It wasn't perfect and one major thing bugged me through the whole book, but I still really, really, really loved it, and I think I'm going to love it more when the sequel comes out (if the sequel lives up to the set up of this book).
After the disappointment of the last two Brotherband books, I was really hoping this book wouldn't continue the trend. I'm happy to say it didn't, at least for me.
The plot was really unique and, while similar to other Ranger's Apprentice books, was still different enough to have me on the edge of my seat. While I did guess who the bad guy was right away, I didn't guess a lot of the twists and turns of the plot. Not since Morgarath and the first few books in this series have the Rangers faced a challenge that stood to shake the very foundations of Araluen the way the threat in this book does. The stakes in this book are INCREDIBLY high, and the author pulls off the tension really well. There is a lot of set up in the beginning of the book, but the set up delivers, using almost everything (even minor things) that were planted in the beginning.
MINOR SPOILER ALERT: This book does end in a cliffhanger and thus doesn't have much of a climax. BUT, I honestly didn't mind. Because it means there has to be a sequel coming and I'm genuinely excited for that sequel.
My biggest disappointment with the book was that Will and Halt are barely in it. They are sent off on a mission in the beginning of the book then NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. I got all excited when they went off on a mission, thinking I was going to get a few scenes of them traveling and doing Ranger stuff again. Nope. Never happened in this book. It also got a little weird that they were never mentioned. Horace, Gilan, Cassandra, and Maddie all end up in harrowing situations where you'd think they would at least think that maybe they should get Will and Halt who would be able to help? But they don't even think about it? Not even to think that "Oh, they are too far away to arrive in time" or something like that.
Also, with all the traps and plots going on, the set up seemed to indicate that Will and Halt possibly walked into a trap, but the other characters never think "Oh, they are probably delayed because those rumors we sent them off to investigate were a trap just like the rumors we were investigating were a trap." Nothing. If the author was going to set up for them to be in some sort of trouble in the next book, the characters should have at least wondered about it in this book.
I'm really, really hoping that when the sequel comes out that Will and Halt play a bigger role in it than they do in this one. It would spoil both books for me if after all the danger of this book, Will and Halt return from a fruitless mission only to find out the whole kingdom nearly fell apart in their absence. They are too good of Rangers to have that happen to them.
Still, that was a minor disappointment that (if the sequel lives up to this one and perhaps even surpasses it) will probably fade.
Overall, I was too busy enjoying this one to feel too disappointed. There is set up for a Brotherband crossover in the next book that I'm really looking forward too.
Basically, I want the next book now!