Customer Reviews

The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 3)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I haven't read the United States version of this book, having purchased the australian edition over a year ago. "The Icebound Land" is the first half of the tale of Will and Evalyn's adventures in Skandia, while Halt and Horace set off to rescue them. As a book, it does not quite stand alone, and you really need to read book #4 "The Oakleaf Bearers" to read the conclusion of the tale. Book #4 is a five star book. You can order the Oakleaf Bearer from the online Australian bookstores - they cost about $15 each. Books #5 (the Sorcerer in the North) and #6 (The Siege of Macindaw) are also a single story with the same issue - book #5 doesn't quite stand by itself, and then book #6 completes the story. I found the vocabulary in the Australian editions to be more advanced than the Scholastic versions available in the United States - I don't know if Flanagan is using a more mature vocabulary in the later volumes, or if the U.S. editor is making the stories easier to read for their targetted audience because, as I said, I haven't read the U.S. versions to compare. Ranger's Apprentice is a great series - the books will not let you down.

Australian author Flanagan originally wrote this series to encourage his twelve-year-old son to love reading. The Ruins of Gorlan is Book One, and The Burning Bridge is Book Two. The setting is vaguely medieval Europe, with interesting details of battle, weapons, and character.

Rangers are a branch of service to the King of Araluen, skilled at woodcraft and longbow, and many people think they have a command of magic. Halt is a skilled Ranger, one of the best. He can disappear into a tree (or give that impression) and can fire a fatal arrow in seconds, even through the eye slit in a knight's visor. His apprentice, Will, and the young girl Evanlyn have escaped unscathed from a terrible battle, only to be caught by a raiding party of Skandians led by Jarl Erak. Halt is not allowed to go after them, so he arranges for the King to banish him for treasonous comments made in public, and he and the young knight Horace set off to Gallica, to find Will.

The chapters alternate between the stories of Will and Evanlyn as prisoners with the Skandians, and Horace and Halt on their trip through Gallica. Halt is old and very wise. He is able to teach the young knight Horace a thing or two about strategy and honor on their travels. Will is able to help Evanlyn during the short sojourn on the island of Skorghijl, waiting out the winter storms with the raiding party, and also keep up his spirits and fitness. But when they return to Jarl Erak's home of Hallasholm, Evanlyn is made a house slave, and Will becomes a yard slave, toiling in terrible cold until he becomes addicted to warmweed, and forgets who he is. Jarl Erak respects Will's bravery and skill, and hates to see him addicted and treated so poorly. He decides to help Will and Evanlyn try to escape.

This adventurous series is designed with cliffhangers at the end. You will definitely want to read the coming books. Book Four is coming out in March of 2008 - I can hardly wait.

Armchair Interviews says: Wonderful young adult book for all to enjoy.

I love the Ranger's Apprentice series. It stands right up there with other fantastic fantasy favorites like The Symphony of Ages and The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme by Elizabeth Haydon, The Icewind Dale by R.A.Salvator, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien and Dragonlance: Chronicles by Weis and Hickman. But with John Flanaghan's newiest installment in the Ranger's Apprentice series, The Icebound Land falls short of what we were expecting. Sure, this book does nicely as a sequel, but I felt Flanagan could had done a tad-bit more, such as Will being a drugged-slave. But overall, this book was a great read!
We have Halt and Horace traveling into the country-side, right into danger. Stupid men who claim themselves as gallant knights by beating up helpless travelers with mest-up amour and poor weapons to earn a living challenge the two left-and-right, holding up there search again and again for the lost ranger, Will. All the while Will and Evalyn are fighting to stay alive against the Skandians and the cold of winter.
I truly enjoyed this book. Halt's raw humor and Horace's jokes kept me laughing, while Will being drugged by Warm-Weed kept me feeling dread for the beloved character. If you enjoyed the first two books of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, The Ruins of Gorland and The Burning Bridge, your guaranteed to like reading The Icebound Land. I'm already looking forward to reading The Battle for Skandia. Can't wait! Keep sending these Australian Treasures over John!

The Icebound Land (2006) is the third fantasy novel in the Ranger's Apprentice series, following The Burning Bridge. In the previous volume, Will and Evanlyn burned the bridge over the Fissure, but were captured by Skandians. The Araluen forces broke Morgarath's army and then Horace challenged Morgarath himself.

In this novel, Will is a Ranger apprentice. He is small and quick and deadly with his bow and knives.

Evanlyn Wheeler is an Araluen woman, but she has used a false name to protect her father from extortion. She is really Princess Cassandra, the daughter of King Duncan of Araluen.

