The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning (Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger)

Alright here goes, this is my first amazon review but I felt that it was important to communicate my experience with this book. I've read all the rangers apprentice and brotherband books and loved every one of them. This is maybe one of the weaker books in the series and that isn't to say that its a bad book, flannagan delivers again and he delivers well. What is missing from this book is the grand adventure that is present in the others, there was always a serious threat to Araluen as a whole and that I feel is something that is missing from this book.I don't want to spoil anything but the centre piece of this book revolves around Will taking on a new apprentice Maddie and training her up, there is little to no "action" in the first part of this and instead focuses on charecter development, some May like this others may not, I for one welcomed the addition of a new charecter even if the choice was slightly too predictable.I felt that the strengths of this book lie with the rest of hi books- loveable charecters and good plot development and here it excels, the story for the most part I felt was strong. My 2 qualms with this book are what lead me to give this book a four star rating, one of those is the the enemies in this book, it doesn't live up to the grand adventure standard that has been so consistent ithroughout the series. I wouldn't mind so much if it were a simple matter for Will and Maddie to overcome them but it is not, I'm treading close to spoiler territory and I'll do my utmost not to spoil anything.////THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH WILL CONTAIN PARTIAL SPOLIERS DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT A PURE READING EXPERIACNE, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY FINISHED THE BOOKRight now hopefully those reading now have read the book and so understand what I'm talking about, there is the moment when Will is captured while attempting to give Maddie time to escape. This is where my biggest qualm lies. I didn't understand why he didn't simply keep tug? All the men were on foot and it seemed to me that with the legendary accuracy he would be able to prevail? Again not my rodeo but I was a little taken aback at the ease that 11 men we're able to capture "the best ranger the corps has ever seen". The fact that these 11 men were not hardened warriors, not temujai, not expert swordswan from Nihon-Ja, not even on horseback, but common thieves, added insult to injury for me anyway, some may disagree with me here but that for me was raay let down. The other part that I wish was explored more was Alyss's death and it's impact on will, yes there we here the story and the depressed nature but I couldn't help but feel more time could have been spent on their relationship to build up her death a little, for me it was sad but not quite that tragic climax that it could have been. Again subjective but these two facts dropped huge book from a 5 to a 4 in my eyes at least.////END OF THE SPOILERSnow with all that out of the way a short summation is in order. For those who did read the spoiler section you may have got e impression that I disliked the book. This is far from the truth, I loved the book and finished over the course of 2 nights. What I did feel was that it could have been improved and at times it was a little down from the epic scale that they usually are. I still highly recommend this book to all that have enjoyed the series though I doubt I need to. I'll compare to it the first book, it adds a new charecter and spends time developing that charecter for further books and I can't wait to see where it takes us.Feel free to comment if you have questions or you feel my review missed some things or just sucked in general :)Thanks for readingFinn

I liked this book a lot but it really needs work. This book is really similar to the fist book of the original series. I don't like the idea that the happy, smiling, laughing Will from the first series is now grim and pretty much like Halt. It seems to make this series start over again but have new characters in a similar situation. It just needs creativity and ideas. I don't like the fact that Alyss dies since it basically turns Will into a monster determined to get revenge and he becomes ignorant of every one else's requests and needs.It seems as if Will is now the "new" Halt and now he needs to take an apprentice. Gilan, the new leader of the Corps suggests Maddie the daughter of Cassandra/Evanlyn and Horace. Will trains Maddie who is very stubborn at first beleiving that she is more important than everyone until Will realizes that she thinks that this will be a few weeks of punishment and has to show her that basically her parents have disowned her. She learns eventually and starts realizing that everyone is as important as her. Will and Maddie go on a mission with her in which she saves his life. Then she gets the bronze oakleaf without an assessment and then her mother says that she has reinstated her royaly and that she is welcome back and she says that she is a ranger and wants to complete her training. Sound familiar?I would like to completely enjoy this book and give a fully positive review but I can't. If this were less of a reapeat and more original I could do give an almost fully positive review. But this is not new and more the author saying 'if I take similar characters and put them in similar situation with a similar solution readers will like it'. It doesn't work that way though, I thought that this would be a different original series with different problems and a different story. I set my hopes way too high. The book didn't have any of those three things. It is a similar series with similar problems and a similar story. This will only give you more negative reviews. It hopefully will start moving away from the fist series and turn into a more original series.I hope that I can give a better review for book four and on. Books 2 and 3 are already published so Nothing can do much now but maybe book four will be better.This is a good book overall but it needs work. This can still become a better series and I hope that will happen.

If you haven't read the other books, you'll get the basic idea, but there background of Will and Hault, and even the Brotherband books makes this series so loveable. My children, 11, 9, and 6 can't get enough of it, and we're now reading it a second time. Johnny Flannigan is a fantastic author, and I'll be honest, my wife and I read this not only to our kids but because we love is too. I cannot speak highly enough of this series. Absolutely worth every penny, 10 fold!

I recommend it as a must read for all RA fans. It feels like you are back in Book 1. I enjoyed reading this book. I was so engrossed in reading this book that I let my Kindle fall from my hands more than once. Deserves the 5 stars it gets. I would give it more stars if I had the option.

Once again the book is amazing!! It's wonderful do keep on Will's life. However, it was just as living Will's life again. It was interesting, of course, but could be a little different.

This book was excellent! It was the best possible ending to this beloved series. It added a new subject to the book and is filled with emotions. At the beginning of this book you are overwhelmed by sadness. It is magnificent how that is hurriedly erased and happiness is on its way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and encourage more readers of any age to start reading now!

Ranger's Apprentice was the series that got us hooked on Flanagan. We are looking forward to the movie! My son and I have read this series at least three times.

it is excelent. feels lake you are back in book 1. this is the best in the world and so is John FalnganBut i am sad that Alyss dies.:(