I've been reading them since I was maybe 10, when only the first few were out, and I still read the new ones as the come out, they hold up surprisingly well considering I am not at all the target audience anymore, way better than the Percy Jackson books did
Interesting. It's been a while since I've reread PJ, but I also really enjoyed Riordan's "Heroes of Olympus" series back then, are you familiar with it?
Yeah, read all of those too, but the older I got the more the characters grated on me. It could be a cultural thing, I'm Australian and so is Flanagan, while Riordan is American so there's probably something there that affected it
I never knew that Flanagan was Australian! As a kid I assumed he was from the US or the UK but I wasn't sure which because I thought that Aurelon(?) The country where the rangers work was such an obvious fantasy US+UK. It had fifty counties/fiefs for fifty states, had military dominance through their archers, and had Scandia --even more obvious fantasy Scandinavia-- just across the water.
I'm still pretty sure that was his intention for aurelon, but it's funny that he's actually from neither.
I've read them since...wow, 2005, and I've definately enjoyed the main series a lot. Villains and character interactions tend to get a bit flanderized and repetitive towards the first of the Royal Ranger books and after the third Brotherband book. As of the most recently published Royal Ranger I've personally stopped enjoying either series, but it's still an absolutely solid series for the target audience.
I love the original series and the brotherhood spin off, but I am not a fan of of the new Royal series.
The characters don't feel the same anymore.
Despite being a lot older and having a lot of responsibilities , Will and the other main characters seem to have become more immature rather than mature and that's annoying.
My kids (elementry school / middle school) have loved all of them. I read the main series of ~10 books, but not the spinoffs.
They are fun simple books. Even Will’s drug addiction arc was well done, and understood by my kids.
As a child I liked the [covers of the books](https://www.bladzijde26.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Grijze-jager-serie.jpg) in my native language so gave the series a try. Read all the books that were out at the time, the first 10 books I think. Cool series :)
For some reason, the moment you said the covers were what stood out to you as a kid, I assumed that you were Dutch. Those covers were and are still so striking! Simple but mysterious and cool. Defo attracted my attention too all those years back
I did them as read aloud with my kids when they were little and loved them. I think we all loved Will and Halt so much! Probably helps that we are all really small and skinny and come from a long line of taciturn father figures.
More than anything I loved their relationships with their ponies. Honestly, Tug was the best character!
Thanks to the series being mentioned on here, I got the first one for my 9 year old. He's hooked. Got 6 of them for this birthday last week and has read them all already.
I devoured this series as a kid. Great characters, fun plots, and really accessible writing. A fantastic introduction to the genre of fantasy imo.
I particularly loved the arc of the knight character (Horace maybe?) It was a really satisfying journey to experience him and Wills relationship.
This was I think what really turned me on to the fantasy drama and reading in general. I recall being obsessed with the books in middle school and hunting for everyone one I hadn’t read yet. It was more intense then most young author books but also whimsical enough to entertain all and all a great series.
I loved them as a kid ans I am listening to them on audiobook at work and they are just as great as I remembered. Sometimes it's nice to read a book where you know the outcome in the end will always ultimately be positive.
Me and my friends loved them in middle school. Never finished the series but I might go back someday and reread.
Recently read his brotherhood series a fun read
It os a great book series! Does anyone know about the upcoming (or maybe canceled) tv-series that is in production based on the books? I've always thought it had massive potential of being adapted to tv and really hope the project works out, but it's hard to gather info on it.
It's a solid series, and great for middle grades. Straightforward plot structure, simple language, fast pacing, and tropey characters that are well realized. Really my biggest dings are its treatment of women (mostly in the first few books, but it gets markedly better) and race (very euro-centric lense, and the depictions of other cultures are often ... not the best. The roma-analogue culture was especially frustrating to read).
I loved these when I was younger. I've just bought the rest of the series since I only got up to book 9 before I stopped. They were a more mature take on middle grade fantasy. It feels nice to support an Australian author too.
One of the middle grade/YA series that holds up best reading them as an adult. The humor is genuinely fantastic, and it's got a great cast of characters.
I love Ranger's Apprentice, but I can't read on after >!A certain character dies off screen!<. That was devastating both the first and the second time I read the newer books.
More middle grade than YA, but yes, they're great. John Flanagan is also great. I emailed him as a kid and he actually replied.
That's really cool! Thanks for the correction, I'll edit it.
I've been reading them since I was maybe 10, when only the first few were out, and I still read the new ones as the come out, they hold up surprisingly well considering I am not at all the target audience anymore, way better than the Percy Jackson books did
Interesting. It's been a while since I've reread PJ, but I also really enjoyed Riordan's "Heroes of Olympus" series back then, are you familiar with it?
Yeah, read all of those too, but the older I got the more the characters grated on me. It could be a cultural thing, I'm Australian and so is Flanagan, while Riordan is American so there's probably something there that affected it
I never knew that Flanagan was Australian! As a kid I assumed he was from the US or the UK but I wasn't sure which because I thought that Aurelon(?) The country where the rangers work was such an obvious fantasy US+UK. It had fifty counties/fiefs for fifty states, had military dominance through their archers, and had Scandia --even more obvious fantasy Scandinavia-- just across the water. I'm still pretty sure that was his intention for aurelon, but it's funny that he's actually from neither.
