Review - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 10) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 438 pages
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: April 19, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0399255007
Stand Alone or Series: 10th book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the tenth (and final) book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. As with previous books in the series it is a solid fantasy for middle grade/YA reading level; although the characters are getting a bit old for this to be a middle grade series still. As with previous books there is nothing super creative here, but it is still well written.

Horace is in Nihon-Ja (a very Japan-like nation) to learn fighting techniques. When the Emperor there is overthrown Horace ends up embroiled in the fight to save the Empire. When the Princess brings word to Alyss, Will, and Halt that Horace has disappeared they enroll Skandian help to journey across the sea to find Horace and bring him home. Little do they know that size of the conflict Horace is involved in is much bigger than they had thought.

We get to spend time with all of our favorite characters. They are pretty much all here and they all play a big role in the story. Halt takes a backseat to Will and Horace in this story. Like normal Will comes up with a crazy idea to solve everyone’s problems. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja was a delightful character; he was wise and funny and very admirable in the way he handled things throughout the novel.

This book featured the female characters more than previous books. Alyss and the Princess (going by Evelyn) end up having a separate quest from the boys and it was fun to read more about them and watch them work together. I enjoyed that they played a larger role in the story.

The plot is incredibly predictable. Pretty much Will and crew see a fighting style in the beginning of the book, then they run into all of the peasants in Nihon-Ja...and from there you know what is going to happen. There are no twists and turns, you can predict the story from beginning to end. As with previous books this isn’t a very creative story.

It also bothered me a bit how old the characters are now. There is a lot of talk about getting engaged and married etc. It was kind of weird and made this book a bit more young adult than previous books.

The story is very well written and easy to read. I continued to enjoy the banter between the characters and the humor.

Overall a good installment in this series. I loved that Alyss and Evelyn play a larger role in this book. I also enjoyed the Emperor of Nihon-Ja; he was a wonderful character and added a lot to the story. The book is very well written, has great humor throughout, and is a solid fantasy. The plot in this book is incredibly predictable, even more so than previous book. As with previous books this wasn’t a very creative book. I’d recommend to those who are interested in a well-written straight historical fantasy read, the book is most appropriate for middle grade and older

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Review - Halt’s Peril (Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 9) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: March 20, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0142418581
Stand Alone or Series: 9th book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the ninth book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. The tenth book is the Emperor of Nihon-Ja. There is also one additional book titled The Lost Stories which released late in 2011. This book does a good job of wrapping up the story that started in, The Kings of Clonmel. Like previous books it is a solid middle grade fantasy, but nothing incredibly creative or outstanding.

Halt, Will, and Horace are on the trail of Tennyson and the rest of the Outsider cult. When one of the Genovesan assassins gets a good shot in at Halt things turn dire. Can Will get help on time? Or will this be the end of Halt’s adventures? As stated by the title, Halt is in dire peril.

I don’t have a ton to say about this book. It you like the series you should read this book. This is basically the second half of the story that was started in Kings of Clonmel. It is a bit darker than previous books and had some slow spots. But like previous books there is some great banter and humor throughout and the fight scenes are exceptionally well done.

These books are pretty formulaic; there’s a problem, Halt and crew try to fix it, something horrible happens, Will saves the day, they fix the problem and life goes on. The books are well written and fun to read, but there isn’t anything all that interesting or creative here.

I missed that none of the female characters featured, but enjoyed that Malcom was back in the story some. Halt seemed a bit tired throughout, like he was feeling his age. Will didn’t really show much growth as a character either.

Overall this was a good addition to the series. I felt like this book was a bit darker and moved a bit slower than previous books. It was good to complete the story started in Kings of Clonmel and I enjoyed the witty banter between the characters. The book is well written, pretty typical fantasy fare...nothing all that creative but solid. Recommended for fans of middle grade fantasy.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Review - The Kings of Clonmel (Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 8) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 400 pages
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: September 6, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0142418574
Stand Alone or Series: 8th book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the eighth book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. There are ten books total in the series. If you have enjoyed the previous books in this series, then you will enjoy this one as well.

When Will arrives at the yearly Ranger’s Gathering he finds that Halt is missing. Halt is in the west investigating a mysterious religious cult called the Outsiders that is affecting the stability of the kingdom of Clonmel. Will and Horace are asked to go and assist Halt in dealing with the threat.

