Ranger's Apprentice

Ranger's Apprentice is a series of fantasy novels written by Australian author John Flanagan. The first novel in the series, titled The Ruins of Gorlan, was released in Australia on 1 November 2004 and in the United States on 16 June 2005. As of 2012, all eleven books have been released in Australia and New Zealand, with other countries following behind. The series follows the adventures of Will, an orphan who is taken as an apprentice Ranger, as he strives to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors, and threats. He is joined on his adventures by his mentor Halt and his best friend Horace. Author John Flanagan has stated that he will be writing a total of twelve books (as of May 2012, he has written ten, plus one with extra short stories) for the series, however he has said he plans to work on a follow-up title taking place 16 years later. He is currently working on a new series in the same world, but with new characters and taking place in Skandia, called Brotherband Chronicles. The story takes place in a fictional world based on European medieval times. The series has sold three million copies in 16 countries around the world. The series was originally twenty short stories Flanagan wrote for his son to get him interested in reading. Ten years later, Flanagan found the stories again and decided to turn them into a book. BookPeople, a bookstore in Austin, Texas, helped promote the book through a five day camp. The series is well praised by critics. Various film companies are interested in adapting it to a film series, but film rights are still available.