Yet another great story from John Flanagan, with another cliff-hanger at the end!

The King of Gallica (think France) comes to Duncan, King of Araluen (think England) for help. His son, the prince, has been kidnapped by Baron Joubert de Lassigny, a powerful and scheming man looking to take the throne in Gallica. Although the kidnapping has nothing to do with Araluen, it is agreed that Ranger Will Treaty, along with his apprentice Maddie (aka Princess Madelyn), will travel to Gallica disguised as a father-daughter jongleur act. But being foreigners in a foreign land presents unforeseen dangers that test the abilities of even the most vaunted of Rangers.

This is the latest in the growing list of Flanagan’s medieval fantasy the Ranger’s Apprentice series. If this story strikes your fancy, your best bet is to start with the first book, The Ruins of Gorlan. It’s well worth the time to read through the entire series in order to get to know and love the characters. In addition, Flanagan does an excellent job of providing both strong male and female characters, so I wouldn’t say that this series is strictly for boys.