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Она не ведает страха, верит в себя и никогда не сдается. Она ведьма, использующая черную магию, и искусный убийца, но ее поступками руководит кодекс чести… Она Грималкин. Заключив временный союз с Ведьмаком и его учеником Томом Уордом, она помогла им пленить самого дьявола, и теперь находится в бегах. Ее миссия смертельно опасна. Чтобы Враг рода человеческого оставался в заточении, Грималкин должна охранять его отрубленную голову. Неважно, сколько прислужников дьявола попробуют освободить своего повелителя – Грималкин готова к схватке с каждым из них!

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

219 people are currently reading
6426 people want to read

About the author

Joseph Delaney

59 books3,981 followers
Joseph 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

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 492 reviews
Profile Image for Miranda Reads.
1,760 reviews165k followers
November 30, 2025
"I have become the mother of death."

Grimalkin is the deadliest witch assassin that walked the earth and she's set her eyes on the Fiend. It's personal. And she will stop at nothing to defeat the dark creature.

"I have looked into the darkness,
into the greatest darkness of all,
and now I fear nothing."

But she can't fight him alone - she must rely on her alliance with the Spook's Apprentice (Tom Ward).

"I also have a code of honor, but it is flexible."

While Tom is trying to find a way to permanently defeat the Fiend, she must be on the run. Constantly. Because she holds the head of the fiend in a thorny sack.

She must keep the head out of the hands of the Fiend's worshippers but running for day after day after day is wearing on her. And the witches seems to have concocted an dark creature that is perfectly designed to hunt down Grimalkin.

But, as long as she keeps one in front of another, she has a chance.

"Each day say to yourself that you are the best, the strongest, and the most deadly. Eventually you will start to believe it. Finally it will come true. It came true for me. I am Grimalkin."

This is the first time we get a book from a different character's perspective and I thought it was pretty decent.

Grimalkin is one of my favorite characters so I appreciated the opportunity to really delve into her life and her mind.

Part of me is starting to wonder if Delaney is dragging out this series a little bit - like he wants to get to thirteen books in the series...? But ultimately, I did enjoy the book!

Audiobook Comments
Read by Christopher Evan Welch (as always). And this was fabulous to listen to (as always)

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Profile Image for Droy.
20 reviews17 followers
September 29, 2013
ahhh something fresh to help readers carry on with the series. im not saying i dislike Tom or the Spook, but Grimalkin is probably my favorite character in the series. in this addition to the series we get the story of Grimalkin on the run upon returning to the county from Ireland, straight from the mouth of Grimalkin herself! another nice addition is an update from Agnes and introduction of Thorne who will surely grow on you if you're also a fan of Grimalkin or the other Pendle witches. Best book up to this point!!
Profile Image for Clare.
261 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2011
Excellent, excellent book. While it was a bit awkward that this book is technically in a different series (The Spook's Series) than the main series that Delaney writes (Wardstone Chronicles if you are not in the US and The Last Apprentice if you are)--awkward because this book actually continues the last book in the series that he wrote but from the character Grimalkin's point of view.

And, wow. What a point of view. Grimalkin has been one of my favorite characters from the moment she was introduced. She is just such a complete bad a__. She is strong, courageous, never looks back and doesn't understand the quibbling about "dark and light" that the Spook worries about. She just goes about her business with her own internal moral code and gets things done. I'm not going to divulge any of the actual plot because it really would ruin things for you if you haven't read the book other than to say that no, this is not a book that is an "add on" book like the Bestiary or the "Witches" book that simply had back stories and supplementary data. This is actually in the stream of the current story arc and VERY relevant to what is going on after the Fiend was bound. Where we saw Grimalkin leave for the County in the Wardstone Chronicles/Last Apprentice book "I am Grimalkin" picks up with her travels with the Fiend's head as she is pursued by his followers while she tries to keep it safe so Tom can have time to find a way to banish him permanently.

As usual, it is written exceptionally well. Mr. Delaney has a very deft touch writing description. He doesn't use excessive words to describe things and often uses character's statements to set the scene, but you always get a very good feel for the setting without a lot of boring description.

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Amir hossein .M.
121 reviews6 followers
October 19, 2022
ترجیح بنده این هست که اگر به نسخه انگلیسی دسترسی دارید نسخه اصلی را بخوانید افق کتاب رو خلاصه و سانسور کرده که به شدت گنگ شده!!!
Profile Image for Marut.
91 reviews15 followers
June 20, 2019
While we are (including me), praising G.r.r. Martin for his wanton character brutality, Joseph Delaney is quietly writing these simple but brilliant books with no irrational twists, and that includes brutally killing off many well liked and well developed characters. This man is savage!
Profile Image for Tiffany Martin.
440 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2021
Grimalkin is one of my favorite witches, if not my favorite, and with this story, we get to journey alongside her as she attempts to keep the head of The Fiend out of the hands of those who want to return it to his body...

