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This is officially the last book in the series of ‘The Ranger’s Apprentice’, which sadly is not the most prestigious novel in the series. What writers sometimes forget is that the conclusion, the last paragraph and the last sentence, or book in this case, is what will stick in the minds of the readers. This is why a good ending paragraph is vital to any book – and series. The previous book, ‘The Lost Stories’, was a good end to the series. It was good conclusion to an even greater series. But why is this book not the best end for this series?

Firstly, the plot is the weakest of all books. The sole focus of the plot on the new apprentice Will gets. Of course there are good moments in the book – especially when Will is compared with his mentor, Halt. The way that he treats his apprentice is very much alike Halt treated his. The plot is also forced. The time between the books ‘The Lost Stories’ and ‘The Royal Ranger’ is immense, and way too big. Characters were smiling and healthy in the last book, to be sick, grew old or even worse, die. But also the way that the sickness and death happened are set in such scenarios that make them hard to believe, taking away vital credibility.

Another thing that makes the plot very weak is the character development. Especially the development of the protagonist is too-good-to-be-true. The protagonist is Madelyn, a rebellious teenager that is a spoiled brat that does what suits her. Ignoring her parents till extreme lengths. All very probable and maybe even recognizable. But what happens next is quite difficult to apprehend: In just a few days this spoiled brat completely changes into a disciplined Ranger, doing what is expected of her. The change was way too rapid too make it believable.

Thirdly, this book opens a closed series. The reader now wants to know what happens to the protagonist and her mentor. What will they do? What kind of peril will they face? These are just two of the many question the reader may have. And the answers will never come since this is the last book. This task, answering all the questions readers have, has already been completed in the book ‘The Lost Stories’, answering the most obvious question the reader has.

So all in all, this certainly is not the best way to end a good series. The time between this book, ‘The Royal Ranger’ and ‘The Lost Stories’ is simply too much for the reader to make the plot credible, since a lot of events that take place in that period are hard to believe. If you love the ‘Ranger’s Apprentice’ series, then do yourself a pleasure and skip this book.

I give this book: 1/4

I happen to love the Ranger's Apprentice series, but you are right about the last book there is too many plot holes. For almost the entire book I thought that Alyss had somehow escaped because I was so used to her being the stories and I just couldn't believe she was actually dead. And Maddie must of heard from her parents about how disappointed they were in her and she didn't care then, but now when Will says it she does?! How does that make any sense at all? I really didn't like Maddie's character at all she is too bratty, irresponsible and spoiled. Also there was barely any action and was too angst for my liking. Will who we all remember as a cheerful, smiling guy has lost his smile and all of his friends couldn't do anything to help him when Alyss died. Therefore I agree that The Royal Ranger is the worst book in the series.

My personal favourites from this series is number 4, 7 and 10. Number seven is filled with action, realistic theories and amazingly vivid characters. Then in 4 and 10 you have the rangers Halt and Will putting a battle plan in place against amazing enemies. The undefeatable and the uncatchable are pitted against Halt, Will and their new found allies in a battle that will be remembered for decades to come.

I can completely agree that I also find book 7 one of the best of the series. 'The Royal Ranger' is one of those books in a series that should not have been published. I have bought the book to have the complete series, but I will probably never read it again. The change of Maddie was also way too sudden for me. At the begginning she is a spoiled brat and somewhere along the way this suddenly changes and she becomes the rolemodel Ranger.