Ranger's Apprentice is the title of a fantasy series by author John Flanagan, pictured right. In my opinion it rivals adult series such as those by RAYMOND E FEIST, and I believe adults would enjoy them just as much as young adults - they're ostensibly aimed at 7-11 year olds, but I think it's safe to say that older teenagers would also find them most enjoyable. There is so much to enjoy in these books, for example the fact that John has based his "universe" on a loose approximation in terms of land mass and shape to medieval Europe, in a similar way to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, but with subtle differences. The action is fast-paced, the plots are terrific and the characters are brilliant. I have no hesitation in recommending the series to just about anyone who loves action-adventure-fantasy, young and old alike, and Random House are to be congratulated on the love and affection they have lavished on the production of these books. I'm a passionate believer in uniformity in series, and was the first to lament the fact that UK publishers so often failed to publish Edgar Rice Burroughs' series with uniform cover art and styles while the Americans took a pride in what they turned out (Ace Books, Ballantine Books etc.). This series is exemplary and magnificent in every way. For once, I heartily prefer the Random House UK covers to those used in the United States and even those published in the author's homeland, Australia!

The first book in the series was released in Australia in November 2004 and in the United States in June 2005. So far, seven books have been released in Australia, with other countries including the United States and United Kingdom following behind (The first three, pictured above, have been published in the UK by Random House Children's Books, and the fourth, OAKLEAF BEARERS, is due out later this year). The series follows the adventures of Will, an orphan who becomes an apprentice Ranger, and his master Halt as they strive to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors and threats. John Flanagan has stated in an auto-reply to those who email him, "To those of you who wrote to tell me you enjoy the books, thank you so much. I really do enjoy hearing from you. We’ve just signed a movie option deal for the series so it’s looking good for at least one Rangers movie in the next few years. Maybe more."

Plot summary

The Ruins of Gorlan: Will is a 15-year-old orphan without a last name. He lives in Castle Redmont and longs to join the Battleschool and become a knight, an occupation he believes his father had. He is therefore devastated when he is rejected. However, Will is soon shocked with the knowledge that another of the taskmasters, Halt the Ranger, had accepted him. Halt wanted him to become one of the Rangers, who were mysterious and feared by the Castlefolk. The people of Araluen thought the Rangers were evil wizards gifted with invisibility, but they were actually just trained at moving silently. There are 50 rangers in the kingdom, one for each fief. Their job is to provide law, order, and intelligence to the king. With the new skills that Halt teaches him, Will has the skills crucial for a Ranger. Will befriends Halt's previous apprentice, Gilan. They go to track the two fearsome Kalkara which are huge, gorilla-like beasts. The first one is weakened by Halt, and killed by the combined efforts of Will, the Baron, and the Battlemaster soon after. Will saves Halt, the Baron, and the Battlemaster's lives by finally killing the second Kalkara by a single fiery arrow. When the Battlemaster offers him a place in Battleschool, he decides to stay on as a Ranger. 281 pages in the Australian edition.

The Burning Bridge: On a special mission for the Rangers, Will, his friend Horace, an apprentice knight, and the Ranger Gilan travel to a neighboring country, Celtica. They discover that all the villagers are gone. Will and Horace wonder if all the villagers have been slain or captured, but Gilan thinks that the evil Lord Morgarath finally devised a plan to cross the mountain pass. If that were true, and the King wasn't warned, the country would be destroyed. Gilan goes to warn the King, and Will and Horace begin to follow a straggling Wargal force. On their way they come across Evanlyn, who claims to be a maid to an Araluen lady. When the three of them follow the Wargals they discover that a bridge is in the process of being built across The Fissure. They also discover that the King's army will be trapped on the Plains of Uthal, surrounded by Morgarath's army and a Skandian force. They decide that the only way to save the country is to burn the bridge. They manage to do this, but Will and Evanlyn are captured as they keep the fire going. Meanwhile, Gilan reaches the camp and as he reports Evanlyn to the King, we find that Evanlyn is actually Princess Cassandra, the king's daughter. Horace rushes back to the battlefield in time for the fight to begin. The cavalry is destroying Morgarath's army, so he sends a retreat, then goes forward and challenges Halt to single combat. When the King forbids Halt from accepting, Horace challenges Morgarath instead. Morgarath is about to kill Horace, but, using the move that Gilan taught Will, Horace stabs Morgarath and wins the battle. The Wargals start retreating back up Three Step Pass and the Skandians escape with Will and Evanlyn. Halt tries to rescue them, but he comes minutes too late. Halt promises Will that he will rescue him. 263 pages.

