The Ranger?s apprentice is about to be sold into slavery - but help can arrive from the most unexpected places . . .
John Flanagan's bestselling RANGER'S APPRENTICE adventure series originally comprised twenty short stories, which John wrote to encourage his twelve-year-old son, Michael, to enjoy reading. The series has come a long way since then. Now sold to more than twenty countries, the series regularly appears on the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller List and has been shortlisted in children's book awards in Australia and overseas. John, a former television and advertising writer, lives with his wife, Leonie, in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly. He is currently writing further titles in the RANGER'S APPRENTICE series. Visit John's website at www.rangersapprentice.com or the official Australian website at www.rangersapprentice.com.au.
Gr 5-9-This third installment in the series picks up where The Burning Bridge (Philomel, 2006) left off. Apprentice Ranger Will and Evanlyn (Princess Cassandra incognito) are being taken by ship to the snowy northern country of the Skandians, a Viking-like group of raiders who plan to sell them as slaves. Will's mentor Halt, frustrated at not being allowed to follow them, stages an incident to get himself thrown out of the Ranger corps so that he can mount a rescue mission. He is joined by Will's friend Horace, and the chapters alternate neatly between Will and Evanlyn's plight in Skandia and Halt and Horace's obstacle-ridden journey to find them. As in the previous titles, the action is well paced and the writing style is engaging. The main characters continue to be believable and to inspire readers' interest and sympathy. A particular strength of this series is that Will has never been the effortless hero. Though talented and intelligent, he makes mistakes and he often needs help from those around him-making him a very realistic and appealing protagonist. Fans of the series will not be disappointed in this latest installment and will be left eagerly anticipating the next one.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Will and Evanlyn, introduced in the first volume of John Flanagan`s Ranger's Apprentice series (which PW called "an exciting tale of battle and honor"), find themselves kidnapped and aboard a slave ship, having fought the evil Morgarath at the end of the last book. As Horace and Halt head towards Skandia to rescue their friends, they discover that many challenges stand in their way in Ranger's Apprentice: The Icebound Land, the series' third installment. (Philomel, $16.99 256p ages 10-up ISBN 9780-399-24456-8; June) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
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