Book 7), Erak's Ransom (Ranger's Apprentice

One of the strongest adventures in the Ranger's Apprentice series. This book gives the female characters an excellent chance to show their strength and save the day. The book includes a full-on revolution and war and a noble emperor. We also get a small flavor of Japan.

John A. Flanagan is a wonderful author who has once again brought us the characters of Will, Halt and Horace on a new adventure.
This book steps back in time to when Will is an apprentice, but it explains exactly how he ended up with the last name Treaty.

Great for the younger and the older reader. Love the style if John Flanagan's writing. I am so glad he is writing yet another series and me and the kids will be sure to read that one too. Books are quite appropriate for about 10 years and up. Mixes humor with drama quite well.

We really enjoy this series. The storyline continues to build for each character throughout this series. My kids have a lot of fun guessing what will happen to their favorite characters in the next book.

Was kinda disappointed to receive the 10th installment of the series in Hardcover and find out it is not the original cover of the books. The description for paperback ended up being on the the hardcover piece I purchased. Gonna have to find the original somewhere if not here.

Was kinda disappointed to receive the 10th installment of the series in Hardcover and find out it is not the original cover of the books. The description for paperback ended up being on the the hardcover piece I purchased. Gonna have to find the original somewhere if not here.

I thought that this was an excellent book overall. John Flanagan proves himself a master of literature with the tenth installment in the Ranger"s Apprentice Epic. His Voluminous language roasts a through understanding of vocabulary and grammar, while his connotation and word choice take the reader on a mystical journey back in time. Well done, Mr. Flanagan!

Though still young, Horace Altman has lived a life of daring and adventure. Recognized as one of the most skilled warriors in all of Araluen, Horace's sword has stood fast in the service of his friends, his country and his King. With his best friend the celebrated young Ranger Will Treaty and Will's mentor the legendary Ranger Halt, Horace has travelled most of the known world battling for justice and right.

Horace's latest mission, however, is one of peace and diplomacy. At the behest of Araluen's King Duncan, Horace is in the exotic eastern land of Nihon-Ja studying the sword techniques of the Senshi warriors. As impressed as Horace is with the fighting skills of the Senshi, he is even more impressed with the character of the Nihon-Jan Emperor, Shigeru. A member of the elite Senshi class, Shigeru understands that all of the Nihon-Jan - including the fishermen, farmers and woodcutters - need to have a voice in the nation's government. Long used to absolute deference and obeisance from the lower classes, many of the Senshi oppose the Emperor's egalitarian views. As Horace prepares to leave Nihon-Ja, one of them, the powerful warlord Arisaka, makes his opposition violent.

With Horace studying swordcraft in Nihon-Ja, Halt and Will are currently in Toscana. They are part of a diplomatic delegation led by Will's sweetheart, Alyss. An Araluen Courier, Alyss is there to arbitrate a trade and military pact between Toscana and Arrida. Much to Will's and Halt's delight, their old friend Selethen is also in Toscana, representing the Arridi Emrikir. Theirs is a relatively relaxed party - at least until Crown Princess Cassandra of Araluen shows up.

Cassandra, or Evanlyn as she has always been known to Will, has received an unsettling message from Nihon-Ja. A powerful force of Senshi led by Lord Arisaka has risen against Emperor Shigeru. The Emperor's travelling party, which includes Horace, has disappeared. The Crown Princess is determined to travel to Nihon-Ja and find Horace and she has a Skandian wolfship standing by to that purpose. Will and Halt have been detailed to accompany her. To no one's surprise, both Alyss and Selethen choose to join the Princess's party.

What follows is a most dangerous and daring adventure for Will, Halt and Horace. The entire nation of Nihon-Ja, not to mention the life of its Emperor, rests in the hands of these brave Araluens and their allies. With only a small band of untrained timber workers to serve as soldiers, they must find a way to defeat a formidable army of trained warriors.

If I am being honest, then I must admit that I approached this final volume of The Ranger's Apprentice series with a certain amount of trepidation. I have loved each and every one of the previous nine books and I am genuinely sorry to see this series come to an end. In addition, I am always wary of 'epic final adventures.' So often they fail to live up to what has come before. Happily, that is not the case with The Emperor of Nihon-Ja. This book is as phenomenal as the rest of the series. It's filled with action, strategy and breath-taking scenery. I salute John Flanagan - The Ranger's Apprentice is a tour de force in Young Adult literature and I will miss reading about Halt, Will and all of their friends.

Good addition to the series. The change of scenery was very interesting and the late addition of a long term character in the series was unexpected. The twists in the stories were very welcome and kept me guessing. Well written book and an great mixture of action and humor.