The Icebound Land: Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as the captives of the fearsome Skandian Jarl, Erak. Halt has sworn to rescue Will and will do anything to keep his promise - even defy his King. He insults King Duncan until he is taken into custody. Expelled from the Rangers and banished by the king for a year, Halt is joined by Horace, who was unofficially released from Battleschool, as he travels through Gallica towards Skandia on his venture to save Will. On their way, they are constantly challenged by freelance knights - otherwise known as thieving thugs. Horace knows how to fight, though, and he soon begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. They are captured and tormented by the local warlord. Meanwhile, Will becomes addicted to warm weed. Jarl Erak helps Will and Evanlyn escape from captivity and tells Evanlyn how to cure Will. The book ends as Halt kills the warlord and they leave for their original destination and Will overcomes his addiction. 307 pages.

Oakleaf Bearers (The Battle for Skandia, in U.S.): Just as spring approaches and Will and Evanlyn can finally escape Skandia, Evanlyn is carried off by mysterious horsemen. Will sets out after them. He's not the only one on their trail. On the way to find Will, Halt and Horace have also been tracking the small party of Temujai, a fierce, nomadic tribe of horse warriors from the east. Will is overjoyed to be reunited with his mentor and his best friend, and together they rescue Evanlyn; however, the occasion is not as happy as it could have been as Halt realizes that the Temujai they discovered are only the scouts for a massive invasion force. The Skandians have no chance, unless they accept the help of their sworn enemies from Araluen. This book in one edition has 327 pages.

The Sorcerer in the North: Five years have passed since the Skandians and the Araluans made their treaty, and Will has finally become a Ranger, with his own fief to look after. He soon learns that even sleepy little island fiefs have problems enough to keep Will on his toes. Will and his old friend Alyss are thrown into a terrifying new adventure, investigating the truth behind rumors of sorcery in a remote northern fief. As he stands in Grimsdell Forest, hearing eerie voices and seeing the horrific figure of the Night Warrior looming in the fog, Will asks himself if sorcery really exists or if there is some other explanation. 329 pages

The Siege of Mackindaw: In this desolate northern fief, Will tries to gather the fighting men he needs to overcome Sir Keren and his band of criminals. Across the border, fierce Scotti warriors are waiting for the signal that castle Macindaw is in friendly hands to launch a full scale invasion. With the arrival of an old friend, Will has to try to stop Sir Keren and rescue the imprisoned Alyss. Released May 2007. 331 pages.

Erak's Ransom: When Erak, the Skandian Oberjarl, is taken hostage during a raid on the desert lands to the south of the constant sea, a few of his men escape, including Erak's second in command, Svengal. Halt and Will must go with the Svengal to deliver the ransom and secure Eraks freedom, but a royal presence is needed, too. The princess Cassandra, who Will knows as Evanlyn, persuades her father to let her go with them. Horace and the ranger Gilan round out the group to make sure that Evanlyn is well protected, but there are still the threats of violent sandstorms, warring tribes, and danger every where that may keep them from reaching Erak in time to secure his release. This book was released on the 1st November in Australia, though some book stores released it earlier. 441 pages

Setting

Kingdoms and Regions

• Alpina
• Araluen
• Arridi
• Aslava
• Celtica
• Eastern Steppe
• Gallica
• Hibernia- Clomnel
• Iberion
• Picta
• Skandia
• Sonderland
• Teutlandt
• Toscano

Independant Areas and Wastelands

• Northern Wastes
• Mountains of Rain and Night (Morgarath's Platau)
• Skorghijl

Fiefs of Araluen

• Redmont (Assigned Ranger: Halt)
• Norgate (Assigned Ranger: Gilan, Meralon)
• Seacliff (Assigned Ranger: Will)
• Caraway (Assigned Ranger: Rupert, Jake)
• Meric (Assigned Ranger: Gilan)
• Gorlan (Former Fief)
• Greenfield
• Mibelgon (Assigned Ranger: Ashley, Rupert)

Castles and towns of Gallica

• Chateu Montsombre Meaning in gallic "Dark Mountain"(Warlords: Deparnieux, Phillemon)
• La Rivage Small town on the coast.