Halt is a full Ranger, dangerous and feared. He has become used to Will and his incessant questions.

Horace is Will's friend and a knight trainee. He is very good with sword and lance, seeming to be a natural armsman.

Erak is a Skandian Jarl and captain of the raider ship Wolfwind. He and his crew have escaped from the battle of the Plains and are heading home. He is also taking Will and Evanlyn with him to be sold as slaves.

In this story, the Wolfwind is caught by a storm before reaching Cape Shelter and is blown south. Will has never been on a ship before and the huge waves are very scary. He and Evanlyn are tied to the mast to keep them from being washed overboard, but Will has never known such fear as when the waves break over the ship and flood the deck.

The Wolfwind finally sails beyond Cape Shelter and beaches on Skorghijl Island. With the storm season upon them, it would be too dangerous to try to reach Skandia. So the Wolfwind crew will wait out the season on the island.

The crew settles into the crude barracks and messhall. Naturally, all the menial chores are done by Will and Evanlyn. Then another wolfship arrives, without a mast and riding low in the water.

Wolf Fang is owned by Slagor, a Skandian Skirl -- ship captain -- who had decided to sail south during a lull in the storms. He had hoped to take the best prizes while the other wolfships were awaiting the end of the season, but this was obviously an unwise decision. Slagor is not a very good captain, for he is foolish and a coward. His crew are petty criminals, who have joined him only for the wages and loot.

Meanwhile, Halt tries to gain permission to rescue Will and Evanlyn, but his requests are denied by Crowley -- leader of the Rangers -- and King Duncan is avoiding him. So Halt gets himself banished from Araluen for a year. Gilan tries to accompany him into exile, but Halt convinces him that one of them should stay behind to hunt for Foldar, Morgarath's escaped lieutenant.

However, Halt finds himself unable to refuse Horace. The two travel across the Narrow Sea to Gallia and proceed north toward Skandia. They are constantly delayed by Gallian knights demanding tolls to cross minor bridges, but Horace clears the way.

Finally, Halt paints a green oak leave on Horace's shield so that the Gallians will know his identity. Most knights encountered afterward fled rather than facing the feared Knight of the Order of the Oak Leaf. Horace does complain about using the unearned title of knight, but Halt overcomes his qualms.

Then they reach a small town and take rooms in an inn. Horace and Halt have real beds to sleep on. But then Deparnieux -- the local warlord -- arrives to challenge Horace to a duel.

This tale takes Will and Evanlyn to the small town of Hallasholm. Erak gives them to Oberjarl Ragnak and they are separated, with Evanlyn assigned to the kitchen and Will working in the yard. Halt and Horace are delayed by snow in the passes to Skandia.

This story continues with The Battle for Skandia. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Flanagan fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of edged combat, covert reconnaissance, and courageous youngsters. For those who have not previously read this series, the initial volume is The Ruins of Gorlan.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The 3rd installment of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series picks up right where the first two left off. Flanagan is one of the most talented authors I've read in a long time. His ability to create memorable characters, unpredictable plot twists, and vivid images is unbelievable. The dialog is witty, and I was not able to put this one down. Will, the Ranger's apprentice, and Princess Cassandra have been taken as slaves and are on their way to Skandia. Halt and Horace set off to find them and meet their own set of challenges. This is a must read series and I recommend it to anyone!

I am enjoying this series along with my children. The first book was especially impressive for it's engaging, suspenseful plot as well as the lessons that it teaches promoting honesty, valor, conflict resolution, communication and true friendship.
The third book was less entertaining overall for reasons well articulated throughout this review but also has the occasional "damn" and "My, God" sprinkled throughout. I consider this a shortcut or "crutch"; something really good writing can convey the same feel without using.
Additionally, there is an allusion to prostitution (A group of giggling, young girls in short dresses and an ensuing conversation between Horace and Halt - Halt, amused, keeps Horace in the dark.) as Horace and Halt travel through a new town. It is subtle and the innocent will be as confused as Horace but they will be wondering what is going on and this is obviously not great subject matter for this age group.
Can anyone tell me if this sort of thing continues (or worsens) as the series progresses?

Once again, another great edition in the Ranger's Apprentice series. As I've written in my reviews of The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) and The Burning Bridge (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 2), this is a series for all ages, not just young adults (hence me being in my 30's and not being able to put these books down).

Having been captured by the Skandians in book 2, Will and Evanlyn face substantial challenges. First, they need to survive the trip. Once they arrive, they will have to face their fate as overworked slaves. In the mean time, Halt, who shows more of an emotional side, goes off the deep end since the loss of his apprentice and ends up being banished. Taking advantage of no longer having his ranger duties, he sets out after Will and is accompanied by Horace (who received secret permission to join him).

