Ranger's Apprentice, Book 9: Halt's Peril (edition 2010)

This is the ninth book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. The tenth book is the Emperor of Nihon-Ja. There is also one additional book titled The Lost Stories which released late in 2011. This book does a good job of wrapping up the story that started in, The Kings of Clonmel. Like previous books it is a solid middle grade fantasy, but nothing incredibly creative or outstanding.

Halt, Will, and Horace are on the trail of Tennyson and the rest of the Outsider cult. When one of the Genovesan assassins gets a good shot in at Halt things turn dire. Can Will get help on time? Or will this be the end of Halt’s adventures? As stated by the title, Halt is in dire peril.

I don’t have a ton to say about this book. It you like the series you should read this book. This is basically the second half of the story that was started in Kings of Clonmel. It is a bit darker than previous books and had some slow spots. But like previous books there is some great banter and humor throughout and the fight scenes are exceptionally well done.

These books are pretty formulaic; there’s a problem, Halt and crew try to fix it, something horrible happens, Will saves the day, they fix the problem and life goes on. The books are well written and fun to read, but there isn’t anything all that interesting or creative here.

I missed that none of the female characters featured, but enjoyed that Malcom was back in the story some. Halt seemed a bit tired throughout, like he was feeling his age. Will didn’t really show much growth as a character either.

Overall this was a good addition to the series. I felt like this book was a bit darker and moved a bit slower than previous books. It was good to complete the story started in Kings of Clonmel and I enjoyed the witty banter between the characters. The book is well written, pretty typical fantasy fare...nothing all that creative but solid. Recommended for fans of middle grade fantasy. ( )

Always fun to ride along with Will, Halt and Horace. "Halt's Peril" (book 9) is the continuation of the storyline from "Kings of Clonmel" (Book 8) as the three representatives of Araluen chase down a scam artist of a preacher who thrives on violence and fear as motivational tools for joining his false religion. Like all thieves, his objective is greed and he hasn't got prayer of defeating the kingdom's two most beloved and heroic Rangers.
Another solid installment of a terrific series. If you haven't started the series yet, start from Book 1: the Ruins of Gorlan. If, like me, you've read them all, then you don't need my recommendation, you're already hooked. ( )

Even after nine books I still find myself enjoying the three main characters of this series. That being said, I was a little bored by this book. The writing is fine, the characters are fine, the dialog is as good as ever. The problem for me was the pacing. There is a stretch in the middle that is very slow, with lots of fretting, descriptions, and recounting of the past. In other words, it got boring. Which is too bad. There was an energy in the earlier books that was very exciting, bit which has ebbed of late. Part of the problem is that we are so familiar with the characters that while they are together, there is no discovery going on. They know who they are, we know who they are, and while they are still enjoyable to spend time with, there is nothing new in their relationships.

Also, the Ranger's Apprentice isn't an apprentice any more, and is by all accounts extremely competent, so that tension is gone, too.

So after nine books we find ourselves with some old friends with whom we are very comfortable, in a story that slows down in the middle to the point of boredom. Even so, I'll still come back for the next book, because Will, Halt, and Horace are compelling enough that I want to see what happens to them next. ( )

This ninth book in John Flanagan's wonderful Ranger's Apprentice series finishes up another two-book arc. As with all the books toward the end of this series, this is Flanagan at the top of his game. The plotting, writing, use of humor, and character development are all excellent. ( )

What can I say about the Ranger's Apprentice series. It is great fun and although it's completely written according to a formula, I enjoy all the novels very much. ( )