The Scourge of Jericho by Stuart Daly

The Witch Hunter Chronicles. Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781742750521.
(Ages 13+) In 1666 the Scourge of Jericho has been found after over 100 years of being missing and Jakob von Drachenfels is in the group going to retrieve it. He has always wanted to be part of the Hexenjager, a group of Witch Hunters in the Holy Roman Empire, but when he does get in it is because of lies on a letter of introduction from his uncle that he forged. Now he is on his way to Schloss Kriegsberg, a castle in the foothills or the Harz Mountains deep in the heart of witch country. The castle is home to the Blood Countess, hundreds of witches and is the lying place of the Scourge of Jericho. Jakob is terrified. He has never used a gun or a sword. The only things he has learnt with a sword were from a book he brought and the closest he has been to a battle field is reading books with battles in them yet on his first encounter with witches he takes down three.
This book was great, just when you think it is finished and they are safe something else will happen that yet again puts their lives in danger. I would recommend it to people who like books about witch hunting with heaps of twists. There are a lot of things in this book based on real things eg. the Blood Countess in this book is also known as Countess Gretchen Karus. She is completely fictional but is based on the real-life Countess, Elizabeth Bathory.
Tahlia Kennewell (Student)