Children - Fiction & Literature

The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice Series #2)

Name: The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice Series #2)
Author: John Flanagan
ISBN: 9780142408421

by John Flanagan

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Overview

The international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone!

For years, the Kingdom of Araluen has prospered, with the evil lord Morgarath safely behind the impassable mountains. For years, its people have felt secure. but the scheming hand of the dark lord has not been idle. . . . on a special mission for the rangers, will and his friend Horace, an apprentice knight, travel to a neighboring village and discover the unsettling truth: All the villagers have either been slain or captured. but why? Could it be that Morgarath has finally devised a plan to bring his legions over the supposedly insurmountable pass? if so, the king's army is in imminent danger of being crushed in a fierce ambush. And will and Horace are the only ones who can save them.

Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Synopsis

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Fifteen-year-old Will is chosen as the Ranger's new apprentice and must learn the skills needed to protect the kingdom from Morgorath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, in this best-selling, action-packed fant

Beth Gallaway - VOYA

Much like its predecessor's jumpstart prologue, this sequel leaps into action as if there is no time to waste, picking right up where Ruins of Gorlan (Philomel, 2002/VOYA December 2005) left off. Halt and Will are tracking Wargals, war is pending, and Morgarath is gathering followers. Fans will recall that Wargals are bad, Morgarath is worse, and Halt and Will are sort of reconnaissance/messenger/foresters in a medieval-styled fantasy world on the brink of civil war. Will, having earned a silver oak leaf, is now entrusted with traveling as emissary to Celtica and gets mixed up in the middle of solving the mystery of why miners have gone missing. Is it part of Morgarath's evil plan? New characters are introduced, each as delightfully complex as the last. Will, Horace, and Alyss mature, and Evanlyn, a rescued refugee is an interesting addition. Halt remains gruff and unintentionally humorous. Honing new skills such as knife combat and near misses with arrows make for exciting scenes. Details are carefully placed, and clues to the denouement are mentioned early. Politics and geography play noticeably larger roles in this book, resulting in a deeper and richer story: Military success hinges on the control of a specific narrow mountain pass. The book's title and fiery cover give away the climatic ending, and occasionally the plot's direction is too obvious, but a surprise twist will keep readers on pins and needles waiting for the next book. Purchase this one where book one was popular. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Philomel, 259p.,Ages 11 to 15.

About the Author, John Flanagan

John Flanagan lives in Australia.

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Editorials

VOYA

Children's Literature - Joyce Rice

The six page prologue reintroduces the main characters—Halt, the senior ranger, and Will, the apprentice ranger—as they continue their search for the Wargals that fight for Morgarath. This long-awaited sequel to The Ruins of Gorlan will not disappoint the reader. Halt and Will engage in battle with the small-brained Wargals who are more beast than man and are completely controlled by Morgarath. As a secret plot is revealed to them, they strike out to deliver news of the threat to the king. In the process, Will and Halt receive orders to pursue separate journeys and Will's new company is an old enemy now considered a friend—the young warrior Horace. The senior member of this new party is Gilan, a young Ranger with an enormous talent for strategy and battle. In the ensuing adventure, Gilan and his charges will rescue a young damsel in distress, continue to train for battle, and discover some alarming changes in the original battle plan that was delivered to the king. Gilan's decision to leave the three young charges on their own and continue quickly to the king, brings disastrous results. Young Will determines to remain loyal to the king and to his mentor Halt, the Ranger. Will and Horace will develop a deep and abiding friendship and both Will and Horace will be called on to demonstrate their courage. The story ends leaving the reader begging for the next book. This is an enticing new series that will capture the imagination of both boys and girls in the middle school range who are looking for fantasy selections. From the "Ranger's Apprentice" series.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-In the second volume in this series, apprentice Ranger Will becomes involved once again in the war against the evil Morgarath. When he joins what should be a simple envoy mission, he and his companions realize that they are the only ones who know the extent of Morgarath's duplicity, and it's up to them to save the kingdom. Will and his friend Horace, along with noblewoman-in-disguise Evanlyn, make a dangerous journey and discover that Wargals, Morgarath's mindless warriors, are infiltrating their kingdom, and their brave actions at the "burning bridge" of the title lead to Will's and Evanlyn's capture and much room for sequels. Will's initial doubts and learning process add reality to his character, but his exploits never achieve true immediacy. Background characters are generally flat, though touches of humor add spice to the narrative. Flanagan creates a well-realized picture of life on the trail and its hardships, but his battles and their resolution seem almost too easy. Fans of the first volume will enjoy this adventure, but readers new to the series may not share their excitement.-Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

More absorbing, straight-arrow adventures set in the medieval, alternate world kingdom of Araluen and featuring the three apprentices introduced in The Ruins of Gorlan (2005). As the brutish wargals of Morgorath, Lord of Rain and Night, gather for an invasion, deft young Will and his strapping friend Horace discover that Morgorath has planned a complex feint that, unless scotched, will spell doom for the armies of Araluen. The third apprentice, diplomat-in-training Alyss, is relegated to a subplot in this outing, but is sure to play larger roles in future episodes. Flanagan explains more than he needs to but propels the plot forward at a heady clip, stirring in live-wire characters who are still learning the finer points of their assigned professions but prove equal to each challenge they face. He also adds to the company a young fugitive who is far more than the lady's maid she claims to be, and closes with the requisite battle, a breathtaking single combat-and a dismaying lead-in to the next episode. It all adds up to a winning formula that should prove out to a long, steady run for this above average series. (Fantasy. 11-13)