Wrath of the Bloodeye (The Last Apprentice #5)

I have been reading The Last Apprentice series and I thought the first book started off really slow but towards the end I really liked it. I am glad that I kept reading the series because by book 2 I fell in love with it. I was kinda worried about reading this book in the series because it only had a 4 star rating from reader's while the other books have a 4 1/2 star rating. Not much difference but I wondered what lacked in this book. I did not read any of the reviews before I read this book because I purposely don't read the store book reviews before I read the book since people tend to like putting in spoilers in their reviews without any warning that there are spoilers.

I must say that I LOVED this book! I honestly think this series just keeps getting better and better! After I finished reading it, I then went through and read the reviews of people who gave it a lower rating (2 stars or less) and it appears that pretty much all the reviewers that gave this book a low rating didn't bother to read the other FOUR BOOKS BEFORE!! Of course you will not enjoy a story and feel no character growth when you just come in to a story midway through! So to everyone else that has actually been following this series and have read the previous books, Wrath Of The Bloodeye does NOT disappoint.

Btw, I have book 6 and am eager to read it but am going to wait a little while to start it since book 7 comes out in April. That way I can start book 7 right after I finish book 6. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold off on reading book 6 though. :\

Happy reading everyone!

The Last Apprentice book
Wrath of the Bloodeye
Review Written By Avery Smith

I love this book and the series because they are adventure books and always let you hanging at the end of a page. In this book I like the part where Thomas is walking back up the hill from the grocery with the sack on his back and he sees 5 or 6 men under the trees. So he kept walking up toward the house then as he was walking into the house on the path he heard the clinking of a coin then they took him away. Another part I like is when Thomas had to go to the Spook's old apprentice and get trained by him. Then other guy shows up you kind of think that it is the Bane.

Reading and reviewing "Wrath Of The Bloodeye" was a somewhat difficult exercise for me. I have not read children's literature in a long time but the cover art, descriptors, and splash page made it sound like a tempting crossover between Harry Potter fantasies, evil/creature outings, and "coming of age" explorations.

First, let me say, I felt the book was very readable and certainly well done as far as styling, vocabulary, and literary approach. My problem as a reviewer was continually to focus my thoughts and perspectives on the target audience--youngsters 10 and up. Would my thoughts and opinions be fair to Joseph Delaney if I wrote what I as an adult felt rather than what I might imagine a pre-teen might feel about the same passage or outcome? I remember reading Tolkien in my 20's and becoming totally engulfed in the world of Middle Earth. Could the same lightening strike again?

"Wrath Of The Bloodeye" is the fifth in a series (none of which I had previously read) yet I did not find that a particular hindrance. There were enough references to past entries especially by Tom Ward, the narrator, to keep the action flowing for me and much of the storyline was easily understandable as it emerged on its own.

"Wrath..." is at heart another good vs. evil entry in youth fantasy and again it is metaphorically represented in the confrontation between lightness and darkness. Fourteen year old Tom Ward is an apprentice to Spook, John Gregory--a Spook being a member of the light who fights and opposes all evildoers who serve the darkness. Tom is a 7th son of a 7th son and obviously is a chosen one for balancing the scales between dark and light. But he is forced to contend with the Fiend who is the devil incarnate and now walking the land and spreading evil ideas and monsters in his wake.

The Fiend, of course, is immediately drawn to Tom and the need to destroy him and in this offering, he sends his daughter, Morwena, a water witch, to kill Tom. But Tom has been temporarily sent to study under Bill Arkwright, a former apprentice himself to Spook Gregory in an attempt to shelter Tom from danger as well as to expand his horizons. His friend/colleague Alice is left behind after revealing some of her own power when freeing Tom from a press-gang.

My perspectives: the book starts slowly and doesn't pick up speed until midway after which it moves more quickly and more violently. While the print, text, and vocabulary is easy to read, I think it would be more appropriately marketed to early teens although I have to admit, a ten year old's views of a fantasy world is far different than mine was 40 years ago with TV and video games today. The book is simply dark, dreary, and foreboding and I sense it to be more appropriate for teens.

I never got totally engaged with any of the characters and I found that Tom as the narrator left something to be desired both in his dialogue and his musings. I never really cared deeply about anyone except maybe Alice and her mysteries along with Claw, the dog. I guess I was just looking for more than I got. I never reached the "I can't put it down stage."

