Jubilee Reviews Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan

     The Ranger's Apprentice is a 249-page novel about an orphan named Wil. Wil was discovered on the doorstep of Castle Redmont, Fief Redmont's castle. The Baron Arald takes him in, as well as all the other orphans in his Fief, out of the kindness of his heart. The story begins the night before Choosing Day, the day when all of Redmont's orphans who are turning fifteen choose their profession at the castle, with the agreement of the leaders of those professions at the castle. Tragically, when the day comes, all of Wil's friends are picked, but nobody wants him. Wil is destined for a life at the farms, but the mysterious Ranger Halt passes an odd note to Baron Arald. Wil is curious, and the next night, he is determined to discover the contents of that note.

    Ranger's Apprentice is a heartwarming tale of loyalty and friendship, a book halfway between realistic fiction and fantasy. The beginning half details a tale of day-to-day work and a fierce rivalry. The second half features a dashing adventure with ups and downs, chock full of medieval fun. This is a great book for fans of realistic fiction (think My Side of the Mountain) and fantasy (think books by Brandon Mull). The Ranger's Apprentice is an amazing middle-grade novel and will leave you thirsty for more. Luckily, there's a whole series, then sequel series to Ranger's Apprentice, and The Brotherband is in the same world, too. I deeply encourage you to read the amazing Ranger's Apprentice.

    I personally have read all of the Ranger's Apprentice books, and have even bought the ones that the library didn't have. Again, so gripping! I would recommend this book to 11-year olds to 13 or 14-year olds. I am 11 and grasp pretty much all of it, but I think it would be a fun read for young teenagers, also. The Ranger's Apprentice is one of my personal favorites, and I think it could become one of yours, too!

The first book in a great series!