John Flanagan

A New Beginning

The Royal Ranger

From #1 New York Times bestselling author John Flanagan comes the story that brings the Ranger's Apprentice series full-circle and ushers in a brand new arc starring Maddie, the Royal Ranger! 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: Princess Madelyn, the daughter of Princess Cassandra. Will has to win the trust and respect of his difficult new companion—a task that at times seems almost impossible. John Flanagan returns to conclude the series that has conquered millions of readers worldwide with this pulse-pounding adventure that brings one era to a close, ushers in the next, starting the series anew starring Maddie, the Royal Ranger. For fans of Tolkien, Redwall, Game of Thrones, and T.H. White, Ranger's Apprentice delivers fantasy-adventure thrills with real-world historical details. Praise for John Flanagan: “The last few years have seen the publication of many fantasies, but few have the appeal of this original story.” —Booklist, starred review, on The Ruins of Gorlan “Fans of the series will eagerly devour this one and wait impatiently for the next . . . A sure bet for fantasy fans.” —School Library Journal “Flanagan's deft character portrayals and well-paced story will engage readers, and the ending will leave them clamoring for the next volume.” —Booklist, on The Icebound Land

The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

Christine

okay so now that I'm done binge-reading the main series



what the frick frack snickety snack in the actual universe, flanagan

Ranger's Apprentice #12 / Royal Ranger #1

The Royal Ranger, A New Beginning

jess

[review written 2013]

i was really bloody excited for this book bc i loved the previous ones so much and i had really high expectations but i was kinda disappointed????

because i feel like the book focused on maddie more than it did the other rangers i would really have loved a closing adventure with the other rangers more than i would have loved maddie growing up honestly like and al SO WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KILL ALYSS huh huh especially offscreen

maddie’s drinking scene that was hilarious oh my god though it’s unreasonable and a Do Not Drink Alcohol aesop (seriously in the middle ages alcohol was drunk by a lot of people) but hey it was funny uh let’s see

there needed to be more halt wow there needed to be more halt and horace needed to be there being horace and it just seemed a lil off and i did enjoy it 

but there wasnt enough halt and too much maddie sorry

Hope Brockway

I first read this book in 2015, after binging the Ranger's Apprentice series for the first time. I found this series at the perfect time. I was just a little bit older than Will in Ruins of Gorlan and I quickly fell in love with the world, the Ranger Corps, and the characters. Seeing Will transform from this self-conscious twig of a boy into a confident, creative Ranger was incredibly satisfying. 

So, when I started this book, I was caught completely off guard by the first chapter. Will wasn't supposed to be this jaded, bitter old man bent on revenge. He's this optimistic, funny man who's constantly reevaluating what it means to be a Ranger. Throughout the book, I compared this Will to the one I knew so well. And I didn't really like this new Will. John Flanagan broke my heart. So, after finishing this book, I vowed that I would never pick up the rest of the Royal Ranger series. 

Then, a few months ago, I had this irresistible urge to return to Araluen. I periodically have this urge and I usually reread one of the original series (usually The Burning Bridge for some Gilan, Will, and Horace action, or The Seige of Macindaw for Will's ingenuity as a fully-fledged Ranger). But this time, I decided it was time to try The Royal Ranger again. Since I had time to dwell on what happened, I reasoned, I should be able to reread this without weeping.

Thankfully, I was correct. In fact, I picked up on some things I was too salty to recognize my first go round. 

1. Will actually heals during this book.  I mentioned previously that I was a bit bitter about Will's changes. And yeah, at the beginning of the book he's at his lowest. But, what I failed to realize, was that, after the integration of Maddie into his life, he begins the healing process. He begins joking around again. He gradually becomes less and less depressed. He's still not over this, but he shows a lot of progress by the end of the book. 

2. Maddie is a wonderful character. Sure, she's a bit spoiled at the beginning. (Actually, very spoiled.) But seeing her progress and become skilled in the many Ranger skills is so satisfying. She has a few bumps in the road, but so did Will. I loved watching her grow through this book and throughout the rest of the series. Plus, seeing the first female Ranger enter the Corps would be incredibly satisfying. 

3. Seeing our favorite characters as adults is fantastic. While it was a bit weird at first, especially since I remember Will and Horace as teens, I enjoyed reading about their adult lives. They have this wisdom, compassion, and experience that we rarely saw in the original series. Sure, each character is proficient at his or her skill in the original series, but watching their skills advance through age was amazing. 

Also, when rereading this book, I found out that John Flanagan intended The Royal Ranger to be his last Ranger book. Look how that turned out lol.

Rereading this book was definitely an example that I can change. I enjoyed reading this book immensely. And, while some of the changes Flanagan decided to make were a bit hard to take at first, I'm glad we get to see more of the characters' stories. If you've read the original series, I would encourage you to go into this book with an open mind.

Lorien O'Brien

Well, another amazing story has come to an end. The Royal Ranger holds up to rest of the series brilliantly, taking place years later, and beginning with on a very dark note. But it's quickly dispelled, and the final scene matches the dark with light, leaving you laughing and cheering. The only downside to this novel is there isn't going to be another one. Perhaps in Flanagan's other series from the same world, we'll see more of Maddie. And perhaps we never will. Either way, I'll gladly add this novel to my collection, to be treasured through the years and picked up again and again.

Lauren James

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a free copy!

This was so cute! It had a princess in training to be a ranger, adventure, and life threatening quests! Character development was good, writing was easy to follow! I highly recommend especially for middle school girls. BUT old fans and new alike would love this series!

Heather

Een vreselijke tragedie heeft het leven van Will verwoest en hij zweert dan ook wraak op degenen die hiervoor verantwoordelijk zijn. Zelfs als dat zou betekenen dat hij het korps van de Grijze Jagers moet verlaten. Wills vrienden maken zich ernstig zorgen over hem. Het is Halt die met de oplossing komt: Will moet een leerling aannemen om zijn gedachten te verzetten. En zoals meestal krijgt Halt gelijk. Meer dan hem lief is zelfs.

The Royal Ranger A New Beginning

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