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Now a full-fledged Ranger responsible for a sleepy fief, Will finds a new adventure seeking the traitors who poisoned the king, investigating rumors of sorcery, and trying to rescue his friend Alyss, who is taken hostage.Tags
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{Fifth published/ sixth chronologically of 11 (or 12); Ranger’s Apprentice series. Fantasy, children’s, YA} (2006)
Group read.
This is labelled book 5 in the series but the story follows on from events in book 7 (Erak's Ransom), when Will graduated from Ranger's Apprentice to fully fledged Ranger. Now aged around twenty, Will gets his first Ranger's posting, the fief of Seacliff in the west and along the way rescues a dog. The well-meaning lord and his Battle master try to assert their authority but Will knows that Rangers answer to the crown. Despite carrying out his duties, he is called back on a secret mission - there is apparently a sorcerer in the north, near the castle of Macindaw in Norgate fief which guards Araluen's boundary show more with the land of Picta, home of the Scotti.
But, apart from the superstitious, people in this world don't believe in magic and the Rangers need to investigate what is happening in this crucial defensive fief. However, there is a Ranger already in the fief but - since Rangers themselves cultivate a superstitious mystique about themselves and are regarded with awe - he cannot investigate so another Ranger has to go in undercover. Cue Will the jongleur, playing his mandola. It's not a lute because a lute has ten strings whereas a mandola has eight which are ... never mind.
His old friend Alyss, who is a Courier/ a member of the Diplomatic Service, is also brought into play undercover as his contact agent but then they both find themselves in danger.
I will admit that in the second half of the book I kept glancing ahead (something I deplore - but I managed to resist turning the page too early) because I was on tenterhooks and I was hoping at the character 'don't do that, don't do that'.
As always, I like Flanagan's writing. He keeps it clean and not too simple, his characters show intelligence and he doesn't talk down to his audience.
Will is growing up - although I felt, at times, that he nearly gave in to anger which was uncharacteristic of him. There is still some of the banter from previous books but the general tone is slightly more serious.
There is a little bit of mild cursing (but, I'm embarrassed to admit, my kids use stronger language).
I've always liked Tug, Will's small Ranger horse, and I like the addition of the dog - Araluen's equivalent of a border collie. He's trained her well in the short time that he's had her and I hope she sticks around - although he still hasn't named her by the end of the book and there are signs that she's falling in love with another human.
I think the message behind this story is 'don't judge a book by its cover'.
Be warned; have book 6 (The Siege of Macindaw) to hand because this book ends on a cliff-hanger (almost literally)!
May 2021
4.5 stars show less
Group read.
This is labelled book 5 in the series but the story follows on from events in book 7 (Erak's Ransom), when Will graduated from Ranger's Apprentice to fully fledged Ranger. Now aged around twenty, Will gets his first Ranger's posting, the fief of Seacliff in the west and along the way rescues a dog. The well-meaning lord and his Battle master try to assert their authority but Will knows that Rangers answer to the crown. Despite carrying out his duties, he is called back on a secret mission - there is apparently a sorcerer in the north, near the castle of Macindaw in Norgate fief which guards Araluen's boundary show more with the land of Picta, home of the Scotti.
But, apart from the superstitious, people in this world don't believe in magic and the Rangers need to investigate what is happening in this crucial defensive fief. However, there is a Ranger already in the fief but - since Rangers themselves cultivate a superstitious mystique about themselves and are regarded with awe - he cannot investigate so another Ranger has to go in undercover. Cue Will the jongleur, playing his mandola. It's not a lute because a lute has ten strings whereas a mandola has eight which are ... never mind.
His old friend Alyss, who is a Courier/ a member of the Diplomatic Service, is also brought into play undercover as his contact agent but then they both find themselves in danger.
I will admit that in the second half of the book I kept glancing ahead (something I deplore - but I managed to resist turning the page too early) because I was on tenterhooks and I was hoping at the character 'don't do that, don't do that'.
