For ages 10 and above.
“The Path of the Ranger” series by Pedro Urvi begins with Book 1, “The Traitor’s Son.” Lasgol is 15 years old, and serves an old grouchy giant of a man, a retired soldier, in a remote cold village in a country that reminds one of Skandinavia. Lasgol is reviled by all because his father tried to assassinate the king. His existence is miserable, but he has an inner flame: he loved his father, and he wants to prove his father’s innocence.
So the story begins. In this first book, Lasgol is asked if he wants to train as a ranger, because his father was a ranger. Rangers are the King’s elite, almost hidden force, who protect the king and the kingdom. Lasgol decides to undergo the training. What does he have to lose? And perhaps he can find out more about what happened with his father.
Lasgol finds himself in the Rangers’ hidden camp, as part of a small group of six teenagers like himself, boys and girls, who are undertaking the strenuous training and live in a cabin together as one of the teams in training. This group stays deeply connected to him throughout the ensuing books. They are the only friends he has had for a long time, and in each book, their friendship strengthens and deepens. They are willing to die for each other. Lasgol’s five friends are very different; one huge, one clumsy, one a fierce redhead, one sly, and one a bookworm. In each book, more is revealed about each character.
Rangers work by stealth, speed, endurance, intelligence and fearlessness. They are expert bowmen and knife and axe wielders. They take special care of their ponies, and have cloaks that can camouflage them instantly. They are feared by the general population and tend to work secretly.
Here is where you, dear reader, take a deep breath. If you read “The Ranger’s Apprentice” series by John Flanagan, you may feel a little taken aback. In that wonderful series, the Rangers have a similar role in the kingdom. They have special relationships with their mounts, are feared by others, have cloaks of camouflage and are experts in various weapons. Once you get over the obvious plagiarism, or to be kind, similarities, you will enjoy this series. It goes in a whole different direction than “The Ranger’s Apprentice.” In “The Path of the Ranger,” it turns out that Lasgol has certain gifts and a unique animal friend. With war threatening the kingdom, the king’s Mages wield magic in battle. At some point, Lasgol and his friends must take sides.
If Lasgol (or any of his friends) passes Year 1 of training, then he will have to work even harder for years 2 to 4, each of which he can fail and not be allowed to continue. Each book covers the events of a year in Lasgol’s training. So far, as you make your way through Book 4, the training takes place even as treachery and war take precedence, and the Ranger trainees are called into action before they are ready. Lasgol’s friends stand by him through thick and thin. As the series unfolds, we learn more and more about Lasgol’s mother and father.
One plot twist, near the end of Book 2, almost made me drop the series, it stretched my “willing suspension of disbelief” pretty far. If that happens to you, don’t give up — the twist works and makes sense in the next books.
We are drawn into Lasgol’s life and root for him from the beginning. These books are quick reads, with well drawn characters, plenty of action and plot twists and a smattering of romance.
This series consists of eight books and can be read by anyone age 10 and older. Adults will love the series also. The books are translated from Spanish, and only occasionally will you notice a slight awkwardness in language. In this time of COVID-19, these are great read-aloud bedtime books for girls and boys alike, ages 9 to 12.
P.S. If you like this series, then read “The Ranger’s Apprentice” series by John Flanagan, a classic, also for ages 10 to adult.