The Ranger's Apprentice (Books 8-10) by John Flanagan

Dear Readers,

I finished it!! All ten books are done!! And I am very pleased. I enjoyed this series. Fantasy definitely has to be one of my favorite genres. There is nothing I enjoy more than being sucked into a story and forgetting that I am reading. This series did not let me down. The characters were interesting and relatable, the plot was fast paced and gripping, and the fantasy land was fantastically made.

The main reason I love these books is the characters. From the beginning of the series you relate to the main character Will. You want him to succeed. When he meets new friends you become to like the friends. When become romantically involved with his childhood sweat heart you are rooting for him all the way.
I really did enjoy the relationships that form between the characters. In the last three books the characters are older. I would say they are mid-twenties. During the seventh book Halt gets married to Lady Pauline. This made me smile sooooooo much. I was rooting for them too. After that Will and Alyss's relationship develops. I really enjoy when the are subtle love stories in books. I do not need to read a flat out romance book because I can get all of the cuteness I need from the small romances in fantasy novel. Another romance springs up but I will let you find that one out for yourself.
I found that plot to be semi-repetitive, but that fit. (I didn't care to much about the plot because I was caught up with the characters.) The plot of every book seemed to take the same pattern. A problem would arise Halt, Will, and Horace would run off the solve it. Some unexpected, unplanned thing would happen and the rangers would stick there heads together and come up with something. In the end everything would turn out fine, their friends would hug them, then everything would turn back to normal. Or atleast until the next book when the same thing would happen again. It seemed as if the young Will had way too much happen in his short life. As I said before though I did not really care about the plot.
I would highly recommend this series!!!! Really!! I know that I said this before, but after finishing I think that my recommendation comes a little higher. So just Read It!!
Lindsey

The Ranger's Apprentice Series Books 2 to 7 by John Flanagan

Dear Readers,

 My last post was about the first book in this amazing fantasy series. Well, since then I have finished the next seven books. (I am waiting for the eighth book to come in at the library so I can finish the last three.) I read these books in such rapid succession. It can only be compared to the manner in which the Rangers shoot their arrows.
I read about a book a day for a week. So now I have up through Erak's Ransom completed, and I enjoyed every page that I read! You can really tell when I fantasy book is well written. John Flanagan switches between the major conflicts in the book with such ease. Just when you are into one part of the plot he switches to the other conflict. This technique keeps you from getting bored, and it kept me turning the pages!

Not only does Mr. Flanagan use very techniques, he also has very original ideas. I have read many many many fantasy books, so when I read a fantasy series I really look for originality. This story is one that I have not heard before. The conflicts and plot lines are different from most of the fantasy books I have read. The world these books take place is also very interesting. The world has different names, but you can tell that this new world is based on the map of Europe and surrounding countries. The main country is obviously England, the neighboring country Gallica is of course France, and all of the other places have strong geographical and ethnic similarities to real countries.  I really appreciated this creative take on Europe's map. Just because it is a fantasy book there does not have to be a new, strange world.
Besides being original and well written, the books are full of interesting characters

and wonderful conflicts.
Will, the Ranger's Apprentice, leads a very interesting life. At the age of 15 he is already fighting against strange creatures, making plans, and riding across the country with his teacher, Halt. As the books go on Will of course ages and takes on new challenges and tasks. He grows from the shy young apprentice to a strong and trust worthy young man who can solve almost any conflict. Halt and Will develop a special relationship that will leave you smiling. Will, an orphan who never had a father, now has a strong male figure in his life the exemplify. Halt who is normally serious, aloof, and lonely now has a bright spot in his days. The two characters have witty exchanges and touching moments. Besides the two main characters there is a parade of interesting and new characters in each book. Some turn out to be friends that will reappear through out the whole series, and some turn out to be enemies that cause the friends to bond. Personally I enjoy a little romance in every book I read, and the later books in this series do not fall short of the expectation. The romances aren't mushy or cheesy, but as the young Will and his friends grow they find new roles in each others' lives. Also some of the older characters rekindle old sparks.
Each conflict shows the characters strengths. This group of characters has crazy amount of courage and strength. They travel all of the known world to complete missions, save their friends, and find out secret information. The books show how friendship can be more binding then any contract written on paper. The friendship that the characters develop are something the we need exemplify in our own lives.They make promises and stick to them. They would do anything to keep their friends out of trouble. So not only do the books take you to other places, the provide a very good example to young readers out there of what true friendship looks like.
I really like this series. It is uncommon for me to not like fantasy, but there are few series that I would reread and this is one of them. For some reason the character, plot, and writing style really appeal to me. I would recommend this series to anyone. It may be written for a young audience, but anybody would enjoy the fast paced, fun, adventurous nature of this series. So if you are bored pick them up and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. I will post about the rest of the series once I have finished with it! (Which will probably be in a few days.) So until then keep reading my friends!
Lindsey

