Ranger's Apprentice

Published Information

Author:	John Flanagan
Genre:	Fantasy

Ratings

Violence:	PG-13 (Fantasy violence)
Sexual Content:	PG
Language:	PG
Reading Age:	Junior High
Buy Recommend:	Hardbound(My wife and children also love the books)
Overall Rating:	8 out of 10 (I recommend this to everyone I know that have children)

Plot Summary

The Ranger's Apprentice follows a young man, Will, who is apprenticed by one of the king's Rangers, an elite corp of trackers and archers who are trained to go throughout the kingdom and take care of problems for the king. It is said: "One riot, one ranger." Will's friends were also apprenticed into different disciplines and as the series progresses, different friends are brought it to work with him on missions or errands.

Most of Will's adventures involve his mentor, Halt who trained him as a ranger, and Horace, Will's best friend who was trained as a knight. They travel around the country investigating rumors and rescuing people.

Book Summaries

1. The Ruins of Gorlan (June 2005, 256pp) - Story of Will, a young boy who becomes the Ranger Halt's apprentice. Will and many of his friends have worked toward the day where they can be accepted into a school that they want. When the day comes, all of Will's friends are accepted into their chosen school of apprenticeship, but Will isn't accepted into any of them. But Halt, the King's ranger in the area, recognize some talents that the Rangers value, and take him into training.
2. The Burning Bridge (June 2006, 272pp) - Will, Horace, and another Ranger, Gilan, are sent into a neighboring country to follow up on some news that they have received. When they arrive, they find that Lord Morgarath about to invade. As they investigate, the find a huge bridge that is being built that will allow Morgarath and his armies to invade without any challenge. It is up to the trio to warn the king of the danger, as well as slow down the invasion enough to save the kingdom.
3. The Icebound Land (June 2007, 260pp) - After being captured at the end of book 2, Will and Evanlyn are heading to Skandia as slaves. Halt and Horace vow they will rescue Will and Evanlyn and are expelled from their groups because of this devotion. As Halt and Horace travel towards Skandia, they are attacked by various knights who are trying to build their reputations. But because of Horace's skill, they begin attracting the notice of various knights and rulers in the area.
4. The Battle for Skandia(March 2008, 272pp) - Will and Evanlyn have now escaped their Skandian captors, but on their return to Araluen, they find that the Temujai are invading Skandia, with Araluen being the next on the list. It is up to Will, Evanlyn and other friends to now help the Skandians repulse the invaders to protect them, as well as Araluen.
5. The Sorcerer in the North (Nov 2008, 304pp) - Several years have passed since the previous book. Will is now a ranger of his own fief. Things seems easy until one of the lords in the area die by a mysterious illness. One of Will's friends, Alyss, join him as he investigates what is happening. As he investigates, things get much more interesting. Sorcery is suspected and traitors are everywhere. On top of everything, Alyss is captured. Will will have to make a choice between he mission and his friend.
6. The Siege of Macindaw (Aug 2009, 320pp) - This book takes over right after the events of the previous book. A rogue knight, Keren, has taken over Macindaw, and Alyss is being held captive. As he investigates, he finds that Keren is working with one of the border kingdoms in an attempt to overthrow Araluen. Fortunetaly, Horace joins Will to help. Will the two be able to overthrown Keren, restore the royal family and save Araluen from invaders?
7. Erak's Ransom (Jan 2010, 400pp) - This book jumps back in time (chronologically between books 4 and 5) to the period just before Will is made a ranger and tells the story of how he earned his Silver Oakleaf to enter the Ranger corps. The Rangers learn that the Skandian leader, the man Will worked with to form a truce between Skandia and Araluen, has been captured. As they go to rescue him, they are caught in a trap and taken into the desert. Will and his friends have proven themselves against the forests, the cold, and the cultures that live there. But can they do it in the desert.
8. The Kings of Clonmel (May 2010, 314pp) - Now, back in chronological order, Will, Halt and Horace are called on to track down a religious sect that promises to protect villages from marauders. Little do the people know, the marauders are under the bankroll of the sect. They work together and rob the villages of their gold and other riches. Unfortunately, Halt knows about this sect and knows this will be a dangerous group to overcome. Not only do they rob the people, they do it in a way that makes the village people want to keep the sect in power. They are slowly taking control of more of Araluen...
9. Halt's Peril (Oct 2010, 384pp) - The book continues with Will, Halt and Horace chasing after the leaders of the outlaw group, the Outsiders, from the previous book. Soon, the leader becomes aware that they are being followed and send out his assassins to take care of Will, Halt and Horace. In the encounter, it appears that the assassins have been beaten. However, their weapons were poisoned and Halt very quickly falls to its effects. Should Will save his mentor and friend and find a healer, or continue after the Outsiders?
10. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (April 2011, 352pp) - As the book begins, Horace is about to leave from the country of Nihon-Ja on a mission to understand and learn the warfare techniques in that country. As he prepares, a revolt is staged against the emperor and Horace finds himself making enemies as he protects the emperor. As the emperor goes into hiding, Horace follows. Will, Halt and others learn that Horace has gone missing, so they go to find him. As they do so, they end up working together to find a way to save the emperor.

Comments

These are some of the best books I have read in a while. It is meant for a younger audience, so if you are looking for a heavy read, this is not it. From the books, most of them have less than 400 pages, so they are quick and straight forward, but very entertaining. The language could be a little better, but the language that is a big strong is few and far between. If you are looking for books to interest your pre-teen through teen, these might be it.