The story starts in Redmont Fief where Will and his wardmates prepare for choosing day, the day where their future is determined. They can be evaluated and chosen by masters to become apprentices or work in the local farms. Hearing stories of how courageous his deceased father was, Will wants to follow in his footsteps and plans to become an apprentice in the fiefs battle school. After being rejected, Baron Arald gives him the option to become apprenticed to the mysterious ranger, Halt. Although at first unhappy with this outcome, after learning skills that help protect the place he calls home in preparation for the annual Ranger Gathering, he realizes that being a Ranger is much better than he ever expected. As trouble starts to arise, both his newly learned skills and his relationship with his mentor Halt are put to the test as they try to protect the kingdom from ensuing chaos.
In my opinion, the most compelling part of the book is the character development. Readers get to see the journey Will embarks on to learn new skills that he didn’t know were possible. The novel is an easy-to-read adventure for kids and teens of all ages. It is also an excellent start to the series that provides a compelling base for the author to build off of and expand. I think that the cover of the book fits well because it adds elements of mystery to Will, just like how Rangers are perceived in the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a large imagination and who is interested in fantasy.