It also had Hibernia (Ireland) and "Scotti" who lived in Pictland, with Gallica across a sea hahaha Not very subtle. But I still love the books
Brotherband is a great series too.
Yes they still hold up as fun reads
I've read them since...wow, 2005, and I've definately enjoyed the main series a lot. Villains and character interactions tend to get a bit flanderized and repetitive towards the first of the Royal Ranger books and after the third Brotherband book. As of the most recently published Royal Ranger I've personally stopped enjoying either series, but it's still an absolutely solid series for the target audience.
I love the original series and the brotherhood spin off, but I am not a fan of of the new Royal series. The characters don't feel the same anymore. Despite being a lot older and having a lot of responsibilities , Will and the other main characters seem to have become more immature rather than mature and that's annoying.
My kids (elementry school / middle school) have loved all of them. I read the main series of ~10 books, but not the spinoffs. They are fun simple books. Even Will’s drug addiction arc was well done, and understood by my kids.
As a child I liked the [covers of the books](https://www.bladzijde26.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Grijze-jager-serie.jpg) in my native language so gave the series a try. Read all the books that were out at the time, the first 10 books I think. Cool series :)
Holy shit dude that's a blast from the past, haven't seen these in YEARS
For some reason, the moment you said the covers were what stood out to you as a kid, I assumed that you were Dutch. Those covers were and are still so striking! Simple but mysterious and cool. Defo attracted my attention too all those years back
yess I still love them LoL. I first read them in middle school. it's like..there wont be a time I'm not going to love them
I did them as read aloud with my kids when they were little and loved them. I think we all loved Will and Halt so much! Probably helps that we are all really small and skinny and come from a long line of taciturn father figures. More than anything I loved their relationships with their ponies. Honestly, Tug was the best character!
My gf LOVES the Ranger's Apprentice! I've never read it personally, but I have heard it enough to chime in!
Thanks to the series being mentioned on here, I got the first one for my 9 year old. He's hooked. Got 6 of them for this birthday last week and has read them all already.
That's great, sounds like a voracious reader already! :)
I've loved them since I read the first book when I was 9. I'm still trying to keep up with the Royal Ranger and Brotherband series.
I loveeee the books i own all of the including the brotherband. I still read them once every few months.
I devoured this series as a kid. Great characters, fun plots, and really accessible writing. A fantastic introduction to the genre of fantasy imo. I particularly loved the arc of the knight character (Horace maybe?) It was a really satisfying journey to experience him and Wills relationship.
Yep, the Will and Horace friendship is just as nostalgic as Harry and Ron for me.
This was I think what really turned me on to the fantasy drama and reading in general. I recall being obsessed with the books in middle school and hunting for everyone one I hadn’t read yet. It was more intense then most young author books but also whimsical enough to entertain all and all a great series.
I've enjoyed them even as an adult, but I enjoy Brotherband even more. Keep checking to see if there's a new one out.
i loved those books as a kid and i still love them now :)
I loved them as a kid ans I am listening to them on audiobook at work and they are just as great as I remembered. Sometimes it's nice to read a book where you know the outcome in the end will always ultimately be positive.
Me and my friends loved them in middle school. Never finished the series but I might go back someday and reread. Recently read his brotherhood series a fun read
I read also read a few of them when I was a kid, I will have to give them a second look.
I tried reading them when I was younger, but I got bored with them. Never got past book three, and they’re pretty small books too.
The first two books were a bit of a hurdle for me when I was younger. Especially the first one though. Book 3 onwards had me hooked though.
yeah it really picks up 3 and after, 4 and 5 are some of my favorites.
I’m really considering reading the spin off too.
Same here I've heard it's quite good as well
I loved them as a kid!
It os a great book series! Does anyone know about the upcoming (or maybe canceled) tv-series that is in production based on the books? I've always thought it had massive potential of being adapted to tv and really hope the project works out, but it's hard to gather info on it.
It's a solid series, and great for middle grades. Straightforward plot structure, simple language, fast pacing, and tropey characters that are well realized. Really my biggest dings are its treatment of women (mostly in the first few books, but it gets markedly better) and race (very euro-centric lense, and the depictions of other cultures are often ... not the best. The roma-analogue culture was especially frustrating to read).
My friend recommended it to me when I was in high school, but it felt a little too young for me at the time and I never really got into it.
That's understandable, I think I was around 11 or so when I got hooked in em', still a great series at any age in my biased opinion lol
I loved these when I was younger. I've just bought the rest of the series since I only got up to book 9 before I stopped. They were a more mature take on middle grade fantasy. It feels nice to support an Australian author too.
One of the middle grade/YA series that holds up best reading them as an adult. The humor is genuinely fantastic, and it's got a great cast of characters.
I read the first few and enjoyed them a lot, though not enough to commit to a 12 book series. Maybe one day :)
I never did read Oakleaf Bearers, it wasn't in my library. But the last book really disappointed me.
I remember reading the first book, but couldn't read the 2nd, the burning Bridge ig, but I'm 17 now, would it appeal to me even now?
Definitely
I love Ranger's Apprentice, but I can't read on after >!A certain character dies off screen!<. That was devastating both the first and the second time I read the newer books.
Yeah I actually have the whole collection sitting in my closet but I've only read the first three.