The Ruins of Gorlan (Number #1 of the Ranger's Apprentice) by John Flanagan

Dear Readers,

So continues the binge. This time I read the first book in the series so I can tell you more about it! I picked this book up while my younger brother was reading and read the first 60 pages. I though hmm... that is pretty good, but never finished. Well now it is finished. It was surprisingly good. Again it was another fantasy, which is just up my alley.
The Ruins of Gorlan starts out with introducing the main character, Will. He is a castle ward, an orphan who was left at the castle after his parents died. Unlike the other wards Will does not know who his parents are. When he was dropped off on the castle doorstep There was a note saying his father was a hero and his mother died. Other than that Will has no information about his family.
At the age of 15 the castle wards are chosen by the craft-masters of the castle to become apprentices. Will longs to go to battle school to become a knight as to make his father, the hero, proud. When the day of choosing comes Will does not get his wish. Instead he becomes the Ranger's Apprentice. The Ranger are a strange group of people who no one knows much about. Each fief has its own ranger, and Will must now study under the ranger in his fief. It is believed by the townsfolk that the Rangers use magic to become invisible and move form one place to another without being seen. During his apprenticeship Will learns the truth about the Rangers.
This book was good. Not one of the best fantasy books I have read, but still entertaining. I did not like the magical creatures in the novels. They were sort of creepy and gave me the willy nillies. I heard from a friend that the series gets better and the books get a little less weird and more realistic. I am looking forward to the rest of the series with eagerness.
As I have said for the last two books, if you want a fantasy book that keeps your mind away from the present, entertains you, and is exciting I recommend getting your hands on a copy of this book. Enjoy!
Dream Big, READ!!!
Lindsey

The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Dear Readers,
I told you yesterday that I have started my yearly fantasy binge, and I wasn't lying. After finishing The Serpent's Shadow my mind was to far gone to come back and read meaningful things so I checked out Clockwork Prince. 498 pages in 24 hours of non-continual reading. Apparently I liked this book. Again it is a continuation of one of the series that read. It is part of the Infernal Devices series which is a prequel series to the Mortal Instruments series. They again are really fantasy and very fictitious, which is one of the reasons I love them.
The mortal instruments was written first. It follows the story of young shadowhunters in New York City in modern times. The Infernal Devices series was more of an after thought. It's about shadowhunters in Victorian Era England. It almost has a steam punk feel to it, with clockwork creatures, unknown heritage, and unexpected romance.
Tessa the main character of the main book has special powers that no one understands. After touching an object Tessa can turn into the person who last possessed the object. She takes on their appearance and is able to read their thoughts. On her trip to England from New York to see her brother she is captured by two evil old sisters that force her to use her gift.
Eventually she meets then men of the series. Jem and Will. I believe they rival any other male characters in crappy teen fiction. Jem and Will are two completely different boys. They are both shadowhunters living at the institution in London. Will is dark and mysterious and Jem is open and almost bubbly (oh goodness listen to me explain those boys, I act like I know them personally). They are best friends, and rely on each other constantly.   Both boys made me smile constantly in this book, of course they also made me ask the question 'why don't I know any boys like this?'.
I would highly recommend this book if you want an escapes. Of course it is fantasy, so if you don't like fantasy you may not like it. But trust me girls there is enough steamy romance to get your fill. So enjoy and keep reading!
Lindsey