Book six in the Ranger's Apprentice series. Click here for books one through five.
Plot: Ranger Will is preparing to rescue his friend Alyss from the castle of Macindaw and the traitorous clutches of the knight Keren and his troops. He will need to employ the help of stranded Skandians, a "sorcerer" named Malcolm, and his good friend Horace, the Knight of the Oak Leaf. However, when Will discovers that Keren has made a deal with a neighboring country's military, the rescue suddenly becomes an all-out attack on the castle, and the odds of surviving are not very good...
Comments: I didn't end up rereading book five, like I'd said I would (see Ranger's Apprentice Series), but I really did like this book a lot better. I had mentioned problems with Will suddenly growing up from an apprentice to a ranger, and I still don't exactly appreciate that. However, I put aside my prejudices for this book, and I really enjoyed it. I like what John Flanagan has made the adult Will into - the same with Horace and Alyss. I was a little concerned that Alyss would be a classic damsel in distress, locked away in her tower, fluttering a handkerchief, but I was relieved to find that though Alyss could not escape by herself, neither did she sit twiddling her thumbs while waiting for her rescue. I really appreciated that (can't stand damsels in distress!).
I thought all the planning was well thought out and interesting, instead of just a boring bunch of battle tactics. The way Malcolm conducted the interrogation was fun (trust me, no one was hurt - I wouldn't consider that fun), and I liked the creativity. It showed just how superstitious people used to be. One thing I really like about the Ranger's Apprentice series is that the action scenes are always described with detail, but not overly so. I can clearly imagine the action, but I'm not overloaded with details to the extent that everything is playing out in slow motion. I found it interesting that even though Will is now a full-fledged ranger, he still makes a lot of mistakes. He's not as good at fighting as I figured he would be, though now that I think of it, no one's perfect, and I guess he just found a really good opponent.
Rating: I rate this book a seven out of ten. Pretty good, fun read.
Plot: Ranger Will is preparing to rescue his friend Alyss from the castle of Macindaw and the traitorous clutches of the knight Keren and his troops. He will need to employ the help of stranded Skandians, a "sorcerer" named Malcolm, and his good friend Horace, the Knight of the Oak Leaf. However, when Will discovers that Keren has made a deal with a neighboring country's military, the rescue suddenly becomes an all-out attack on the castle, and the odds of surviving are not very good...
Comments: I didn't end up rereading book five, like I'd said I would (see Ranger's Apprentice Series), but I really did like this book a lot better. I had mentioned problems with Will suddenly growing up from an apprentice to a ranger, and I still don't exactly appreciate that. However, I put aside my prejudices for this book, and I really enjoyed it. I like what John Flanagan has made the adult Will into - the same with Horace and Alyss. I was a little concerned that Alyss would be a classic damsel in distress, locked away in her tower, fluttering a handkerchief, but I was relieved to find that though Alyss could not escape by herself, neither did she sit twiddling her thumbs while waiting for her rescue. I really appreciated that (can't stand damsels in distress!).
I thought all the planning was well thought out and interesting, instead of just a boring bunch of battle tactics. The way Malcolm conducted the interrogation was fun (trust me, no one was hurt - I wouldn't consider that fun), and I liked the creativity. It showed just how superstitious people used to be. One thing I really like about the Ranger's Apprentice series is that the action scenes are always described with detail, but not overly so. I can clearly imagine the action, but I'm not overloaded with details to the extent that everything is playing out in slow motion. I found it interesting that even though Will is now a full-fledged ranger, he still makes a lot of mistakes. He's not as good at fighting as I figured he would be, though now that I think of it, no one's perfect, and I guess he just found a really good opponent.
Rating: I rate this book a seven out of ten. Pretty good, fun read.
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