Lastly, there has been a lot written about the underlying "message" of "Wrath..." Seemingly the message is to obey your elders and thereby stay out of trouble. Disobedience from the all knowing Spooks can lead only to personal disaster and mischief. Maybe in a children's book it is OK to paint everyone in absolutes of black and white with no gradations of color to confuse kids. But I found myself wondering when does it become OK for Tom (or any apprentice) to strike out on his own or more accurately, to question authority? I do admit to wondering where Alice will fall out along with Grimalkin in the next installment. They are the closest things to "gray" in the black and white world of "Wrath...."

Follow the hero Thomas Ward as he crosses treachorous back country to fight along side spooks against renegade soldiers, witches and worse in this engaging fantasy tale. Striking black and white illustrations help the reader envision the adventure at the start of the first few chapters. The book is also teaching the reader solid values as he or she follows these adventures. For this reason, I would recommend youth between the grades of 5 - 12 to read this book. However, grade schoolers may have a hard time with the advanced fantasy terminology like spook, boggart and the colorful references to the devil.

Great installment in the Last Apprentice series - although I was surprised to realize I had missed book four. The Bloodeye actually plays a small part in the scheme of things - Thomas Ward, apprentice to the Spook, has been sent to another spook to learn about the water witches and other baddies that he might encounter in the northern areas of the County. Despite the cruelty he endures, Tom stays and learns what he must to survive and help the people of the county fight the evil that is infiltrating the county and that is following him...and his family.

WRATH OF THE BLOODEYE - VG
Delaney, Joseph - 5th in series

This has been a great series for those of us 11 and older who love fantasy. It has gotten darker with each book. I love the character of Thomas Ward and seeing him develop through the series and of his friend, Alice. The story is complete in itself, but leaves it open for the next.

I definitely plan to continue with this series.

...fills the pages of this wizard's adventure for children 10 and up.

Thomas Ward, the budding hero of the tale is squared off against no less than the devil himself... who, oddly enough, won't do a thing to him directly. Sure, he'll kill aquaintences of young Thom to take their form, threaten his peers, betters, and soulmate-in-waiting, but because it would be too easy and realize the least gains, the Fiend won't lay so much as a hoof on him. Of course, the devil will set loose one of his many daughters on Thom, as for some reason that would realize more gain.

Ugh.

I'm sure some little'uns out there will find enjoyment out of this flowchart adventure, but it left me very cold. The characters are heavily restricted by the needs of the author to stick to his outline perfectly. They hop to his tune far too exactly, are noble and brave when the scene requires it and act totally against their own interests, self-serving or otherwise where necessary. When Thomas suggests that he and his combat master split up to hunt the EXTREMELY DANGEROUS daughter of the devil, the titular Bloodeye, and Arkwright AGREES in his hungover state, I almost threw the book against the wall. And that's just one of dozens of instances where Delaney forced his characters to go against type for the sake of convenience.

Then there's the on again/off again preachiness. Drunkeness serves the devil. Heck, it's the Demon's Drink, after all. Suicide damns your soul to be bound to your bones which, oddly enough, the Fiend can reverse if he were so inclined. And, of course, there's your worst enemy from a previous novel, the witch-assassin Grimalkin, who turns a Vader and becomes Thom's extremely effective bodyguard for the length of the climax. While there's nothing wrong with allegiances shifting in wars, having a woman who tried to kill you horribly previously show up and say, "oh, well, you're best friend asked me nice, so I'll lend my many, many blades" is just wrong.

Delaney's use of language is decent enough, but his grasp on story and flow is far too formulaic. I wouldn't recommend this to any but fans of the previous books.

For parents of young adults who are into suspense and magic-themed books, this should fit the bill until the next big thing comes along. As an adult reading the book, I was quite bored with it. I continually felt like I was missing out because of all the hints and suggestions at previous adventures and it was consistently making me feel like I should have read the first book to be up to speed. The book is readable without previous knowledge of the series, and it isn't terrible to be sure, but I just felt "left out" having not experienced the previous story. Definitely not recommended if you haven't picked up the first book, but worth a read for your mystery/magic-loving kids.

