Halt’s Peril
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 9
By John Flanagan

Halt, Will, and Horace pursue the inner circle of the Outsiders as they make their way towards Araluen. While tracking them through a drowned forest, Halt is wounded by a Genovesan assassin’s arrow and soon begins acting strangely. When Halt falls unconscious, Will and Horace fear for his life.

With Halt’s impending death, Will rides for the only person who can possibly help: Malcolm, the healer of Macindaw. Malcolm agrees to accompany Will back to the Rangers’ camp, soon proving that his skills are useful for more than just healing.

The conclusion to The Kings of Clonmel, Halt’s Peril puts Will and Horace in the position of facing the death of the man who has been not only their mentor, but almost a father to Will. One of my favorite scenes in the book is while Halt is delirious from the poison. Thinking he is talking to Crowley, Halt tells Horace to watch out for Horace and Will because they could be the future of the kingdom.

This book is an excellent addition to the Ranger’s Apprentice series. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series, and fans of fantasy fiction.

This review originally appeared 20 April 2013 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Kings of Clonmel
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 8
By John Flanagan

Crowley, commandant of the Ranger Corps, reassigns Will to Redmont Fief while Halt enters semi-retirement with his wife at Redmont Castle. Meanwhile, a group of religious charlatans known as the Outsiders sweep across nearby Hibernia, gradually undermining and overthrowing the rulers of the five Hibernian kingdoms.

Fearing a future Outsiders’ invasion into Araluen, Halt, Will, and Horace travel to the Hibernian kingdom of Clonmel to convince the king, Halt’s estranged brother, to stand against the Outsiders.

The Kings of Clonmel is an excellent addition to the Ranger’s Apprentice series. It was interesting to finally get a glimpse of Halt’s past, and to see more interaction between Will and Alyss. I really liked this book and had to immediately begin reading Book 8 to find out how the storyline ends. I would recommend this book, and the entire series, to any fans of fantasy or medieval adventure stories.

This review originally appeared 13 April 2013 on fantasyreviewer.com

Erak’s Ransom
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 7
By John Flanagan

Set between The Battle for Skandia and The Sorcerer of the North, Erak’s Ransom deals with the final months leading up to Will’s graduation from Apprentice Ranger to a full member of the Ranger Corps.

Redmont Fief is celebrating a marriage long in the making, the marriage of Ranger Halt and Lady Pauline. Midway through the celebrations, the party is interrupted by the appearance of an old friend, the Skandian Svengal. The Skandian oberjarl, Erak, has been taken captive by the Arridi, a nation of desert-dwellers, and Svengal has been sent to bring back an outrageous ransom.

King Duncan agrees to lend Svengal the ransom and Halt, Will, Gilan, Horace, and the princess accompany him to back to Arrida. The negotiations with the Arridi go well, but Erak is kidnapped from the Arridi by a militant group of desert nomads. The friends must join forces with the Arridi to rescue Erak before the nomads deliver him to a Skandian traitor.

Erak’s Ransom provides a unique look at the father-son relationship that has developed between Will and Halt. As graduation gets nearer, the author gives us glimpses of nervousness from not just Will, but Halt as well. We are also treated to a view of the depth of emotion felt by a Ranger toward his trusty horse.

I think one of my favorite parts of this book is the interactions between Will, Horace, and Evanlyn. There is a subtle love triangle between the three that widens to include Alyss when she is around Will. I would recommend this book to any fans of fantasy fiction, especially fans of the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

This review originally appeared 9 February 2013 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Siege of Macindaw
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 6
By John Flanagan

With the traitor Keren holding Alyss hostage in Castle Macindaw, Will joins forces with the shipwrecked crew of a Skandian wolfship. The small force is soon joined by Horace, posing as an unattached knight, and they begin plotting to retake the castle.

The two friends, along with their misfit allies and the famed Sorcerer Malkallam, hatch a plan to kidnap a Scotti general and take the castle using a force four times smaller than the accepted requirements. When Will finally comes face to face with Keren, he finds himself locked in an impossible choice between killing Alyss or allowing her to kill him.

