 'Series of Unfortunate Events', he wanted his series to have 13 books. And like that other series, this has lead to a bunch of filler books.
This is most definitely one of those books.
It introduces a whole society of new creatures unheard of before in the series, and it takes place somewhere North of the County. I imagine that these will become relevant to the series later on - but it seems a bit late in the game to be adding a new shtick since there are only two books left.
There is one familiar face in this book, and she arrives more than halfway through the story. I also imagine that will also become relevant.
But, aside from its not really moving the main story forward much, if at all - how does it stand on its own?
Well, in the beginning I thought it had some promise. The prologue was creepy, and there were some scary-ish moments within the first 100 pages.
But, after that, things slowed down and I started losing interest at some point. I just didn't really care all that much about the people or situations, especially since I pretty much knew
Overall, I just didn't feel like there was enough meat for a full story. It would've been better served as a short story, or novella at most.
And though I can't say with absolute certainty, not having read the last two books, just from what I gathered from this book I feel like it could probably be skipped and not much would be lost from the continuity of the series. My opinion on that may change, of course, after I read the last two books.
This is most definitely one of those books.
It introduces a whole society of new creatures unheard of before in the series, and it takes place somewhere North of the County. I imagine that these will become relevant to the series later on - but it seems a bit late in the game to be adding a new shtick since there are only two books left.
There is one familiar face in this book, and she arrives more than halfway through the story. I also imagine that will also become relevant.
But, aside from its not really moving the main story forward much, if at all - how does it stand on its own?
Well, in the beginning I thought it had some promise. The prologue was creepy, and there were some scary-ish moments within the first 100 pages.
But, after that, things slowed down and I started losing interest at some point. I just didn't really care all that much about the people or situations, especially since I pretty much knew
Overall, I just didn't feel like there was enough meat for a full story. It would've been better served as a short story, or novella at most.
And though I can't say with absolute certainty, not having read the last two books, just from what I gathered from this book I feel like it could probably be skipped and not much would be lost from the continuity of the series. My opinion on that may change, of course, after I read the last two books.
May 15, 2018
6.5/10
Having not read any in this series for some time it didn’t overly bother me that this story did nothing to progress the overall arc and get us nearer the finish line. There are a few links but not many to warrant this as a full link to the series and not number 10.5 in the series.
But getting past that it was what this series normally offers; a fun romp with plenty going on and intriguing characters in an interesting setting. I enjoy this series and wanted to finish it up so decided to read the last 3 quickly and this whetted my appetite for that. If anything it might have worked better for me not jumping straight back into the main plot.
This one needs to be approached with some trepidation but if taken at face value it’s not a bad read. Bring on the next few!
Having not read any in this series for some time it didn’t overly bother me that this story did nothing to progress the overall arc and get us nearer the finish line. There are a few links but not many to warrant this as a full link to the series and not number 10.5 in the series.
But getting past that it was what this series normally offers; a fun romp with plenty going on and intriguing characters in an interesting setting. I enjoy this series and wanted to finish it up so decided to read the last 3 quickly and this whetted my appetite for that. If anything it might have worked better for me not jumping straight back into the main plot.
This one needs to be approached with some trepidation but if taken at face value it’s not a bad read. Bring on the next few!
October 21, 2017
Grimalkin rămâne personajul meu preferat; villain, antierou, vrăjitoare și asasină, dar Slither nu este un adversar ușor de ignorat, iar alianța lor face deliciul romanului. Chiar dacă Tom, Alice și Vraciul lipsesc, „Povestea lui Slither” se potrivește perfect în seria „Cronicile din Wardstone”: un volum întunecat și incredibil de alert, ce ne pregătește pentru alt război, unul între zei și o nouă clasă de ființe supranaturale, mai puternice și mai periculoase ca vrăjitoarele din Pendle.
May 27, 2020
Having no other experience with the Spook's universe, The Slither's Tale was easily read, with few things that needed further explanation. The story is enjoyable and, as it is for kids, the horror part was milde. The writing was simple and entertaining as well.
May 1, 2013
Good lord, this was painful to read. A stand-alone story that barely advances the overall plot, similar to Grimalkin the Witch Assassin. Awfully gory at times, and I *like* gore. The Last Apprentice Series seems to be stretching things out these days, which is a shame because the first few books were amazing.
