Ranger's Apprentice Series (John Flanagan)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins Of Gorlan

Meet fifteen year old Will, a foundling who is convinced that his father died a mighty warrior in battle. As choosing day commences, when young men and women become forever bound to a vocation, he hopes against hope to honor his father's legacy and be selected for Battleschool training. Instead, he is inducted into the ranks of the mysterious Ranger Corps. At first a reluctant recruit, Will gradually becomes drawn to the skills and secret ways of the Rangers.

The Burning Bridge

For years, the kingdom of Araluen has prospered, with the evil Morgarath safely behind impassable mountains. But while the people of Araluen have felt secure, Morgarath has not been idle. On a special mission for the Rangers, Will and his friend Horace, an apprentice warrior, travel to a neighboring country of Celtica and discover an unsettling truth. Villages, mines and border posts are deserted. The Celts have disappeared. Will senses the hand of Morgarath behind the sinister mystery. Before long, they discover the king's army is in danger of being destroyed in a treacherous ambush. Only Will, Horace, and a mysterious girl named Evanlyn, stand between them.

The Icebound Land

Kidnapped and taken to a frozen land after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue his young apprentice, and he will do anything to keep his promise— even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged again and again by freelance knights—but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon his skills begin to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around. But as Horace earns his reputation, Will and Evanlyn struggle for survival as slaves.

The Battle For Skania

Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, Will and Evanlyn's plans to return to Araluen are spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweed's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, until Halt and Horace make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when Halt makes a horrifying discovery: Skandia's borders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. If two kingdoms are to be saved, an unlikely union must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?

The Sorcerer Of The North

Several years have passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, first met, and Will is finally a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy—boring, even—until Lord Syron, master of a castle far in the north, is struck down by a mysterious illness. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is suddenly thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure, investigating fears of sorcery and trying to determine who is loyal to Lord Syron. As Will battles growing hysteria, traitors, and most of all, time, Alyss is taken hostage, and Will is forced to make a desperate choice between his mission and his friend.

The Siege Of Macindaw

After years as a Ranger's apprentice, Will is now the protector of his first fief. Not long into his service, everything that can go wrong does: Keren, a renegade knight, has taken over Castle Macindaw, a strategic gateway to the North—poisoning the royal family in the process—and is holding Will's friend Alyss captive. The situation grows direr when Will uncovers Keren's secret alliance with the Scotti, who have plans to plunder Araluen. Time is of the essence, and Will must recruit a motley crew to rescue Alyss and reclaim Castle Macindaw—before the Scotti can make it their own.

This is a great Youth series. I have enjoyed it. I have only read up to 6 so far. To my knowledge there is a 7th out now and the 8th is soon to be released.

A good addition to you library.