Sounds morbid but because The Fiend is the Devil, and he wants to cross over into the mortal realm, it is in everyone's best interests for Grimalkin to prevent that from happening. But, there are a lot of witches and a kretch (a half wolf hybrid beast) hot on her trail. Grimalkin's job is to keep the head away from those who want it back until Tom and Alice can find a way to destroy The Fiend, entirely, once and for all.

This was such a great next adventure in this series! Again, I love Grimalkin! She's so tough and with her sharpened teeth and many knives, she is one of the most fascinating characters. She is truly a huntress in every sense of the word. She's fierce, cunning and deadly. But she is also honorable and devoted to those she cares for.

I really liked her young witch friend, Thorne, and their history together...and how she was grooming Thorne to take her place as the next Witch Assassin (despite the fact that this isn't actually allowed). Because, like the Highlander, there can be "only one".

I also enjoyed getting a glimpse into Grimalkin's past and how she, herself, earned her own title as Witch Assassin. And, a few other stories from her past as she is attempting to outsmart and stay ahead of her enemies.

I can't wait to read the next one in this dark but truly fun middle grade series! If you like witches, magic, battles, creepy creatures, and adventure, this is the perfect series!

Profile Image for Heather.
1,911 reviews44 followers
May 21, 2012
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with this book. The Last Apprentice series is one of my favorites, but I think it is largely because I love the interplay between Tom and Old Gregory. Grimalkin made an interesting secondary character, but I wasn't interested in hearing her narration. Plus, the story was not terribly interesting to me. Here's the plot: Grimalkin runs around with the Fiend's head, making various stops or detours. And that's about it, although every so often we get a flashback or a story from the past. I did like that we got to meet Grimalkin's apprentice, and I had high hopes that the relationship between these two would spark my interest, but even that didn't win me back to the book. I thought it would have been more interesting to have the apprentice witch assassin tell the story, but then again, I guess that wouldn't work since That would make for an awkward transition! I own all of the rest of the books in the series, but I'm not planning to buy this one because I have no desire to reread it. Here's to hoping that book 10 takes us back to Tom, Alice, and the Spook and a more interesting story!
Profile Image for Jonathan  Terrington.
596 reviews605 followers
October 12, 2012

So...I was looking back at the books I'd read this year and to my surprise there was no review for this book. So of course I have to put this little snippet in here. This is the ninth book in the series and:

a) The witch assassin Grimalkin uses her dark magic a few times
b) She faces a foe she can't defeat despite all her incredible skill
c) She has some kind of an assassin apprentice
d) She teams up with the Spook and Tom to set a trap for The Fiend (yup they physically set up a trap for the devil himself)

Which all leads to the question: is this really a young adult book? Or is this an adult book targeted at younger people?

Either way it's great entertaining reading with lots of mythological creatures, deaths and three dimensional magical characters.
Profile Image for Ellis Hyman.
189 reviews16 followers
April 26, 2025
3.999999⭑

I enjoyed this one more than I thought! A nice interlude full of excitement and a deeper dive into one of the cooler characters of the series.
Profile Image for colleen the convivial curmudgeon.
1,370 reviews308 followers
October 21, 2013
If anyone's been following my progress on this series, they'll know that I really liked it in the beginning, but I've become more and more meh about it as the series has continued. For one, it's kinda of bugged me that Tom's voice and demeanor hasn't really changed, even though he's gone from 11 to 15. For another, I feel like a lot of the books are filler and the series, as a whole, feels needlessly prolonged. (I'm starting to think that the author was hellbent on having 13 books in the series, despite the story not really being enough to quite fill the time.)

So why continue?

Well, I'm determined, at this point, to see it through. It helps that there is an end in sight, so it's not one of those series that never seems like it will ever conclude. It also helps that they are pretty quick reads, even when I procrastinate with them - as I did with this book.

Anyway -

All that said, I was interested to read this installment because it's from Grimalkin's perspective instead of Tom's. We got a bit of this in one of the short story collections before, and I thought that a story from her perspective could reignite a bit of the old spark.

I was mistaken.