April 11, 2017
Wardstone Chronicles Book 11
*Spook's: Slither's Tale*
Here, Delaney makes another attempt to narrate the story through the eyes of another character and I would say that he's a lot more successful to entertain me than his previous attempt to do so. Here, the tale is told by the Kobolos Mage, namely Slither, who belongs to the race of Kobolos, a city at the far North, away from the county. The narrators keep fluctuating i.e Sliter and Nessa, a young girl of 17(Human? Yes!) Making another record, Jospeh Delaney ventures into another unexplored areas, but this time far far away from the County. The atmosphere, the people and the traditions are completely different but still appeasing. The story goes quite slow in the beginning and doesn't attract you, mainly because the new characters seems very distant because the story doesn't really fit into the Wardstone Chronicles, but rather as a prequel to the Starblade Chronicles (Which is the direct successor of Wardstone Chronicles. A lot of new things, creatures, magical powers and cowardly humans make appearances in the book. The major characters are Nessa, Slither, Byrony, Susan, City of Valkarky (I thought it was Valkyrie) and also the recurring and the most favorite character from the series, Grimalkin! Yes, she does make an appearance at 75% of the book. As I said, the beginning of the book is not very attractive, but as it progresses we get to understand the traits of the characters, and get to know more about them, the new beasts and the indulging plot adds a magical effect. Even the curiosity to know about the new traditions and culture attracts you later and event he pace of the story increases. The first 20% of the book is extremely dull but it catches up on later. There's comparatively less bloodshed than previous books, but still it is notable especially, the torcher and the maiming. Even a new dialect, on the Kobolos Slang words are used frequently, from time to time, by the residents of Valkarky. The real fun begins with Grimalkin's entry and then the book is full of surprises, things you can't imagine. Grimalkin may be dark and hostile towards others, but she is always fun (Except, in 'I Am Grimalkin') Nessa, Byrony and Susan are given a lot of importance in the book and provide the readers a lot of emotional melodrama like never before. Nessa is the most prominent among three. She starts to become more responsible, mature and strong as she stays with Slither, a lot of reference is made to 'blood', it may seem for a moment that you are reading a vampire novel but you are not. I especially love the actions scenes, the fight with the Hyb warrior (Great Illutstration), the undefeated Kobolos, the Three headed creature, interaction between Grimalkin and Slither, the Nunc War, ad the descriptive city of Valkarky. The end changed completely, thanks to Grimalkin. We see at least one novel from the Wardstone chronicles with a happy ending (at the cost of Susan's life) ! I would not recommend this book to those who want to quickly finish the Wardstone Series, but if you are gonna start with the Starblade Series, you just cannot miss this book. It is like a prequel to it, but set into the story of Wardstone Series. A very well planned, descriptive, innovative, adventurous, enjoyable book. But the beginning could be a lot better! Nice Reading!! 😋😇
*Spook's: Slither's Tale*
Here, Delaney makes another attempt to narrate the story through the eyes of another character and I would say that he's a lot more successful to entertain me than his previous attempt to do so. Here, the tale is told by the Kobolos Mage, namely Slither, who belongs to the race of Kobolos, a city at the far North, away from the county. The narrators keep fluctuating i.e Sliter and Nessa, a young girl of 17(Human? Yes!) Making another record, Jospeh Delaney ventures into another unexplored areas, but this time far far away from the County. The atmosphere, the people and the traditions are completely different but still appeasing. The story goes quite slow in the beginning and doesn't attract you, mainly because the new characters seems very distant because the story doesn't really fit into the Wardstone Chronicles, but rather as a prequel to the Starblade Chronicles (Which is the direct successor of Wardstone Chronicles. A lot of new things, creatures, magical powers and cowardly humans make appearances in the book. The major characters are Nessa, Slither, Byrony, Susan, City of Valkarky (I thought it was Valkyrie) and also the recurring and the most favorite character from the series, Grimalkin! Yes, she does make an appearance at 75% of the book. As I said, the beginning of the book is not very attractive, but as it progresses we get to understand the traits of the characters, and get to know more about them, the new beasts and the indulging plot adds a magical effect. Even the curiosity to know about the new traditions and culture attracts you later and event he pace of the story increases. The first 20% of the book is extremely dull but it catches up on later. There's comparatively less bloodshed than previous books, but still it is notable especially, the torcher and the maiming. Even a new dialect, on the Kobolos Slang words are used frequently, from time to time, by the residents of Valkarky. The real fun begins with Grimalkin's entry and then the book is full of surprises, things you can't imagine. Grimalkin may be dark and hostile towards others, but she is always fun (Except, in 'I Am Grimalkin') Nessa, Byrony and Susan are given a lot of importance in the book and provide the readers a lot of emotional melodrama like never before. Nessa is the most prominent among three. She starts to become more responsible, mature and strong as she stays with Slither, a lot of reference is made to 'blood', it may seem for a moment that you are reading a vampire novel but you are not. I especially love the actions scenes, the fight with the Hyb warrior (Great Illutstration), the undefeated Kobolos, the Three headed creature, interaction between Grimalkin and Slither, the Nunc War, ad the descriptive city of Valkarky. The end changed completely, thanks to Grimalkin. We see at least one novel from the Wardstone chronicles with a happy ending (at the cost of Susan's life) ! I would not recommend this book to those who want to quickly finish the Wardstone Series, but if you are gonna start with the Starblade Series, you just cannot miss this book. It is like a prequel to it, but set into the story of Wardstone Series. A very well planned, descriptive, innovative, adventurous, enjoyable book. But the beginning could be a lot better! Nice Reading!! 😋😇
October 15, 2012
Another great dark tale brilliantly told and once again Grimalkin proved that she absolutely rocks!
