In book four of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Will and Evalyn have escaped thanks to Erak’s help, but have gone from the frying pan into the fire. The Tamujai are moving into the area. This is John Flanagan’s interpretation of the Huns. I don’t know that the Huns every tried to invade a Scandinavian country, but it’s an interesting story Mr. Flanagan tells with the Tamujai trying to invade Skandia to take over their ships. At the same time, I wonder if this move signals […]
It’s True What They Say, Middle Books Get Ignored
The third installment of John Flanagan’s The Ranger’s Apprentice series, The Icebound Land continues the story of Evelyn and Will’s journey to Skandia. Along the way, they are forced to hunker down on an island outpost with their Skandian captors. While they are treated fairly well, they know that they face life as a slave unless someone comes to rescue them. Of course, this being a coming-of-age story, there is someone who is coming to rescue them. Halt and Horace are fighting their way through […]
The Consequences of Being a Young Adult in a Violent World
Taking off from where The Ruins of Gorlan left off, The Burning Bridge returns with Will still apprenticed to Halt and learning that while he has natural talents, there’s a lot he still needs to learn. We learn very quickly that Morgarath is plotting revenge on Araluen and Will and Halt believe they’ve discovered his plans. Oh but they haven’t! Soon they realize they are being double-crossed which leads Will, Horace, and Gilan to Celtica to find out what’s going on. Trouble ensues and the […]
It Pandered to the Audience and I Willing Went Along With It
I haven’t been so engrossed in a book since I devoured the Hunger Games trilogy in a matter of days. However, Ranger’s Apprentice became the second book to have captured my attention so much I literally wanted to just rush home from work and read. The plot of the book seemed to tick off the boxes of things I look for in a book and it never lost its way.The underdog finds a purpose, a thrilling chase takes on life-or-death stakes, and ultimately we learn […]