The Ruins of Gorlan

 

The Ruins of Gorlan

John Flanagan

Meira.Elena

Ages: 10-14

Lexile: 920L

 

                In this first book in the The Ranger’s Apprentice series, John Flanagan builds a world of suspicion, history, and duty, where one boy’s journey to find himself isn’t so different from our own. Written with humor, engaging and dynamic characters, and cultures reminiscent of our own, The Ruins of Gorlan is a must read for all fantasy and historical fiction lovers!

                Young, orphan Will has dreamed of joining Redmont’s Battleschool and becoming a knight of Araluen. Instead, Will’s curiosity and penchant for mischief get him thrown into a mysterious new craft with a taciturn and sarcastic mentor. To make matters even more complicated, , the exiled Lord Morgarath, who dwells in the Mountains of Rain and Night, is preparing to attack Araluen and overthrow King Duncan. Taking place in the fictional, English-reminiscent Araluen, Will must learn to handle being ostracized for his “black magic” craft and protect his country from the power-hungry Morgarath, all at the age of fifteen. Could you do it?

                This book is humorous, well-written, and an easy read. I’d recommend it for anyone who enjoys tales of knights, heroic characters, and acceptance. Over the course of the entire series, Will and his companions grow from shy, ignorant children, into worldly and courageous adults.  With friends, family, an honest and endearing personality, and innocence yet untainted, you’ll fall in love with Will time and time again.

                John Flanagan has written twelve books in this series, along with two companion series the Brotherband Chronicles and The Royal Ranger.

The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again

The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again

J. R. R. Tolkien

Review by Meira.Elena

Age: Children/Teenagers

Lexile: 1000L

 

                The Hobbit (1937), by J. R. R. Tolkien, is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings series- book lovers; you know this as one of the most famous fantasy series of all times. Movie lovers- Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen. While The Lord of the Rings has one movie for each of the three novels in the trilogy, The Hobbit has three movies on its own. These movies have led to many rediscovering the lands of Middle Earth. So here is a review of the novel that began it all, The Hobbit.

 

                In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins leaves his very comfortable Hobbit-hole—with seven meals a day, a cozy armchair, a beautiful garden, and no nasty adventures—for the ever-dangerous and harsh journey across Middle Earth to help a group of dwarves reclaim their mountainous homeland from the evil dragon Smaug. Led by Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, who is the heir to the Lonely Mountain, twelve dwarves, Bilbo, and the Grey Wizard Gandalf travel across the lands—battling trolls, running from wargs, seeking aid from elves, and creeping through haunted forests to rid the land of the vicious dragon and take back their treasures.

                Tolkien wrote this book post-World War I, bringing his experiences from the war, and his understanding of Germanic folklore, into this classic tale. Tolkien was a soldier in the British army and was later appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Army by Queen Elizabeth II. He was a professor at Oxford University for thirty-four years. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis, famed author of Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia. Tolkien’s writings have survived several generations as different genres and writing styles come into popularity, and these novels have become accepted additions to canon. After his death, Tolkien’s son published his notes as the Silmarillion.

The Hobbit was a disappointment for me, but maybe that is because I read the book later in life. I was expecting more action and more thrilling moments, and while these exist in the book, they are not as captivating as the Lord of the Rings. No matter how much danger the characters were in, I did not feel at all connected to this danger as a reader, because of how much humor was involved. Knowing that this book was originally written for children, this is understandable, and perhaps I would have enjoyed the novel when I was younger. But I was expecting some level of emotion and enthrallment that I simply did not find.

On a positive note, Tolkien artfully creates a majestic world, painting for us the lands and cultures later found in The Lord of the Rings. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is heavy with potential. It is clearly a well-developed piece of literature.

While very descriptive, the book is a relatively easy read. There are magical creatures, beautiful lands, history, and, of course, the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch!). While not my favorite book, I would recommend it as a classic, a good read, and a good starter book for those looking to dive deep into fantasy.