Character histories

• Will: Will, chosen by Halt to become one of the Ranger Corps, is a small orphan with brown eyes and hair that is tousled by his cloak. He is agile, curious and stealthy. His father, Daniel, was a sergeant in King Duncan's army, and his mother a farmer who died in child birth to Will. Will's father died doing a good deed for the kingdom by saving Halt, who saved the kingdom of Araluen twice. Will was raised in castle Redmont, in the orphan ward. Will has a brown pony called Tug, and acquires a dog later in the series. The dog is called several names, such as Blackie, Bread-and-butter pudding, and Shadow, in which is permanent. Will is the Ranger for Seacliff, a small island that is described as a backwater place. He is highly thought of in the Ranger Corps and in Araluen nobility. As a Ranger, Will carries a longbow (Formerly a short recurve bow), a heavy saxe knife and a short throwing knife. Will is also able to play the mandola. He is given the surname "Treaty" because of the agreement he organized between the Skandians and the Arauluens. Will is stated as being like a son to Halt and is his best man at his wedding. In an interview, Flanagan stated that Will is loosely based on his son, Michael.John Flannagan says that he started the series as an ispiration to him.

• Halt: Halt is a member of the mysterious Ranger Corps, and is small, with brown-and-gray hair and a beard. He is grim and famous throughout the kingdom, though people are often disappointed when they find out that he is small. He can shoot two arrows into a helmet's eye slits when the knight is moving at full speed, both hitting about half of a second apart. Halt is fond of Will, and is willing to risk banishment from Araluen and the rangers to rescue Will. He owns a ranger horse named Abelard. Halt is the ranger for Redmont and part of the rangers senior council, as well as the king's trusted adviser. It should also be noted that he is rather shy around other people. His former apprentice is the humorous sword expert, Gilan. Halt has some skill as a carver and likes to have flowers in his cottage, and is an excellent cook and a coffee drinker. When he encounter's other people, they are often inclinded to be disappointed by his lack of height and apparent muscles. Halt hardly ever smiles, instead he raises one of his eyebrows, which Will first took as a sign of displeasure. However in the third book he is shown to have a fondness towards Horace and smiles quite a bit more than regauly. He once defeated Morgorath's army by leading a cavalry charge across a secret ford on the river and into the army's rear. In book seven he marries Lady Pauline. He is a major character in books one, two, three, four and seven, and appears a few times in books five and six. Halt is is one of, if not, the best Ranger there ever was or will be.

• Horace: Horace is a ward in Castle Redmont with Will, and eventually becomes a Battleschool Apprentice. He is a natural warrior, and although he used to be Will's rival, they became best friends, and he traveled with Halt to rescue Will. He is tall, with a broken nose and a scar on his cheek. He is the captain of the Araluen Royal Guard Unit B, and is the champion of Princess Cassandra. He is also known as the Oakleaf Knight, and is famous in Gallica, also quite comfortable in female company. Most people think of Horace as a slow thinker, but he just likes to think things through properly. He is very logical and methodical. Horace normally carries a round shield with an oak leaf carving on it, a plain sword, and a heavy dagger. Horace has saved the Royal Princess of Araluen (He and Will have some tension between them about Princess Cassandra) and killed Morgarath in single combat (the duel is described in the second book). Horace plays a large part in most of the books.

• Gilan: Gilan is Halt's former apprentice and is the only Ranger who carries a sword. Gilan is tall and humorous, in sharp contrast to his former master, Halt. He is also good with dealing with people, making them feel at ease with the tall Ranger. He also tries to cover up fears and worries with more humourous and seemenly uncaring attitude- mainly to calm people down. He is the ranger for Meric Fief, although he is moved to Norgate in The Siege of Macindaw. He owns a horse named Blaze. Gilan wants to travel with Halt to rescue Will in the third book, but Halt does not allow him to. Gilan is one of the junior Rangers, though one of the best unseen movers. Gilan's father and Halt were good friends, which was why Gilan wanted to become a Ranger. Gilan appears in the first, second, third and seventh books, and is mentioned in the sixth book.

• Erak: Erak is a senior Skandian Jarl in charge of the wolfship, Wolfwind. Later in the series he becomes the Oberjarl. His second in command is Svengal. Erak first appears in the second, third, and fourth books, and in the seventh, he is captured and held at ransom. He is originally seen in the Wargals camp eating meat with Svengal, Nordel and a few other Skandians, who later capture Will and Evanlyn. He is a typical mercenary but he isn't a cold blooded killer like most Skandians. He is a fearsome opponent, and wields a large battle axe.

• Evanlyn: Evanlyn is a mysterious girl Will meets in Celtica, and she is later revealed to be the Princess Cassandra. Evanlyn, the person she is pretending to be, is actually her late maid and friend. She is pretty, blonde and very brave. She is familiar with politics and military strategies, but not survival skills. She is good friends with Will and Horace. She appears in the second, third, fourth and seventh books.