For one thing, this book definitely seems to fit in with the filler theory. I mean, not much happens throughout the story to progress the arc, as a whole, along. A few things here and there, maybe, but nothing that couldn't be fit into a regular story.

Also, I never really felt any real tension, especially towards the beginning. Things take a bit of a turn in the middle, and it seems like the stakes might be raised a bit, but then you ahve the thing, towards the end, where Alice

Ironically, if there's any longterm consequences in this book for the larger arc, it seems to belong more to Alice, who's only in the book briefly.


That aside -

The whole story is pretty much Grimalkin fleeing from those who are pursuing her after the events of the last book, she's put in a position where she has to turn and fight, she fights a bit to get to the point where she can flee again, and the pursuit begins again. This gnerally pattern is repeated several times through the story.

And, despite Grimalkin being one of my favorite characters usually, she just comes across as kind of dry here. It doesn't help that when she's telling stories of her past to Thorne, it feels very telly. (Well, the whole book does, really. "I did this. I thought that. I knew this.")

Speaking of Thorne, she was a pretty decent character, and it was nice to have her around.


Overall -

This could've been an interesting short story, but didn't have enough meat to flesh out a full length story.

Profile Image for Christine Rains.
Author 57 books245 followers
August 18, 2013
In this ninth book of the Last Apprentice series, Grimalkin is the narrator. A very different and intense protagonist compared to Thomas Ward. Grimalkin is my favorite character in the series, and I was ecstatic that one of the books featured her.

The witch assassin Grimalkin is on the run with the Fiend's head in a sack. Followers of the dark chase her, but she is no easy target. So her enemy must create a monster designed only for killing her. And they may well succeed. Grimalkin is brought to her knees. Will she survive her greatest challenge ever or lose the head and fail her sacred duty?

There isn't a dull moment in this story. Grimalkin is being chased throughout. The tension never drops. We also get to see sides of her character that were only hinted at before. I do love seeing her with her apprentice. Thorne is a remarkable girl. Again, in my review, I can't say much about the plot lest I give something away. So much happens! It's terrifying and glorious. I love this series.
Profile Image for Michelle Elizabeth.
773 reviews65 followers
April 12, 2017
3.75*

Let's get right down to it. I didn't like Grimalkin always referring to her "witchy eyes." It's a stupid complaint, but there it is.

Some have expressed disappointment over a male author writing female characters. I'm not sure why that is, at least in this case. Is it because she's tough and likes to fight? Well, first of all, that was her upbringing as a witch. Witches don't exactly run around in frilly dresses and pink ribbons. And where I live and grew up, I know/have known plenty tough-as-nails women: women who carry handguns, ride motorcycles, drive trucks, hunt, and have a vocabulary that could make a sailor blush. But they are WOMEN. If they protest because Grimalkin's attitude is pretty modern about what women are capable of, well, witches, ghosts, and boggarts, real ones, are not accurate to any time era, so I think we can excuse that, I think.

Third, if the Kretch healed and evolved every time it was injured, why didn't its creators turn it into a bloody pulp BEFORE setting it loose on Grimalkin? That is, if the Kretch had evolved to (almost) every injury possible beforehand, it could have taken down Grimalkin a lot sooner and easier.

I thought Thorne was pretty annoying too. She begged, time and again, for Grimalkin to tell tales from her life, then act out Grimalkin like a little kid pretending to be their favorite superhero; but she's in her mid-teens. This seemed at odds with her fighting skills, her mind seeming a bit childish, because she was supposedly a virtuoso assassin (for her age). This almost seemed like Thorn's story sometimes, too.

Mostly, this installment illustrates, more than any other, I think, just how hard it is to stay on the winning side when opposed by dark forces; but it's nice to spend time with Grimalkin, too. I think I would have liked it a LOT better if it was Grimalkin/Alice rather than Grimalkin/Thorne, because Thorne annoyed me, whereas I love Alice and Grimalkin.
Profile Image for Brad.
1,236 reviews
April 14, 2022
One of the better entries in the series--maybe because Grimalkin is one of the coolest characters in it? Entertaining and engaging, but not enough to pull someone through earlier stories if they're not into it, and probably pretty confusing if someone tried to read it as a standalone.

Enjoyed getting more of Grimalkin's history and more about why she is how she is. Also enjoyed watching the story from a more competent perspective than Tom's.

If the TBR pile wasn't so big, I'd be happy there's 4 more books to go. Given the status of Mount TBR, mostly just trying to push through to see how the overall arc ends.

Rating: PG-13 for action violence.

***SPOILERY THOUGHTS***
Profile Image for Jim.
197 reviews3 followers
Read
May 4, 2019
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/i-am-grimal...