Because of things Grimalkin said in this book I'm wondering if there will be more books with Tom after they defeated the Fiend or a spinoff with Grimalkin as main character.
Because of things Grimalkin said in this book I'm wondering if there will be more books with Tom after they defeated the Fiend or a spinoff with Grimalkin as main character.
January 2, 2015
Reviewed first at Brunner's Bookshelf
I took a little break from this series but I'm ready to finish and find out what happens to Tom, Alice, and the Spook. This is listed as the 11th book in the series but really it doesn't fit in the story line. Like the 9th book, Grimalkin the Witch Assassin, this is a stand alone story. It almost seems like the this was a different project that was rolled into the series to draw it out a bit. This story has very little to do with Tom and his quest. It takes place in a different realm where they have never heard of Spooks.
This book is about a creature who lives off the blood of others and makes a deal with a local farmer. He will leave the farmer and his family alone if he will allow Slither to feed from the animals from time to time. Something happens tot he farmer and we learn that as long as Slither gets his two youngest daughters to safety then he can have the oldest.
There are a few references to Spooks and we have a pop in from one of the bigger characters to help move the story along. This was an ok book but I have to admit that I was glad to finish this one. I kept going because I wanted to know how this book ties in only to find it really doesn't. The story is kind of slow and most of this is a repeat of the plot line over and over.
I'm kind of torn as to how to rate this book. There were some parts that held my attention, but overall I felt let down. I was anxious for this book to be over so I could get back to Tom and the Spook. I need to know how Tom will defeat the Fiend and if Alice can remain in control of her own powers. The prophecy that has been set in this series raises some interesting questions and this book just made me aggravated that I wasn't getting a step closer to the answers I'm looking for.
I had trouble trying to decide just how I was going to rate this book. I kept teetering on the fence between a 3 and a 2 star rating. The more I think about this book the more aggravated I am getting by the whole thing so I have decided this only a 2 out of 5 star read. If you are not as crazy and stubborn as I am I would suggest just skipping this book in the series. At this moment I don't see the purpose for this one. Maybe something will be revealed in the final two books that will make this one seem more important but I can 't see it. I don't mean to be harsh on this because the series is great and I have really liked the writing. Delaney is a great writer and his style is very well done, I just didn't care for this book. Even the Grimalkin book which felt like a deviation from the series was enjoyable. This fell flat for me.
I took a little break from this series but I'm ready to finish and find out what happens to Tom, Alice, and the Spook. This is listed as the 11th book in the series but really it doesn't fit in the story line. Like the 9th book, Grimalkin the Witch Assassin, this is a stand alone story. It almost seems like the this was a different project that was rolled into the series to draw it out a bit. This story has very little to do with Tom and his quest. It takes place in a different realm where they have never heard of Spooks.
This book is about a creature who lives off the blood of others and makes a deal with a local farmer. He will leave the farmer and his family alone if he will allow Slither to feed from the animals from time to time. Something happens tot he farmer and we learn that as long as Slither gets his two youngest daughters to safety then he can have the oldest.
There are a few references to Spooks and we have a pop in from one of the bigger characters to help move the story along. This was an ok book but I have to admit that I was glad to finish this one. I kept going because I wanted to know how this book ties in only to find it really doesn't. The story is kind of slow and most of this is a repeat of the plot line over and over.
I'm kind of torn as to how to rate this book. There were some parts that held my attention, but overall I felt let down. I was anxious for this book to be over so I could get back to Tom and the Spook. I need to know how Tom will defeat the Fiend and if Alice can remain in control of her own powers. The prophecy that has been set in this series raises some interesting questions and this book just made me aggravated that I wasn't getting a step closer to the answers I'm looking for.
I had trouble trying to decide just how I was going to rate this book. I kept teetering on the fence between a 3 and a 2 star rating. The more I think about this book the more aggravated I am getting by the whole thing so I have decided this only a 2 out of 5 star read. If you are not as crazy and stubborn as I am I would suggest just skipping this book in the series. At this moment I don't see the purpose for this one. Maybe something will be revealed in the final two books that will make this one seem more important but I can 't see it. I don't mean to be harsh on this because the series is great and I have really liked the writing. Delaney is a great writer and his style is very well done, I just didn't care for this book. Even the Grimalkin book which felt like a deviation from the series was enjoyable. This fell flat for me.
