This is one of my most favorite book series in the whole world of
fiction. It mostly deals with war and peace, but in a medieval style that makes
it very different from other books.
I give all credits for finding this book to one of my close family
friends, my most trusted resource when it comes to book recommendations. I
was talking with her once and showed her the books I was reading at the time.
She told me that The Ranger's
Apprentice series
would be interesting for me and now I completely agree.
I am only halfway through the series so far and I'm sad because I
want to read the end.
Here's the cover.
In the kingdom of Araluen, it is customary that when a child turns
thirteen, he/she is to be apprenticed to one of the many Craftmasters. For
example, Battleschool is where boys (and girls I think) are sent to become
soldiers.
The story starts with a boy named Will. Despite being short and
scrawny for his age, he wants to apply for Battleschool with his worst enemy
Horace to show that he isn't weak.
He is rejected for Battleschool and is asked by a strange man in a
grey cloak if he wants to become a Ranger. Will doesn't know who this person is
or what a Ranger is in general. The man's name is Halt. Rangers are spies for
the kingdom that typically assess the weakness of the enemy and mostly prevent
wars.
Will agrees and his training begins. All he does is clean Halt's
house and weapons and perform all the daily household chores. All the while,
Will wonders What does sweeping
and scrubbing have to do with combat skills?
While he trains, a war is brewing out in the desolate
mountains. The Skandians have been employed by a scary figure to build a bridge
across the largest cliff in the mountains. Could they be heading for Araluen or
are they just passing through?
My thoughts-
The book was well written and the character details were extremely
descriptive. After a while, I started to wish that Will was my best friend and
most of all, that a boy like him was real.
The battle scenes are written so well that you can really imagine
that you are there with them. I could actually feel like I was running and
hiding behind trees, dashing from rock to rock with Will and Halt at my side,
bows drawn and ready to fire.
One thing I really liked was Will and Horace's gradual friendship
as the book progresses. By the end, they go from competitors to companions in
over a year I think. It brought a sense of meaning to the story, that the
battlefield doesn't only help you gain enemies, but also helps you gain
friends. What I think really stimulated their friendship was the part
where Will spies on Horace while he tracks down a giant boar. When the boar
charges towards Horace, Will shoots a few arrows at it and then stabs it with
his knife. This made Horace realize that Will really did care for him, even
though they got into petty arguments often.
This is one of the best book series I have read to this day and
definitely holds a place in my heart.
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