• Morgarath: Morgarath is the former Baron of Gorlan, who is rebelling against King Duncan. He has strange powers and allies (Wargals and Kalkara). His former fief is the ruined Gorlan, and his current domain is the Mountains of Rain and Night. He is tall, pale, and insane, with white hair and a thin voice. He was killed by Horace in the second book.

• Alyss: Alyss is a former ward mate of Horace and Will, and a member of the Diplomatic Corps, recruited by Lady Pauline in the First book, the Ruins of Gorlan. She is tall, graceful, and intelligent and is in love with Will. She appears in the first, second, fifth, and sixth books as a Courier of the King. In the fifth (Sorcerer in the North) and sixth book (The Siege of Macindaw), she is captured by Sir Keren and imprisoned into a high tower, where she is subjected to an enchanting blue stone. She is Lady Pauline's bridesmaid at her wedding to Halt in the seventh book. Will is attracted to her and she kissed him in the first, fifth and sixth book.

• George: George is Horace and Will's former ward mate, who is now in scribe school. He has appeared solely in the first book, but was mentioned in the second book.

• Baron Arald: Baron Arald, the Lord of Castle Redmont, is a trusted advisor of the king. He often cracks jokes, but as a baron, is always taken seriously. He is slightly overweight, with a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, but is a capable warrior and has a good grasp of strategies.

• Crowley Crowley is the head of the Ranger Corps and is most likely based in Castle Araluen. He is fond of dogs, and has a hideout, which few know about, among which are Will and Halt. He appears in the second, third, fourth, and fifth books, makes a brief appearance in the sixth and is breifly mentioned in books 1 and 7.

• Jenny Jenny, Will's former ward mate, is apprenticed to the chef Master Chubb. Jenny is pretty, plump, and blonde, and Horace is fond of her in the first book. She is a bridesmaid with Alyss at Lady Pauline's wedding. Jenny in the seventh book is also in love with the Ranger Gilan.

• Gundar Gundar is a Skandian Skirl who appears in the fifth and sixth books. He most likely lives in Northern Skandia. He has a beard, and wields a fearsome war-axe.

• Malkallam/Malcom Malcom is an alleged sorcerer who resides in Grimsdell Forest. His house is in the Healer's Clearing, where he treats people's various ailments. He is balding, humorous, and short, with hazel eyes. He was named Malkallam (his real name is Malcom) when after a healing excersise went wrong, was wrongly accused of sorcery. Malkallam was a legendary sorcerer of the region with an argument against the Seneschals of Macindaw.

• Orman Orman is the son of the Norgate fief's baron, and cousin to the treacherous Sir Keren. Will and Alyss think him to be the enemy for the main part of 'Sorcery in the North,' until the truth is revealed about his cousin.

• Lady Pauline Lady Pauline is in charge of the Diplomatic Corps at Castle Redmont. She is good friends with the Scribemaster and recruited Alyss in the first book. She is a tall and graceful lady and mentor to Alyss. In book seven she marries Halt on the fourteenth of an unknown month.

The Horses

Rangers have very good relationship's with their horses- but the other horses deserve a mention as well. Ranger horses are known for their incredible

• Tug Tug is a sturdy little pony and is very fond of Will- and Will loves Tug back. Will momentarily loses him in the seventh book during a sandstorm and leaves by himself to get him back. He eventually finds and wins the little pony back in a race because the current 'owner' wanted to keep him. Tug has saved Will's life on many occasions- most prominent was the boar hunt in the first book. Also in the fourth book Tug was shown to become distressed when Halt and Horace were tracking someone- who turned out to be Will

Tug is a shaggy grey pony with 'liquid' brown eyes and an intelligence to match.

• Abelard Abelard is Halt's horse and his name originates from Gallica. Halt, like all Rangers, is very fond of him, and is often seen to be sharing a private joke with the horse, and talking to him. He also states in the third book that ranger horses are only human' with a faint smile on his face.

• Kicker Kicker is a tall and muscler bay battlehorse that appears first in book two. Since both horse and rider are tall- Halt, Will and even Gilan have to look up- but only slightly for Gilan. Kicker and Horace both seem to understand each other, but Kicker is not up to any Ranger horse standred. But he cares and makes sure that Kicker is comfortable wherever he is. He also begins talking to his horse when he rides alone, to which he seems to respond.

• Blaze Blaze is Gilan's horse, and like the Ranger, he is tall and easily amused, even through it's hard to tell with a horse- even a Ranger one. He also, like all Ranger horses will listen and respond to a single touch of or sound. They are quite similar- well, as different species can be.

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