Books 5 and 6 tell a new story. Will is now a full-fledged ranger. I was a bit disappointed because I really enjoyed Will as apprentice and his interaction with Halt. I wanted more of that. Still, Will still has that youthful quality that makes the story work as a coming of age tale. He’s competent but not experienced and confident like Halt. The story told in these two books is interesting, with intrigue, spying, adventures… ( )

Fantasy

4.5/5
Only because of Horace actually being involved and the fact that it made me cry multiple times. ( )

Another amazing story by John Flanagan. I love these books so much and really found myself laughing a lot through this one while reading it. The characters are brilliant and his world is so alive! ( )

{Sixth published/ seventh chronologically of 11 (or 12); Ranger’s Apprentice series. Fantasy, children’s, YA} (2007)
Group read.

Will, having had to leave Alyss trapped in a tower inside Castle Macindaw, is now desperate to rescue her as well as foil the plans of the traitor holding the castle. Luckily he finds unexpected and somewhat unusual allies, although they are still all outnumbered, and they plan to take the castle back to prevent it falling into the hands of Scotti invaders coming over the border from Picta because otherwise it would leave the whole of Norgate Fief open to their raids and weaken the kingdom of Araluen. And Alyss, a trained diplomat and Royal Courier, is no damsel in distress but contributes too, getting vital information about the enemy out to them as she can.

While most books in this series (so far) can be read as stand-alones - although they follow the overall story arc of Will’s apprenticeship as he grows up to become a Ranger - this book is the second part of the story that was begun in The Sorcerer in the North and should be read after it. Will is now a full fledged Ranger and is on his first solo mission, which was given to him in the previous book.

The tone of the book is a bit more serious than previous instalments although Will and Horace still bicker away (while recognising that sometimes their friend is covering for nerves). The friends, Alyss, Horace and Will, are now all around sixteen years old. As Flanagan’s characters are getting older and, presumably, so is his target audience, he’s introducing some (mild) swearing.

And illogically, right on the heels of a sudden rush of relief, Horace felt his anger welling up.
'His blood? Why didn't you say so? I was frantic here, thinking you were bleeding like a stuck pig!'
'When did you give me a chance?' Will said, 'You were all over me, grabbing at me, turning me this way and that!'
The anger, of course, was nothing more than reaction to the shock and fear they had both felt. But it was no less real for all that.
'I'm sorry!' Horace snapped back. 'Forgive me for being concerned about you. It won't happen again!'
'Well, if you'd got here a little sooner, there wouldn't have been a problem,' Will retorted quickly. 'Where the hell were you, anyway?'
'Where the hell was I? Where the hell were you? Is this the thanks I get for saving your life? Because let me tell you, it didn't look as if you were having the best of it with our friend here.'
He nudged the unconscious MacHaddish with the toe of his boot. The Scotti general made no sound. But Will had the grace to look suddenly chastened as he realised his friend was right.
'I'm sorry, Horace. You're right. You saved my life and I'm grateful.'
'Well ...' Now it was Horace's turn to shuffle his feet uneasily. He knew the reason for Will's apparent anger. He had seen it in many soldiers who had come close to death and he knew Will hadn't meant to be ungracious. 'That's okay. Think nothing of it.'

I’m always impressed with Flanagan’s fight scenes which are described well enough for me to follow them and for them to make sense without getting bogged down in the detail.

There are oblique references to the previous adventure (Erak’s Ransom) and the next one (The Kings of Clonmel) but I think it’s just to position this story within the timeline. Another good instalment in the series.

July 2021
3.5-4 stars ( )