Part of Ranger's Apprentice, book 10
First published 2011
Will stares across the unfamiliar landscape of Nihon-Ja, worry gnawing at him. Horace left on his mission months ago, and no word has come back. Will refuses to wait any longer. He sets out with Alyss and Evanlyn to find their missing friend in this distant eastern land. When they finally locate Horace, he stands in the middle of a military uprising. Rebel forces led by skilled Senji warriors move to overthrow the rightful emperor. Horace has chosen his side, and now Will must make the same choice. The small group of Araluens face an impossible task. They must gather scattered loyalists and forge them into a fighting force capable of standing against master warriors. Will draws on everything he learned as a Ranger's apprentice. The fate of an empire rests on whether he and his friends can turn farmers and servants into soldiers. Time runs short as the rebels advance toward the imperial throne.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Nihon-Ja, Araluen
Period: 20th-century
435 pages · Hardcover · Philomel Books