“The Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan,” by John Flanagan
Philomel Books, New York, 2005, 249 pages, Grades 5-8.
Action-adventure books are usually gripping reads. In these stories, borrowing on some of the elements of fantasy, the main characters are young and inexperienced. They are sent on a trial or quest to save some imperiled person or persons. During the journey, they must learn new skills which enable them to overcome the dangers on the quest.
The characters must be believable if the story is to have the tension necessary to keep readers wanting to find out what happens. John Flanagan has written a series of such books with The Ranger’s Apprentice Series. “The Ruins of Gorlan” is the first book in this series. Here we meet Will, Halt, Horace, Jenny and Alyss on their dangerous journey to stop the evil forces that are attacking Baron Arald’s Redmont Fief.
Will has lived his entire life in the castle of Baron Arald. An orphan, Will longs to discover the identities of his parents. Having been trained in the castle by various masters, the boy’s destiny will be decided on Choosing Day. On this day, the craft masters will select their apprentices. Will longs to be a warrior, but his small, wiry frame is unsuited for this apprenticeship.
As the masters choose their apprentices, Will is selected by a mysterious Ranger named Halt. The Rangers are a secretive squadron of forest officers dressed in grey cloaks. Their job is to stealthily slip through the forest and report on any potential attacks on the Fief. Because of the group’s secretive nature, Will doesn’t want to become a Ranger. While the Warriors are famous, the Rangers are covert and little-known.
As Will begins his training, Halt teaches him many things. Within several months, the boy can glide through the forest unseen and remember many details from missions. He becomes skilled with a bow and arrow and uses his slight stature to climb trees and hide while on spying missions. These talents are soon going to be needed.
An invading army forms in the North and plans an invasion of Redmont. Halt and Will are sent to find the attackers and discover that two giants have joined the army. These giants, known as Kalkara, have superhuman strength and can paralyze men through their hypnotic stare. If they are not stopped, Redmont will likely fall.
The two Rangers track them down and are faced with a battle of hand-to-hand combat. What happens?
Do the Rangers kill the Kalkara in this deadly struggle? Is Redmont saved? What can a small boy do against vicious giants? Have you ever had to develop courage to overcome a fierce obstacle? What does Will do? To find out, go to the library and check out this exciting book, “The Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan” by John Flanagan.
This is an adventure tale that will grip children’s interest. The apprentices are given expert guidance by caring adults as they learn their skills. Readers will see Will growing in confidence and self-esteem throughout the story.
The only disconcerting thing I found in the novel was the use of a singular cuss word every 25 pages or so in the text. The story is so interesting that it doesn’t need any of this and could have easily been omitted. But the virtues of the book far outweigh this small and infrequent problem. This is a story that is exciting and the characters are believable. If you are looking for an action packed book that inspires and entertains your children, this is it. Enjoy the adventures!