There are times when it does become a little too “young adult”-ish for my taste – I took to rolling my eyes, every time I read another occurrence of “I am Grimalkin!” But credit Delaney for not attempting to shoehorn in any element of Twlight-esque romance. Because that would be utterly inappropriate for a character who can say, “Cowardice and courage are just labels—words invented by foolish men to bolster their egos and denigrate their enemies. In battle we should be cold, clinical, and disciplined.” While there was a movie version of the first novel (albeit one largely ignored, even by fans), this entry is probably close to unfilmable, simply because Grimalkin is pure, undiluted anti-hero, which is very difficult to make work on-screen. I’d like to see them try, yet amn’t holding my breath there. All told, I certainly enjoyed this one, yet am not sure if I’ll bother with the other, Grimalkin-free entries. It just wouldn’t be the same.
Profile Image for Drine Psylook.
1,302 reviews7 followers
October 12, 2021
Ce n’est pas un tome comme les autres, pour la simple et bonne raison que, cette fois, le narrateur n’est pas Tom Ward, mais la sorcière Grimalkin.
Si le fait de découvrir son récit m’a surprise au début (faut dire que je ne m’y attendais pas du tout), je savais dès les premières lignes que j’adorerais cette histoire. Et puis, c’est un personnage qu’on avait déjà rencontré et qui me plaisait bien : elle est loyal à sa ligne de conduite et j’apprécie énormément ça. Rajoutons qu’elle est la redoutable tueuse du clan Malkin, donc ça ne pouvait que swinguer.
Ma lecture a été palpitante. C’était dur de l’abandonner pour des obligations aussi triviales que manger ou dormir, et j’ai été frustrée tout le week-end de ne pas pouvoir lire.
Ce fut un coup de cœur pour ce neuvième tome et j’ai hâte de lire la suite.
https://psylook.kimengumi.fr/2021/10/...
Profile Image for Richesses_de_fantasy (Jen’).
100 reviews96 followers
May 22, 2021
Meilleur tome depuis le tome 1 à mon goût.
Très sympas de suivre un narrateur plus mature et affirmé que Tom.
Profile Image for Joseph Gagnon.
497 reviews22 followers
April 13, 2016


Chapter I: A Large Green Bitter Apple

It's been a few years since I've picked up a book from this series ... mostly, because I didn't have the money to buy the books. It's funny, now that I DO have the money, I've checked the book out from the library. Oh, how things go sometimes.

I am thankful that this first chapter recaps some of the key points in the last book ... at least the ones we'll need to know at the start of this story. I'm glad that we're getting this book from Grimalkin's perspective. She was one of my favorite anti-heroes from the series so far. I expect to blaze through this book. So far, so good.


Chapter II: An Unknown Threat

A kretch, eh? Interesting. Grimalkin's gotta run, run, run just as fast as she can. And not stop running until Tom and the Spook figure out a way to defeat the Fiend once and for all. I ... kinda doubt that is going to happen in this book. This book is mostly going to be Grimalkin running, I imagine. I expect Tom to defeat the Fiend in the final book. Including this book, that is five books away ... oh, and that doesn't include the Beastiary, so six. Haha.


Chapter III: You Are Bleeding

Uh oh. Grimalkin has already had to face the kretch a couple of times in this chapter, and things are not looking good for her. The best news comes ate the very end when we learn that she's been teaching another young witch to take her place one day. Thorne. This is exciting. I wonder if Thorne will become part of the rest of these stories, or if she'll be restricted to this book.

I do like this going back and forth in time thing. It's filling in all the gaps we have with Grimalkin while continuing the story. I can see why this is not listed as a separate book from the rest of the series. I had my concerns there over the change of voice, but not many. I love this character.


Chapter IV: Kill That Bear!

Okay, well, I love Thorne. I was afraid she was going to be too like Alice, but she's not. She's her own little monster. I kinda can't wait for the two of them to meet. That should be badass! I am so glad to be back in this strange magical world ... the Fiend is going DOWN! I'm not at all afraid for Grimalkin's life ... which probably means I should be.


Chapter V: Malkin Tower

I reaaaaaaally hope Grimalkin isn't dead. That would suck. Unless she continues in the story in some other capacity. She is my favorite character in the series by far. This chapter was neat, the whole spirit searching thing. And the Lamias ... that's an interesting development. I was wondering if things were going to come back around to the trunks that we had yet to fully explore. Hrm. HRMMMMMMM.