A worthy addition to the Ranger’s Apprentice series, The Siege of Macindaw is full of adventure and entertainment. Will’s feelings for Alyss finally come to his full realization, but will he have the courage to tell her how he feels?

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the series. It wraps up the story from the previous novel, but leaves a suggestion of more to come.

This review originally appeared 25 August 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Sorcerer of the North
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 5
By John Flanagan

Five years after helping the Skandians defeat the Temujai, Will is a full-fledged Ranger, newly assigned to Seacliff Fief. A few months into his assignment, Alyss arrives at Seacliff with a message for Will to meet with Halt and Crowley for a secret assignment: to masquerade as a jongleur in an attempt to uncover the truth behind rumors of a sorcerer near Castle Macindaw.

Alyss soon arrives at Macindaw, posing as a naive noblewoman, and the two investigate a nearby forest. They soon learn that all is not as it appears when a castle coup forces Will to flee, leaving Alyss to be taken captive.

The Sorcerer of the North is the first book without Halt or Horace as major characters. It’s nice to see Will’s interactions with others without Halt’s direct influence, and I enjoyed getting to know Alyss better. Since Alyss and Will’s kiss at the end of Book 1, I’ve wanted to see more of their relationship, although now I’m a little curious about their interactions in the five years since the last book.

Will’s adventures near Macindaw are a little predictable, but the book is written well, and like the other books in the series is difficult to put down. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series.

This review originally appeared 18 August 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Battle For Skandia
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 4
By John Flanagan

The Battle For Skandia, known by the title of Oakleaf Bearers outside of the United States, is the third book in what could be considered a trilogy. It wraps up various story threads tracing back to Book 2 and actually ends with all of the major storylines resolved.

With Spring approaching, Will and Evanlyn realize they will soon need to leave their hunting lodge in the Skandian mountains. With Will still recovering from his warmweed addiction, Evanlyn leaves to check their traps and is kidnapped by an advance scouting party for the Temujai, who are intent on invading Skandia.

Will follows the tracks back to the Temujai camp, and is reunited with Halt and Horace when the three of them rescue Evanlyn. They head back toward the Skandian border, but soon run into a group of Skandians, led by Erak. Halt convinces Erak that the Temujai are planning an invasion, and the two manage to convince Ragnak, the Skandian oberjarl, to allow Halt to help them fight the invaders.

I think one of the most interesting parts of this book was the relationships developing between Will and Evanlyn and Horace and Evanlyn. Many times she seems to be attracted to Horace, but then she clearly has feelings for Will. I kept wondering if she has genuine feelings for Will, or if their captivity and subsequent escape served to create a false romance between the two.

I also really enjoyed seeing the obvious respect between Will and Erak. It will be interesting to see the future of relations between Araluen and Skandia based on the growing friendship between these two.

I would recommend this book to fans of the series, if for no other reason than to see how the story threads are resolved. On the flip side, Flanagan leaves just enough potentially unresolved situations to make you want to continue reading. Like the rest of the series, the writing style is gripping and this book was very difficult to put down.

This review originally appeared 10 August 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Icebound Land
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 3
By John Flanagan

The Icebound Land begins with Will and Evanlyn still captives of the Skandian mercenary Erak and his crew. Summer gales force the Skandian wolfship to weather on a small island, Skorghijl. While Will seeks for some method of escape, Evanlyn is content to wait for diplomacy to set them free. The Skandians are soon joined by another wolfship, and Evanlyn learns that Ragnak, the leader of Skandia, has made a death vow against her family. Realizing that diplomacy will not be able to save her now, Evanlyn agrees to help Will find a way to escape.

Meanwhile, tired of hunting bandits while Will is held captive, Halt arranges to be exiled from Araluen so he can rescue his apprentice. He is soon joined by Horace, who has been given unofficial leave to help Halt on his quest. They spend the next few months making their way towards Skandia, while Horace’s growing reputation as a warrior attracts every knight looking to prove himself.

