For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried&#8212some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.

Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope, the last apprentice.

"I see your future clearly. Your master will be dead, and you will be alone. It would be better if you had never been born."

Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who banishes boggarts and drives away ghosts. But now a new danger is threatening Tom's world: the witches are rising and the three most powerful clans are uniting in order to conjure an unimaginable evil.

Tom and the Spook set out to stop the witches before they unleash the demon. But when Tom finds himself on his own, he wonders if he has the courage and cunning to defeat the most powerful enemy he has ever encountered.

War looms on the horizon

As the Spook's apprentice, Tom Ward must protect the County from the creatures of the dark. But now his mother has returned from her homeland to seek his help. A dangerous ancient witch, Ordeen, is about to rise, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom's mother has mustered a powerful army--including Tom's friend Alice and the assassin Grimalkin--to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will abandon Tom as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

Beware a girl in pointy shoes

The first thing a spook's apprentice learns is never, ever to trust a witch. Those brave enough to read these pages will find out why. You'll meet a fair and beautiful woman--with green scales running down her spine. You'll encounter a dead witch who lurks under rotting leaves, hunting for blood, and a witch whose cry of revenge can kill. And you'll follow Alice, Tom Ward's best friend, back into her past, when she lived with one of the most dangerous witches of all. Are you ready to face the dark?

The book will haunt you.It's an international bestseller.But don't read it after dark

The story of Grimalkin--Book Nine of The Last Apprentice series

Grimalkin never missed--except once. The only victim who escaped her blades was Tom Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son. Since then, the witch assassin has fought alongside the Spook's apprentice. Now you can hear her side of the story. What is Grimalkin's past--and what will her future be? Can Tom trust her to stay on the side of good? Or is the pull of the dark too strong to resist?

At the opening of the international bestseller "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", Elizabeth Bennet is already a seasoned warrior-trained in the martial arts, skeptical of romance, and determined to wipe out the deadly dreadfuls. But how did Elizabeth get that way? And where did all of the zombies come from? Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls - a thrilling prequel set three years before the horrific events of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". This comic-horror novel is an all-new work of fiction from acclaimed novelist, Steve Hockensmith. As our story opens, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside. They idle away the days reading, gardening, practicing instruments, and daydreaming about future husbands-until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry. Suddenly corpses are springing from the soft earth-and only one family can stop them. As the bodies pile up, we watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords, and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry. Through it all, of course, readers will be treated to scene after scene of absurd zombie carnage. Complete with 15 dazzling illustrations, "Dawn of the Dreadfuls" invites readers to step back into Regency England-Land of the Undead.

Tabby Aykroyd thought she was coming to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be a maid, but she's not being asked to clean or cook. Then one day a man, presumably the owner of the house, shows up with a small boy. The boy insists he's the master of the house, and curiously no one disputes him. Tabby is to be his playmate. The young master is a savage little creature, but the house itself contains far worse: Scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House. Tabby is terrified for her life and the life of her young charge. But why isn't the young master afraid?