As always, I like Flanagan's writing. He keeps it clean and not too simple, his characters show intelligence and he doesn't talk down to his audience.
The long grass shivered once more. It was only a faint movement but there was no wind to cause it - as the hanging clouds of steam from the horses‘ breath clearly showed.
Will is growing up - although I felt, at times, that he nearly gave in to anger which was uncharacteristic of him. There is still some of the banter from previous books but the general tone is slightly more serious.
But, along with the other skills of a Ranger, he had learned patience. As he sat and waited for his superiors to broach the subject, he felt Halt‘s approving eye on him from time to time as his former teacher assessed this new-found quality. Will looked up once, caught Halt's eyes on him and allowed a grin to touch his features. He was pleased that he was able to demonstrate his forbearance.
Finally, Halt shifted his seat on the hard ground and said in an exasperated tone, 'Oh, all right, Crowley! Let's get on with it, for God's sake!'
The Corps Commandant smiled delightedly at his friend. 'I thought we were testing Will's patience here, not yours,' he said. Halt made an annoyed gesture.
'Well, consider his patience tested.'
There is a little bit of mild cursing (but, I'm embarrassed to admit, my kids use stronger language).
I've always liked Tug, Will's small Ranger horse, and I like the addition of the dog - Araluen's equivalent of a border collie. He's trained her well in the short time that he's had her and I hope she sticks around - although he still hasn't named her by the end of the book and there are signs that she's falling in love with another human.
I think the message behind this story is 'don't judge a book by its cover'.
'Look at them,' he said. 'Are they human?' ...
One at least was huge - he must have been two and a half metres tall and massive across the chest and shoulders. ...
The pallid-skinned giant had begun to advance across the clearing towards them, one ponderous step at a time. ...
The frown disappeared from the huge creature's face and he went down on one knee, one massive hand out to the dog. ...
'You know, I think he's quite harmless. Thank God you didn't shoot him.'
Be warned; have book 6 (The Siege of Macindaw) to hand because this book ends on a cliff-hanger (almost literally)!
He tugged on his gloves and seized the tied-off end of the rope with his left hand about half a metre above his head, using his right to belay the loose end against his hip.
Alyss's stomach heaved as Will let himself fall backwards into space, controlling his fall with the loop of rope running around his body, fending off from the wall with his feet.
May 2021
4.5 stars show less
In this fifth book of the Ranger’s Apprentice series Will is now a full-fledged Ranger and is given his own quiet fief to protect at Seacliff or so he thinks. As he is getting settled in his new home, he becomes acquainted with some of the local folk and uses the skills he has learned as a Ranger’s apprentice to size up the lord, Baron Ergell, and his Battlemaster, Sir Norris and their military preparedness. Will quickly gains their respect and trust when he saves them from the Skandian Sea Wolves who were prowling around looking for provisions for the rest of their journey. Seacliff was so badly prepared to defend themselves that Will had to use all of his Ranger training and negotiating skills to give them provisions and get them show more to leave peacefully. In the meantime though, Halt, Will’s Ranger mentor and Crowley, the Ranger corps commandant, call Will back to give him a new assignment but he won’t be going as a Ranger. He’ll be in disguise as a jongleur or traveling entertainer to find out what is going on at Norgate Fief. The lord had taken sick with a mysterious illnessand strange occurrences were taking place in the forest all of which was believed to be the work of a sorcerer. The action keeps the pages turning, and the ending where Will’s old friend Alyss is taken hostage in the castle leaves an exciting cliffhanger for the next book in the series. show less
The Short and Sweet of It
Will finally is set off on his own, but not to fight the straightforward, frontal assault enemies of the past. This time he is up against a legend, an elusive sorcerer rumored to be poisoning the king of a northern fief, a land integral to the protection of the whole kingdom.
