M Mrs Books in Order
Ongoing series · 2018

The Royal Ranger Books in Order

by John Flanagan · Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adventure

The best way to read The Royal Ranger is in publication order for most readers. If you want the in-universe timeline, use the chronological order below.

Live reader poll

Which order would you recommend for The Royal Ranger?

One vote per reader. You can change your answer any time.

Recommended

The recommended path

What is this?

In publication order — the royal ranger spinoff picks up the story that began in book 12 of ranger's apprentice — also titled the royal ranger, later reissued as the royal ranger: a new beginning — so read that one first. the six spinoff books listed here follow will treaty and his apprentice maddie, and are the direct continuation of the main series. for the full araluen universe reading order, see the main ranger's apprentice page.

  1. #1
    The Red Fox Clan
    Oct 2018
  2. #2
    Duel at Araluen
    May 2019
  3. #3
    The Missing Prince
    Nov 2020
  4. #4
    Escape from Falaise
    Nov 2021
  5. #5
    Arazan's Wolves
    Sep 2023
  6. #6
    The Royal Ranger: Ambush at Sorato
    Oct 2024

The Royal Ranger is John Flanagan’s continuation of the Will Treaty story that began in Ranger’s Apprentice. The spinoff opens with book 12 of the main series — The Royal Ranger (2013), later reissued with the subtitle A New Beginning — and continues into six further books following Will and his apprentice Maddie, the King’s niece and the first female Ranger.

The tone of the spinoff is slightly older than the original. Will is no longer the apprentice; he is the grizzled mentor, with fifteen years of losses behind him. Maddie is headstrong in a way Will was not — a princess who has to earn the cloak every day against a Corps that isn’t sure it wants her.

The six books listed below are the spinoff proper, starting with The Red Fox Clan (2018). If you haven’t read The Royal Ranger (main series book 12) yet, start there — the spinoff assumes it.

If you’re reading the whole Araluen universe, the Royal Ranger books land last in our recommended combined order. See the full Araluen reading order for both the simple and split-Lost-Stories variants.

The Royal Ranger in Publication Order

What is this?

The order in which the books were released.

The Royal Ranger publication order table
Publication # Title Released Buy
1 The Red Fox Clan October 2, 2018 Buy at Amazon
2 Duel at Araluen May 28, 2019 Buy at Amazon
3 The Missing Prince November 3, 2020 Buy at Amazon
4 Escape from Falaise November 2, 2021 Buy at Amazon
5 Arazan's Wolves September 5, 2023 Buy at Amazon
6 The Royal Ranger: Ambush at Sorato October 15, 2024 Buy at Amazon

The Royal Ranger Release Dates

When each book in the series was published.

The Royal Ranger release dates table
Release Date Title Buy
October 2, 2018 The Red Fox Clan Buy at Amazon
May 28, 2019 Duel at Araluen Buy at Amazon
November 3, 2020 The Missing Prince Buy at Amazon
November 2, 2021 Escape from Falaise Buy at Amazon
September 5, 2023 Arazan's Wolves Buy at Amazon
October 15, 2024 The Royal Ranger: Ambush at Sorato Buy at Amazon

Where to start

What is this?

If you're new to The Royal Ranger, this is the simplest on-ramp.

Start here
The Red Fox Clan

Maddie's first year as an apprentice Ranger — and a sect claiming to be the rightful heirs of Araluen who mean to take the throne from her mother.

Read more →

Frequently asked questions

How many Royal Ranger books are there?
Six books in the spinoff, starting with The Red Fox Clan (2018) and currently ending with Ambush at Sorato (2024). If you count book 12 of the main Ranger's Apprentice series — also titled The Royal Ranger (2013) — as the first Royal Ranger book, there are seven. Most catalogs do count it that way, and the 2013 paperback was reissued with the subtitle 'A New Beginning' to formalize the link.
Where does the Royal Ranger spinoff start?
If you haven't read it, start with The Royal Ranger (2013), which is book 12 of the main Ranger's Apprentice series. The six-book spinoff begins with The Red Fox Clan (2018) and continues from where that book left off.
Is The Royal Ranger and The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning the same book?
Yes. The 2013 hardcover was titled simply The Royal Ranger and was published as book 12 of Ranger's Apprentice. When Flanagan returned to the world with The Red Fox Clan in 2018, the paperback was reissued with the subtitle A New Beginning to frame it as the first book of the new spinoff series. The text is unchanged.
Do I need to read Ranger's Apprentice before the Royal Ranger spinoff?
Yes, or at least book 12. Will and Maddie's relationship is built on fifteen years of history the spinoff does not re-explain, and several supporting characters — Halt, Gilan, Alyss, Horace — matter more if you know them from the main series. The Red Fox Clan assumes you've read at least The Royal Ranger (book 12).
Is the Royal Ranger series finished?
No. The spinoff is still active. Ambush at Sorato (October 2024) is the most recent book. Flanagan has continued to write in this universe and a further Royal Ranger book is possible, though none has been announced for 2026.
Who is Maddie?
Maddie is the only daughter of Horace and Princess Cassandra, making her heir to the throne of Araluen. In The Royal Ranger (2013), her mother asks Will to take her on as an apprentice — a request born of both practicality and mercy. Maddie is the first female Ranger in the reformed Corps, and the Royal Ranger spinoff is as much her coming-of-age as it is Will's mentorship arc.