This book was very much like all the previous books in this series. It was a solid and well done fantasy with humorous banter between the characters. Will, Halt, and Horace are fun to read about.

The plot is very much like other plots in this series. This is a problem in a kingdom that needs to be dealt with; our trio goes and deals with it. Along the way there are some twists and turns that put them in tough situations and they need to use their wits and talents to figure out a solution.

There is one additional thing in this book that makes things a bit more interesting. In this story we learn a lot about Halt’s history, where he comes from, and who his family is. It was fun to learn about Halt’s past and get some more background on him. Although I found the background as to why Halt left his family to be a bit unrealistic when you consider who Halt is and how he normally acts.

I was a bit disappointed that none of the girls feature in this story. I have enjoyed having Alyss or Cassandra as part of the story. I also thought that there really wasn’t as much character development in this book as in previous books. Will is grown and seems a bit stagnant. Horace was more witty than in previous books but outside of that he was the same old Horace. Even Halt seems a bit tired throughout the story.

This book is the first half of a story that will be continued into book 9. As with previous books, this is a well written but not super creative story.

Overall another solid addition to this series. It was great to learn about Halt’s past. The witty banter between the characters is highly entertaining. I didn’t think there was as much character development as in previous books. In general this is a solid traditional adventure fantasy that should appeal to a middle grade and older audience.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - The Siege of Macindaw (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 6) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: May 18, 2010
ISBN: 978-0142415245
Stand Alone or Series:6th book in the Ranger's Apprentice series
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. It was an excellent addition to the series and does a good job wrapping up the story that was left hanging in book 5.

Will is trying to conceive a plan to rescue Alyss from Keren, the knight who revolted and took over Macindaw. Horace shows up and between him, Will, a small group of Skandians, and the people who live outside Macindaw in the forest they will have to come up with a plan to rescue Alyss. Things become even more dire when Will finds out that Keren is allying with the Scotti; this is a move that puts the country in danger and is something Will needs to stop before it happens.

This book basically completes the story started in the fifth book, which ended on a total cliffhanger. You can really see how the characters have grown and matured in this book; Will has lost a lot of his impatience and Horace has become a very tempered and strategic warrior. I love the banter between Will and Horace; they differ in opinions and complain to each other but are still obviously wonderful friends and support each other. It was fun to see how Alyss has grown as well. The relationship between her and Will is sweet and also a bit frustrating since they have trouble expressing their feelings for each other. I was a bit disappointed that Halt wasn't in the book more.

I also enjoyed that the Skandians play a big part in this book. The bad guy here, Keren, is a good bad guy. He is not totally evil and isn't all that happy with his actions; so he does generate some sympathy with the readers despite his evil actions.

Like previous books this is a well-written fantasy story. This book focuses more on battle tactics and strategy than adventure. It is all very well done and easy to read. There is nothing ground-breaking or incredibly creative here, it is just a very well done middle grade/YA fantasy.

Unlike the previous book this book wrapped up nicely. I can't wait to see what future books hold for these characters.

Overall I enjoyed this continuation of the Ranger's Apprentice series. I am excited to read the next book, Erak's Ransom. This is a solid fantasy book that focuses mostly on battle tactics, not adventure like the previous books. It is well-written and has characters that are very well done. A great read for fans of more traditional fantasy fare.

Review - The Sorceror of the North (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 5) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult/Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy
Size: 320 pages

Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: June 25, 2009
ISBN: 978-0142414293
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Ranger's Apprentice series
Source: Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series by Flanagan.  The tenth book in this series, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, released in April of 2011.  This book was a solid addition to the series and an enjoyable read.  It is another of those books in this series that is only the first half of a story arc.

Will is taking up his own post at a castle in the Northern territories.  As he settles in to his new position he receives a message from his old friend Alyss, all is not well in the North and Will needs to go and check it out.  Masquerading as a jongleur, Will investigates stories of bad sorcery and mysterious illness.

It was a lot of fun to Will striking out on his own as a Ranger.  I was a bit disappointed that he stays in his new territory such a short time and then is sent north to a different area.  It was interesting to watch Will work at playing a completely different role (that of a traveling musician) when he's just finally out on his own as a Ranger.

There were some great new characters added to the mix.  Will ends up with a faithful dog companion that added a lot to the story.  A strange "black" magician also looks to add a lot to the story.  I was a bit disappointed we didn't see much of Halt in this book, but Alyss is present for much of the story and she is a wonderful humorous character that really is fun to read about.

