Ranger's Apprentice The Royal Ranger: The Beast from Another Time

Ranger's Apprentice #12.5

by John Flanagan

Princess-turned-apprentice Maddie is fast learning all the skills she'll need to become a Ranger, under the guidance of her mentor, the legendary Will Treaty.

When Will has to leave the cabin in the woods for a few weeks, he leaves the fief in Maddie's hands, confident that she can keep an eye on things in Redmont.

Then a farming husband and wife come knocking for help, complaining about a mysterious beast that is stealing their farm animals. They don't think Maddie is up to the task, but she's determined to prove them wrong.
Maddie starts to investigate - and comes up with a plan that involves putting her own life on the line.

This story follows in sequence after The Royal Ranger - the book that introduced the next generation of Ranger's Apprentice to millions of readers worldwide. It is also available in print and ebook inside Brotherband Book Seven: The Caldera.

Now this gripping story written specially by John Flanagan for his fans is available in ebook on its own for the first time. Catch up on Maddie's time as an apprentice before you read her next full-length adventures as The Royal Ranger in The Red Fox Clan and Duel at Araluen!

PRAISE FOR THE ROYAL RANGER:

'Flanagan's deft world-building and characterisation draw you in, and his ability to write realistic action scenes and create nail-biting suspense keep you hooked.' Sun Herald

'A rollicking good read' Literacy Learning

'Action, suspense and light humour, all woven into a marvellous medieval adventure, combined with warm characterisation and colourful, believeable settings . . . Recommended - for the series fans, highly recommended!' Magpies

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Novella, Childrens

59 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

For mysteries by this same author, see John A. Flanagan.

John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. It wasn't until he wrote a highly uncomplimentary poem about a senior executive at the agency where he worked, however, that his talent was revealed. It turned out one of the company directors agreed with John's assessment of the executive, and happily agreed to train John in copywriting.

After writing advertising copy for the next two decades, John teamed with an old friend to develop a television sitcom, Hey Dad!, which went on to air for eight years.

John began writing Ranger's Apprentice for his son, Michael, ten years ago, and is still hard at work on the series.

He currently lives in a suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.

Reviews

[Jerecho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written... I just want a little twist just like the beast master. But with that it will be magical... Hehe (that will change the genre)... Just hoping not suggesting 🤣🤣🤣👍

[Bregje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ondanks dat ik niet zo'n grote fan ben van Maddie, was dit een leuk verhaaltje voor tussendoor. Door de lengte een wat oppervlakkiger verhaal dan de andere boeken en de boer en boerin herhalen net iets te vaak dat ze geen vertrouwen hebben in Maddie, waardoor de dialogen iets minder natuurlijk overkomen. Daartegenover werd ik wel weer helemaal gelukkig van verwijzingen naar personages uit eerdere boeken, dus alsnog vier sterren.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie trok een wenkbrauw op, een uitdrukking die ze van hem had overgenomen en die hij weer van Halt had.

Als je dít boekje niet op één dag uit krijgt, dan weet ik het ook niet meer 😉

Het is een kléín boek, echt klein formaat, maar op de een of andere manier werkt dat gewoon. Meestal heb ik daar een hekel aan, maar hier heeft het iets schattigs. (Ik had trouwens nooit gedacht dat ik 'het formaat van een boek' en 'schattig' ooit in één zin zou gebruiken.) Bovendien moet je dit als superfan gelezen hebben, natuurlijk, aangezien dit oorspronkelijk speciaal geschreven was voor de Nederlandse en Vlaamse fans. Later is het wel in het Engels online en als extra bij een Broederband-verhaal verkrijgbaar gemaakt, maar verder geraakt de Angelsaksische wereld er nergens aan. 't Is dus nog steeds zo goed als exclusief voor ons. Hehehe.

Het is ook opvallend dat ze bij deze uitgave (enkel hardcover, trouwens!) ervoor kozen om de belettering, de maan én - jawel! - de ogen van de poema met zo'n glimmend laagje te accentueren. Leuk detail! Sommige mensen vinden het waarschijnlijk idioot dat ik daarover begin, maar voor mij maken zulke dingen echt een verschil, ik vind dit geweldig.

Vanaf nu is de vertaling niet meer van Corneille, maar van Scheffer, die Broederband vertaald heeft. Het verschil is nauwelijks te merken, hier, behalve één klein dingetje: waar in alle andere boeken Evanlyn en Maddie een slinger gebruiken, is dat hier opeens een katapult. Dus da's een kleine misser - ook bij de redactie - maar hé, daar doen we niet lastig over. Het heeft mij ook drie keer lezen gekost voor ik het doorhad.

Het verhaal op zich is ook nog lekker spannend, zelfs in maar een tachtigtal bladzijdes. Jammer dat Will maar héél even aan bod komt, maar de conversaties tussen hem en Maddie zijn geweldig. Net als het feit dat Maddie nu ook één wenkbrauw omhoog kan trekken.

