My boys have been after me for a while to read the “Ranger’s Apprentice” series of books by John Flanagan, an Australian writer. I’ve been slowly making my way through the series (I’ve also got a long reading list from my daughter, and my own list, so it takes a little time to work through them all equally) and recently finished “The Battle for Skandia”, the fifth book.
Flanagan’s got the 8-14 year-old boy demographic pegged. He writes exciting adventure novels based loosely on various world cultures like England, France, Norse, Mongol, Arabian, etc. The hero, Will, is a young orphan with a penchant for climbing and sneaking into places he shouldn’t. Much to his surprise he winds up apprenticed to become a Ranger, King Duncan’s elite scout and spy corps. And even more lucky, he’s apprenticed to Halt, perhaps the best ranger there is–though Will’s not so sure he’s so lucky to be apprenticed to the stern, stoic Halt. He’s tough and demanding, but if you get a compliment you know you’ve earned it.
Through the five novels Will grows in skill and confidence as he follows Halt through dangers and intrigues, great battles, and foreign lands. By the fifth book Will has progressed so much that he is able to train and command his own group of archers in a key battle.
Flanagan is good at weaving action, description, humor, and boyhood fantasy into every book, and each book improves over the others. They’re not deep books, by any means, but they’re a lot of fun. I still feel tension over the characters’ situations, and I’ve laughed out loud over some of the jokes. And I believe the over-all messages of patience, determination, and doing what’s right no matter the cost are excellent lessons for anyone, not just the target demographic.
I’ve still got a ways to go–eight more books in that series alone–but I’m looking forward to the journey.