Title: Oakleaf Bearers
Author: John Flanagan
Series: The Ranger’s Apprentice #4
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Random House Australia
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: Evanlyn and Will fell ravenously on the savoury stew that the Ranger had prepared and for a while there was silence, broken only by the sound of dedicated eating.

Just as spring approaches and Will and Evanlyn can finally escape Skania, Evanlyn is carried off by mysterious horsemen. Will sets out after them, but one boy against six Temujai warriors is impossible odds – even for a Ranger’s apprentice. Halt and Horace arrive just in time. But there’s no time to celebrate the reunion as Halt realises these Temujai are only scouts for a massive invasion force. The four Araluans must work together with the Skandians to defeat the invaders – if the Oberjarl will accept their help.

Can sworn enemies fight side by side to save their lives and their kingdoms?

John Flanagan does a wonderful job of taking a nationality as it would have lived and existed in pre-modern times and twisting them to suit his Ranger’s Apprentice series. The Skandians are a fantastic mimicry of the Vikings and manage to capture your interest from the very beginning. However, it is in Oakleaf Bearers that this talent is truly highlighted – the Gallicans and Temujai bring eerily familiar flavours to the tale of Will, Halt, Evanlyn and Horace’s exploits across the seas. Yet, he manages to set these antagonist peoples up in a way that isn’t insulting or degrading to the French and Mongolians upon whom he based these peoples. They may be the bad guys, but they have their own families and ways of life, which Flanagan makes obvious.

Flanagan and his Ranger’s Apprentice series is wonderful at highlighting that each person, each character has his or her own strength. And it is this that always helps win the day, not their need to fit in or be like each other, but rather, their diversity which allows a happy ending at the conclusion of each book. Having Will, Evanlyn and Horace back together for the first time in almost a year, this is really shown. Will and Horace are the warriors, each in their own manner, but without Evanlyn, they too would have been overrun by the Temujai warriors. Her instincts, her resilience and her inner fire help this vibrant, young woman contribute to the saving of the day. The fact that she is a Princess just helps to show that Flanagan has a good understanding that we all have different strengths that we really should play to.

Image source: Faraway Nearby Books