What a wonderful delight and discovery. From the beginning the author grabs your interest with its complex characters. Well developed with a desire to know more about them. Their relationships makes you wonder more about what's in their share history. There is a great deal of action and mystery that surrounds each characters. The spooks fight their own demons in their world as well as in their own personal psyche.

Recommend highly.

This is a grabbing spooky story. This book is well writing,captivating, will keep you on your toes, and looking over your shoulder all night long. I look forward to finding out what will happen with Alice and what kind of power young Tom has. I have been intrigued by the authors unique writing and creative ideas when it comes to magic and his fantasy world. I highly recommend this book to young and older adults.

On another note, I really believe that the the store Vine(tm) Program people who rated this book a 2-3 star book would have a different opinion if they had read the entire series first. I have enjoyed the entire series and definitely recommend to start reading the series from the beginning and not with this one.

This is a grabbing spooky story. This book is well writing,captivating, will keep you on your toes, and looking over your shoulder all night long. I look forward to finding out what will happen with Alice and what kind of power young Tom has. I have been intrigued by the authors unique writing and creative ideas when it comes to magic and his fantasy world. I highly recommend this book to young and older adults.

On another note, I really believe that the the store Vine(tm) Program people who rated this book a 2-3 star book would have a different opinion if they had read the entire series first. I have enjoyed the entire series and definitely recommend to start reading the series from the beginning and not with this one.

While this is the fifth book in The Last Apprentice series, it can be read as a standalone novel. The writing is average and the book seems targeted at a teen audience. If you're a fan of this genre, I'd recommend you read the first novel in the series first to avoid any confusion over what happened in previous books in the series.

This is one of the most detailed and amazing books that i have ever read. The details in this book is like a new world for every page read. Just read the first page and you will be completly convinced in how amazing this book is!

The series just keeps getting better. More twists and turns are added to the plot as young Tom Ward's life becomes even more complicated. With a surprise ending that leaves the reader on a cliff hanger just waiting for the next tale to begin.

Just finished Wrath of the Bloodeye, and frankly it left me cold. The grammar and editing reminded me of various self-published novels I've slogged through, and the story itself was formulaic and uninspired.

Rather than focusing on subplots or character development, Delaney chose to preach to the children this book will be inflicted upon: "But we wanted Harry Potter, like the other children at school!"
"The other children are heathens who will burn in the pit for eternity, but here's a nice Christian alternative to those horrid books that entice youngsters into practicing witchcraft . . . look, only the bad people use magic, and the Godly heroes beat them with chains and keep them in a watery pit lined with salt where they're poked with pointy sticks to atone for their sins . . . just like Baby Jeezus wouldve wanted."
"But I want to read about Hogwarts! And Quiddich!"
"Looks like I need to beat the Devil outta you once again . . . go fetch me that belt."

Very dogmatic tone. The few times that Tom Ward is enticed into using magic for the greater good he is condemned by his mentor for "doing evil", even though nothing negative was done. His other tutor is possessed by (and I quote) "the Demon Drink", and drinks to excess to teach young'uns lessons about the evils of wine. Almost every female character in the book is either a witch or witchlike (EVIL) and the menfolk are hardworking, honest, and heroic -- with the exception of the "press gang" who represent the evil guvmint.

The only two likable characters in this tedious lecture on "morality" were the "evil" Alice and the witch Grimalkin. Everyone else seemed overly pious and judgemental, and the protagonist (no doubt representative of the impressionable reader) was ineffectual and easily misled.

I've read childrens' and young adults' books before, but rarely one that I've had nothing positive to say about. Like I said, Alice and Grimalkin were interesting characters, but they were made out to be the enemies - even though they showed nothing but kindness towards Tom, even to the point of risking their lives for him. Evil because they were different, and didn't abide by the "rules."

2 stars -- I think that children who enjoyed the Harry Potter series should be made to read this poorly written diatribe to learn that, yes, there is evil in the world, and evil smallminded bigots who long for the chance to persecute those who believe differently from themselves. Then, they should be encouraged to write a comparative essay showing the differences between the world of Harry Potter and this other world portrayed in "Wrath of the Bloodeye", particularly about how magic is viewed. Possibly the most disturbing childrens' book I've ever read. Fundamentalist propaganda disguised as Fantasy.