Bovendien bracht deze novelle voor alle trouwe fans goed nieuws, omdat achteraan in het interview staat dat er nog twee boeken zouden volgen.

9/10

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This story is now only published in Dutch. I don't know if it gets published in English. I will still review it in English.)
Wow I loved this little novel.
It felt like a real ranger's apprentice story again. I truly enjoyed this short novel way more that book 2 in the early years serie.
This story is after book 12 and it's in the narative of Maddie.
And somehow I find Maddie less annoying than before in book 12. She does her own thing and I enjoy that very much. I like that she is way more confident about her self and her ranger skills. Cause she has a lot of courage and skills in this one. I also liked the "evil" animal in this story.
And finally medieval people reacting normal to the woman issues in this serie.
In book 2 of the early years it looked like everybody in Auralen found it normal to have a woman in a powerful position .But in this one, there are some questions if Maddie can be a ranger. And somehow I quite enjoyed that little plot point. And I liked the ending.
I also liked that Will was gone for the most part. Maddie had her time to shine and so she did.
Well, I liked this little story. I'm curious to see what John Flanagan will write next. Cause he also states in this book that the serie isn't going to end with 12. What kind of adventure will be next? :D

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hier hoef ik niet veel over te schrijven, leuk klein verhaal voor tussendoor!

[Caroline Knightley · Rating 5 out of 5]

That ending was so touching. It just shows how far an act of kindness goes.

[Yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

با تشکر از گوگل ترنسلیت 😂
این رمان کوتاه از مجموعه رنجر سلطنتی به شکل عجیبی فقط نسخه هلندی‌اش موجوده.
مجموعه رو خوندم و میتونم بگم همین ۱۰۰ صفحه هم جای خالی‌اش حس میشد.
مدلاین عزیزم:)
آخر کتاب یک مصاحبه خیلی قشنگ با فلانگن داشت🥺 یکی از جملاتش:‌ فکر میکنم خیلی خاصه که بچه‌ها بزرگتر میشن اما هنوز کتابای من رو دوست دارن😭😭❤️

|تکه کتاب|

▪︎مدلاین گفت: تو تقریباً به اندازه هالت بدی.
ویل گفت: این زیباترین چیزیه که کسی تا به حال بهم گفته.

▪︎مدی: در راه اینجا یک آهو گرفتم. باید اون را به عنوان طعمه بذارم؟ بعدش شاید بتونم نگاه دقیق‌تری به اون شکارچی بندازم.
گرتی: گوزن‌ها متعلق به پادشاه هستن. ما اصلاً اجازه نداریم اونها رو بگیریم.
مدی: من یک رنجر هستم. ما رنجرها اجازه این کار رو داریم

[Iwi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed Maddie in this one. and Will! He wasn't depressed and a version of Halt as much as he was Will. The plot was simple but decent enough.

[Sabrina Wannet · Rating 5 out of 5]

John flanagan een echte wereld schrijver. dit boekje is speciaal geschreven voor mensen hier uit de lage landen en geeft weer eens aan waarom ik zo gek ben op de wereld van de grijze jager. In dit deel krijg je niet een avontuur van will te lezen maar van zijn leerling Maddie oftwel de prinses. wanneer een ouder echtpaar langskomt bij hun hut en Maddie alleen is besluit ze hun ondanks tegenwerpingen omdat ze een meisje is hun te helpen. In dit avontuur maakt ze een onwaarschijnlijke vriend en laat ze merken dat je om iemand te helpen niet altijd iets hoeft dood te schieten.

[Manon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing novella, I loved it!

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was leuk om te lezen :) Nou ja, eerder luisteren ;P

[Dorien van de Berg]

Leuk klein boekje, in 2 avondjes uit.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a fun short story!
Read: 1 hour

[Eva van der Woude · Rating 5 out of 5]

leuk kort verhaal voor tussen door

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 sterren!

[Eline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het was weer amusant, precies zoals ik van John gewend ben. Moet wel zeggen dat ik persoonlijk Maddie een minder interessant personage vind dan Will. Maddie voelde hier niet heel anders aan dan bijvoorbeeld Alyss of Cassandra, en ik vond het jammer dat haar eigen persoonlijkheid niet super erg naar boven kwam. Maar het was wel weer een fijn verhaal, en ik kan natuurlijk niet wachten op deel dertien!