Chapter VI: The Lamia Gibbet

What are the lamias up to? Hrm. This makes me want to go back and reread the previous eight books. It's been so long, I am sure I am missing something. Then again, Delaney has a way of subverting my expectations, so maybe it's good that I don't remember everything clearly ... and I didn't write commentaries at the time, so I don't have those notes. Hrmmmmmmm.


Chapter VII: Promise Me

Just a bit of some back story in this chapter, and getting to know the lamias a bit more. They're in the tower. Everything seems copacetic ... which means shit is probably about to hit the fan. *grabs popcorn*


Chapter VIII: What Ails You, Agnes?

Ack, for crying out loud, not Agnes! Things aren't looking good for her, and the way things go in these stories, I have little hope for her to come out the same, if at all, from this encounter. Now there is a battle on ... another battle for Malkin Tower. The last one did nothing to keep the cast whole. *le sigh*


Chapter IX: Is She a Coward Too?

And there she goes. Agnes is gone ... and with her one of the lamias. Wynde. *sigh* This is a sad defeat. Her sister isn't going to take to this too well. This book is reminding me why I hated the movie so much. This world is so rich and vibrant, and they tore it to smithereens.


Chapter X: Her Spirit Lives On

HRM! So ... Lamia, Tom's mother ... her spirit lingers does it? Will they be reunited in some fashion? We're not even half-way through the book yet, and I can already feel Delaney beginning to toy with me!


Chapter XI: A Gift from Hell!

In which Grimalkin kicks ass and saves Will, the son of some wealthy dude. He's going to join the team, it seems. At least for the next chapter. Hrm ... hrmmmmmm.


Chapter XII: It Will Come True For Me

Hrm ... I don't like where this is going ... or where THEY are going ... if Will father is some kind of HOLY knight, this might be no bueno at all.


Chapter XIII: In the Company of Witches

I don't know if I like this knight fellow. He seems to be telling the truth, and not planning on harming Grimalkin or Thorne ... but who knows. Especially now that he has seen the head of the Fiend. He might be afraid, and think they are lying ... I dunno. I just don't like him. There's something ... off.


Chapter XIV: Attack

Yeah, there's no way this knight is actually going to help them. This is not good. This will not do! I MUST KEEP READING!


Chapter XV: A Fight to the Death

Hrm ... so the Knight IS going to help ... is helping ... is nearly dead from helping. Now I feel bad for misjudging him. Poor will. I hope he at least gets to say goodbye to his father. Probably not. *Sigh* Will they actually kill the kretch here? It feels like they should, but there's still quite a bit of book left. Hrm...


Chapter XVI: Must We Run Forever?

Ugh, I knew it had to be SOMETHING. With the Knight's death, their safety in the castle is no longer assured. Now they have to fight for their lives once again ... c'mon Tom, you've GOT to figure out how to defeat the Fiend so this endless running from those who would restore him can ... well, end. Lol. I was starting to sound fancy, and got distracted by myself. Silly--MORE READING!


Chapter XVII: It Brings Great Dishonor

That was close ... they were almost done for. Of course, that happens time and time again in these books. This priest deserves everything he is getting. Thorne's poor thumbs! I'm glad she still has them. I wonder if we ARE going to come back around to Tom and the Spook in this book. I hope so, if only at the end. Will has really turned around. He is really taking his father's death hard, and misunderstanding the situation. I guess it could be argued that they manipulated everyone ... *shrug*


Chapter XVIII: You're Just a Girl

A short pause in the proceedings to hear about how Grimalkin became the witch assassin. Her defeat of Kernolde, her predecessor. That was a fun little fight. A bit bloody. And the Fiend did not like the end of the tale at all. He's not going to like the end of the story I feel. Tom has a new series going where he is the spook ... he's bound to be successful in defeating him for good. Right?


Chapter XIX: Witch Dell

Huh, I was kinda expecting a fight with dead Kernolde ... not Needle. It was a fun fights none-the-less ... a bit prophetic. This may be Grimalkin's fate one day. Even Thorne's. And what a low thing to do ... burning the Dell. How disrespectful of all the living witches ... of course, to look at it from their perspective ... Grimalkin has the head of their god, and she is trying to destroy him. So, I guess, if it were me, I'd be doing whatever I could to get that head back as well.


Chapter XX: Grimalkin Does Not Cry

AAAAAAH! Why did Thorne have to DIE?! That is sooooo not cool. That's sad. I wanted her to meet Alice. I wanted there to be awesomeness ... and I spied Alice's name in the next chapter. This is the worst! So many sad feels right now.


