A New Beginning (Ranger's Apprentice - The Royal Ranger)

I have enjoyed all of the series and I'm sad to see that this is the last one. I hope that maybe John will reconsider and follow Will with his new apprentice through the next few years of training. The Ranger Apprentice series and the Brotherband chronicles are wonderful books for any age!

My grandson has read all of Flanagan's book...yep all of them a couple of times even. This find on the store with an early reserve notice....gave me 6 weeks of pure anticipation of his Joy and he opened our present to him for Christmas. All is good....best present given and received this holiday.

This incredible story ties the entire series together. I became a fan of the series a few summers ago and fell in love with the characters. I read the first ten books in a span of two or three days. Flanagan develops characters who all must overcome some sort of obstacle and it is a pleasure to accompany them on their journey.

Hope Mr. Flanagan continues to write about these fascinating characters. Even at age 85 I enjoy them very much. My grandsons introduced the series when I was visiting them a few years ago and I have really, really, enjoyed each and every one. Some I have read more than once.

I chose this rating because it has adventure and action. Some parts are sad like Alyss's death. But at least Will lives through it. Also it was really cool when Maddie said she wanted to finish ranger training. I recommend this to people who love adventure, action, and drama.

Although, some parts of this book saddened me deeply, it couldn't have deserved a better ending, part of what makes a great book/author, is the ability to have main characters die, it makes the book sad, but it strengthens it as we'll. this was probably my favorite series, it was truly amazing

you really get to love the characters and this and every other book in the series has a great plot. the sarcastic and dry humor keeps me turning the pages - couldn't put it down and every person i introduce to the series thanks me

I like the transition Maddy takes from being the stubborn princess to the level headed Ranger apprentice. The plot, as always, was great with twists along the road. All in all, I believe this is a great ending to a terrific series that leaves you begging to now "What's next?"

This book is really well made and keeps you enticed the whole way through! I am so sorry for this series to end, but I would love it if he started another one in the same Araluen world and kept up with the Ranger Corp!

John Flanagan's ability to write such wonderful stories is amazing and this book lives up to the Ranger's Apprentice saga! I wish that he would continue with this series because it will forever be my favorite series of books ever read!

I've been reading this series with my son. While this was not my favorite in the series, it was a nice way to round out the storyline and bring it full circle. The series, as a whole, has resonated with my 12 year old in a very nice way.

Unfortunately i didn't enjoy the Royal Ranger as much as others in the series.
I found the transition between book 11 and book 12 unrealistic, and many times i thought the characters seemed 'out of character'.
However, the introduction of new characters has brought a little more light, and i enjoy any opportunity to return to the land of Arulen

This book was awesome as someone who has read all the other books I have to say this is my new favorite among the series. It's a little longer but it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time, it's also a bit darker than the rest but still very much a page turner.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting such a phenomenal book. I was expecting more of a "Wow, that was great!" BUT THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY EXTRAVAGANT!!!!! If you love the Ranger's Apprentice series, THEN READ THIS BOOK!!! Keep 'em comin' John Flanagan!

I loved all the books and wished John ended at Lost stories. I feel like there was little funny moments and HATED how Will acted in this story. I enjoyed the friendship between all the characters but feel like the friendship was minimum. I don't suggest reading this book if you liked the ending of lost stories.

this was another excellent addition to the series. I literally couldn't put down. Seeing Will all grown and watching as he struggles against his Demons gave light to an unexpected though oddly endearing facet of his character that hadn't been explored before. I loved this story and it is a definite must read.

Alright here goes, this is my first the store review but I felt that it was important to communicate my experience with this book. I've read all the rangers apprentice and brotherband books and loved every one of them. This is maybe one of the weaker books in the series and that isn't to say that its a bad book, flannagan delivers again and he delivers well. What is missing from this book is the grand adventure that is present in the others, there was always a serious threat to Araluen as a whole and that I feel is something that is missing from this book.

I don't want to spoil anything but the centre piece of this book revolves around Will taking on a new apprentice Maddie and training her up, there is little to no "action" in the first part of this and instead focuses on charecter development, some May like this others may not, I for one welcomed the addition of a new charecter even if the choice was slightly too predictable.

I felt that the strengths of this book lie with the rest of hi books- loveable charecters and good plot development and here it excels, the story for the most part I felt was strong. My 2 qualms with this book are what lead me to give this book a four star rating, one of those is the the enemies in this book, it doesn't live up to the grand adventure standard that has been so consistent ithroughout the series. I wouldn't mind so much if it were a simple matter for Will and Maddie to overcome them but it is not, I'm treading close to spoiler territory and I'll do my utmost not to spoil anything.

////THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH WILL CONTAIN PARTIAL SPOLIERS DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT A PURE READING EXPERIACNE, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY FINISHED THE BOOK

Right now hopefully those reading now have read the book and so understand what I'm talking about, there is the moment when Will is captured while attempting to give Maddie time to escape. This is where my biggest qualm lies. I didn't understand why he didn't simply keep tug? All the men were on foot and it seemed to me that with the legendary accuracy he would be able to prevail? Again not my rodeo but I was a little taken aback at the ease that 11 men we're able to capture "the best ranger the corps has ever seen". The fact that these 11 men were not hardened warriors, not temujai, not expert swordswan from Nihon-Ja, not even on horseback, but common thieves, added insult to injury for me anyway, some may disagree with me here but that for me was raay let down. The other part that I wish was explored more was Alyss's death and it's impact on will, yes there we here the story and the depressed nature but I couldn't help but feel more time could have been spent on their relationship to build up her death a little, for me it was sad but not quite that tragic climax that it could have been. Again subjective but these two facts dropped huge book from a 5 to a 4 in my eyes at least.

////END OF THE SPOILERS

now with all that out of the way a short summation is in order. For those who did read the spoiler section you may have got e impression that I disliked the book. This is far from the truth, I loved the book and finished over the course of 2 nights. What I did feel was that it could have been improved and at times it was a little down from the epic scale that they usually are. I still highly recommend this book to all that have enjoyed the series though I doubt I need to. I'll compare to it the first book, it adds a new charecter and spends time developing that charecter for further books and I can't wait to see where it takes us.

Feel free to comment if you have questions or you feel my review missed some things or just sucked in general :)

Thanks for reading
Finn

John Flanagan really finished well on this but I fell there could more books about Maddie being a ranger. I really began to grow on Maddie and her horse. BIT disappointed with son of the story an the character development but it was overall a great addition to the series

Well, it's been a while since I read it, but from memory I remember the story to be very interesting and touching. There was a lot of character growth which is always an essetial part of a good book. This book contains all the witty, laughi-out-loud, touching moments that are typical of John Flannagans books and I strongly recommend it to everyone (provided of course that you have read the other books in the series.

Not much action as the book mostly is about the princess who's training to be a Ranger. If you are expecting 'dangerous but fun' adventures from our beloved characters like Halt & Will, like me you'll be sorely disappointed!

1: will gets an apprentice
2: somehow characters name change??!! (e.g. for some reason or another, Cassandra's name is actually evanlin??)
3: detail is great but plot is (to be honest), bad. however and character and other stuff is pretty good.

so i guess i'm gonna give it 2.5/5.

Very disappointing. Wonderful potential however not much effort put towards writing this one. The previous books in the series were a joy to read and kept me up till dawn more than once. Come on John, dig a little deeper and give us what we know you can do.

John Flanagan really finished well on this but I fell there could more books about Maddie being a ranger. I really began to grow on Maddie and her horse. BIT disappointed with son of the story an the character development but it was overall a great addition to the series

Well, it's been a while since I read it, but from memory I remember the story to be very interesting and touching. There was a lot of character growth which is always an essetial part of a good book. This book contains all the witty, laughi-out-loud, touching moments that are typical of John Flannagans books and I strongly recommend it to everyone (provided of course that you have read the other books in the series.

Not much action as the book mostly is about the princess who's training to be a Ranger. If you are expecting 'dangerous but fun' adventures from our beloved characters like Halt & Will, like me you'll be sorely disappointed!

1: will gets an apprentice
2: somehow characters name change??!! (e.g. for some reason or another, Cassandra's name is actually evanlin??)
3: detail is great but plot is (to be honest), bad. however and character and other stuff is pretty good.

so i guess i'm gonna give it 2.5/5.

Very disappointing. Wonderful potential however not much effort put towards writing this one. The previous books in the series were a joy to read and kept me up till dawn more than once. Come on John, dig a little deeper and give us what we know you can do.

I love the Ranger's Apprentice! I have read the series twice as well as the Brotherband Chronicles. What I found the most entertaining was the friendship between Will, Halt and Horace. They were the life of these books! Yet in the Royal Ranger - Halt and Horace each appear in two scenes at the beginning of the book and one at the end, neither taking a lead in either scene, and never do they directly interact with Will, not a single exchange between them throughout the whole book! The middle of the book follows a mildly charming apprentice and a grieving, vengeful Will who has lost all of his personality, love of life and his creativity along with it. He is morose, depressing, and incapable of taking down a small gang of thieves, relying on his brand new apprentice of only a few months to save the day - and him. The very life of the whole series has been effectively snuffed out in the final book.

