The Ruins of Gorlan

October 1, 2006
Gr 4-8-Right from the start, listeners will become engrossed in the first book (Philomel, 2005) of John Flanagans projected series (Philomel Books, 2005), which is reminiscent of Tolkien minus the allegory. On Choosing Day, when wards of the castle become apprentices, 15-year-old Will doesnt get his first choice of attending Battle School, where knights are trained. Instead, he is apprenticed to Halt, the mysterious Ranger, whose lessons on stealth and intelligence gathering lead Will to a new understanding of honor and valor. As the evil Morgarath is planning a war and killing off the kingdoms leaders, Wills courage and determination are tested. Filled with rich detail and plenty of edge-of-your-seat thrills, Flanagans word choice and writing style lend themselves to the quasi-historical time period and setting. The characters are developed believably, only veering slightly into stereotypes with the bullies at the Battle School. John Keatings erudite and compelling voices make this well-paced story come alive. Listeners will eagerly await the next installment in the series. A fine choice for middle schools and public libraries."Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, Oxford, MI"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 4, 2005
Bestial villains, noble knights and deposed despots prepare their forces for impending battle in the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series by Australian author Flanagan. Fifteen-year-old Will, orphaned as a child, and his close friends anxiously await Choosing Day, when each will be chosen-or not-for apprenticeship in one of several schools. Those not chosen wind up as farm labor to help feed the castledwellers. "It was a fate Will feared more than anything." He entertains notions of entering Battleschool like his classmate-and sometime adversary-Horace. But because of Will's diminutive stature, and a knack for climbing, hiding and all things clandestine, he is instead chosen to be a Ranger, under the tutelage of Halt, who years earlier exiled the evil Morgarath to the land of the Mountains of Rain and Night. As Will learns archery and stealth techniques, he makes peace with Horace (who is being tormented by older classmates at Battleschool), and the two must then travel with a contingent of Rangers and warriors to fight invading, "almost invincible" Kalkara-bearlike assassins sent by Morgarath to kill Halt. On the whole, the story owes much to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Flanagan's Rangers more than recall Tolkien's, and the deposed Morgarath and his inhuman Wargals parallel Saruman and the Orcs a bit too closely. Still, for the uninitiated, this is an exciting tale of battle and honor. Ages 10-up.