The Icebound Land (officially Ranger's Apprentice: The Icebound Land) is the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. It was released on November 30, 2005.
Blurb[]
Kidnapped and taken to a frozen land after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives. Halt has sworn to rescue his young apprentice, and he will do anything to keep his promise--even defy his king. Expelled from the Rangers, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On the way, they are challenged again and again by freelance knights--but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon his skills begin to attract the attention of warlords for miles around. But will he and Halt be in time to rescue Will?
Plot Overview[]
Will and Cassandra aka Evanlyn, were bound for Skandia, as captives of the Skandian Jarl, Erak. Erak's ship, Wolfwind, was caught in a storm. After fighting for several days, the ship reached Skorghijl, a small, barren island in the middle of the Stormwhite Sea.
On Skorghijil, Cassandra revealed her identity as Princess of Araluen to Will, explaining that her father can ransom for them. Cassandra's hopes were dashed when Wolf Fang arrived, bearing news that Oberjarl Ragnak had made a Vallasvow against King Duncan and his family. Cassandra was therefore unable to reveal her identity or she would be killed. The pair attempted to escape, but failed, and were soon taken to Skandia to begin their lives as slaves.
Meanwhile, Halt had sworn that he would rescue Will, but was denied permission by Crowley, the Ranger Commandant. With no other choice, he purposely slandered King Duncan, forcing Duncan to either banish him or have him killed. Realizing a loophole in the law, Duncan banished Halt for a period of one year. He set off for Gallica, accompanied by Horace.
In Skandia, Cassandra had been made a kitchen slave, and Will a yard slave. After a disagreement with a fellow slave, Egon, Will was tricked into becoming addicted to warmweed, turning him into a hollow and lifeless shell. After encountering an addicted Will, Erak hatched a plan with Cassandra so that she and Will could escape. He provided them with supplies and laid a false trail.
Horace quickly gained a reputation for defeating many so-called "knights" skillfully and swiftly. Sensing an opportunity to grow his own reputation, Lord Deparnieux forced the two to stay at his castle, Château Montsombre. After weeks in the castle, Halt challenged Deparnieux to mortal combat. After a brief battle, he won, killing Deparnieux with an armor piercing arrow.
Cassandra and Will had begun living in a small Hunter's Cottage. Using a supply provided to her by Erak, Cassandra slowly weaned Will off of the warmweed. Knowing their food supplies wouldn't last, she began making a sling. When she returned from hunting, a recovered Will greeted her.
Free at least, Halt set Château Montsombre on fire before he and Horace headed towards Skandia.
Gallery[]
Notable Characters[]
- For a full list of characters, see Category:The Icebound Land Characters.
- Cassandra
- Erak Starfollower
- Halt O'Carrick
- Horace Altman
- King Duncan
- Lord Deparnieux
- Slagor
- Svengal
- Will Treaty
In Other Languages[]
| Title Comparisons | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Title | Meaning | Language | Title | Meaning |
| Chinese | 冰封之地 | Frozen Land | Croatian | Ledena Zemlja | Ice Land |
| Czech | Ledová Země | Ice Land | Danish | Det Vinterfrosne Land | The Winter Frozen Land |
| Dutch | Het Ijzige Land | The Icy Land | French | La Promesse du Rôdeur | The Prowler's Promise |
| German | Der Eiserne Ritter | The Iron Knight | Hungarian | Jégföldje | Iceberg |
| Indonesian | Daratan Yang Terselubung Es | Land Shrouded in Ice | Italian | La Terra dei Ghiacci | The Land of Ice |
| Japanese | 氷賊 | Ice Thief | Korean | 스캔디아의 해적 얼음의 땅 |
Pirates of Skandia Land of Ice |
| Lithuanian | Ledo šalis | Frozen | Persian | سرزمین یخ زده | Frozen Land |
| Polish | Ziemia Skuta Lodem | A Land Chained by Ice | Portuguese | A Terra Do Gelo | Ice Land |
| Russian | Ледяная земля | Icy Land | Slovak | Ľadová Krajina | Ice Country |
| Spanish | La Tierra del Hielo | The Land of Ice | Swedish | Krigarkungens Sal | War King's Hall |
| Turkish | Buzlar Ülkesi | Ice Land | Vietnamese | Vùng Đất Đóng Băng | Frozen Land |
- In Korea, The Icebound Land is split into two books.
- No Greek, Romanian, or Thai translations were made past The Ruins of Gorlan.
- No Norwegian translations were made past The Burning Bridge.
| Books in the Ranger's Apprentice Series | |
|---|---|
 The Ruins of Gorlan  The Burning Bridge  The Icebound Land  Oakleaf Bearers (The Battle for Skandia)  The Sorcerer in the North  The Siege of Macindaw  Erak's Ransom  The Kings of Clonmel  Halt's Peril  The Emperor of Nihon-Ja  The Lost Stories  A New Beginning | |