Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

435 pages

"In his brief time as an Araluen warrior, Horace has traveled the known world and fought countless bloody battles. All for his country, his king, and his friends. For all that is right.

When Horace travels to the exotic land of Nihon-Ja to study the Senshi fighting technique, it isn't long before he finds himself pulled into a battle that is not his--but one he knows in his heart he must wage. The Nihon-Ja emperor, a defender of the common man, has been forcibly dethroned, and only Horace, Will, and their Araluen friends, along with a group of untrained woodcutters and farmers, can restore the emperor to the throne.

In this final battle in the worldwide phenomenon that is Ranger's Apprentice, a kingdom teeters on the edge of chaos, victory lies in the hands of an inexperienced group of fighters, and it's anybody's guess who will make the journey home to Araluen." -Dust Jacket

*SPOILER ALERT*
I've got to say, out of all the series I've been involved in over the past year this is the one I'm most sad about being over. (But if you're looking for a great series that's all finished this is it!) In terms of favorites in this genre--or maybe even all-around--Ranger's Apprentice  ranks just below Lord of the Rings, my all-time favorite of any  genre. I've really grown to love Halt and Will and will miss them. Will's grown from a brand new, reluctant apprentice into a Ranger who is capable of making hard and smart decisions. But the ribbing between him and Halt has never changed and I love their relationship.

This story is a fitting end to this series. I really liked the ending in particular. It didn't feel in any way final. It felt like you were just saying goodbye to good friends for awhile but you'll see them again. I love that the author chose to leave us on a boat sailing back to Araluen, with all of our favorites (none of whom died, thank goodness, after the teaser on the dust jacket), a marriage proposal--or two--and a celebration of friendship. Alyss and Evanlyn's roles are a great addition to this book. They accomplish some amazing things together. It was perfect to have Gundar and some of my favorite Skandians along for the ride, as well as Selethen. The battle was spectacular. New characters were introduced that  instantly endeared themselves to the reader--Shigeru, Shukin and Mikeru to name a few. I might have cried when Horace and Shigeru said their farewells. I'm sure I will revisit this series often.