After a long six years of Ranger training, Will is ready for his first solo assignment. He and his close friend, Alyss, must investigate a series of mysterious circumstances in the north of Araluen.

The Ranger's Apprentice books are a lot of fun, and this one is no exception. It's fast-paced, readable and entertaining, and the characters are great role models for youngsters. Will and his friends are very good at what they do, but they're not wunderkinds. Flanagan makes it clear that their success is the result of years of hard work and training, and the book's structure invites the reader to guess along with Will as he unravels each new mystery.

That's not to say that Flanagan preaches at his audience. There's still plenty of action and adventure herein, served up with a side of humor. (I suspect that the humor will appeal more to the younger set than to adult readers. I know I'd have chortled myself silly over it when I was seven or eight, but now? Not so much). There are fight scenes, tricky dealings and a couple of daring rescues. It's fun. If you're looking for a lighter read, you could do much worse than this Australian series.

THE SORCERER OF THE NORTH is somewhat divorced from the previous four books, so I think you could probably use it as an entry point for the series as a whole. Be prepared for a cliffhanger, though!

(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

read 1x. ( )

Time has passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, led the Araluens to victory against invaders, and Will is now a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy— boring, even—until the king is poisoned. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure propelled by fears of sorcery, and must determine who is trustworthy to the king and who is trying to take his throne.Will and Alyss must battle growing hysteria, traitors, and most of all, time. The king is fading, but when Alyss is taken hostage, Will is forced to make a desperate choice between loyalty to his mission and loyalty to his friend.

Great adventures, lots of peril and an ending that makes you go "GAHHHHH!" - that pretty much sums the book up. ( )

Oh, drat....it's a cliff hanger and the 6th book doesn't come out in the US until fall 2009!! I might just have to take a trip to Australia to buy the books. I just can't wait!!

Will and Alyss team up in an attempt to determine what is really happening in the far northern fief led by Lord Syron. Alyss is taken hostage while Will struggels to help Lord Syron and his fief.

Excellent reads for girls and guys. Action, adventure, light romance. Falnagan has the magic formula. ( )