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een geheimzinnige, duistere en grauwe cover die wel in lijn ligt met de rest van de reeks. Een must-have voor de fans, gewoon een fantasy uit de velen voor de anderen. Het verhaal gaat haast volledig over Maddy die onder de vleugels van Will Verdrag uitgroeit. De koninklijke prinses beleeft een avontuur op haar eentje waarin ze al haar kunnen zal nodig hebben. Hoewel dit direct doet denken aan een herhaling van het eerste avontuur van Will is het dat absoluut niet. Het uitgangspunt, de omstandigheden en de manier hoe ze er mee omgaat zijn totaal anders.
Maddy moet omgaan met het ongeloof over een meisje-Jager bij het koppel dat ze nota bene moet beschermen. Dat zorgt bij Maddy voor heel wat frustratie maar bij de lezer (en ongetwijfeld ook de schrijver) voor toch heel wat humor. En die is broodnodig bij de spanning die de rest van het verhaal overheerst want wat Maddy doet is levensgevaarlijk.
Zoals wel meer balanceert John Flannagan bij het kiezen van een diersoort op de rand van het fabelachtige, denk maar aan de Wargals. Maar dit keer blijft het bij zeldzaam maar bestaand, maar wel in een erg grote versie.
Het einde is dan weer kenmerkend positief. Het boek is uiteraard eigenlijk wel bedoeld voor kinderen al is de wokeness (gelukkig) zeer ver te zoeken.

[Nick Rijnsaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing that terrifying horror-novel by John Saul, I needed an easy read to get trough the night.

"De Jacht op het Schaduwdier" (The Beast from Another Time) is a novella which John Flanagan specially wrote for his Dutch fans. It is a short fun little story about Wills apprentice Maddie. We saw them for the last time in the twelfth book of The Ranger's Apprentice Series.

It has been 5 years ago now since the last book was published in the series.

Or was is it the last one? In the question-section of this little book, John Flangan anounces that their will be a 13th and 14th book in the series out in the future!

So I guesse my childhood isn't over yet haha...

Rating: 7,2/10

So hyped by this news guys! John Flanagan is my hero and I hope he wil never stop writting stories in the Ranger's Apprentice world.

[Bryan Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short story from the Ranger's Apprentice world with a female lead, which is different for Flanagan. He tends to handle female characters a little clumsily, but in youth fiction it is tough to have a lot of nuance. Maddie faces some overt sexism in the story, and she handles it well. I was pleased by the tableau at the end. Well done.

[Annette McIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story/novella is about Maddie, the Royal Ranger. Her mentor, Will, is away for two weeks when she is approached by an older couple who want a Ranger to help them as there is a beast taking and killing their sheep. Is Maddie able to do this job on her own? Can she track the beast and can she stop it's depredations?

An enjoyable tale indeed.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun short story that follows Maddie on a solo quest to help out a farming couple that are having an issue with a mysterious monster killing their sheep. Short and sweet, this book really shows Maddie’s ingenuity and compassion in her dealings with both humans and animals alike.

[Nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice booklet, only somewhat short. Finally, the girl that professionally, passient and empathetic solves a big mistery.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The entire Ranger's Apprentice series is delightful to read, even as a middle-aged adult. The series portrays a fictional, medieval world that largely mirrors the countries and cultures of the real world. A group of orphans are raised by a regional Baron and then given an opportunity to enter into apprenticeships to specialize in professions. Will, the central protagonist, becomes a ranger's apprentice instead of the knight in training to which he aspired. The book follows his adventures as a ranger's apprentice, frequently connecting with his fellow orphans to overcome challenges.

The books offer a series of heroic journeys which are both engaging and entertaining, without suffering from the savior-story of Dune or the Matrix. The protagonists work hard and fail frequently, especially during their five-year apprenticeships. While people may have underdeveloped talents or predispositions, nobody is "the chosen one". A friend mentioned that it is in many ways similar to Harry Potter in that there is a male protagonist with two close friends, one girl and one boy, and all of them are growing up together as they prepare for adulthood.

The Royal Ranger series, the sequel to the original series, is almost as good as the original, but contains a growing quantity of vague references to the earlier series, almost as a marketing ploy to encourage readers to go back and read that series. The quests become increasingly repetitive and predictable.

The vocabulary and quality of writing, albeit not Tolkien, felt more elaborate and challenging than Harry Potter. There were really only two disappointments for me with respect to the writing quality. First, he author constantly inserts "she knew" where it is simply not needed. Second, the author provides far more reminders about earlier events than strictly necessary in a book series. He reminds us even of events that happened in the same book.

This is definitely a series worth reading, for both young and old adults alike. It is entertaining, engaging and inspirational.

[Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger” by John Flannagan is a very exciting book. It starts off with Princess Madelyn returning to the castle after catching some small animals while hunting. She knows she is not supposed to go out during the early hours of the day without her parents knowing. This I found interesting as you can feel her cautiousness and alertness when sneaking back in, that many teeneagers in real life could relate to when doing something they are not supposed to. Her parents catch her and are understandably mad. Since the Princess is such a troublemaker, they decide to send her to Ranger Will, the main character throughout the whole series. He has not been himself lately as he lost his wife in a tragic incident. This is where my first issue with the book is. A lot of time passes between the last book and this book. This book also hints at many major events that happened in that time gap. It feels we are very misinformed of past events and leaves us with many questions of what happened after book 11. Together, Will and Madelyn train and go on a missions investigating the murder of another Ranger. They find a kidnapping ring and go in to stop it. Will is captured and nearly dies however Madelyn is able to save him and they take out the gang running the ring and save the kids. The book ends with Madelyn receiving the bronze oak leaf pendant signifying her apprentice ranger status. She decides not to return to being a princess however and wants to continue her training. This is where my next problem with the book is. This book is supposed to be the finale of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. However, it ends on a note that leaves it open for so many more books. It does not fit well as an ending. The characters still have so much life in them and so much potential. Overall, a very good book with lots of action and excitement. Highly recommend reading this book, as well as the rest of the series.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

The Beast from Another Time is the Book #12.5 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series (Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger) by John Flanagan - this book/series drew me in from the beginning – woven with a captivating blend of adventure, friendship, and personal growth - it is set in the richly imagined medieval-inspired world of Araluen.
We follow Will, an orphan who unexpectedly becomes an apprentice to the enigmatic Ranger Halt. What begins as a reluctant mentorship evolves into a deep bond, as Will learns the skills of stealth, archery, and strategy - while also discovering his own courage and moral compass.
One of the series’ greatest strengths is its balance between action and heart. Flanagan crafts tense, clever plots filled with battles, political intrigue, and daring rescues, yet never loses sight of the characters’ humanity. Will’s journey from insecure boy to capable Ranger feels authentic, and even the supporting cast are equally well-developed, each bringing extra warmth, humor, and depth to the story.
If you enjoy immersive worlds, clever problem-solving over brute force, and characters you can truly root for, then The Ranger’s Apprentice is a must-read.
Happy Reading…

[Abby (Reader of Clean Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Beast from Another Time in the back of Brotherband Chronicles: The Caldera. Once I finished reading The Caldera, I had the pleasant surprise of seeing a short story in the back of the book instead of an excerpt from one of John Flanagan's other books.

I really like short stories and novellas and I'm really glad that John Flanagan wrote one. The Beast from Another Time was a fun and short little story. It was kind of like getting a breath of fresh air after breathing a bunch of stuffy air. Why do I compare the story to fresh air? Because I haven't read a story from the Ranger's Apprentice in a while, and I really miss those characters.

The Beast from Another Time has made me want to re-read Ranger's Apprentice more than I already do (I really do have to re-read it soon).

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this short story and I recommend it to anyone who has read Ranger's Apprentice and Royal Ranger. If you have not read those two series, I wouldn't read The Beast from Another Time yet. It would probably be quite confusing.

[C Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little novella can be found in english at the end of ‘The Brotherband Chronicles: The Caldera’.
It happens towards the end of her second year as an apprentice and is an adventure she has on her own while Will is away on his own mission.
Maddie is approached by two farmers looking for Will’s help with a predator that’s attacking their livestock. Maddie travels to the farm on her own to take care of their problem.
I loved the way this showed her growth and the ending. It was a sweet and simple read that gave us a glimpse of the old Will Treaty again and a view into Maddie’s life after she’d become an official Ranger’s Apprentice.
I’m glad we also got to see a short interaction between her and one of Will’s old Ward mates as well.

[Tess826 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been trying to find this for a long time now, and I wasn't disappointed.
I like that it was an adventure of Maddie taking on Ranger tasks while Will's gone, and not stepping down even when people think that she can't do it. I also liked that Flanagan didn't forget George and the slight references to the end of The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning.
All in all, I love how far Maddie has already come in this short special, not being the snobby girl anymore. She does make mistakes and I like that, miraculously, it works out in her favour though.

[Susan the Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so lucky to find this at the back of The Caldera! It was so cool. At first I was kind of judgmental because I was still a bit bitter from the end of the Brotherband Chronicles (it didn’t do it justice), but by the end, I was fascinated. I really enjoyed it, especially seeing young Maddie again. I was disappointed when I read Royal Ranger because Maddie was at least 18 for most of the series, but now she’s back to 16. I admit I was hoping the “beast from another time” would be a fantastical creature, but it’s John Flanagan fantasy — I was foolish to hope.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoe leuk is het dat John Flanagan speciaal voor de Nederlandse en Vlaamse fans een novelle heeft geschreven?! Ik heb binnen 1 jaar alle boeken van JF gelezen, en ik kan niet wachten tot de eerstvolgende Grijze Jager dag, zodat ik hem kan ontmoeten!
Ook dit verhaaltje is weer hartstikke leuk. Kort, maar past precies bij alle boeken. Jammer wel dat deze kleiner is dan de andere boeken, maar toch ben ik er erg blij mee!