About the mildly charming apprentice: If this were a stand alone book (or the beginning of its own series) about her and her journey through her apprenticeship and on to her using that knowledge to become a great queen - it would be a really, good and interesting beginning.

My suggestion - if you really love the Ranger's Apprentice and really want to read more - do so with caution. It is a fun read, but don't expect more of what you got in the previous books. If the friendship is what really hooked you - I recommend stopping with the 11th book (after all ending with the engagement of Horace and Cassandra as well as the implied future for Will and Alyss is a great way to end a great story of great characters). Pick up the Brotherband Chronicles instead.

Couple of notes:
To those who complain about the original Tug still being alive - horses can live over 30 years, he would be too old to be a useful Ranger's horse, but it's very possible he would still be alive.

I did not read the Lost Stories - is there a story in there that explains why the original Tug's name was changed?

I really enjoyed this one- I have been reading these with my kids for awhile now; they are great books for car trips! We definitely each have our favorites, and this is one of mine. Anyway- my review will contain some spoilers, so stop reading now if you haven't read the book yet.

After we read each book, I like to read all the the store reviews to see what other people thought. It was interesting how many people bemoaned the death of Alyss (certainly very sad and tragic for Will), and yet no one seemed upset that Crowley was also dead (he was always a favorite here) or that King Duncan was near death- or that a young and promising Ranger, Liam, also died. But to me it just makes sense that sooner or later someone was going to die. That's how life is. And I imagine John Flanagan wrote the story that way because that's how the story happened in his head. I don't think authors necessarily always get to pick what their characters do. They have a life of their own. In any case, it was interesting to see Will grown up ( we had to stop reading The Box Car Children series here when my kids were young because Benny was always six, and that just became ridiculous after awhile.) Reviewers did not like like this "darker" Will. To be honest, though, it would have been more strange if Will had been be his usual cheerful self after his wife died, wouldn't it? And we (at least I) don't want Will to be another Benny, so let's be happy that he's become an adult with all the joys and sorrows that brings. At least he still has Halt.

Reviewers have heavily criticized Horace's and Cassandra's parenting. Why would Cassandra try to shelter her own daughter when she knew exactly what it was like to grow up with an overly protective parent? LOL- that is just what parents, especially moms, do. We've all done things we are not eager to have our kids repeat, and we all see certain death for our kids when they try to do crazy things like climb a ladder or ride a bike without a helmet. It's easy to lose perspective when your own kids are involved. I am also laughing over the reviews complaining that Horace and Cassandra never improved their parenting skills. All the people who wrote that most likely never have had teenagers, or maybe they had easy to raise kids. If you've ever raised a stubborn/difficult child, you know just what I mean.

Gilan/Jenny- I was sad (and surprised) they never married. And yet, a woman's heart is a mysterious thing, and I can't presume to know all the ins and outs of her reasoning. I only know what the author tells me. Maybe she will change her mind.

The lack of children... like other reviewers, I was puzzled by the overall lack of children from all these couples. The cause was never addressed, but if it had been, there would likely have been complaining from the fans about not wanting to hear about infertility or whatever the reasons were. I did wonder where Alyss and Will lived while they were married. His cabin? Redmont Castle?

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story- I liked all the details about the ranger training and was happy to see Will cheer up. I thought the plan of sending Maddie to ranger school was brilliant and only wish I could send one of my own kids as well. Kids, especially teens, like to do "real things" , and letting them test their wings makes a huge difference.

As for the idea that the book left too many loose ends- well, I think that is a good thing. That leaves the author some wiggle room if he ever wants to resume the series (which I hope he will...). Maybe we will get to see Maddie finish her ranger training. Maybe Malcolm will come and heal the wound on King Duncan's leg. Maybe Jenny and Gilan will finally get married, or maybe Gilan really will find someone else. Maybe there will be a rogue ranger who turns evil and tries to sell out the kingdom. Who knows? The possibilities are endless!

Bookworm Speaks!

Ranger’s Appprentice Book 12

The Royal Ranger

by John Flanagan

****

This is the final book in the Ranger’s Apprentice Series.

Warning! Review contains spoilers.

