Kings of Clonmel: Book Eight (Ranger's Apprentice) (original 2008; edition 2011)

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This is the eighth book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. There are ten books total in the series. If you have enjoyed the previous books in this series, then you will enjoy this one as well.

When Will arrives at the yearly Ranger’s Gathering he finds that Halt is missing. Halt is in the west investigating a mysterious religious cult called the Outsiders that is affecting the stability of the kingdom of Clonmel. Will and Horace are asked to go and assist Halt in dealing with the threat.

This book was very much like all the previous books in this series. It was a solid and well done fantasy with humorous banter between the characters. Will, Halt, and Horace are fun to read about.

The plot is very much like other plots in this series. This is a problem in a kingdom that needs to be dealt with; our trio goes and deals with it. Along the way there are some twists and turns that put them in tough situations and they need to use their wits and talents to figure out a solution.

There is one additional thing in this book that makes things a bit more interesting. In this story we learn a lot about Halt’s history, where he comes from, and who his family is. It was fun to learn about Halt’s past and get some more background on him. Although I found the background as to why Halt left his family to be a bit unrealistic when you consider who Halt is and how he normally acts.

I was a bit disappointed that none of the girls feature in this story. I have enjoyed having Alyss or Cassandra as part of the story. I also thought that there really wasn’t as much character development in this book as in previous books. Will is grown and seems a bit stagnant. Horace was more witty than in previous books but outside of that he was the same old Horace. Even Halt seems a bit tired throughout the story.

This book is the first half of a story that will be continued into book 9. As with previous books, this is a well written but not super creative story.

Overall another solid addition to this series. It was great to learn about Halt’s past. The witty banter between the characters is highly entertaining. I didn’t think there was as much character development as in previous books. In general this is a solid traditional adventure fantasy that should appeal to a middle grade and older audience. ( )

Another fine addition to the ongoing ranger's Apprentice Saga. While I DID enjoy it, there was something about this one that didn't quite grab me as much as the previous efforts. It seemed a bit more on the predictable side, and it felt like it was lacking something. Maybe it was the lack of any real female presence. So for me, good, but not GREAT!

I still love the series and recommend it to friends all the time. ( )

Flanagan took his wonderful Ranger's Apprentice series up a notch starting with the seventh book, and he maintains that level in this eighth volume. The humor, suspense, and plotting are all top-flight here. ( )

This book was written by John Flanagan. This book is about a young Ranger named Will, who chasing after a cult of "religious" fanatics who aim to go back to Araluen with Clomnel as their port. As Will and the other characters meet together at a restaurant, (Alyss, Jenny, Horace, Crowley, and eventually Halt) come together and Halt reveals that he's actually supposed to be the king of Hibernia (which is in the Clomnel area). He quit after his younger brother tried again and again to kill him for it. As they travel to Hibernia, they hear rumors about Tennyson, the preacher (AKA: the leader of the "religious" cult) spreading word about their "great god". They foil a plan made by Tennyson intending the complete destruction of a major town with another "legend" of their own. When they meet/confront ( ( )