Spencer Dimmick
Erak's Ransom
John Flanagan
Fantasy
Just Right
Page 186

1. Right now the party of two rangers, a skandian, a princess, and an Arridi prince are journeying through the Arridi Desert, seeking Erak, the Oberjarl, or ruler of the Skandians. The rangers, Halt and Gilan, Svengal, the skandian, and Cassandra, the princess, are wondering where Erak can be, as his group was ambushed and Erak captured. The reason Erak was there in the first place was due to the fact that he was on a raid, but ambushed by the Arridi prince, Selethen. They were bringing him a ransom for Erak, but since Erak is now captured and gone, they are trying to figure out what to do now.

2. I am loving this book. First of all, it is the latest of the Ranger's apprentice series, which I have always loved. Then, it has a plot of it's own that is impossible to dislike, with the kind of excitement that this series is known for. For example, the ranger Will was also traveling with the group, but when a massive sandstorm struck the group, Will's horse was separated from the group. Will left on his own to go find it, and is currently struggling with his own problems.

3. The theme here is loyalty without a doubt. This story shows how loyalty determines the actions of the characters as well as the trust they have for each other. For example, when Cassandra takes Svengal and his crew of Skandians as a guard for her, they swear a helmsman's oath to protect her, and that is an oath that any Skandian would rather die than break. Also, when Will lost Tug, his horse, he risked his life to search the desert in order to find him.

4. My favorite character is Cassandra, the princess. As well as having to make this dangerous journey through the desert, she also has to remember her responsibilities as Crown princess. She dances on light feet through a fearsome game of politics throughout the whole story, and handles the stress well. Also, she isn't a boring character. She has a wonderful personality, and though she is a princess, she wishes she could be a ranger, and has fun trying to be one occasionally.

5. My least favorite character now would be Selethen, the Arridi prince. He appears charming throughout the story, but he at the same time attempts to always spin the situation to his advantage. For example, he asked for the ransom for Erak while sneakily withholding the detail that he was in a risky journey through the desert at the time.

6. I have the feeling that there will be a fight in the story soon. The raiders who captured Erak haven't shown up yet, but I have the feeling that they will soon. Also, Will is on his own in the desert, but I think that as he's done it before, he will find a way to meet back up with the main group in their time of need. I think this because that's happened before in the series, and why not have it happen again?