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

From the Publisher

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.

Children's Literature

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.

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.

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)

Product Details

• Interviews & Essays

Interviews & Essays

First memory is in Fifth Grade at Primary school. We used to have a day a week when we wrote what were then called "compositions". These days they'd be called essays or assignments I guess. Other people used to write things like "what I did during the holidays" or " A family gathering" or "A day at the fair". I used to write adventure stories. I have a clear memory of being annoyed with my teacher, Brother Kelly, because he made me change realistic dialogue into a grammatically correct structure. Example: the statement from a helicopter pilot "Okay, down we go!" had to be changed to "Yes. We will go down." Even then I knew people didn't speak that way.

Fortunately, my more recent experiences with editors have been much happier.

What made you decide to write this fantasy series?

Initially I started writing a series of weekly short stories to encourage my son Michael to read. Will was based on Michael so he did the sort of things Mike enjoyed: climbing, archery, throwing knives at trees. That sort of defined the period as mediaeval and I chose fantasy because I like reading fantasy - and I didn't want to be constrained by real historical events. Those original short stories are incorporated in Book 1.

Which of Will's characteristics would you most like to have and why?

This is a trick question. If I say his courage and loyalty you'll think I'm a cowardly woos you can never depend on.

So instead I'll say his head for heights. I get vertigo if I stand on a chair to change a lightbulb.

I wish I could shoot (a bow) as well as he does but I'm way out of practice these days. I still have a longbow however.

Are any of your characters based on you or your family?

As I said, Will was based on my son Mike: small, agile, quick on his feet and fast thinking. And while I would never pretend to be Halt, a lot of the dialogue between Will and Halt is based on exchanges between Mike and me when he was a teenager.

Horace, by the way, was inspired by Mike's longtime best friend Jeremy.

What adjectives would you use to describe your latest book, The Burning Bridge?

Ummmmm.... How about absolutely essential ? Oh, absolutely is an adverb, isn't it?

I hope it's exciting and fast moving. That was certainly my intention. Involving perhaps? Amusing? I think humor is part of real life and I try to incorporate it into my books. I think there's an element of thriller in Burning Bridge. There's a mystery for the reader to unravel. Just what is going on here? So I hope it's intriguing as well.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Thanks for saying "some of". I hate being asked "who's your favorite author?" Let's see. The late Ed McBain. His dialogue was superlative. David Eddings because he was the first person I saw incorporate humor into his fantasy novels. And my longtime favorite C.S. Forester. I first read the Hornblower books when I was about 12. I still read them today. And I get something new out of them each time. Patrick O'Brian for his lilting dialogue and narrative. James Lee Burke for his incredibly evocative descriptions of the Delta area in Louisiana. And on and on and on.

Have you started working on your next book? Can you give us a sneak peak?

If you mean Book 3 in the Ranger's Apprentice series, yes indeed. In fact, it's already written. Okay, a sneak peak: it's not set in Araluen. The story focus moves to Skandia in the north and Gallica on the main continent. Will faces a problem he can't solve alone. Help comes from an unexpected source. Halt has problems too, which he solves in his own unique way. And we see a lot more of Horace as he becomes increasingly proficient in the skills of a warrior. I can't tell you more than that without giving away some of the events in Burning Bridge.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell readers?

Just this. Thank you for buying my books and thank you for enjoying them. It has been my lifelong ambition to be an author and you've made that dream come true for me. I love hearing from readers and I hope to have my own website up and running within the next few months. There'll be a contact site there. For now, all the best to you and as we say in Australia, your blood's worth bottling.

Kind Regards,

John Flanagan