The Sorcerer in the North

Infobox Book
name = The Sorcerer in the North


image_caption =
author = John Flanagan
cover_artist =
country = Australia
language = English
series = Ranger's Apprentice
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Random House (Australia)
pub_date = November 4, 2008
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 336 pp
isbn = ISBN 1741661285
preceded_by = Oakleaf Bearers
followed_by = The Siege of Macindaw

"The Sorcerer in the North" is a novel written by John Flanagan. John Flanagan is an Australian author who currently lives in Sydney. Flanagan wrote the first book of Ranger's Apprentice series to encourage his son to read. His son is now in his mid twenties and is an enthusiastic reader of his father's novels. "Sorcerer in the North" is the fifth novel of the series.

Plot summary

This novel starts with Will traveling to his first assignment as a full fledged ranger. During his travel to Seacliff he finds a female dog bleeding to death by the roadside. Will takes her home and she becomes his pet. After spending a few weeks at Seacliff (the fief to which Will is assigned) Will realises that this fief has grown slack in the training of its knights. Just before the month is up a Skandian raiding party consisting of around 30 men arrive at this lazy town. The soldiers are unprepared and lazy from not practicing. Will rides out alone to meet them and they come to an agreement. The Skandian party had little choice but to raid the town because they would have starved otherwise; however, if they attacked, Will would have killed at least half of them with his yew longbow. Will had a better idea and forced the baron and battlemaster to supply a certain number of animals and food for the Skandians (Doing 2 things in 1. Teaching the baron and battle master a lesson and protecting Seacliff)

Then Alyss arrived , Will's life long friend . Alyss mentioned Will's former master Halt and Crowley had a task for him, unfortunately they were eavesdropped by John Buttle the man who had sliced the dog from earlier. Will knocked him out cold, Alyss wanted him dead. Will had a better solution and gave him to the Skandian raiders as a slave.

Will traveled to Halt and Crowley as Alyss had instructed him. His master told him to go undercover as a musician and gather information in a northern fief at the castle Macindaw. Rumors had spread that a sorcerer was terrorising the fief and they wanted Will to investigate.

When Will got to Macindaw he met 2 really important figures :

Orman: Orman was a scribe and an irate man, always wearing black. He was the son of the poisoned Castle lord.

Keren: A very popular real man (tall and strong) who had a kind heart and the people preferred him over his cousin Orman.

Will was immediately suspicious of Orman and so was Alyss, who just so happened to be his contact (she was undercover as an idiotic noble woman). Later as the plot unwrapped Orman randomly summoned Will to his chambers and said something like "Ranger, I need your help. Keren poisoned me and my father." So Will rode out with Orman to Grimsdell where the "sorcerer" lived and asked Malcom for healing.

Alyss was puzzled seeing Will help Orman and fantasized many conclusions none of which were right. Then Keren entered her room and bluffed that Will and Orman were traitors. Alyss grew suspicious. Then she was caught as a spy and taken prisoner. Will later went back to Macindaw in an attempt to save her. He climbed the tower wall and attempted to dissolve the bars protecting the window with a special acid he received from Malcom. He failed after Keren walked in on him. Will then scapered and returned into the woods

The ending will be found in a later book "The Siege of Macindaw"this is the 6th book in the series