The Ranger’s Apprentice series is a clever, thrilling, and robust adventure series for readers about ages 10+ that is a longtime favorite in homeschool circles. Not exactly historical fiction, the series is set in a fictional kingdom that feels very much like medieval England. While technically classified as fantasy, it is more like an action myth or legend.
When the story opens, Will and his companions are all fifteen and are getting ready for Choosing Day, the day on which they are to be apprenticed to craft masters. Horace, strong and capable, heads to battle school; Alyss, graceful and diplomatic, is already training with Lady Pauline; Jenny, bright and cheerful, joins the kitchens, while Roger, smart and studious, heads to the scriptorium. But Will, small and wiry, seems suited to nothing, until the mysterious Ranger, Halt, selects him as an apprentice. Halt introduces Will to the world of the Rangers, a secretive and elite corps who blend the resourcefulness of Bear Grylls with the cunning and lifestyle of Robin Hood. Will’s journey into this world of noble, courageous, and self-sacrificing special forces work sets the tone for the entire series.
Flanagan respects his readers, offering nearly 300-page books with challenging language, intricate plots, and themes that grow with the characters. The writing is intelligent and satisfying, with well-drawn villains, compelling heroes, and characters who mature in virtue over time. The series explores chivalry, loyalty, and noble adventure while the young characters come of age under the tutelage of strong and trustworthy role models.
While largely wholesome, parents should be aware of a few cautions: Halt frequently uses the word “d*mn,” there are some passing comments about girls’ scandalous clothing in middle volumes, and I have cited some serious cautions about book 3, The Icebound Land, below.
The series is best read in order, with one caveat: readers may wish to read book seven (Erak’s Ransom) between books four and five to preserve chronological flow. (Flanagan went back after writing book six to give fans the story they clamored for.) As the series progresses, the characters age, fall in love, and marry, giving long-time readers a satisfying sense of growth and closure.
I keep multiple sets of The Ranger’s Apprentice and its companion series The Brotherband Chronicles in my library, though I place them on high shelves and discuss them with parents before checkout. I do not have the same admiration for The Royal Ranger series and find it tedious, politically correct, and absolutely unnecessary. The two main series offer action, depth, and a fictional world that rewards readers who grew up on Howard Pyle, Rosemary Sutcliff, Roger Lancelyn Green, and Clyde Robert Bulla. It’s an excellent choice for adventurous readers ready for a thrilling, morally rich world to get lost in.
Caution for Icebound Land:
The Icebound Land is a very difficult book, and depending on the age and maturity of the reader, I usually recommend skipping it. In this book, Will is a prisoner of an enemy. Because Will is a strong and powerful ranger, the enemy uses a drug called wormweed to control him. They force it on him and get him addicted to it. The descriptions of Will while he is under the influence of this drug are vivid and depressing. What is harder is that when he is rescued, we are forced to spend many pages watching him go through a detox. It is awful to witness and unnecessary to the rest of the series.