A Bit of a Ramble
As with all of the Ranger's Apprentice books, I loved the characters, the battle tactics, the weaving of plot lines, and the setting. Seeing Will strike out on his own was almost poignant, like watching a nephew become an adult. I feel like I know Will, like I am somehow a part of his life, responsible for him or his therapist or something. I also enjoyed the pretext under which Will travels: that of a jongleur, a traveling show more musician, singing for his supper. This role is so different from Will the Ranger; as a jongleur, he is affable, outgoing, a bit goofy. It's nice to see this side of Will, pushed back because of his secretive, serious duties.
I do have one problem with this installment however. The ending. Or rather, the lack thereof. While I appreciate the fact that a series is a continuance of the same story, I like my books to have a relatively full an complete plot. Books, even in a series, which just end with no resolution whatsoever, or in some cases even a climax, drive me bonkers. Everything is up in the air at the end of this one, an unexpected development in this so-far-self-contained series.
This unsatisfactory ending is why this installment has received an Accept rating instead of a Borrow. While the story itself is just as entertaining as the rest, that one little travesty (in my opinion) really affected my overall judgment. I realize it's a quite specific pet peeve though, and not everyone feels the same as I do.
In a strange irony, I've been flying through this series prior to this book. And now, when I really have to read the next installment to see what happens, I'm putting it off. I'm weird, what can I say? show less
Will finally is set off on his own, but not to fight the straightforward, frontal assault enemies of the past. This time he is up against a legend, an elusive sorcerer rumored to be poisoning the king of a northern fief, a land integral to the protection of the whole kingdom.
A Bit of a Ramble
As with all of the Ranger's Apprentice books, I loved the characters, the battle tactics, the weaving of plot lines, and the setting. Seeing Will strike out on his own was almost poignant, like watching a nephew become an adult. I feel like I know Will, like I am somehow a part of his life, responsible for him or his therapist or something. I also enjoyed the pretext under which Will travels: that of a jongleur, a traveling show more musician, singing for his supper. This role is so different from Will the Ranger; as a jongleur, he is affable, outgoing, a bit goofy. It's nice to see this side of Will, pushed back because of his secretive, serious duties.
I do have one problem with this installment however. The ending. Or rather, the lack thereof. While I appreciate the fact that a series is a continuance of the same story, I like my books to have a relatively full an complete plot. Books, even in a series, which just end with no resolution whatsoever, or in some cases even a climax, drive me bonkers. Everything is up in the air at the end of this one, an unexpected development in this so-far-self-contained series.
This unsatisfactory ending is why this installment has received an Accept rating instead of a Borrow. While the story itself is just as entertaining as the rest, that one little travesty (in my opinion) really affected my overall judgment. I realize it's a quite specific pet peeve though, and not everyone feels the same as I do.
In a strange irony, I've been flying through this series prior to this book. And now, when I really have to read the next installment to see what happens, I'm putting it off. I'm weird, what can I say? show less
Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!
I know this is one book in a series; I didn't know this would end on a cliffhanger! *inarticulate shouts of frustration*
Clearly, I will be listening to the next book just as soon as I can get my grubby little hands on it :)
This is an excellent middle-grade adventure series, with enough depth that young readers will certainly enjoy re-reading these books. There's a more explanation of complex politics and social issues than an adult reader would generally need, but it's done without condescension and entirely within the narrative structure. These books don't preach, they tell nuanced stories.
In general, I've been moving away from YA and middle-grade fiction; this series, though, keeps dragging me back :)
I know this is one book in a series; I didn't know this would end on a cliffhanger! *inarticulate shouts of frustration*
Clearly, I will be listening to the next book just as soon as I can get my grubby little hands on it :)
This is an excellent middle-grade adventure series, with enough depth that young readers will certainly enjoy re-reading these books. There's a more explanation of complex politics and social issues than an adult reader would generally need, but it's done without condescension and entirely within the narrative structure. These books don't preach, they tell nuanced stories.
