John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice: The Siege of Macindaw is the sixth book in a well written serries. In this book, the main character and ranger, Will, attempts a siege at the castle at the north of the kingdom that has been taken over by a knight, Sir Keren, who's goal is to allow forces from the north to invade the kingdom of Araluen. Will and his small army of forty Skandians, Sir Horace, and a talented healer will attempt to save the entire kingdom from a terrible war in the making.
Flanagan's amazing style of writing keeps the reader interested and in suspense until the very last page. This book would appeal to fiction readers and ones who enjoy a bit of fantasy in their reading. However, this book might also appeal a bit to the romantic crowd as Will's main goal is to save his love from being held hostage in a tower. Either way, the 293 pages in this book will fly by as this book, as like the others in the series, is a true page turner. ( )

This the sixth book in the series. A ranger is a spy/tactician who is trained to spy on enemies and then to led armies against them. In the previous book, a ranger named Will was sent to spy on a castle because there were strange things happening in the castle. Keren, the nephew of the lord of the castle, took over the castle, and he poisoned the lord and his son, Orman. Will and Orman barely managed to escape from Keren. At the end of the previous book, Will stayed with a healer named Malcolm who lives in the forest. Malcolm had the power to create illusions,which he used to keep the villagers away. Will learned that Keren is going to sell the castle terrain to enemies of Will's country, called the Scotti. Also, Keren gathered a big number of criminals to protect the castle, and sent away all of the lord's soldiers.
In the beginning of this book, Will is in a bad situation; He has to defeat Keren before the Scotti arrive to buy the land. Will encounters some of his country's allies called Skandians, and he hires them to help him take over the castle. Will learns that a Scotti general is going to the castle to start the negotiations with Keren. Will learns this on time so that he can lay a trap to intercept the general. Will is successful, and he manages to take him back to Malcolm's forest. Will cannot get information from the general, so he asks Malcolm to use his illusions to scare the general into giving the information that they need. Malcolm does so, and the general tells them that the Scotti army is going to move into the castle in two weeks. For the next couple days, Will plans on how to break into the castle. Will comes up with the perfect plan. He hides under a wagon for several hours, so that the guards stop paying attention to the wagon. Then at night, Malcolm uses his illusions to distract the guards. While the guards are busy, Will sneaks into the castle, and he helps the Skandians get into the castle. Then, Will and the Skandians overpower the guards from the inside while most of the guards are distracted with the illusions. His plan is successful. Will defeats Keren. At the end of the book, Orman becomes the lord of the castle, and another ranger is assigned to protect the castle from the Scotti's future attack. The story ends with everything back to normal.This book is 293 pages long.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about medieval times and sword fighting. I don not recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about drama. ( )

It's nice to see the characters growing a bit, although this book was fairly predictable. Also, it was nice that Flanagan resisted the urge to end this book as a cliffhanger. ( )

If you're a follower of this series, this one does NOT disappoint at all. I LOVE the series, and so do my students! Can't keep the copies on the shelves.
In book six, Will and Horace try to rescue Alyss from the castle where she is being kept prisoner by Keren. In the process of scouting out where she is being held, and with some help from her secret messages, they uncover a dangerous plot to invade Araluen land, and decide that they have to stop it from happening by taking over the castle before the Scotti get there. They do have some help, but I won't spoil it by telling you any more.

Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com

THE SIEGE OF MACINDAW, the sixth installment in John Flanagan's best-selling RANGER'S APPRENTICE series, picks up right where THE SORCERER OF THE NORTH left off, with Alyss imprisoned in Macindaw castle at the mercy of Keren the usurper.

Will is soon united with enemy-turned-best-friend Horace, deep in Malcolm the Healer's mysterious forest. Much as it pains the two to be so close to Macindaw and yet so helpless, the two know that they do not stand a chance against Keren and his soldiers. Worst of all, Will has no idea what the traitor Keren might be up to.

The unexpected arrival of a small Skandian force, led by Gundar Hardstriker, is the ultimate blessing. While the Skandians find themselves stranded in Araluen quite by accident, Will greets them heartily and quickly turns them into his own small army, led by none other than Horace, the Oakleaf Knight.

With intelligence covertly provided by Alyss, Will and Horace learn of Keren's plans to turn Macindaw over to the Scotti tribes of Picta. All the odds are against them, but Will and Horace are not about to give up. The ranger and warrior complement each other perfectly, and the two hope that Will's agility and wit paired with Horace's strength and fighting experience will be enough to overcome Keren's forces and the fast-approaching Scotti army. Trying to take Macindaw with only thirty men is a daunting task, a feat never before achieved in Araluen history.

In other words, the perfect challenge.

It is easy to see why RANGER'S APPRENTICE has such a following with the preteen crowd. THE SIEGE OF MACINDAW is a fantasy adventure with strong characters and a fast-paced plot. Flanagan's characters have heart and his heroes are almost too virtuous to be true. While an adult audience might dismiss Will and Horace as one-dimensional, their shining courage and unwavering sense of morality will appeal to younger readers.

Araluen is an epic fantasy world reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's Tortall with a pinch of C. S. Lewis' Narnia thrown in for good measure. ( )