Chapter XXI: My Only Remaining Ally

Okay, so I am excited to have Alice back for the rest of this tale ... but, yeah. I wish she could have met Thorne ... or, i don't know, they are vaguely similar ... I wonder if Thorne WAS Alice in an earlier draft, and for the dramatic effect, he created this new character so she could die ... and just have Alice step in right at the end here ... blaaaaah. It's not my favorite, all this. I hope this doesn't mean that Alice will be absent from the next book, off with Grimalkin. They BOTH better be in the next book, haha.


Chapter XXII: A Malevolent Witch

So we had Alice for two chapters. Now she's knocked out, and Grimalkin is going to wrap up this tale. The next few chapters are really short, so I think I'll read all that's left, and then commentate. Also, how fucking cool was that magic that Alice pulled off? She went a little far with it, perhaps ... and maybe there were other ways ... but holy crap!


Chapter XXIII: Oh, Mr. Wolf!/Chapter XXIV: The Hunt/Chapter XXV: A Sorry Sight Indeed

Sliced and diced the lot of them. They all got what they deserved. They asked for this fight, and Grimalkin delivered. Thanks in no small part to the magic borrowed from Alice.

I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed this book, but I can so tell it was just written to fill a gap. I feel like Delaney wanted 13 books in his series, and this feels like it's just taking a place to get the series to that number. It was a fun read, but I don't feel like it was essential to the overall plot of the series. It was also fun learning all this stuff about Grimalkin, but again, I don't think that makes it important enough to give it a number in the main series. Also, it's taking away from Tom's story--the whole point of this series. Apparently this is the first of three books that do this in the series. Alice and Slither are the other two. We shall see.
Profile Image for Enairolf.
2,435 reviews21 followers
August 13, 2022
Si vous me suivez depuis un bon moment, vous savez à quel point j’aime cette saga. Chaque tome est un vrai plaisir à lire. C’est ma saga péché mignon comme je l’appelle. J’en suis désormais au neuvième tome, je sens la fin se rapprochait et je n’ai tellement pas envie de quitter cette saga. L’univers, l’intrigue, les personnages, je sais déjà que ça va être vraiment difficile de dire au revoir à cette saga. Je sais qu’il me reste encore plusieurs tomes à lire, mais je ne peux m’enlever cette idée de la tête et de me dire que c’est bientôt la fin..

Dans ce neuvième tome, on retrouve Grimalkin. Son but ultime? Détruire le Malin quoi qu’il arrive, elle doit venger le meurtre de son fils. Après avoir aidé Tom Ward et l’épouvanteur à entraver le démon, elle doit maintenant maintenir la tête du Malin loin, très loin de ses fidèles. Elle a donc regagner le Comté. Grimalkin, la tueuse du clan Malkin est puissante et son seul nom suffit à inspirer la crainte. Mais désormais, les serviteurs du Malin sont à ses trousses. Et ils vont employer tous les moyens possibles pour lui reprendre son horrible fardeau!

Comme toujours, j’ai grandement apprécié ma lecture. Mais là encore plus que d’habitude! Ce tome ci est clairement mon tome préféré. Pourquoi? Parce qu’ici on a un tome complètement différent. en effet, d’habitude nous suivons le point de vue de Tom sauf qu’ici on a le point de vue de Grimalkin. Uniquement Grimalkin. Et je trouve que ça apporte un vent de nouveauté, ça relance la saga même. Je ne me suis jamais ennuyée durant ma lecture de cette saga mais vraiment là ça change et je trouve que ça relance complètement tout. J’adore le personnage de Grimalkin, c’est même mon personnage préféré et ce tome me le confirme encore plus pour le coup!

Ce tome était vraiment palpitant du début à la fin. On va donc suivre Grimalkin qui est revenu dans le Comté avec la tête du Malin. Elle doit à tout prix la garder en sureté pour éviter que les serviteurs ne la lui reprennent pour la réunir avec son corps. Ils sont à sa poursuite et elle ne doit cesser de fuir et de lutter. Avoir son point de vue est hyper intéressant. Ça nous permet de mieux la découvrir, mieux la comprendre. On découvre pas mal de choses sur elle, comment elle est devenue la tueuse du clan Malkin, qui elle est vraiment, qui sont ses véritables alliés et j’en passe. On découvre complètement une nouvelle personne. Je l’ai trouvé si touchante au final. On découvre aussi qu’elle a pris une apprentie, en quelque sorte, Thorne. J’ai adoré découvrir ce nouveau personnage. Je l’ai trouvé si courageuse et si forte. Ça m’a vraiment touché son histoire et je dois bien avouer que j’ai versé une petite larme pour le coup. si vous l’avez lu, vous savez de quoi je parle… Et puis à la fin on retrouve notre chère Alice, et là pour le coup vraiment, je me suis prise une grosse claque. Alice a tellement de potentiel, j’ai hâte de découvrir l’étendu de ses pouvoirs à elle.