The story is well-written, as with previous books there is nothing especially creative or intriguing about the world here.  It is a pretty straight-forward adventure fantasy.  I love the humor that is woven throughout, it mimics real life well and keeps things from getting too serious.

This book does something that has happened in previous books, it only tells half of a story.  The story ends pretty much with everything up in the air.  So, if you hate being left hanging I would definitely pick up the sixth book, The Seige of Macindaw, right away so that you can read it when you are done with this one.

Overall a great addition to the series.  This is the start of a new story arc and there are some fun characters added.  Will and Alyss spend a lot of time together in this story and it was great to have Alyss featuring in the story.  Halt is scarce, though and I missed him.  I was upset at how the book was ended right in the middle of the story again, but that just makes me want to read book six, The Seige of Macindaw, more.  This has been a wonderful series for middle grade and young adult readers who love a good adventure fantasy.  The book is very well-written and the humor laced throughout makes it a joy to read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge

Review - The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 4) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher:  Puffin
Release Date: January 8, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0142413401
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Ranger's Apprentice series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars


This is the fourth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series; there are twelve books planned in this series with the tenth book, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, released in April of 2011.  This was a good book in the series and continues the story line that was started in book 2, The Burning Bridge.

Will and Evelyn are recovering in the cabin in the woods when things take a turn for the worse.  Evelyn is abducted by a third party no one even knew was in Skandia.  Will tries to save her and runs into Halt and Horace.  The whole group tries to figure out what this third party is doing in Skandia, then Erak arrives and is drawn into the action.  What results could be a battle that determines the future of Skadia and its neighboring countries.

This book was basically the conclusion to the story arc that started in The Burning Bridge.  It ends well, finally no cliffhangers.

All of our favorite characters are in this story for the majority of it: Evelyn, Will, Horace, Halt and Erak.  They are all likable and the story is engaging.  This is a very solid fantasy book.  This book deals more with war and strategy than previous books have.

All of our young heroes have to take on more responsibility and come up with ideas to help save Skandia; it was great to see our heroes shoulder these responsibilities with grace.  Having Halt in the book for the majority of the story was great, he is my favorite character of the bunch.

The plot was again fairly predictable and a bit contrived.  The way things work out and all the characters meet up is incredibly unlikely and made me roll my eyes a bit.  The plot works out pretty much how you think it will at the beginning on the book.  Basically this is another solid fantasy story, but not incredibly creative.

Overall a very well done addition to this series.  Wraps up the story arc that started in The Burning Bridge nicely.  Our characters see a lot of growth and take on responsibility and Halt is in the story a lot, so that is awesome!  The characters are likable, the story engaging.  If you have liked previous books you will like this one too.  I am still finding these to be a little too predictable and not as creative as I would like.  Still they are quick, fun reads.  I plan on continuing to read the series for now.  If you like this series I would recommend The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens and A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge

Review - The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 3) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 288 pages
Publisher:  Puffin
Release Date: February 5, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0142410752
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Ranger's Apprentice series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series; there are twelve books planned in this series with the tenth book, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, released in April of 2011.  This was a good book in the series and continues the story line that was started in book 2, The Burning Bridge.

Will and Evelyn have been kidnapped by the Skandians and are at sea on the way back to the Skandians' homeland.  Will they survive their kidnapping and be safely returned home?  Halt is determined to go find Will, but is needed elsewhere in the kingdom.  Halt will try to force the King's hand and ensure that he is able to go after Will.  Will Halt and Horace be able to save Will and Evelyn?

I liked this book somewhat better than the first and second books in the series.  Much of the story is spent with Will and Evelyn and they are both great characters and really grow throughout this book.  These poor two characters face many trials and tribulations as they are forced to serve as slaves to the Skandians.  The remainder of the story is told from Halt and Horace's point of view; Halt still has his biting sense of humor and Horace is much more likable than in previous books.

The plot is fairly predictable, there isn't anything here that hasn't been done before.  The story is well written and engaging. There is a lot of humor throughout which makes that story fun to read.  This book ends on another cliffhanger, so you may want to buy Book 4, The Battle for Skandia, ahead of time.

