Frigid temperatures and snow-swept moors set the stage for Thomas Ward’s latest adventures as apprentice to the Spook, a formidable practitioner who keeps witches, boggarts, ghasts, and a plethora of other evil creatures at bay. Soon after arriving at the Spook’s winter home, Thomas begins to suspect he’s not been told the whole truth about Meg, a lamia witch who seems to be both loved and imprisoned by the Spook. When the Spook is injured on the job, Thomas must face grave danger without his master’s help as he seeks out Meg’s real story and struggles to escape the clutches of a former apprentice to the Spook who has turned to dark necromancy. Tom learns of events from the Spook’s past that illustrate the fine line between trust and betrayal—the Spook may be powerful in his profession, but he is also human and fallible. Meanwhile, Tom’s friend Alice, a witch finding her own path between good and evil, plays a crucial role in the book’s exciting conclusion. In this third volume of the series, author Joseph Delaney is still on a roll, as he continues to tell of Tom’s satisfyingly scary apprenticeship. (Ages 10–14)