L’intrigue était vraiment palpitante. Tout le long du roman, il n’y a pas la place pour l’ennui. Il se passe toujours quelque chose, même dans les moments calmes, il se passe quelque chose. On a tout de même pas mal d’actions, pas mal de combats entre Grimalkin et les fidèles du Malin. Les pages défilent à toute vitesse, il se passe tellement de choses, on apprend tellement de choses que la fin arrive bien trop vite à mon goût. C’est un tome qui se dévore vraiment en un rien de temps, difficile de le poser et de ne pas le lire d’une traite. Et quand je vois la fin de ce tome, je n’ai qu’une envie : celle de me jeter sur la suite immédiatement!

Encore une fois, un carton plein pour moi. Cette saga ne cesse de me surprendre, tome après tome, on continue d’en apprendre, d’en prendre plein les yeux et j’en passe. Ce neuvième tome est, pour le moment, mon préféré de la saga, avoir le point de vue de Grimalkin apporte vraiment de la nouveauté et ça fait du bien. Et puis ça nous permet d’en apprendre plus sur son personnage, de mieux la connaître et pourquoi pas de changer d’avis la concernant. J’ai toujours aimé son personnage et j’ai vraiment été ravie d’avoir son point de vue même pour un seul tome. Je suis encore plus impatiente de découvrir la suite de la saga maintenant!
Profile Image for Aristotle Blasi.
83 reviews4 followers
May 23, 2025
Tom, Alice and the Spook take a backseat in this book as Grimalkin takes center stage and I have to say she is best not as a main character. This happens often when a popular side character is given the reins because the author knows people love the character and want to learn more about them so what better way to do that than giving them their own book? Don't get me wrong it was nice learning about Grimalkin's past and how she became the witch assassin we know and love but it got tiring hearing her say "I am Grimalkin" every other chapter like we know who you are and so do your enemies, why do you feel the need to introduce yourself or announce your presence every chance you get? But it was also nice to get to know Grimalkin's apprentice, Thorn. Alice does make a brief appearance towards the end but the story really could have gone on without her. There is a lot of death in this book and not just from the witches and people Grimalkin kills. This book seemed like it was just filler so I hope we can get back on track in the next book but we'll see.
Profile Image for Cathy.
467 reviews5 followers
March 17, 2020
Delaney has a gift for always delivering a gruesome, suspenseful tale for the middle grade group. Yet, I am perpetually puzzled by his employment of narration bogged down with over explanation. If he can entrust that his readers are mature enough to handle the gore that lines every page of his novels, surely he can trust that they don’t need the plot painfully explained via boring internal monologues. Main protagonist, Tom Ward, a cardboard prop of a hero (why is he always so slow on the uptake and afraid to follow his gut?) takes a breather in this volume and badass witch assassin, Grimalkin, gets a shot at the storytelling. Her voice is a welcomed switch up, yet still falls into the same problem of over explanation. I also have to laughingly agree with another reviewer’s comment that she states “I am Grimalkin” so frequently it becomes comedic. Gripes aside- I loved having a book solely for Grimalkin, who finally gets her history fleshed out. As fearsome as she is, this book also shows her humanity and makes her rise further up into the ranks of favorite characters within the series. I also enjoyed the side story of her having her own apprentice, Thorn. I almost wish that each book had been told by a different character. Overall, this was a satisfying read, but it didn’t pack as many twists and failed to ramp up the suspense as much as the previous installments. —for that, I give it a 3.5.
Profile Image for Katherine.
234 reviews20 followers
August 17, 2017
Grimalkin is the fearsome witch assassin who has no mercy in her for the trying and difficult things she has survived through all these year. I love Grimalkin, she's so bad-ass! She has the Fiends severed head in her possession and she's taking it far away from the rest of his body to give Tom, Alice and the Spook enough time to find a way to bind the Fiend for good. As she runs far away with the monsters head, the Fiend's minions and followers go after Grim and she eagerly slays those who dare challenge her, and its amazing! And its gruesome and horrific and I love it!

