Ranger’s Apprentice- the Lost Stories

Silas Baker

With dangerous outlaws, deadly assassins, and a rebellious baron, the job of a King’s ranger is a dangerous one in the ancient kingdom of Araluen. Armed with only a longbow, two knives, and a camouflaging cloak, the fifty rangers of Araluen are the kingdom’s most intelligent and effective police force. Will, Halt, Gilan, and Crowley are just a few of the rangers who are mentioned in this book, all four have unfaltering accuracy and are experts in the art of unseen movement. Ranger’s Apprentice- the Lost Stories by John Flanagan is the eleventh book in his bestselling series, although this isn’t mentioned on the cover. This is most likely because this book consists of nine short stories that take place before, after, and in-between the plot of the first ten books. The Ranger’s Apprentice series takes place in an ancient world that is similar in setting to medieval England; dense forests, outlaw threats, and a land of fiefdoms. In The Lost Stories, the rangers Will, Halt, Gilan, and Crowley protect the kingdom of Araluen from various dangers including bandits, boat raiders, assassins and unusual but deadly creatures. This book contains many near-death encounters and battles as well as constant action in all nine stories.

In a note after the table of contents, John Flanagan explains that he wrote Ranger’s Apprentice- The Lost Stories to answer some of the questions his fans have asked him about the rest of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Although the format of this book is different from the rest of Flanagan’s books, it still includes all the same places and characters. Because of this, anyone who has read and enjoyed the first ten books in this series will surely want to continue and read the lost stories. If you haven’t done so, it is important that you do read them if you plan on reading this book since it contains spoilers and it may be difficult to understand without prior knowledge.

I recommend this book to anyone over eleven years of age who has an excellent vocabulary and doesn’t mind reading an abundance of details. Because of the way Flanagan writes his books, he captures the reader’s attention right from the start, though sometimes he describes the most boring and monotonous details. Personally, my favorite character is Will because of how thoughtful and kind he is and how he tries to avoid conflict whenever possible. In addition, I loved Halt since he looks and acts dangerous, but he is actually gentle when he isn’t threatened and is socially awkward because he is alone so often. While reading this book, I was thrilled by the detailed setting, I loved the personalities of the characters, and I was captivated by the overall plot of each of the nine stories. The Ranger’s Apprentice- The Lost Stories is an action-packed collection of stories that won’t allow any avid reader to put it down. Anyone who adored the first ten books by John Flanagan absolutely needs to read this adventurous new addition in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.