Books 8 and 9 tell a new story. This is where the series starts to become less interesting for me. The worldbuilding has always been a bit thin, but it was compensated with likeable characters to root for and good adventures. Here, the worldbuilding is just silly. Flanangan does not do the dangerous cult opponents well. They are just too cartoonish, and Will’s coming of age tale is at an end, with him an adult, confident Ranger. Still readable and enjoyable, but not as much as the first books. ( )

Fantasy

{Eighth of 12 in [[[Ranger's Apprentice]]] series; fantasy, children's, young adult, adventure}

Continuing on with this series; Will is a seasoned full-fledged Ranger with his own, if sleepy, fief to look after. The first few chapters contrast the enjoyment of his attending the annual Ranger gathering (where he doesn't realise that he is a legend to the upcoming Ranger apprentices due to his exploits) with the tension of Halt (who is missing the Gathering for the first time) reconnoitring a coastal village which has been targeted by a cult. When the cult leader seems to recognise him, Halt realises that there is a link to his past which needs further investigation which results in Halt, Will and their erstwhile companion Horace traveling to Clonmel in Hibernia to confront the cult, called the Outsiders.

As much fun as the previous books. It could be read as a stand-alone although it refers to the previous adventure ([The Siege of Macindaw]) and, of course, continues the stories of the characters. We do get to see Jenny (from the first book of the series) in her element and though this adventure is completed by the end of the book, there are a couple of loose ends that hint at the next adventure.

And the banter, as always, is fun (and similar to that in [[[The Belgariad]]] series which I just finished reading). Will and Horace, having served their apprenticeships, now dare to tease Halt, who has always been a figure of authority in these books.

'No, no, not at all,' Horace said, realising that he'd annoyed the Ranger but not sure how it had happened,
'It's just you don't have the ... He hesitated, not quite sure what it was that Halt didn't have.
'The haircut,' Will put in.
Halt's glare swung towards him. 'The haircut' It was not a question. It was a statement.
Will nodded easily. 'That's right. Royalty has a cerain sense of fashion to it. It has to do with bearing and behaviour and . .. haircuts.'
'You don't like my haircut?' Halt said. Will spread his hands innocently.
'Halt, I love it! It's just that it's a little Rufus the Roughnut for the brother of a king. It's not what I would call ...'
He paused, leaning across in his saddle to study Halt's pepper-and-salt hair more closely, ignoring the drawn-together brows and the dangerous look in Halt's eyes. Then he found the word he was looking for.
..sleek.'
Horace had been watching this exchange with interest, grateful that Halt's ill temper had been channelled away from him for the time being. Now, however, he couldn't help buying back in.
'Sleek! That's the word. That's it. Your haircut isn't sleek enough. Royalty is sleek, above all other things'
'Do you find King Duncan . .. sleek?' Halt asked.
Horace nodded emphatically. 'When he wishes to be. On state occasions. There's a definite sleekness to the man.
Wouldn't you agree, Will?

I noticed that Halt became 'Michael' on occasions when he needed to conceal his name; the same name as Flanagan's son, whom he started writing this series for to show him that you don't need to be big and strong to be a hero.

(February 2023)
4.5 stars ( )

This was a great tale to get to know more of Halt's history, and to see our boys working their best assets and ingenuity to overcome obstacles. The levels of story, wit, action, and character relationships were all spot-on. Flanagan combines these details flawlessly and creates such engaging stories!

There was one part that was frustrating because the characters, with all their knowledge and training, would absolutely not have fallen prey to one certain deception. They handled most of the troubles brilliantly, though, and I all around loved this story. ( )

Another solid entry in the Ranger's Apprentice series. Once again, Halt, Will, and Horace save the day but there's a few pages where this isn't certain.

This book is not a cliffhanger but feels like part 1 of 2 since the main villain is still at large. ( )