The Ranger's Apprentice 7: by John Flanagan

This book is the seventh in The Ranger's Apprentice series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Erak, ruler of the Skandians, attempts to raid an outpost but is captured in a trap. The captors are asking for a ransom, so Will and the gang head off to the desert to rescue him. Will is separated from the group as he searches for his horse, which was lost during a sandstorm. The Rangers use their tracking skills, logic, and negotiating skills to find the enemy. The desert setting was an interesting twist, because it created a problem for the Rangers abilities to hide. The intense heat and dryness also were factors.

Although it's the seventh book in the series, it fits in the series after the fourth book chronologically. Halt gets married, and Will becomes an official apprentice at the end of this book. As with other books in the series, enemies become allies to defeat a new foe. The different cultures must learn to trust and understand each other in order to accomplish the rescue.