A snarky teen who also happens to be the royal princess, finds joy in the journey of becoming a Ranger, one of the kingdom’s protectors.  As she grows, she finds being humble and reliable is far more fun than being brassy and hard-headed.  If you’ve read any of the Ranger’s Apprentice books, you’ll be thrilled to visit with several of the beloved characters again.  They’ve grown and developed just like we do in life.  Trials have taught them hard lessons, and tears of loss and frustration have molded them, making them better in the end as they’ve grown through the pain.  Just like people, this series is growing and transitioning and the more time I spend with the characters, the more I like them.  They are real and they have a lot to teach us.  Their humor is contagious.  

This book deals with a new beginning, learning to work hard, and working through grief.  As always, John Flanagan writes in a kid appropriate way but also in a way that adults can enjoy.  Young or old, the entire series is marvelously entertaining.   

It’s also fantastic to see John Flanagan treat his female characters with as much respect as he does the men.  The women are quite capable, smart, entertaining, enjoy the thrill of accomplishment, and doing a job well.  I have yet to find a book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series that isn’t hard to put down.  Some deal with some tough subjects but it’s always set in a suspenseful way that makes me want to see what happens to the characters and this book carries on that tradition.  There are seventeen books in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.  This one can stand alone but if you haven’t read the others, I’d recommend starting with book one and getting to know the characters as they grow through time and the circumstances they face.  This is book one of the Royal Ranger series but also fits nicely as book 12 of the main Ranger’s Apprentice Series.  The Brotherband Chronicles is also a spin-off from the Ranger’s series and intertwines effortlessly from time to time.  

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  A young woman uses a weapon on a man hitting him & hurting him, he falls to his death, some description; a man backhands another man; a man shoots several men with arrows, most die but some survive, some description; one man head butts another man then kicks him; a man is tied to a stake with the intent to burn him to death; a young woman shoots and kills several men, some survive but injured, some description; a young woman is hurt badly by a man, descriptive, blood; a man throws a weapon hitting a man on the head, blood mentioned; a man burns to death. 

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Child abductions, physical and mental abuse of children, death.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None