Description
Product Description
From the author of the global phenomenon and New York Times bestselling Ranger's Apprentice!
Hal and his brotherband crew are hot on the trail of the pirate Zavac and they have one thing only on their minds: Stopping the bloodthirsty thief before he can do more damage. Of course, they also know Zavac has the Andomal, the priceless Skandian artifact stolen when the brotherband let down their guard. The chase leads down mighty rivers, terrifying rapids, to the lawless fortress of Ragusa. If Hal is to succeed, he will need to go beyond his brotherband training. He will need to challenge the pirate one-on-one, knowing only one of them will survive.
The epic series from Ranger's Apprentice author John Flanagan continues, delivering pulse-pounding adventure and fun.
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.
Review
Picking up the story soon after events in
The Invaders (2012), this engaging sequel opens aboard the
Heron as Hal, his fellow Skandians, and their friend Lydia sail up a river in search of Zavac, the ruthless pirate who has stolen a precious relic from their village. Welcome humor lessens the dramatic tension at times, and the shipmates’ individuality and comradeship make their adventures more meaningful. [This] novel provides a satisfying conclusion to the three-book cycle that opened with
The Outcasts (2011). [A] vigorous offshoot of the Ranger’s Apprentice series.
—Booklist —
Booklist
About the Author
John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. John began writing Ranger’s Apprentice for his son, Michael, ten years ago, and is still hard at work on the series and its spinoff, Brotherband Chronicles. He currently lives in the suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.
www.brotherbandchronicles.com
www.rangersapprentice.com
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Land! I can see land!”
It was Stefan, calling from the lookout position in the bow of the Heron.
There was a buzz of interest from the crew as they surged forward to get a sight of the coast—at this stage, no more than a distant, hazy line on the horizon.
Hal heaved a silent sigh of relief. They had been out of sight of land for four days, cutting diagonally across from the eastern coast of the Stormwhite Sea to head for the southern coastline. After days without any reference points or landmarks, with nothing but the waves to see, niggling fears had begun to gnaw at his confidence. What if he had misread his sun compass? What if Stig had let the ship stray off course while Hal was sleeping? What if Hal himself had made some simple, fundamental error that had led them off on the wrong path?
When you sailed out of sight of land, he thought, there was always the worry that you might never sail back into sight of it.
He shook his head, realizing how groundless his fears had been. Four days, after all, was a relatively short ocean trip. He knew of Skandian seafarers who had sailed for weeks with no sight of land. He had done so himself, on ships commanded by other people. But this was his first time in command.
Thorn came aft from his favored spot by the keel box. His rolling gait easily matched the movement of the ship and he smiled at his young friend. He’d spent many years at sea but he knew all too well what must have been going through Hal’s mind.
“Well done,” he said quietly.
Hal gave him a quick smile. “Thanks,” he said, trying to look nonchalant. Then he couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer. “Must admit, I had a few sleepless moments.”
Thorn raised an eyebrow. “Only a few?”
“Two, actually. One lasted for the first two days. The other for the next two. Apart from that, I was fine.”
The fact that the young skirl could admit to his concerns was a si
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