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.

Silverfin by Charlie Higson

                                                                           Silverfin

Charlie Higson

Meira.Elena

Age: High School+

Lexile: 900L

        Don’t you just love spy novels? That thrilling, mysterious feeling creeping up your spine as you turn page after page. The shock and the fear as the heroes become even more daring and reckless? Mostly, when we think of spies, we think of “Bond. James Bond”. Well, he started off as a child too, didn’t he? A thrilling start to a prequal series to Ian Fleming’s world-famous spy series, you’ll love this new insight into young Bond’s life. Where did he get these spy skills, and what happened to his parents? How did he become the suave 007 we all know and love?

 

             In Silverfin, James Bond has just started his first year at Eton, the famous boarding school for the rich and noble in England. With strict teachers, old-fashioned rules, cold dorms, and weird clothes, Bond has got to get into some sort of trouble! When the people snooping around a new, secluded American household start to disappear, you can bet curious Bond will be in the thick of it.

              The setting and descriptions are very well-done—the language proving a challenge but not a deterrence to the enjoyment of the book for younger readers. It fits right in with the time—remember, in the original novels, Bond was born in the 1920s, meaning the prequel series must take place in the mid-1930s, just before the outbreak of WWII. The setting in post-WWI London is beautifully described, while the deeper economic and regional aspects are well-developed and explained for an unaware audience.

               Bond's young character is strong, brave, and he might have a "saving people thing" like other well-loved characters such as J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson. Bond, however, is more than just brawn and luck- he's intelligent, quick-thinking, and daring. Clearly his skills as a spy were already inherent in his character and were later developed with training as an adult.

               This series is thrilling, captivating, daring, and even a little humorous- you won't want to put it down! I recommend it for readers high school and up!