The continued character development is great. Again, you see more of a human side of Halt as he himself realizes just how much Will meant to him. It is amazing how far Horace has come, from the brat he was at the beginning of the first book to the highly mature, loyal, and dedicated Knight's apprentice. Jarl (captain) Erak, the one who captured will and Evanlyn, proves that he is more than just some savage viking knock-off, but a man of honor.

This book is yet another page turner in the series. I'm looking forward to continuing to book 4.

Kidnapped by Skandian raiders, Will and his companion Evanlyn are taken to the icebound lands of the North. They will be kept as hostages or sold into slavery. Together they endure storms at sea, the toil of captivity and the dark Skandian winter in the hope that they will live to see their Araluen home again.

Meanwhile, Will's friends Halt and Horace are on a quest to rescue Will. They make a name for themselves defeating knights throughout Gallica, until they are captured by a cruel and petty warlord who keeps them prisoner in his tower.

In dealing with the aftermath of the battle with Lord Morgorath, this third installment in the Ranger's Apprentice series takes a detour from fantasy's classic conflict of good versus evil. Having defeated the supernatural threat to their country, the characters are now confronted with difficult moral choices and human dilemmas. A darker book than its predecessors, THE ICEBOUND LAND deals with slavery, addiction and the problem of violence in a world where might makes right.

Each of the characters is strained to his or her limit. Halt commits treason against his beloved country in order to search for his apprentice. Horace questions the codes of chivalry when he encounters those using them for selfish ends. Evanlyn bears the burden of Will's survival in harsh conditions she was not raised to endure.

These difficult conditions and moral quandaries make for more interesting conflicts and characters. Even some of the villains come to question their roles. Erak, a Scandian raider, admires the determination and bravery of his captives. He sees Will and Evanlyn as better examples of the Skandian warrior code than many of his countrymen. His choices completely change the direction of the narrative but cannot repeal the unbreakable Vallasvow his oberjarl has sworn against the Araluen royal family.

Like the previous books in the series, THE ICEBOUND LAND ends with a cliffhanger. Having already defeated the dark lord and endured captivity, the series has also become more intriguing. Who knows what adventures will befall Will and his friends next? Will they continue to battle the human evils that run rampant in their world? Or will the disparate parties be called to unite against the threat of a greater supernatural evil once again?

Ranger's Apprentice takes place in an imaginary world, but it echoes certain geographical and historical realities of this one. The Skandians are clearly based on the Norse raiders who terrorized the coast of Britain around 800. Celtica's mining culture is reminiscent of Wales, while Gallica takes both its name and its approximate language from medieval France in the age of chivalry circa 1300. Araluen is England, standing --- as it has since Tolkien --- at the heart of fantasy literature.

While Ranger's Apprentice borrows from already-established fantasy tropes, it has been marvelously popular with young readers of fantasy. John Flanagan's elevation of a ranger character, someone more gifted at stealth and marksmanship than brute force, has fleshed out an often-neglected portion of fantasy literature. His reliance on themes of loyalty, bravery, endurance and friendship leave young readers in safe hands as they learn to navigate dangerous waters on their own.

Absorbing from the first chapter. The whole series is excellent, especially for reluctant boy readers, but appeals to all. I race my son to the new book at release - and break my own rule of no hardbacks because I can't wait that long to read it! Frustrating to know there are more of the series available in Australia but good to know its on-going since we're not ready to see the end of this character. Am hoping the instructor, Holt is going to stay in evidence. I love how childhood friends and enemy's take on a new and often changed role as life goes on, and look out for each other's safety. Highly recommend the whole series

If you have been training to be a ranger and are captured by Vikings with a girl that turns out to be a Princess, you'll like this book. Your friend, Hoarce, a former enemy trying to become a knight, and your teacher, Halt, a grim-faced man who has recently been banished from their kingdom, are trying to save you. That's what happens to Will in John Flanagan's Rangers Apprentice Book 3: The Icebound Land. Will is an orphan whose parents died in a war. Will's adventure with the Vikings all started when he was captured by four Skandians, Vikings that hoard items and think the best way to die is while fighting in a war. The he gets sold as a slave to Renark, the Skandian leader. But Will meets a Viking named Erik who will prove to be a very good friend.

The Icebound Land is a suspenseful, creative, and well-written book. I thought it was a great book. If you like this book, you might like Book 4: The Battle for Skandia.

Tom S.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi