Last word first: This is a great installment of a great series! Why haven't you read it yet? (5/5)Description: Hiding out in the woods is not a bad position for a ranger like Will to be in. It's what he's trained for, after all. But, with the evil "lord" Keren in control of castle of Macindaw, and holding Will's friend, Alyss, captive, Will finds himself wishing he could get in out of the cold. Some real troops might be helpful, too. Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of yet another old friend...
My thoughts: Fantastic! I've been a fan of this series ever since picking up The Ruins of Gorlan on the suggestion of a friend. It's action-packed without being overly gory, and plot driven without ignoring character development. Joe and I both enjoy it, though it's geared towards younger teen boys. If I ever have a son, I will be picking these books up for my home library.
Now, about Macindaw specifically... it's the second half of the two part story that started in Sorcerer of the North, and it has a much more satisfying, non-cliffhangery ending, which I appreciated. SotN almost killed me. I found the dialogue a little stilted here and there, but it didn't bother Joe at all, so I wonder if it's just me.
Overall, great story and I'm looking forward to the next one. Book 7 (and maybe 8?) are already available if you live in Australia, but the rest of us will have to wait until Spring 2010.
About John Flanagan: John Flanagan's bestselling RANGER’S APPRENTICE adventure series originally comprised twenty short stories, which John wrote to encourage his twelve-year-old son, Michael, to enjoy reading. John, a former television and advertising writer, lives with his wife, Leonie, in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly. -from his bio at Random House.
7 comments:
I apparently need to read this!
Sounds awesome. Love the review. Happy Friday :)
I'm waiting for the series to be over before I read them all. Any idea how long it's planned for?
@Cara- Books 1-4 read as a good unit, likewise 5-6. My understanding is that 7-9 will each be more or less stand alone. So there's no need to wait for the end before getting started!
I read your review between the lines since I haven't read the first books yet, but I'm really glad I saw it! I noticed the books at the bookstore recently and was wondering if they were any good. Now it's going on the TBR list for sure! Thanks!
I read this book in July (ARC). I really enjoyed this installment of Ranger's Apprentice. Actually, the whole series is fabulous and I recommend them for any middle-school child, most especially boys.
Sorcerer of the North was the same for me as I too found the dialogue a bit stlited - not my favorite story of the series.
My 15-year old son LOVES this series - it's one of his absolute favorites. Check out his list of Top Ten Fantasy Series at:
http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-ten-fantasy-series.html
Sue
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