This time Horace, Will and company travel to Nihon-Ja (read Japan). At this point, the series is readable not as good now as it used to be. The adventures feel more forced, as if the author struggles to find new things to say with these characters. In this case it’s a bit embarrassing how useless the Nihon-Ja natives are. They need the foreigners to do all the planning for them. I’m not complaining out of political correctness, but because it feels too unrealistic. I know this is a middle-grade fantasy and it’s always been a bit like that, but here it becomes a bit too much. It’s time to bring this series to a close, I think. ( )

Fantasy

I love the characters of the whole Ranger's Apprentice series, so would have loved for the most-beloved ones to be the central focus of this, the last book of the main series. Instead, we're introduced to new characters to love (and some to hate!), which at first I was disappointed about, but in the end all was okay. It's another great adventure for our wonderful Rangers and their pals, another opportunity for them to flex their strengths and work as a team to solve a problem, while building new relationships, as they do so well.

I'm never crazy about there being much of the story following the girls, Evanlyn and Alyss, as I read these books for their male protagonists' stories and just don't like the girls much. It was nice seeing them get their squabble out in the open, though, and dealing with it at long last.

This was a very enjoyable read. ( )

This was a great story, but I know that there were a few things that I did have complaints about with it. This story had some issues that came along with the female leads of this book. Evanlyn and Alyss continued to fight with one another throughout the entire story where their misunderstanding could have been resolved rather early on if they had simply been willing to talk with each other. It made it hard to like their characters a lot in this way and there are so few strong female characters in the series. I wish I could have seen them be better friends through the book. However, I still loved how John dictates a battle and the details that come along with it. ( )

Probably 4.5 stars. Horace is sent to Nihon-Ja to learn about their military and sword fighting and is willingly drawn into a poltiical battle between the Emperor, whose empathy for all subjects induces some of his Senshi warriors to revolt. Will, Halt, Alyss and Evanlyn get word and immediately set off to help, arriving in time to help shape the battle for supremacy. Another excellent book, if you like this sort of stuff. ( )