In general, I've been moving away from YA and middle-grade fiction; this series, though, keeps dragging me back :)
You can feel the build up in this book, which serves to introduce another adventure with our familiar cast of characters. Not too much seems to happen, but when you look to summarizing events, you can see how much foundation this book lays for the next. The writing is so solid, and once you notice it you can’t stop noticing it. Not my favorite book from the series, but it’s largely setup anyhow. And as far as reading books mostly for setup, I could do much much worse.
There seems to be a gap of time between the start of this book and the last one. Will is now a full-fledged Ranger and is sent to his own fief--at least briefly. Soon, he is called away by Halt & Crowley and sent on an undercover mission.
I liked that Will seems competent in his new role, even if he does have self-doubt. I liked that he got a new companion in the dog that he finds (though I wonder how long that will last--we will see). It was nice to see Alyss again--she's been missing from the previous few books.
I agree that most "sorcery" has an explanation. In today's world where so much emphasis is placed on the magical and the occult, it was nice to see a series that agrees there's usually an explanation for it.
Since this is part show more of a series, very little of the plot is resolved in this book. show less
I liked that Will seems competent in his new role, even if he does have self-doubt. I liked that he got a new companion in the dog that he finds (though I wonder how long that will last--we will see). It was nice to see Alyss again--she's been missing from the previous few books.
I agree that most "sorcery" has an explanation. In today's world where so much emphasis is placed on the magical and the occult, it was nice to see a series that agrees there's usually an explanation for it.
Since this is part show more of a series, very little of the plot is resolved in this book. show less
Review from July 2016:
WHAT? These books have had cliff hangers before, but this is the worst one yet!!
3.5 stars
I read Erak's Ransom before I read this one, and I'm glad I did. Reading the stories chronologically gives them a better flow.
This book was really good, but I liked some of the other stories better. The pacing of this book is on the slow side, and the mystery is not quite as interesting. I missed the supporting characters too. I'm hoping we will see more of them in the next book. One thing I found really unbelievable was that Will had the dog for two weeks, and it was perfectly trained in that time. I don't know any dog that is perfectly obedient in two weeks....
I listened to the audio version of this, which was fabulous! My show more only problem was that Halt was given a Scottish lilt to his accent. I had not pictured Halt that way, so it kept throwing me off whenever Halt would speak. I never got used to it because Halt wasn't in this story much though, which is sad. show less
WHAT? These books have had cliff hangers before, but this is the worst one yet!!
3.5 stars
I read Erak's Ransom before I read this one, and I'm glad I did. Reading the stories chronologically gives them a better flow.
This book was really good, but I liked some of the other stories better. The pacing of this book is on the slow side, and the mystery is not quite as interesting. I missed the supporting characters too. I'm hoping we will see more of them in the next book. One thing I found really unbelievable was that Will had the dog for two weeks, and it was perfectly trained in that time. I don't know any dog that is perfectly obedient in two weeks....
I listened to the audio version of this, which was fabulous! My show more only problem was that Halt was given a Scottish lilt to his accent. I had not pictured Halt that way, so it kept throwing me off whenever Halt would speak. I never got used to it because Halt wasn't in this story much though, which is sad. show less
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Awards
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Sorcerer of the North
- Original title
- The Sorcerer of the North
- Original publication date
- 2006
- People/Characters
- Will Treaty; Will Barton; Alyss Mainwaring; Lady Gwendolyn; Max; Syron (show all 21); Orman; Keren; Xander; John Buttle; Ulf; Gandar; Erak; Malcolm; Malkallem; Tug; Kicker; Horace; Hawken; Halt; Crowley
- Important places
- Araluen; Seacliff; Northgate; Skandia
- Dedication
- To Lyn Smith, for your years of support and encouragement.
- First words
- In the north, he knew, the early winter gales, driving the rain before them, would send the sea crashing against the shore, causing white clouds of spray to burst high into the air.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Then," he said, "I'm getting Alyss out of your damned castle--if I have to take it apart stone by stone to do it."
- Original language
- Engels; English
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Tween, Fantasy, Kids
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PZ7 .F598284 .S — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
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- 64
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