Overall this was a solid addition to the series.  The story is engaging and the characters likable.  The plot is well done, but predictable and nothing new.   The humor throughout sets this apart from other middle grade fantasy and makes this book a fun read.  This book does end on another horrible cliffhanger so be ready for that.   I am looking forward to how things pan out in The Battle for Skandia.  If you like this series I would recommend The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens and A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge

Review - The Burning Bridge (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 2) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 288 pages
Publisher: Puffin 
Release Date: June 26, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0142408421
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd in The Ranger's Apprentice series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars
 
This is the second book in The Ranger's Apprentice series by Flanagan, there are twelve books planned for this series with a spin-off series planned after that. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (book 10) just came out in April.  This book was a good addition to the series; there is a lot more adventure than in the first book.

Will is sent on a mission with Galen and Horace to go talk to the Celts but when they get there something is terrible wrong.  Towns are abandoned and people are missing.  The local nobles are not cooperating and Halt is sent to deal with them.  The possible war with Mogarath is drawing near.

There is a lot more adventure and excitement in this book than was in the previous book, The Ruins of Gorlan.  Will and Horace are forced to show resourcefulness and take on more and more responsibility in hopes of preventing or at least delaying a war with Mogarath.  A new and interesting character joins the plot, Evanlyn.  Evanlyn is a noblewoman in disguise and is just as smart and resourceful as the boys she ends up traveling with.

I love that despite the serious scenarios in this book, there is a lot of humor laced throughout.  Halt is just as dry as ever, with a very sarcastic sense of humor.  Evanlyn also has a biting sense of humor.  This makes the book more fun to read and probably depicts human nature in an more accurate way...I love that the story doesn't take itself too seriously.

The plot is well done, but again this book feels like only part of a larger book.  The book ends on a horrible cliffhanger; that left me kind of irritated.  I hate it when authors feel the need to drag the reader into the next book rather than just write a good story so that the reader picks up the next book in the series willingly.  So be prepared, if you read this book you will immediately want to read the third. 

The worldbuilding is fantastic.  Flanagan has created a detailed world that is interesting to read about and very realistic.  It is not the most creative world, most readers have probably read about worlds like this before...but it is still well done.

Overall this is a very solid fantasy series.  I really enjoy the characters and the sense of humor throughout the book.  This book had more adventure than the first, which was nice.  I did not enjoy the horrible cliffhanger this book ends with.  If you enjoy this series I would also recommend The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney and Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

This book goes to the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge

 

Review - The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) by John Flanagan (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 272 pages
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: June 8, 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0142406632
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in The Ranger's Apprentice series
Source: bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series.  There are twelve books planned for this series. Book 10, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, was released April 2011.  This was a solid fantasy book, it is well written and engaging but not all that creative.  I listened to it on audio book and the audio book was very well done.

Will is a ward of the castle and it is time for him to be apprenticed.  While his ward-mates all have special talents, Will's only special talent seems to be getting into trouble.  Then he is made an offer of apprenticeship by Halt, the region's ranger. Will has heard dark and scary things about rangers but he is about to learn that there is a lot more to being a ranger than he originally thought.

This book is well written and well put together.  The characters are all very likable and fun to read about.  The plot was predictable, but again well done.  The world is very medieval in tone and reminds some of Lord of the Rings, or other classic epic fantasy.  The biggest difference in this book is the humor throughout, which made it a fun read and lightened the tone at points.

Will is a great character, as are his mentors and wardmates.  Will is smart but makes mistakes, proud but knows when to ask for help.  He grows some as a character throughout the book and you can tell he has a lot more room to grow in future books.  The same can be said of his wardmates.

This book is very much a set-up book.  Most of the book is spent setting up the characters, training them, and setting the stage for the war that is set to start in the next book in the series, The Burning Bridge.  The plot is predictable, which is to say it goes very much like other epic fantasies you have read before.  There really isn't anything new here.  That being said it is well done, and is a good intro for the middle grade age set to epic fantasy.

Overall this was an excellent book, everything about it is very solid and well done.  The plot is predictable and the book doesn't really add to the epic fantasy genre, but the characters are likable and the humor throughout enjoyable; you can tell this book is setting up for great things to happen in future books.  I recommend this for middle grade to young adult readers who love fantasy and coming-of-age tales. I think this book would be a bit boring for adults familiar with the fantasy genre because of the predictability of the plot; but future books will hopefully prove me wrong.  I am going to continue reading this series and can't wait to start the next book in the series, The Burning Bridge.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List can't link reviews