The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan

The Royal Ranger is the twelfth and final book in John Flanagan’s RANGER’S APPRENTICE series for younger readers. Originally book ten, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, was supposed to be the last book — it wrapped up everyone’s stories nicely — but Flanagan decided to give us one more novel that takes place a few years later. I’m glad he did, since I thought The Emperor of Nihon-Ja was a weak installment.

I suspect that some fans of the series won’t appreciate some of what Flanagan did in The Royal Ranger, put personally, I loved it. Here’s what some fans won’t like: Flanagan gave us an “everyone lives happily ever after” ending with The Emperor of Nihon-Ja Read More

The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands

How I feel about The Renegade Hunter depends, in part, on whether I put on my “romance hat” or my “fantasy hat.” There is definitely some overlap between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but this one falls on the romance side. This is not a bad thing, just something you might want to know, whether you’re seeking out paranormal romance or trying to avoid it. The focus is squarely on the relationship between Jo, a feisty marine biology student; and Nicholas, a brooding vampire who has been on the lam for fifty years, presumed guilty of a brutal murder.

Nicholas rescues Jo from a psychotic vampire, and an instant attraction flares up between the two. In short order, they realize that they are “life mates.” The rest of the plot follows Nicholas and Jo as they try to evade both the psychotic vampire and a group of good vampires who want to apprehe... Read More