Rage of the Fallen

Welch continues narrating The Last Apprentice series, this time following Tom; his friend, Alice; and his master, John Gregory as they flee to Ireland and attempt to bind the Fiend. Christopher Evan Welch's deep voice is a great match for this dark story. He gives a slight British accent to some of the characters, including the gruff John Gregory, to help differentiate them. His female voice for the witch Alice isn't as strong, and it comes across a little breathy. But the malevolent whisper he uses for the Fiend and the raspy voices of the witches pursuing Tom fit well with the dark nature of their characters. Welch also changes his pacing throughout the story to account for Tom's alternating uncertainty and confidence as he continues to learn the ways of a Spook. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Starred review from November 1, 2011
Gr 5–9—-After fleeing a remote island of hostile individuals, Alice, Tom Ward and his master, and Mr. Gregory have journeyed to Ireland. Hoping to seek a place of refuge and a little spook work fighting ghosts, witches, and various creatures of the dark, the trio find themselves in deep trouble. A witch has invoked the Morrigan, the undeterred goddess of all witches, in order to seek revenge for Tom killing her twin. The fiend, the epitome of all things dark, wants to kill Tom and Alice in order to torment them for all eternity. The Goat Mages, the resident evil of Ireland, are seeking to bring Pan, the god of nature, back into the body of a goat. In order to enact their murderous plan, the mages plan to ritually sacrifice innocent people. Spooks, in the mages' minds, can only cause trouble and are better off dead. With some new friends and Grimalkin, a witch assassin ally from the previous books, the trio attempts to take on all three dark forces. Will they come out alive? Christopher Evan Welch masterfully narrates Joseph Delaney's novel (Greenwillow, 2011). The characters' voices are unique and befit their station, personality, and age. The transitions are smooth and the narration never loses its unique rhythm and pacing. The well-crafted action will keep listeners on the edge of their seats and they will have a hard time putting this audiobook down.—"Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT"

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.