The Story: Will Treaty has come a long way from the small boy with dreams of knighthood. Life had other plans for him, and as an apprentice Ranger under Halt, he grew into a legend—the finest Ranger the kingdom has ever known. Yet Will is facing a tragic battle that has left him grim and alone. To add to his problems, the time has come to take on an apprentice of his own, and it’s the last person he ever would have expected. Fighting his personal demons, Will has to win the trust and respect of his difficult new companion—a task that at times seems almost impossible.

The Good: This story takes place fifteen/sixteen years after the conclusion of the Nihon-Ja arc. Will, Horace, and Cassandra have grown up. Horace and Cassandra are married and have a fifteen year-old daughter named Madeline or Maddie. We already have an interesting premise here. Seeing the next generating

The greatest strength of the novel is in Madeline. She is very much like her mother: headstrong and unafraid. This makes her appealing right from the start as Cassandra was a favorite character for the same reason. Madeline is written is a distinctive way. Maddie has a bit of an attitude problem, she is spoiled and has a condescending outlook on life and people.

You can’t really blame her though. She is the heir to the kingdom and the daughter of two famous heroes and throughout her childhood she was waited on hand and foot. It should come as no surprise when she acts negatively to living the comfortable but somewhat yeoman lifestyle of a Ranger.

At the same time, the reader can’t help but understand her and, no doubt to some surprise, feel sorry for her. Being thrust into a different paradigm is a traumatic experience, no matter the circumstances, and is relatable to almost everyone. She is not mean or insufferable (maybe a little annoying at times) and she tries to make the best of what she has been dealt. This makes her feel very real and a very good character.

It serves as foil to Will in more than one way. More than just the grizzled veteran contrasted with youthful exuberance. Maddie is the same age as Will when he started out and has similar habits such as sneaking around and causing trouble, but that is where the similarities end. Maddie has had a happy childhood with a loving family and is royalty. Will was an orphan. They came from different worlds and both have to make adjustments. Character was what always carried the series through and it works really well here.

What is also great about this book is how it no doubt fulfills many fan’s (including Bookworm) dreams of having a female Ranger. Bookworm loves female protagonist’s and finally seeing a girl become a Ranger makes it all the sweeter.

The Flaws: Get ready for some ranting…

If the series had ended on The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, it would have been great!

If the series had ended on The Lost Stories, it would have been fine.

Here…Bookworm thinks the author got fed up or just got lazy.

This novel got a lot of things right, but it got too much wrong.

The main problem was that it was just a little too close to home. This series was fun in how it sent its heroes on grand adventures into new lands. That didn’t happen here it was almost a rehash of the first half of the first book. Training, getting into trouble, punishments, Will gets frustrated. This is not what we have come to expect from Ranger’s Apprentice! A local story arc does not belong in a thrilling conclusion. That was what the Lost Stories was for. If it has to take place close to home. Really raise the stakes, make it an epic conclusion. But no! It was bandits! The most blah enemies in any work of fiction!

The most grievous sin of this book was how a main character that we all grew to love was treated. Alyss was killed off!

Alyss was a good character but she was criticized for being the token love interest for the hero. Well…in this book, she really did become the token love interest and fell right into the tired, “woman in refrigerator” cliche. Killing her off did not serve any real purpose other than to add drama to the story and motivate Will into becoming a bitter, old man, similar in many respects to what Halt was like at the beginning of the series. To add insult to the fans, the author downgrades Will significantly. We all know that he is sad that his wife is dead, but considering what else he has been through, it stretches the realism of this series in that in the past, Will has taken on entire armies and enemy generals, a band of thugs should not have captured him so easily. He is supposed to filling the shoes of Halt. He is one of the greatest Rangers in the Corps now. He should have picked them all off one by one from the shadows. Instead, some half-baked revenge scheme tried to be hammered in but it didn't work for Bookworm.

Final Verdict: Bookworm thinks that the author did not write this book because he wanted to but because he still had one more book on his contract or he had a hefty bill to pay. This was an incredible letdown.

Bookworm won’t lie though, it would be nice to see some stories about Madeline being the first female ranger and going on some adventures, but maybe it is enough. Let this series rest.

After all…you know what they say about all good things…

Two out of Five Stars

thecultureworm.blogspot.com

Wow, this installment is bittersweet and a bit darker (along the lines of _The Icebound Land_ in tone, if not a shade darker). I was unfortunate enough to hit a spoiler on a non-related book wiki concerning the big plot development (death) months back, so I want to avoid spoiling the story for others. As a result, I won't do an in-depth review (even though I have a lot of thoughts on this one I could share). If you've really enjoyed the series until now, there is a lot to like in this book. I've already pre-ordered _The Red Fox Clan_ and and I'm impatiently waiting for its arrival.

