Ranger's Apprentice is a series written by Australian author John Flanagan. It began as twenty short stories Flanagan wrote for his son to get him interested in reading. Ten years later, Flanagan found the stories again and decided to turn them into a book, which became the first novel in the series, The Ruins of Gorlan. It was originally released in Australia on 1 November 2004. Though the books were initially published only in Australia and New Zealand, they have since been released in 14 other countries. The series follows the adventures of Will, an orphan, who is chosen as an apprentice Ranger, one of the skilled trackers, archers, and warriors in the service of the King of Araluen. Will strives to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors, and other threats. He is joined on his adventures by his mentor, Halt, and his best friend Horace. The series originally consisted of twelve books, with the eleventh book being a collection of short stories and the twelfth being a follow-up novel set 16 years later. A prequel series, Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years, has released two titles, the first in 2015 and the second in 2016. A spin-off series started in 2011, The Brotherband Chronicles, is set in the same universe, though with new characters. The eighth book in The Brotherband Chronicles came out in October 2019. In 2018 the twelfth book of the Ranger's Apprentice series was renamed and made the first book in a sequel series, Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger. The series has sold over three million copies and is well praised by critics. Source: Wikipedia (en)