Wardstone Chronicles

The Wardstone Chronicles are a series of young adult fantasy novels, written by Joseph Delaney. The story revolves around Thomas J. Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son who can see creatures of the Dark others cannot even glimpse.

In order to learn how to deal with his gift, he is trained as a "Spook". The series is largely based on Joseph Delaney's local area - Lancashire, England. The "County" is Lancashire, "Priestown" is Preston, Lancaster is "Caster", Chipping is "Chipenden" and Blackpool "the black pool".

The Wardstone Chronicles mixes fantasy, supernatural, folklore and mythology to produce a series of exceptional scope and imagination. The folklore evident is also taken partly from the local area, including the "Pendle Witches" who were the most famous witches in english legal history. Hanged in the year 1612 at the Lancaster Gaol, the Pendle Witches were believed to have been responsible for the murder of seventeen people in and around the Forest of Pendle.

The novels have been released to great success in the USA, under the series name "The Last Apprentice". The first novel has even been turned into a film (called the Seventh Son) Starring Jeff Bridges and Julian Moore.