The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice Series #3) by John Flanagan

From the Publisher

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 will he and

Children's Literature

Our young heroes, Will and Evanlyn, find themselves hostages with treachery all around them. They cannot run, for there is no place to go. Their captives seem blind to what they have caught, a Ranger in training and a royal heir, which for the moment serves their purpose. Now their friendship will be put to the test many times as they struggle to keep each other alive and well. While they put their survival skills to use, Holt disgraces himself and then steps down as a Ranger to seek Will and Evanlyn. Along the way, he and another skilled swordsman, Horace, cross paths and find each other's company useful. As youthful Horace learns from Holt when to fight and when to wait, Evanlyn finds a friend amongst a large number of foes. She must make quick decisions and reach deep inside to end one journey and begin another one. Will Evanlyn's royal secret keep her alive or cause her death? Will Evanlyn and Will find a way to escape or remain slaves? Can Holt and Horace conquer their enemies in time to save Evanlyn and Will? From inside John Flanagan's imagination comes a medieval tale that leaves this reader wanting more. Although the premise of a knightly tale has graced many books, this adventure goes beyond that with its strong character voice, swashbuckling action, and unexpected twist and turns of the plot. This book is part three of the "Ranger's Apprentice" series and should be in every library.

VOYA

The third volume of The Ranger's Apprentice series picks up exactly where The Burning Bridge (Philomel, 2006/VOYA August 2006) leaves off, with Will and Evanlyn captured by Skandians and heading toward slavery. Although Halt vowed to go after his charge, the King has forbidden him to do so, ordering him to hunt down the last remnants from Morgarath's evil army. Neither Will nor Halt are ones to simply resign themselves to fate, and before long, Will works out an escape and Halt is banished from Araluen. Meanwhile Evanlyn reveals her royal heritage to Will, placing them in even greater danger, as the Oberjarl of Skandia swears to eradicate the entire Araluen royal family. Flanagan offers exactly what his fans have waited for-the continuing adventures of favorite characters. The chapters still alternate between Will and Halt's points of view and end on cliffhangers to keep the pages turning. Readers picking up the series for the first time will have no trouble figuring out what took place in previous volumes. The problem is that there is nothing new here. The characters do not seem to grow or change, and although the plot moves along at a brisk pace, nothing much seems to happen. Will is still in wilds of Skandia at the end of the book, and Halt is not even close behind. This series has the makings of being very long and drawn out, which probably will not bother the author's fans in the least.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9 -The young Ranger apprentice, Will, faces capture by Skandian raiders in the icebound North in this audio presentation of John Flanagan's third installment (Philomel, 2007) in the series. Accompanied by friend Evanlyn, a young woman bearing a secret regarding her birthright, Will is tossed about in stormy seas aboard the ship of Seawolves who threaten to hold the pair hostage or sell them into slavery in Skandia, a Nordic-like homeland. New characters such as the ship's captain, Erak, are introduced by British narrator, John Keating, who deftly captures the gritty, sharp-tongued pirate voices and the soft-spoken teenaged captives. In alternating chapters, returning characters, Halt (Will's mentor) and Horace (Will's friend), are expelled from Araluen for insulting the King and decide to use the opportunity to set out and find Will. Their adventures alternate with Will and Evanlyn's dilemma and clearly steal the limelight as they travel on horseback through Gallica, being challenged at every turn by unscrupulous knights who are laugh-out-loud comical in their ineptness. Halt, as Horace's teacher, is a wise and multidimensional character, whose wry sense of humor will engage listeners and keep them on the edge of their seats as they try to anticipate his next move. Vivid imagery and detail make the medieval-like elements believable. Keating makes the production entertaining, and the cliff-hanging conclusion is sure to have fantasy fans hoping for another installment.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Kirkus Reviews

A mild case of middle-volume-itis afflicts the third episode in this increasingly popular fantasy series, as Flanagan alternates short chapters to weave a double-stranded tale that advances the main story only an inch or two while filling out the page count with incidental adventures and repetitive explanations. In the odd-numbered chapters, Will and Evanlyn, enslaved by Skandian (Viking) captors in the previous volume, manage to escape into the snowy northern mountains, but only after Will acquires an addiction to warmweed, a brain-numbing narcotic. In the even-numbered ones, Will's Ranger mentor Halt and talented knight-in-training Horace set out through Gallica (France) on a rescue mission, and are themselves temporarily imprisoned by a cruel robber baron. The author hasn't expended much effort to develop original cultures or characters, but-repeated side comments and references to past events aside-his fluent writing, engaging protagonists and credibly choreographed fight scenes will keep readers involved. (Fantasy. 11-13)

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