September 15, 2021
I found this a curious read but overall, was slightly disappointed because the main characters are missing from the storyline and the overall plot of this one has nothing to do with the overall plot of the series.
Essentially, this is the tale of a character named Slither. He's part of a race that is extremely misogynistic, bloodthirsty, violent and enslaves women (trigger warnings abound). I didn't enjoy this much for the first half of the book and while I found Slither a curious character, he ultimately proved himself lacking so I didn't enjoy him as a main character and that made the story harder to enjoy as well.
What pulled the rating up for me was the appearance of Grimalkin about halfway through. The moment she appeared, things began to look up and change. She's a favorite character of mine and the familiar face was very much welcomed. She completely salvaged this for me and the story became far more interesting and redeemable once she appeared. I also enjoyed the overall pacing of the story as it read incredibly quickly and I liked that.
Essentially, this is the tale of a character named Slither. He's part of a race that is extremely misogynistic, bloodthirsty, violent and enslaves women (trigger warnings abound). I didn't enjoy this much for the first half of the book and while I found Slither a curious character, he ultimately proved himself lacking so I didn't enjoy him as a main character and that made the story harder to enjoy as well.
What pulled the rating up for me was the appearance of Grimalkin about halfway through. The moment she appeared, things began to look up and change. She's a favorite character of mine and the familiar face was very much welcomed. She completely salvaged this for me and the story became far more interesting and redeemable once she appeared. I also enjoyed the overall pacing of the story as it read incredibly quickly and I liked that.
January 4, 2025
Am vrut sa rememorez the childhood nostalgia, si de asta am reluat Cronicile Wardstone cu volumul 11, unde ramasesem. Misto cartea, din universul acela, dar avand alte personaje bine gandite, la fel si denumirile creaturilor, sau cum a fost conturat personajul principal.
Actiunea a fost cam predictibila si o daduse in prea multe imagini vizuale macabre de ma luase greata la un moment dat (which is good i guess, but not for me). Dialogurile sunt cam in pom most of the time, dar am inteles care a fost intentia autorului.
Ce sa zic, astept sa vad ce se intampla in volumele urmatoare, unde actiunea revine la personajele principale ale seriei
Actiunea a fost cam predictibila si o daduse in prea multe imagini vizuale macabre de ma luase greata la un moment dat (which is good i guess, but not for me). Dialogurile sunt cam in pom most of the time, dar am inteles care a fost intentia autorului.
Ce sa zic, astept sa vad ce se intampla in volumele urmatoare, unde actiunea revine la personajele principale ale seriei
September 30, 2025
A little icky. Different, but good.
October 24, 2015
By the halfway point of Slither’s Tale I did think about stopping because I kept asking myself “Why are you reading this?” This book has next to no impact on the Wardstone Chronicles up until this point and I can’t see it being vital for the last two books in the series either. It is a filler book.
A good filler book but a filler book nonetheless and that’s why it’s so frustrating. Grimalkin makes an appearance at the end and there is a small reference to the mission but still Slither’s Tale really doesn’t have a lot to do with what I’ve been reading up to now.
The thing is that if I’d picked this up as another book by the same author I probably would have enjoyed it so much more. I liked the story, Slither is interesting and the dual narration was a good change but I read this book as part of Wardstone Chronicles, which it isn’t.
A good filler book but a filler book nonetheless and that’s why it’s so frustrating. Grimalkin makes an appearance at the end and there is a small reference to the mission but still Slither’s Tale really doesn’t have a lot to do with what I’ve been reading up to now.
The thing is that if I’d picked this up as another book by the same author I probably would have enjoyed it so much more. I liked the story, Slither is interesting and the dual narration was a good change but I read this book as part of Wardstone Chronicles, which it isn’t.
December 23, 2016
What a disappointment...
This book is told from Slither's (a Kobalos, whatever that is) point of view and occasionally from Nessa's. How are they linked to the rest of the characters of the series? Well, they aren't, but they eventually run into Grimalkin who has been captured by the Kobalos while recovering a star-stone which fell close to their city Valkarky.
Like in the last few books, the protagonist gets itself in serious trouble and with Grimalkin's help, triumphs over “invincible” enemies. Yawn. Wasn’t this series supposed to follow Tom Ward? There’s only one vague mention of him by Grimalkin since she will make him another weapon with the star-stone…
Overall, not a book I’ll reread anytime soon, if at all. What a waste of my time.
This book is told from Slither's (a Kobalos, whatever that is) point of view and occasionally from Nessa's. How are they linked to the rest of the characters of the series? Well, they aren't, but they eventually run into Grimalkin who has been captured by the Kobalos while recovering a star-stone which fell close to their city Valkarky.
