In a country called Araluen a secretive force protects the country from threats inside and out of their own borders.The Rangers conduct special missions. They also save lives of their fellow country men. Whether they are killing someone from hundreds of meters away with their powerful long bows, or fighting hand in hand with someone. Even if they are moving across seemingly wide open spaces without being seen. The rangers are necessary for the protection of a kingdom. The excitement never stops in this series. You need to read Ranger’s Apprentice.

Ranger’s apprentice is an exciting series that keeps you guessing and keeps you turning pages until the end. I was worried that the time period of the book would make it nerdy. This book proved me wrong. It is an epic book. It is really realistic. When I started reading this series I was a reluctant reader, much like you might be. It is safe to say that Ranger’s Apprentice got me interested in reading again.

I interviewed a Ranger’s Apprentice reader, Andrew Lee, who has read the series through seven times. Andrew is the person who got me hooked on the Ranger’s apprentice series. I asked him if he would recommend the series to someone else and he answered, “Yes It is very exciting and keeps you interested.”
I, too, would recommend this book to others. There are a bunch of other people in our school alone that read the Ranger’s Apprentice series. With millions of fans worldwide that like these books that are written by John Flanagan. You may think that you don’t have the time to read a book. All it takes for time to read a book is ten minutes that you can spend reading before bed. Reading before bed also helps you fall asleep quicker.

The main character, Will, is a fifteen-year-old castle ward. He’s an orphan taken into care by a baron or king and lives in the castle. On the day where he chooses which trade he wants to take on for the rest of his life, he wants to be a warrior but as you can tell by the name of the book he doesn’t become a warrior. The local ranger, Halt, slips the baron a mysterious note and Will is dying to know what it says. He goes on a mission to find out what it means. His future hangs in the balance. What is in the note could very well be the key to it. The character is small, scrawny he doesn’t seem heroic. He is also very shy. He does’t seem like he could save anyone. He always wanted to be a warrior. But he gets rejected, so he gets stuck with the ranger, Halt, that doesn’t know anything about it. He gets trained as a ranger, and goes on this great adventure. He has to use his quick wit. The decision he is about to make could save the kingdom. He is a very likable character. The amount of importance he has makes you think that even the smallest character can play a huge role.

If you like action packed books that keep you guessing until the last page this is definitely the series for you. The story is set in medieval times. I know there are some people that this might worry. This book is definitely an epic book definitely worth taking the time to read. The book is very realistic and not about knights killing dragons. It has intense battle scenes and action sequences and probably will appeal more to boys. As the series goes on the reading level gets higher and the books get longer. This makes it so that a reader can grow with the series and develop reading skills.

As I said earlier in the essay I was a reluctant reader. I never read for the fun of it. I only really read for lit circles and projects. My friend Andrew convinced me to read it. When I started reading this I had my doubts that I would like it. But I did it. About half way through the book I stopped hiding the cover and started to show it to people I found even more people who read the series. When the first book when done I was no longer someone who never read for enjoyment. I got the books from the library and would bring them home and would find my self sitting there reading for hours not being able to put the books down. I got more and more into reading and found more and more books to read. I have now by the end of the school year read over 20 books this year alone. I now enjoy reading. At the end of book ten which is the “last book” I find myself wanting more to read. This book series is amazing. I hope after reading this you consider reading this series. It may change your mind about reading altogether. You may be saying that you don’t have time to read a book. Think about how much time you spend watching T.V. or playing video games. Why can’t you read during that time and do something constructive with your time?

Araluen needs it’s rangers just like every good book needs it’s readers. You have nothing to lose when you read this book and a whole world of possibilities to gain.



Bibliography
Flanagan, John. Ranger’s Apprentice The Ruins of Gorlan. New York: Penguin. 2005.