It does feel good to complete a book again after a couple of months of painfully struggling to finish one. Apparently, adulting is harder than I thought it was.

It is truly a privilege to be able to read tons of books annually, even if some of them are guaranteed to be not up to par.

The Red Fox Clan isn't like that, though. Like any other book in the Ranger's Apprentice series, it's got the thrill and juice to keep you hooked from start to finish.

This is my first Ranger's Apprentice book in nearly five years. In that time frame, I've developed quite a taste for the darker children of epic fantasy: GrimDark. I suppose that my reading lull of late was partly caused by what I strongly suspect to be a fantasy burnout.

I haven't felt this way ever: epic fantasy remains my number one genre. However, I've grown tired of the tropes, lengthy buildups, and other typical fantasy elements.

Of course, if any of my top favorite authors in the genre throw something down, I'll be sure to jump on it quick as a flash. However, I'm limiting myself to lighter reads for now, at least until I get my mojo back.

Meanwhile, I must gush about how nice a read The Red Fox Clan was. There aren't a lot of place-to-place adventures like you'd come to expect of a book in this series. However, this doesn't affect the thrill.

Maddie is a great MC with badass slingshot skills. I must say that I saw the plot twist a mile off, but it didn't take away my enjoyment when it eventually played out.

The writing style, as always, is top-notch Jonathan Flanagan at work. No surprises- we've come to expect quality from this great author after so many years of consistency. However, I must give the author the big ups for the fact that this YA book can bring so much joy to me, a hardcore fantasy reader who's overly enamored with spilled guts, grey characters and sorcerous magic.

I can't wait to see what happens next in Duel at Araluen.