The Battle for Skandia- John Flanagan

I know, I know, I started this blog railing against the plague of series books ravaging children's literature in the wake of Harry Potter's success, but if you'll remember I described the "Ranger's Apprentice" series as "a pleasant exception to this dismaying trend." I am enjoying this series immensely, and after reading and thoroughly liking The Burning Bridge (Book 2), and The Icebound Land (Book 3), I turn my attention now to Book 4, The Battle for Skandia.

To recap: The Rangers are a light calvary/ scouting force crucial to the security of the Kingdom of Arulen. They are analogous to our Special Forces today, highly trained in both conventional and unconventional warfare, master tacticians, lightly armed, and incredibly mobile. The series follows the adventures of Will, and his apprenticeship under Master Ranger Halt.

SOME SPOILERS FOLLOW. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ ANY OF THE SERIES AND DO NOT WANT THE PLOTS OF THE FIRST THREE BOOKS REVEALED, THEN YOU SHOULD STOP READING NOW.

In books 1 and 2, they work together to foil the plots of renegade warlord Morgarath. Book 3 details what happens to Will and his friend Evanlyn when they are kidnapped by the northern Skandians (clearly analogs for our Vikings, right down to the apocryphal horned helmets) and the efforts of Halt and Will's friend Horace (an apprentice knight) to rescue them.

The Battle For Skandia opens with the rescue of Will and Evanlyn by Halt and Horace. However, the former have already escaped from slavery (see the events of The Icebound Land), and the latter liberate them, not from the Skandians, but from the Temujai.

Skandia, it seems, is in the process of being invaded by a race of people from "the eastern steppes" known as the Temujai. They are lead by a "Shan" and are dedicated to one thing only: conquest. They are formidable warriors, excellent horsemen, and deadly archers. Halt has had a history with them in their younger days, and even he is afraid of their military might. Given his depiction as a fearless and peerless tactician, the reader really gets a sense of menace from Halt's attitudes toward the Temujai. They are clearly inspired by Mongol hordes from history.

In fact, this is one of my favorite things about the series, it indulges in my history nerd what if fantasies. As I've mentioned, the Skandians are clearly Vikings, the Temujai are Mongols, the Arulens (Halt, Will, Horace and Evanlyn) are European knights, although Flanagan clearly betrays his commonwealth biases with Arulen (an island kingdom) being England while Gallica (France) and Tuetlandt (Germany) being described as comically inept.

Arulen and surrounding environs. Look closely: See anything else that looks familiar?

In The Battle for Skandia we have an excellent Vikings vs. Mongols battle with a little bit of the English longbow thrown in for good measure. The Skandians and the escaped Arulens must put their differences aside in a classic "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" scenario. Flannagan has created a relentless and implacable foe for Will and his comrades to face in this thrilling volume.

I'm looking forward to their continued adventures, and if you feel like you can't wait, all titles through Volume 8 have them have been published already in Flanagan's native Australia. You can try to search for them here.

Ranger's Apprentice Website

Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlann

For my inaugural post I'd like to address a phenomenon in children's literature that has emerged in the wake of the phenomenal publishing success surrounding the trials and tribulations of a certain young wizard: the dearth of inferior or downright derivative fantasy series that have sprung up in its wake like so many night crawlers wriggling helplessly on the sidewalk after a summer downpour. Publishing, like any other big business, loves proven winners. When Harry Potter sold through the roof, then the green light was given to dozens of lesser series (I'm looking at you Inheritance Trilogy, aka "The Lord of the Star Wars"), while at the same time pushing authors with legitimate vision and innovative ideas if their books did not have sequel potential.

The "Ranger's Apprentice" series by John Flanagan is a pleasant exception to this dismaying trend. Thus far, the first three volumes exist in paperback, and the fourth is still only available as a hardcover. Flanagan eventually intends to publish seven books in all. All seven are currently available in his native Australia. Visit the official website here.

Book One, The Ruins of Gorlan, tells the story of the orphan boy Will and other orphans in Redmont Fief, within the kingdom of Arulen. As they approach the "Choosing Day," they will be selected for the job that they will serve in for the rest of their lives. As can be expected from the title of the series, Will is selected for Ranger training. He had had his heart set on Battle School, but he soon learns to embrace his calling. Under the tutelage of the gruff and mysterious Halt, will begins to learn the way of the Ranger: unseen movement, tracking, archery, cartography, and horsemanship.

The Rangers serve as the eyes and ears of the kingdom of Arulen, especially when the evil Lord Morgarath, who had been banished from the kingdom after leading a failed rebellion fifteen years before. Oftentimes, the first books in a series are overburdened with exposition and origin stories, but The Ruins of Gorlan has plenty of action as well. Interspersed between Will's training chapters are the stories of several of the other orphans and their endeavors, as well as the schemes and machinations of Morgarath and his armies of Wargals (an Ork-like creature that resembles a cross between a gorilla and a bear), and the particularly horrifying creatures the Kalkara.

As the plot advances, the Kalkara are loosed on the kingdom, and it is up to Halt and Will to stop them before too much carnage is unleashed. The Ruins of Gorlan is highly recommended for fans of fantasy, and adventure series along the lines of Lloyd Alexander, Ursula K. Leguin, or C.S. Lewis.