Once agai, Keating's narration was superb. He's definitely on my list of favorite Audible narrators.

In "The Royal Ranger" the twelfth and final saga in the "Ranger's Apprentice" series an empty and grim-faced Will Treaty hunts for the bandits who were instrumental in the death of his wife; their leader having escaped justice once already. Fearing that Will may never get over the loss of his soul mate Alyss and that his sorrow may hinder him from accepting any new missions Halt suggests that Gilan, the Corps Commandant select an apprentice for him to train. What Will doesn't know is that his headstrong, irresponsible and rebellious goddaughter Princess Maelyn (Maddie) of Araluen will be the first female recruit to be trained in the year long program.

Maddie, the spoiled, wilful daughter of Princess Cassandra and Sir Horace is a handful sneaking away at night to hunt game in the forest when she's given the opportunity. When she learns she's to be mentored as an apprentice under her Uncle Will she arrives late at his cabin with a maid and mounds of baggage in tow. Remembering his years as Halt's apprentice Will tries to stay patient, calm and civil to a young teenage girl who has only known the privilege and authority of being a royal. In a contest of wills Will and Maddie will struggle to win each other's trust and respect, a task that seems daunting for both.

In this plot the older , highly experienced Will Treaty is respected and revered, his reputation feared by those that want to circumvent the law. He needs an apprentice that will engage him emotionally, physically and intellectually and that will be Maddie who doesn't expect that as a Ranger reporting to the Crown he has vast more authority than she has. The pace and intensity in this fantasy-adventure escalates when Will and Maddie after overcoming several hurtles in their growing relationship are sent on a mission to investigate the sudden death of a Ranger at Treblath Fief and uncover a sinister kidnapping plot; one which will test them as companions and their skills as Rangers. Like all the "Ranger Apprentice " novels John Flanagan skilfully builds tension and suspense as events unfold but often diluting the anxiety with bits of humor. In a plot that has the pair facing death as well as Will confronting his inner demons, the ending is exciting and uplifting .

Princess Madelyn begins a transition in this tale from a snotty, arrogant aristocrat with a feisty spirit to a caring, compassionate Ranger Apprentice admired for her courage, ingenuity and cleverness. Will Treaty's cheerful, laughing spirit has been darkened by the death of his wife. Gloomy and distant with no purpose other than finding those who brought about her death, his mood begins to lighten when he takes Maddie under his wing, facing his demons when tragedy again threatens to strike. Jory Ruhl the cruel, hot-tempered and pitiless leader of the bandits is the antagonist who wants Will dead. Yet it's Tug and Bumper who are also stalwart heroes in this story, capable and protective they loyally keep watch over their owners. These characters and others add passion, energy and drama to a tale with twists that keep you riveted from the first page to the last.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Royal Ranger" as I have all the "Ranger Apprentice" novels and will miss spending time with Halt and Will in future.

Check out my full review on my blog!
I knew the advertised ‘major plot twist’ in advance. If this book has been ‘spoiled’ for you, don’t let that stop you. Life goes on. Though I won’t spoil the major plot twist, by now everyone should know about Will’s apprentice. A girl. My immediate reaction? “NO.” I was not thrilled with the idea. But don’t let that aspect turn you off, either. Now I understand. There was no other possible person, and everything works together so perfectly, just read it! So, just read the book, ‘kay? Get it? [Got it.] Good. That said, on to the review…

This book was absolute perfection. Everything about it was perfect. The characters (WILL! HALT! *fangirl squeal*), the endless laughs, the anguish, the suspense, the pain, the joy, The Royal Ranger is a book that you will always love, and never forget. Throughout the novel, there is still very much the Ranger’s Apprentice feel to it, and yet the plot didn’t drag, it wasn’t slow, it was original and new. And yet, it was just as heartbreaking, agonizing, hilarious, inspirational, and beautiful, as all the others have been.

This book brings the whole fantastic series full circle; it leaves you with a sense of satisfaction and conclusion. In my opinion, that one attribute is the single most important thing in an end-of-series novel. And John Flanagan pulled it off magnificently. The characters stayed true to themselves, and the writing style was, as always, highly engaging and excellent.

To Sum it Up: Fast-paced adventure, a touch (repeat: a touch.) of romance, humor, and a fantastic storyline and writing style: The Royal Ranger was everything I ever could have hoped for of the 12th and final novel in the epic sage The Ranger’s Apprentice. I recommend it to 10+.