Like in the last few books, the protagonist gets itself in serious trouble and with Grimalkin's help, triumphs over “invincible” enemies. Yawn. Wasn’t this series supposed to follow Tom Ward? There’s only one vague mention of him by Grimalkin since she will make him another weapon with the star-stone…
Overall, not a book I’ll reread anytime soon, if at all. What a waste of my time.
September 11, 2013
This is another book in Joseph Delaney's fantastic Last Apprentice series. It's dark fantasy. Really dark this time around.
I had a little trouble getting into this one, because we're introduced to new characters in a new place. It was highly original, but I really love the original cast of characters and so I was digging in my heels. Yet slowly Slither and Nessa started to grow on me. The creatures, magic, and characters are so wonderfully unusual. It did help when my favorite character in the series showed up. This book adds so many more dimensions to the grand over-arcing story of the series. I can't wait to read more!
I had a little trouble getting into this one, because we're introduced to new characters in a new place. It was highly original, but I really love the original cast of characters and so I was digging in my heels. Yet slowly Slither and Nessa started to grow on me. The creatures, magic, and characters are so wonderfully unusual. It did help when my favorite character in the series showed up. This book adds so many more dimensions to the grand over-arcing story of the series. I can't wait to read more!
March 16, 2017
Dis was definitely not my favorite. We are following some new characters. At least we got to see Grimalkin again, that was fun. Nessa was an okay character. Slinther was kind of funny. But the story inn it self was so boring. At least for me.
April 13, 2021
I'm so confused. I read the first 10 books in this series and knew beforehand that this one was essentially filler, having no relevance to the overall series plot. But still, I wasn't expecting a slaver protagonist and a brutal, sexist society of literal male monsters, neither of which face any real repercussions by the end. This was so weird to read and so at odds with the rest of this series.
February 16, 2024
2 stars is kind
Literally completely irrelevant and honestly didn’t ask for a side story, like could barely keep reading was kinda bored. Fingers crossed the next one is a bit better
Literally completely irrelevant and honestly didn’t ask for a side story, like could barely keep reading was kinda bored. Fingers crossed the next one is a bit better
May 2, 2013
Tension; check. Monsters; check. Assassins; check.
I keep scratching my head as to what makes me pick up these horror books over and over. I'm the person who sits through horror movies with her eyes closed. Who gave up on "It" by Stephen King because it scared the sneakers off her feet. The one who had nightmares after seeing, "Jurassic Park." The person who lifts a Goosebumps book and drops it making the excuse she'll read it another time. For someone who doesn't do well with violence and gore, why do I keep having these sugar-like cravings for Delaney?
The books are a quick read. They are entertaining; I plow through ink in eager anticipation of the many bizarre monsters. They ooze tension in life and death situations and the females tend to be strong characters. Or maybe there is some latent Viking blood in me that secretly enjoys these books or the toned down children's version of the horror genre is more manageable for my touchy horror disposition. Whatever the reason, I have read ten of these books and will probably continue to do so even though I wonder why.
This book could stand alone from the series and seems like it might have a purpose in the eventual showdown with the Fiend. The Spook is not in it; only the witch, Grimalkin. The protagonist is an unemotional rat-like vampire, Slither, who alternates chapters with the voice of a human teenager, Nessa, who is at his mercy. Slither makes a deal with a farmer that his three daughters will not be bothered by him sneaking in at night to suck their blood if the father leaves the oldest to him after he dies. Every 40 years, Slither's government requires citizens to give them a female slave and Slither wants Nessa for this purpose.
When the father dies, the three daughters leave the farm with Slither. He has promised the farmer, who has provided him with wine and livestock blood over the years, to bring two of the daughters to their aunt and uncle. Once they set out one disaster after another strikes, leaving the group in multiple life-or-death situations. When Nessa saves Slithers life more than once, he finds himself acting in ways that are not "normal" for his species usual stoic murdering mentality.
The writing is functional - can't say I've scribbled any beautiful passages in my reading journal. Slither is a cold-blooded killer that would normally be a villain in most stories. He is bent on trying to not show weakness or be emotional, but he finds it hard to fight his feelings when Nessa shows unconditional love toward her sisters and bravery in battle. He is the character that struggles internally; moreso than Nessa. Her voice doesn't get the same page-time as Slither's. Readers might find Slither a hard character to connect with emotionally, but I found him curious. There are some nice plot twists that I didn't see coming, but I read the book in warp-speed so I wasn't on detail-mode. (And my detail-mode is not impressive even when I slow down.) Hence, you might see the plot twists coming.
This series reminds me a bit of "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" by Michael Scott, in that what was originally intended to be a smaller series has been stretched into one that goes on and on. Many of the books are separate adventures with the same characters. Seems like it should have ended a long time ago, but hey, I'm still reading them. Whatever. Like I said, I find them entertaining.
