Royal Ranger: A New Beginning by John Flanagan

Reviewed by Isabella

Imagine being the princess of Araluen. To put it bluntly, you are a brat, spoiled, moody, stuck up, and selfish. So when your parents decide they have enough of you, they decide to send you to a ranger to shape you into a better person and make you a ranger’s apprentice.

In Royal Ranger: A New Beginning by John Flanagan, the sequel of Ranger’s Apprentice, Maddie’s parents Cassandra and Horace finally have enough of her behavior and decide to send her to their old buddy, ranger Will. Will is still grieving over the death of his lover, Alyss, and Horace is hoping to bring a little light into his eyes again by giving him an apprentice. Throughout the book, Maddie starts to grow out of her spoiled self, and learns many important lessons. 

One reason I loved this book is because you make a connection with the characters. Throughout the story, you will meet many new characters who you will fall in love with. For example, as I had mentioned before, Will had lost his lover, Alyss, in a fire. At first when I read that part, I was shaken, I couldn’t believe the author had killed off such an amazing character (I actually cried). When you read it, you form a bond with the characters and read the adventures as if you were actually there!

I also really liked this book because it is quite humorous. In the beginning, Maddie attempts to make some coffee for Will. She doesn't know how to make it, and so she just plopped coffee beans in the pot and didn’t even grind them! There are many humorous parts, like when the rangers talk to their horses, that you will laugh at!

I would definitely rate this book a 9.5/10! The story and detail are really good, and you will want to read more as it goes on. I would recommend this book to people who love adventure and hate cliffhangers. Because this is the sequel series of Ranger’s Apprentice, you might want to read that first, and then move on to this one. I hope you will enjoy this book!

Puffin Books, 636 pages