Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins Of Gorlan

"It's the Kalkara, they're hunting."

~ Will

Will is just a castle ward. He has never known his father or mother. He has no family name. His only companions are his four ward mates, Horace, Alyss, Jenny, and George. Horace is his rival, always beating him down with his larger size and strength. Horace is a warrior. Will always wanted to be, strong, big, and stronger and bigger. Battleschool is the desire of both, but only the strong and fit get excepted. Will's chances look slim. He is thin and small and the only things he has ever been good at are sneaking and climbing. Perfect traits for a ranger. Without Will's knowledge, the legendary ranger Halt, has been watching him and waiting for the choosing day when all the students apply for their career. Much to his surprise, Will is chosen as a ranger. But can he survive his first year? A wild boar hunt nearly kills him, but instead it wins him a mighty friend. And Morgorath, the kingdom's worst enemy, has set loose the two most feared beasts in the world. The Kalkara. Who better to hunt a Kalkara than a ranger?

     After I read this book I just thought... Wow give me some more. Luckily, there are ten books in the series, so there are plenty to read. After reading all ten of them I realized that most of this book was just a setup. Lots of characters are introduced in cool and inspiring ways. Halt is a big favorite. He is basically a ninja. This book had a good mix of action in it spread between the characters of Horace, Will, and Halt. I love this book. It is a good book for ages 12-15 but I still love them and my grandpa just started reading them! Now, this book isn't perfect. There are about four mild curse words inserted throughout the book. I went through it and marked them out with a pen. I would recommend this book, but I would also recommend a parent go through it first to mark out the language in order to make it super kid friendly. I would have to rate this book AG. It is very well written, very interesting, and nearly completely clean.  Highly recommended! Read it.


Author: John Flanagan ~ Language: English ~ Series: Ranger's Apprentice
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure ~ Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: 1 November 2004 ~ Media Type: Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages: 249 paperback ~ ISBN: ISBN-10 0142406635, ISBN-13 978-0142406632
Followed By: The Burning Bridge