Action; check. Villains; check. Head scratch; check. Smile; check.
I keep scratching my head as to what makes me pick up these horror books over and over. I'm the person who sits through horror movies with her eyes closed. Who gave up on "It" by Stephen King because it scared the sneakers off her feet. The one who had nightmares after seeing, "Jurassic Park." The person who lifts a Goosebumps book and drops it making the excuse she'll read it another time. For someone who doesn't do well with violence and gore, why do I keep having these sugar-like cravings for Delaney?
The books are a quick read. They are entertaining; I plow through ink in eager anticipation of the many bizarre monsters. They ooze tension in life and death situations and the females tend to be strong characters. Or maybe there is some latent Viking blood in me that secretly enjoys these books or the toned down children's version of the horror genre is more manageable for my touchy horror disposition. Whatever the reason, I have read ten of these books and will probably continue to do so even though I wonder why.
This book could stand alone from the series and seems like it might have a purpose in the eventual showdown with the Fiend. The Spook is not in it; only the witch, Grimalkin. The protagonist is an unemotional rat-like vampire, Slither, who alternates chapters with the voice of a human teenager, Nessa, who is at his mercy. Slither makes a deal with a farmer that his three daughters will not be bothered by him sneaking in at night to suck their blood if the father leaves the oldest to him after he dies. Every 40 years, Slither's government requires citizens to give them a female slave and Slither wants Nessa for this purpose.
When the father dies, the three daughters leave the farm with Slither. He has promised the farmer, who has provided him with wine and livestock blood over the years, to bring two of the daughters to their aunt and uncle. Once they set out one disaster after another strikes, leaving the group in multiple life-or-death situations. When Nessa saves Slithers life more than once, he finds himself acting in ways that are not "normal" for his species usual stoic murdering mentality.
The writing is functional - can't say I've scribbled any beautiful passages in my reading journal. Slither is a cold-blooded killer that would normally be a villain in most stories. He is bent on trying to not show weakness or be emotional, but he finds it hard to fight his feelings when Nessa shows unconditional love toward her sisters and bravery in battle. He is the character that struggles internally; moreso than Nessa. Her voice doesn't get the same page-time as Slither's. Readers might find Slither a hard character to connect with emotionally, but I found him curious. There are some nice plot twists that I didn't see coming, but I read the book in warp-speed so I wasn't on detail-mode. (And my detail-mode is not impressive even when I slow down.) Hence, you might see the plot twists coming.
This series reminds me a bit of "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" by Michael Scott, in that what was originally intended to be a smaller series has been stretched into one that goes on and on. Many of the books are separate adventures with the same characters. Seems like it should have ended a long time ago, but hey, I'm still reading them. Whatever. Like I said, I find them entertaining.
Action; check. Villains; check. Head scratch; check. Smile; check.
October 12, 2022
I really struggled to get through this one. The only relevance it has to the series is Grimalkin and the blades. I feel like it could be skipped completely without much of a loss - unless Slither and the Kobalos appear in the last books. Even then, I wonder if it could have been condensed into a chapter rather than an entire book..
The story itself is fine, I think if it was it’s own book and not included as part of the series then I would have liked it a lot more. I’m giving it a neutral rating because of that
Edit: this book is an important part of later books, specifically the three Starblade stories. While I stand by my original thought of this being a completely random addition to the series with no lead into it, I do recognize that this story helped give a lot more depth to what Tom, Alice, and Grimalkin go through later.
The story itself is fine, I think if it was it’s own book and not included as part of the series then I would have liked it a lot more. I’m giving it a neutral rating because of that
Edit: this book is an important part of later books, specifically the three Starblade stories. While I stand by my original thought of this being a completely random addition to the series with no lead into it, I do recognize that this story helped give a lot more depth to what Tom, Alice, and Grimalkin go through later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2017
I seriously hope we see more of Slither in this series, if not this book was just a filler.
It felt kinda like it, and like Delaney threw Grimalkin into it to make it seem like it was part of the main story.
But it wasn't.
As always it was well written, and while it took me some time to read it, that was because of life coming in the way, and not the book in itself.
The story was also interesting, but as I said, I don't see where this fits into the main plot, and that kind of annoyed me...
It felt kinda like it, and like Delaney threw Grimalkin into it to make it seem like it was part of the main story.
But it wasn't.
As always it was well written, and while it took me some time to read it, that was because of life coming in the way, and not the book in itself.
The story was also interesting, but as I said, I don't see where this fits into the main plot, and that kind of annoyed me...
July 6, 2016
Nothing at all to do with the Spook's Apprentice series, so I don't think it should have counted as book 11. Nice to have Grimalkin again though, although what the heck she's doing in this world I have no idea. (Is this whole book just a premise for Grimalkin getting the star stone? Really?)
