The Last Task

Witch-in-Training #8

by Maeve Friel, Nathan Reed (Illustrator)

The eighth title in this magical series, fizzing with fun and excitement. Jess is off on a quest to find Dame Walpurga's stolen shoes. But to get them back, she must tackle a rude giant, trick a grumpy gnome and uncover a secret hidden deep underground… A sparkling new adventure about Jessica, the lively young witch-in-training.

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

I was born in Derry (Northern Ireland) where I went to Thornhill College and then studied sociology in University College Dublin. I have lived all over the place since then and have worked as a teacher, a translator, a secretary and a tour guide before taking up full time writing.

I wrote several short stories for adults which were broadcast by BBC Radio 4. Then I wrote Irrational Developments, a story inspired by the protests about water shortages in a small Spanish village. It was published in the Sunday Tribune and went on to win the 1990 Hennessy Literary Award. That encouraged me to keep writing.

Since then I have written 19 books for children of all ages as well as lots of short stories which appear in many anthologies. I live in Dublin and also have a hideaway in that same small Spanish village where I am surrounded by orange orchards.

Reviews

[Mary Mav · Rating 3 out of 5]

An underwhelming conclusion to a childhood favourite witch series, which had a huge impact on me growing up and making me love witch stories.
the very ending though, that seems as the only natural conclusion (my favourites still remain 3 and 4, though I should perhaps ditch the nostalgia lens when rereading them)