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Royal Ranger

by John Flanagan

The Royal Ranger series by John Flanagan has 7 known books (7 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning (2013).

Books
7 known books (7 novels)
Published
7
First published
2013
Status
hiatus
Shelved under
Fantasy
Last checked

Start here: The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning (2013) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning (2013)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning opened this spin-off series in 2013, picking up several years after the main Ranger's Apprentice story to introduce Princess Madelyn as Will Treaty's unlikely new apprentice. Originally published as Ranger's Apprentice's twelfth and final book, it was reclassified as Royal Ranger book 1 in 2018 once Penguin commissioned further sequels.

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  2. The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan resumed the series in 2018, five years after A New Beginning, continuing Maddie's training under Will Treaty alongside a widening cast of new threats to Araluen. At 370 pages, it's the longest book in the seven-book run.

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  3. The Royal Ranger: Duel at Araluen

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: Duel at Araluen followed a year later in 2019, continuing Maddie's apprenticeship as the series widens Araluen's world further, with familiar Ranger's Apprentice characters like Halt and Horace taking on more senior, supporting roles. It runs 327 pages.

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  4. The Royal Ranger: The Missing Prince

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: The Missing Prince, the fourth entry, came out in 2020 at 288 pages, continuing John Flanagan's story of Maddie training into a Ranger in her own right as new threats around Araluen keep emerging.

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  5. The Royal Ranger: Escape from Falaise

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: Escape from Falaise followed in 2021 at 272 pages, the fifth book in Maddie's training arc as the series continues widening Araluen's world beyond the original Ranger's Apprentice cast.

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  6. The Royal Ranger: Arazan's Wolves

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: Arazan's Wolves arrived in 2022, the shortest book in the series at 247 pages, continuing Maddie's apprenticeship under Will Treaty as the sixth entry, ahead of the series' final book, Ambush at Sorato.

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  7. The Royal Ranger: Ambush at Sorato

    Novel

    The Royal Ranger: Ambush at Sorato closed out the series in 2024, two years after Arazan's Wolves, matching Escape from Falaise's length at 272 pages.

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About the Royal Ranger series

The Royal Ranger picks up several years after the end of the main Ranger's Apprentice series: Will Treaty, now a senior Ranger grieving the loss of his wife, is given an unlikely new apprentice -- Princess Madelyn (Maddie), heir to the throne of Araluen, sent to him after one royal misadventure too many. Across seven books, Maddie trains into a Ranger in her own right while the series widens Araluen's world further, introducing new threats and letting familiar characters from the original series -- Halt, Horace, Cassandra -- take on more senior, supporting roles around the new generation.

The first book was originally published in 2013 as Ranger's Apprentice's twelfth and final installment; once further sequels were commissioned, Penguin reclassified it in 2018 as the opening book of this sub-series, under the title The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning, and released six further books through 2024. It was the last active series John Flanagan was writing at the time of his death in February 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many Royal Ranger books are there?

Seven, published between 2013 and 2024, from A New Beginning to Ambush at Sorato.

Is Royal Ranger finished?

As of this curation (August 2026), no eighth book had been announced. John Flanagan died in February 2026, and this catalogue does not speculate about any unannounced further installment.

Do I need to read Ranger's Apprentice first?

Yes -- Royal Ranger is a direct continuation of Will Treaty's story and assumes the reader knows the main series' characters and events.

Reading order last verified .