Slither is a stand alone story that has nothing at all to do with spooks or witches, but I still enjoyed it. Now I'm off to pretend that book 12 is book 11.
Slither is a stand alone story that has nothing at all to do with spooks or witches, but I still enjoyed it. Now I'm off to pretend that book 12 is book 11.
April 3, 2021
I'm really trying hard to finish this series. I've read the first books so many times but never made it through because I start getting bored around book 7/8. This time I decided I just have to do it. I just have to make it through. I feel like I owe it to the series to at least finish out. (I will not be reading all those "extended series" books that are out.)
To be honest I actually enjoyed this one more than others in the latter half of the series. I liked that it had absolutely nothing to do with the Fiend. It was such a relief to not have to hear about Alice's sacrifice, and killing the Fiend, blah, blah, blah.
This book is about some random monster dude in some random part of the country that's apparently filled with monsters and apparently no one anywhere else knows about it. (That doesn't make any sense to me, but that's the story.) Slither is a mage monster and considers all the humans that live near him his "cattle" that he can sip blood from. He does it at night, he doesn't want them to die, of course, then where would he get blood?
Through some dealing with a man that dies (gored by a bull) Slither ends up traveling with three sisters. Two he promised to take to the aunt and uncle, and the other one he's taking to the slave market. Of course there is a little bonding between Slither and the oldest girl, Nessa. Not romantically, more like curiosity and a mutual desire to survive.
I was pleased when Grimalkin showed up. I love her. She's my favorite character in the series. She's such a badass.
The monster place really was evil and creepy. I guess in the next series they head back to take care of this nasty town. Like I said, I'm not planning on reading that series, but I'm a little tempted just to see more of Slither. Also, there is a last little poem or something in this book (I was listening to the audio) and it was pretty disturbing.
I've already finished Book 12 and I'm slowly making my way through Book 13. Only 4 hours left on the audiobook. It will be soooo nice to be done!
To be honest I actually enjoyed this one more than others in the latter half of the series. I liked that it had absolutely nothing to do with the Fiend. It was such a relief to not have to hear about Alice's sacrifice, and killing the Fiend, blah, blah, blah.
This book is about some random monster dude in some random part of the country that's apparently filled with monsters and apparently no one anywhere else knows about it. (That doesn't make any sense to me, but that's the story.) Slither is a mage monster and considers all the humans that live near him his "cattle" that he can sip blood from. He does it at night, he doesn't want them to die, of course, then where would he get blood?
Through some dealing with a man that dies (gored by a bull) Slither ends up traveling with three sisters. Two he promised to take to the aunt and uncle, and the other one he's taking to the slave market. Of course there is a little bonding between Slither and the oldest girl, Nessa. Not romantically, more like curiosity and a mutual desire to survive.
I was pleased when Grimalkin showed up. I love her. She's my favorite character in the series. She's such a badass.
The monster place really was evil and creepy. I guess in the next series they head back to take care of this nasty town. Like I said, I'm not planning on reading that series, but I'm a little tempted just to see more of Slither. Also, there is a last little poem or something in this book (I was listening to the audio) and it was pretty disturbing.
I've already finished Book 12 and I'm slowly making my way through Book 13. Only 4 hours left on the audiobook. It will be soooo nice to be done!
November 24, 2025
Slither is a bold detour in Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series, offering a fresh perspective by focusing on a creature who rarely gets center stage. Unlike most books in the series, this story doesn’t follow Thomas Ward but instead follows Slither, a bloodthirsty, ancient mage from a race that is not quite human. Slither is terrifying, but Delaney gives him depth — he’s bound by a promise and forced into a dangerous moral bargain with a dying farmer.
The farmer’s deal is grim: Slither will take the two younger daughters to safety, but in return, he claims the eldest, Nessa, for himself. What begins as a simple transaction spirals into a perilous journey, and the growing bond between Slither and Nessa is one of the book’s most interesting emotional lines. Grimalkin, the witch assassin, also appears, bringing additional tension as the threat of the Fiend looms in the background.
Delaney’s world-building is impressively expanded here. We’re taken far from the familiar County into the territory of Slither’s people — the Kobalos — whose culture and mythos feel richly imagined. The journey includes dangerous creatures (like assassin mages and grotesque monsters) and morally fraught alliances, which gives this installment an epic, almost folkloric quality.
That said, Slither isn’t flawless. For instance there are repetitive fight sequences and a narrative that becomes a little predictable once the monster-battling really kicks off. The gore is strong — Delaney doesn’t shy away from blood — which strengthens the horror but may not be for the faint-hearted.
