Books like Slither by Joseph Delaney

When Long‑eye, Old Gregory the Spook nears retirement, only Thomas Ward remains as his apprentice—can the young ranger defeat the evil Mother Malkin and protect a rural county from witchcraft?

What price is too high to pay, even for love? Plunge into the fifth installment of the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and “prepare to be hooked” (Entertainment Weekly). The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues -- and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon. What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

The Spook and his apprentice Thomas Ward confront the hidden Bane in Priestown’s catacombs while the Quisitor hunts those who wield the dark.

In 1888, twelve‑year‑old Will Henry records his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real‑life monsters, as they uncover and try to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi.

The Monstrumologist follows a young apprentice as he investigates mysterious monsters in 19th-century New England, blending gothic adventure with supernatural mystery.

In 1888, twelve‑year‑old Will Henry apprentices with Dr. Warthrop, a New England scientist who hunts monsters. Together they seek to destroy the Wendigo, a ravenous creature that feeds on human flesh.

In a world where magic and betrayal collide, Clary must decide if she will risk everything—and perhaps even her own soul—to save her beloved Jace, who has been bound to evil by the demon Lilith and his brother Sebastian.

In Priestown, the Spook and apprentice Thomas Ward confront the Bane in catacombs while being hunted by the Quisitor; Thomas must rescue his master and break the town’s curse.

In 1888, a twelve‑year‑old orphan named Will Henry follows Dr. Warthrop to Socotra on a quest for a legendary monster, uncovering horrors far beyond his imagination.

Warning: Not to be Read After DarkIn this third and terrifying instalment in the Wardstone Chronicles, the nights are drawing in and it's time for Tom and his master to move to Anglezarke, the Spook's winter house. Tom has heard it will be a sinister and menacing place but nothing could fully prepare him for what he finds there. For this house, and indeed the whole of Anglezarke moor is full of secrets about the Spook's youth. Secrets that are about to come to the surface and could wreck havoc on the whole County ...

Tom Ward, still learning his craft after his mentor’s death, confronts boggarts, witches, and demons to prove himself worthy of the county Spook position, while a determined apprentice, Jenny, supports him.

Tom is a teenager trying to stop a dangerous witch from killing people.

A young apprentice's guide to vanquishing dark creatures and spirits in the world of apprenticeship and magic, with a touch of supernatural horror and fantasy elements.

After returning from Greece, Tom, the Spook, and Alice find the county besieged and the Spook's home destroyed. They take refuge on Mona, which is controlled by a twisted Shaman, and face witch hunters, a malevolent buggane, and the ambitious Bony Lizzie.

John Gregory, now sixty, recollects his first encounters with ghosts, witches, and boggarts, and his unexpected journey from would‑be priest to the town’s Spook, chronicled as a coming‑of‑age horror tale for young readers.

Two brothers search for a magical dragon's tooth to prevent the return of a powerful magic user.

Thomas Ward is the last surviving apprentice of the County Spook, tasked with confronting the dangerous witch Mother Malkin as the old Spook retires.