I listened to the Audible version of the Royal Ranger, the 12th book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. First off, a quick note about the narrator. He is a very skilled narrator, and one with a British accent which went perfectly with this novel. The only downside was he occasionally misspoke a voice (reading a male with a female voice, etc.) but this was extremely rare.

Having read the entire series, I looked forwarded to hearing this one. I was not disappointed as this book has all the charm, polish, and adventure of the previous novels. In this one, Will Treaty is in a bad state after his wife was killed. Seeking revenge, Will shuns his Ranger duties in lieu of tracking down the criminals responsible. Meanwhile, all of Will's friends look for a way to help save him. They decide to make princess Madeline an apprentice to Will. And from there, the story takes off.

There isn't a slow point in the novel and as we follow Maddy's apprenticeship, I was reminded of the first few books where Will shadowed Halt. I loved seeing the progression of this relationship, the growth of Maddy (and Will), and the adventure they both set out together on.

While I really loved this book, there were a few minor issues that took me out of the immersion. First, the horses never seem to sleep...they keep watch at night and yet plod along during the day. Secondly, at one point Maddy leaves a group of children in a cave for a few days without any mention of where they would get food or water (it was mentioned specifically that they had run out during the journey). And lastly, all of these children had been abused yet in the end it seemed to imply they were returned to their homes. I would have preferred to see something mentioned about perhaps they being taken in as wards in Araluen. One was a born leader but no mention of him being offered an apprenticeship as a knight or ranger.

I'm not sure what the author's future plans for this series are. I would love to see more of Maddy and her adventures, but who knows if there will be another book. In the meantime, I am looking forward to reading the next Brotherband book and I will be remembering how much I enjoyed this one, and how much I miss this series. Another new favorite for me.

I totally thought that "The Lost Stories" would be the final book to this series, and that the legacy of Will (the ranger's apprentice and the main character of the whole series) had finally come to an end. At the time, the assumption was reasonable, since "The Lost Stories" was a collection of stories that explained "and so that happened and they lived happily ever after", which in the most case is used mark an end for most series. The reason for that is the author later gets so many requests for some questions that the reader wants answered, and they tend to be so far apart from each other to put it all in a same storyline, and so the author publishes an epilogue to the series which contains bits and bits of the answers.

However, breaking everyone's expectations, a new book comes out behind the presumed "end" and turns out to be a page turner! This book is very different to all others in the series thanks to the POV on which it was written (it was done on a brand-new member). Most books were written on Will's point of view, and occasionally Halt, Alice, and Horace joined in. I am not sure you notice it in the cover, but the ranger there is actually a GIRL if you look closely, and indeed this girl is the character who will be sharing her stories in this book.

--SPOILERS--(very, very quick summary)
Maddie is the royal princess of Araluen, daughter of Horace and Cassandra. She is a very troubled child, often going off to the woods and worrying her parents a lot (just like Cassie in the old days).
Will is on quest for vengeance, and the cloud of misery cuts him off from everything else. He refuses to answer the corps and to his friends who are worried he might never get out of his inner turmoil from losing Alyss.
Halt therefore, devises an ingenious plan: send Maddie to Will as an Apprentice.
--End of Spoilers--

So here is the main question: IS THIS THE END??? The logical end for this series was right on it with "The lost stories", not this "Royal Ranger" nonsense. Don't get me wrong, the book is good, but it doesn't feel like at all as an end to the series, more as a start to a new one.

I think if Flanagan wanted to end the series, he should have left it with "The lost stories". This book has no right to appear as the end, since all it would achieve is rousing EVEN MORE questions about "so, what happens now?". UNLESS this WAS an introduction to the renewal of the series, and I was totally tripping myself there.

I never would have thought the Flanagan would bring this series to an end, choosing to instead let it just sort of hang out there. This book wraps up the series, in my opinion as it has been quite a few years since the previous book. It is great to see Will back in action, even as an adult.

Basic Storyline: Will is torn up by the unfortunate death of his wife, and is on a spree to kill the man./men responsible. To bring him out of this dark side, Halt and Galin propose to give him an apprentice to train. Turns out that Horace and Cassandra's daughter is of an age, and they are currently exasperated with her teenage rebelliousness. Long story short, she is assigned as an apprentice to Will, bringing about the acceptance of females into the Ranger's, as well as a new weapon they can use.

Though much of the story was somewhat predictable, and the writing set obviously for a more YA crowd, I thoroughly enjoyed returning to the tale of the Rangers again.