Still, one of the book’s standout features is Slither’s internal conflict. He struggles with his nature and his growing attachment to Nessa, making him much more than a one-dimensional predator. His honor — a strange but powerful trait for someone who drinks blood — gives the story real moral weight.
Overall, Slither is a dark, imaginative, and emotionally charged addition to the series. It offers high-stakes action, richly developed world-building, and a monster who is scary yet strangely sympathetic. If you’re a fan of Delaney’s darker fantasy and don’t mind a very different kind of protagonist (and plenty of blood), this book is absolutely worth a read.
The farmer’s deal is grim: Slither will take the two younger daughters to safety, but in return, he claims the eldest, Nessa, for himself. What begins as a simple transaction spirals into a perilous journey, and the growing bond between Slither and Nessa is one of the book’s most interesting emotional lines. Grimalkin, the witch assassin, also appears, bringing additional tension as the threat of the Fiend looms in the background.
Delaney’s world-building is impressively expanded here. We’re taken far from the familiar County into the territory of Slither’s people — the Kobalos — whose culture and mythos feel richly imagined. The journey includes dangerous creatures (like assassin mages and grotesque monsters) and morally fraught alliances, which gives this installment an epic, almost folkloric quality.
That said, Slither isn’t flawless. For instance there are repetitive fight sequences and a narrative that becomes a little predictable once the monster-battling really kicks off. The gore is strong — Delaney doesn’t shy away from blood — which strengthens the horror but may not be for the faint-hearted.
Still, one of the book’s standout features is Slither’s internal conflict. He struggles with his nature and his growing attachment to Nessa, making him much more than a one-dimensional predator. His honor — a strange but powerful trait for someone who drinks blood — gives the story real moral weight.
Overall, Slither is a dark, imaginative, and emotionally charged addition to the series. It offers high-stakes action, richly developed world-building, and a monster who is scary yet strangely sympathetic. If you’re a fan of Delaney’s darker fantasy and don’t mind a very different kind of protagonist (and plenty of blood), this book is absolutely worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2017
The Last Apprentice Slither is a fictional book by Joseph Delaney. This book is by far a unique fictional book that includes many interesting characters. The main character is Nessa and her father dies. The nasty creature of the dark is named Slither and he agrees to try and take Nessa and her two little sisters to their relatives in the south. For this favor Nessa will be indebted to him. The adventure goes in and out of twists and curves. They run into a bunch of problems that thrill the reader and has enough suspense so that you’re always on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.
This book was really good but not pertinent to the overall story of the series. It curved away from the series and only connects in one way for a little bit yet it still was an exciting story by itself. It almost could be a stand alone book. My biggest complaint was that I didn’t really like how it took a while to get me hooked but once I read about them going into a dangerous tower and almost died I was hooked. I can make connections in the book in the real world because the world is really big and if you think you know everything then you’re wrong because there are so many things in the world to still learn. This book made me feel powerful because there was a main character in the book that was really powerful and could do anything. The theme in the book is that there is always something to learn and that you can never stop learning. In the book it said “there is still a lot to learn about the world”
This book was really good but not pertinent to the overall story of the series. It curved away from the series and only connects in one way for a little bit yet it still was an exciting story by itself. It almost could be a stand alone book. My biggest complaint was that I didn’t really like how it took a while to get me hooked but once I read about them going into a dangerous tower and almost died I was hooked. I can make connections in the book in the real world because the world is really big and if you think you know everything then you’re wrong because there are so many things in the world to still learn. This book made me feel powerful because there was a main character in the book that was really powerful and could do anything. The theme in the book is that there is always something to learn and that you can never stop learning. In the book it said “there is still a lot to learn about the world”
November 13, 2019
Wow, this was quite a departure to the other books in the Wardstone Chronicles series. I am still feeling so surprized that the protagonist is someone completely different and there was very few ties to the series as a whole. Add to that the continual reference to girls being chattel and , and that made this for a book that was hard to enjoy reading.
I'm still not quite sure what to make of this one, but in a way I'm glad that I quite recently finished the last book and am already ready to go on to the next one. If that wasn't the case, I might have DNF'd it and/or the series and at book 11 of 13 that's just...not something I like to do.
All that said, I'm really to get into book 12. Given the title, I think we are back to the main focus of the series. Fingers crossed.
I'm still not quite sure what to make of this one, but in a way I'm glad that I quite recently finished the last book and am already ready to go on to the next one. If that wasn't the case, I might have DNF'd it and/or the series and at book 11 of 13 that's just...not something I like to do.
All that said, I'm really to get into book 12. Given the title, I think we are back to the main focus of the series. Fingers crossed.
September 15, 2018
Better than the previous one "I am Grimalkin", the story-telling much more interesting. However, details of a very different world did render it a bit boring. Skipped through most of it. Read it just to maintain continuity till the last book.
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