Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger #4: The Missing Prince by John Flanagan

I love being a Royal Ranger and hope I'll never be asked to become queen, like my mother. I love having Will Treaty as my mentor, and I'm looking forward to our upcoming mission. My mother thinks it's too dangerous, but King Duncan, my grandfather, thinks we must do something to rescue the Gallican prince in a neighboring kingdom. It might create trouble if Will and I are discovered as Rangers, so we'll be traveling as jongleurs. Apparently, my singing isn't as good as I thought, so I'll be performing as a juggler and knife thrower. Will doesn't trust the King of Gallica, the man we're helping, so we'll need to be very cautious. Rescuing his son from the powerful Baron Joubert de Lassigny is risky, but returning home to Araluen may be just as dangerous.

I recommend this book, but I suggest you wait until the sequel is written before reading it. It offers adventure and humor in a setting of castles and kingdoms. The Rangers are almost mystical to the citizens due to their special training and stealth, and they specialize in secret missions. Maddie's character is unique, since she has no desire to live as royalty and loves the life of a Ranger. A bigger factor is the fact she's a girl, since many people can't believe a girl can have her abilities. She needs to control her anger when others mention she's female. It bugs me a little that Maddie plays a sidekick to Will instead of being the star character. She is important, but he controls every part of the mission. That's understandable since she's Will's apprentice, but this is the fourth book in a series featuring her character. She's able to feature her skills at times, but I figure she should display more independence by now. The first half of the book finds the two Rangers traveling through Gallica, entertaining commoners along the way. They share their singing and knife-throwing skills, and try to assist those in need of help. The last third of the book describes the actual rescue mission and contains most of the action. However, the conclusion is not satisfying, as you'll need to read the sequel to finish the story. I would have more criticism for this fact if I didn't appreciate the author's past work. Give the series a shot, and I even recommend you read the original Ranger's Apprentice series where everything started.