After a failed escape attempt, Will and Evanlyn are watched too close to make a second try. The storms finally die away, and they are taken to the Skandian capitol. Evanlyn is sent to the kitchens, while Will is sent to work in the harsh Skandian outdoors. He quickly become addicted to warmweed, a drug which gives the illusion of warmth while turning the user into a mindless addict.

While Skandians seem to be generally cruel as a people, The Icebound Land shows that at least some Skandians are not as heartless as they appear. I also really enjoyed the interactions between Halt and Horace as they travel to rescue Will. Horace has been trained in the art of chivalry and honor, while the Ranger Corps often works behind the scenes, engaging in activities which are less than legal.

This book is a worthy addition to the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Anyone interested in the continuing adventures of Will and Halt should read this book.

This review originally appeared 3 August 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Burning Bridge
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 2
By John Flanagan

The second offering in the Ranger’s Apprentice series, The Burning Bridge brings the war for Araluen to a head while further cultivating the relationships begun in Book 1.

While all Araluen prepares for war, Will and Horace join Halt’s former apprentice Gilan on a diplomatic mission to Celtica. As they travel towards the capitol, they discover the Celtic settlements all abandoned and thieves combing the countryside. When two thieves consider Will and Horace easy prey, Horace shows his mastery of swordsmanship. Gilan questions the captured bandits, and learns that Wargals have driven the Celts from their homes.

The three meet a Evanlyn, an Araluen girl whose family has been killed by Wargals. While Gilan rides ahead to warn the king of the Wargal attack on Celtica, Will and Horace escort Evanlyn towards Araluen at a slower pace. They encounter a group of Wargals and Celtic prisoners, who they follow in an attempt to discover Morgarath’s plans. The Wargals lead them to a great bridge, still under construction, which will allow Morgarath’s forces to attack the Araluen army from the rear as well as the front.

Will and Evanlyn are captured by Skandian mercenaries while attempting to destroy the bridge and Horace is forced to return to Araluen without them. Shortly after his return, the Araluen armies and Morgarath’s forces clash in a terrible battle for control of the country.

Watching Will and Horace work together brings out their differences as well as their similarities. Both are still trying to prove themselves while gradually becoming the men they will be, and each faces a personal challenge, showing the reader the true depth of their characters. The series may be called Ranger’s Apprentice, but the varied cast of major characters really adds dimension to Araluen.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the continuing adventures of Will, the Ranger apprentice. While a continuation of many of the plot threads from The Ruins of Gorlan, I believe this book also has the ability to stand on its own.

This review originally appeared 20 July 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

The Ruins of Gorlan
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 1
By John Flanagan

Ranger’s Apprentice is a series of young adult fantasy novels by Australian author John Flanagan. According to the author, the books were originally written as short stories to get his son excited about reading. Later, the author rediscovered the stories and adapted them into book form. Although published several years ago, I first learned of the books about eighteen months ago from a friend who knows I am always on the lookout for a good fantasy novel.

Written for a younger audience, The Ruins of Gorlan lacks much of the detail of many fantasy novels, but makes up for this with an interesting story. I have now read this book twice, and even knowing the outcome I had a difficult time putting it down the second time. It is an easy read, but the characters are full of life and dimension.

Set in the fictional kingdom of Araluen, the Ranger’s Apprentice series mainly focuses on the adventures of a young orphan, Will. In The Ruins of Gorlan, Will is selected to become an apprentice to Halt, a member of the kingdom’s secretive and mysterious Ranger Corps. Founded over a hundred years earlier, the Rangers are an elite group of peacekeepers, tasked with defending the kingdom from both interior and exterior threats.

A parallel storyline follows Will’s fellow orphan Horace as he makes his way through the rigorous training of Battleschool. While Will learns that physical size is not what counts in a person, Horace deals with bullies and jealousy. With several plots and sub-plots, the book is really about two very different young men finding where they belong and accepting each other for who they are.

I would recommend The Ruins of Gorlan to anyone who enjoys a good read. With little in the way of sorcery and supernatural events, I believe it has appeal for both hard-core fantasy lovers and casual fantasy readers.

This review originally appeared 6 July 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com