Grim has made it her lifetime ambition to destroy the Fiend, avenging the brutal murder of her son. Grimalkin is the assassin of the Malkin clan but at the moment she's on side of good at this point in the series. She is fast, super strong and she also has a code of honor and never resorts to trickery. Grim wants to win fairly and go up against powerful enemy's. She believes only a weak person go's after a person who is weaker than you. She prefers her opponent to be a challenge so when she wins it feels like an accomplishment. And I liked Grimalkin's apprentice, Thorne.

Yes!!!!! Horror, disgusting, brutal, and bloody murder show!

My name is Grimalkin and I don't fear nobody.
201 reviews
November 27, 2025
This continuation of the series is unique and awesome. You get to see the world thru Grimalkin’s eyes. You learn about her past, you think like she does with how she calculates and the story continues to move forward from within the series. Grimalkin is a one of kind Witch assassin and you can’t help but like her. She is strong, fierce, clever, passionate and there is also a tender heart hidden at the heart of this ruthless assassin. There are several battles in this book and there are casualties along the way but you are in for the ride as Grimalkin protects the fiend’s head from those who would try to reunite it with their master’s buried body that they wish to bring back to his power. This book was told in Grimalkin’s voice and was a great way to changes things up for one book in the series though you miss Tom, the Spook and Alice some. Thorn was a new and neat character to get to know as well. She was like a mini me to Grimalkin. :)

Was a great book and would recommend to others if they don’t mind a little necromancy and some gruesome moments when Grimalkin does her job as a witch Assassin. She is a fierce warrior and her enemies will hear her battle cry as she exclaims “I am Grimalkin”
Profile Image for Nathaniel.
259 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2023
It's been a few years since I last read any of The Wardstone Chronicles because they were getting a bit meh and not grabbing me as much. I really want to finish off the series so I'm making my way through the last few. Initially I wasn't sure about reading this book as it follows Grimalkin rather than Tom and the Spook. I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much but to my surprise I enjoyed it far more than I expected, and far more than I'd enjoyed the previous book which did feature Tom and the Spook! Perhaps it was the change of character - Grimalkin is older and wiser than Tom which makes a difference, especially as it's written in the first person from her point of view. It was interesting to learn more about her and her history. I find the idea of a witch assassin such an intriguing idea! I did notice that a lot of the places mentioned used their actual names. It's an odd switch considering the other places have had their names changed in the previous books, particularly Chipping into Chipenden.
Profile Image for Shannon.
772 reviews115 followers
September 1, 2019
3.5 Stars

This one is a bit of a tricky one. I really loved that we got to see from Grimalkin's perspective, even with the title that was something that was unexpected. I loved the little phrases, sayings and warning that began the chapters in edition to the illustrations. They were so powerful, Sometimes menacing, and always fearless. She is such a cool character.

That said, I felt that . Which makes me wonder why we follow this story, or see from her perspective. As I said, it's a tricky one!

Even with that, I found it an enjoyable read and feel so close to finishing ... even though there are 4 more books plus companion books, I now feel like I will be able to finish this series this year. The end is in sight!
Profile Image for I'mogén.
1,307 reviews45 followers
January 13, 2023
Actual rating: 3.5 / 5

Listened via Audible.

The details:
Narrated by Gabrielle Glaister
Unabridged


I thought this would be more of a sole history of Grimalkin's life (which I would have equally enjoyed, I think), but it was a direct follow up from the previous books, following her journey being pursued - which was very adventurous - as well as glimpses into her past and why she had such a vendetta against the fiend.

I couldn't connect with Grimalkin's voice as much as I could with Tom, but I guess we had his perspective for all the books before this one, so that's to be expected. I think I just struggled with her disconnect to humanity.
However, it was refreshing to be in someone else's head, and I can't deny, that Grimalkin is a badass.

Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Profile Image for Kirsten.
49 reviews
January 28, 2024
It was like okay, but it’s was very cat and mouse and the main villain was very OP which is okay, but they right at the end it’s literally like well grimalkin is powerful now so she can kill him this time. The final battle was also short lived.

It was nice to have a different Perspective that was a nice touch but other than that can’t really say I enjoyed - bit fat filler book which again is fine if it was a little more interesting

Also I was written in the first person and the main character just seemed really illiterate to me idk
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Melanie.
311 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2020
I've decided that the first 2/3 of these Spook's Apprentice books are build-up and randomness, and the last 1/3 are progressing the story forward and actually fighting the dark. But I like them. Grimalkin is a great character. I wasn't a fan of the kretch or the mage that were the main opponents in this book, and definitely didn't like how easily everything resolved itself at the end of the book.
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