Enthralling, Exciting Storytelling: Review The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan by John Flanagan

Many of you will be familiar with acclaimed Australian author John Flanagan and his best-selling Ranger’s Apprentice series.

The Red Fox Clan is the second book in The Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger series and it continues to deliver with an exciting and unpredictable plot that leaves you guessing until the end.

Under the tutelage of Will Treaty, Princess Madelyn or Maddie, is an unlikely Rangers Apprentice. Will is a highly skilled ranger and once he has taught Maddie all the physical skills such as archery and camouflage, along with the mental skills such as endurance, she will need to make her way and survive as a ranger.

If you’re unfamiliar with these books the Rangers help keep the peace in Araluen by collecting intelligence, and reporting back to the castle. As you can imagine, they often encounter danger and need to be well prepared for any unexpected dangers.

Although her mother, the Princess Regent Cassandra has been to battle on a number of occasions, Maddie’s position as a ranger is kept secret. It would be unbecoming of a princess to be spending her days in the wilderness learning how to use weapons, fighting potential enemies and perfecting survival strategies.

When it’s time to return home for her annual visit Maddie looks forward to seeing her family, but knows she’ll be bored within days by her old life as a princess. That is until the Rangers receive word that a group called the Red Fox Clan is stirring up trouble. They oppose the current laws of succession to the throne and want to revert to a patriarchal system. Maddie’s father Horace is taking an army out to make sure that they don’t get out of hand.

Unfortunately, Maddie can’t go with them, but things quickly get exciting when she starts to investigate the legendary, yet undiscovered tunnels at the castle and inadvertently finds herself face to face with The Red Fox Clan.

Originally short stories that Flanagan wrote for his son to inspire him to read, this series will appeal to fans of Tolkien and suits the 10+ age group. If you’re after a high action series with a detailed plot for an active imagination, then you can’t go past his enthralling stories.

Purchase a copy of The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan | Read an extract

John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband adventure series have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. His books are available in more than 100 countries, are regularly on the New York Times bestseller list, and have had multiple award shortlistings and wins in Australia and overseas. John, a former television and advertising writer, lives with his wife in a Sydney beachside suburb.