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Ranger's Apprentice #1, part 1/2
The Ruins of Gorlan Volume 1 of 2
Will is small for his age, but agile and energetic. All his life, he has longed to be a warrior and to follow in the footsteps of the father he never knew, so he is devastated when he is rejected as an apprentice to Castle Redmont's Battleschool. He's no happier when he's assigned instead to the Ranger Corps, the Kingdom's secret service, as the Rangers are a mysterious group whose uncanny ability to move about unseen is thought by many to be the result of black magic. Will begins training under the dour and enigmatic Halt, and reluctantly learns all the fieldcraft and archery he will need to become a fully-fledged Ranger. But Will soon finds himself needing all his new-found skills as he and Halt set off on a desperate mission to prevent the assassination of the King
Paperback
Published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
John Flanagan
114 books9,274 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
For mysteries by this same author, see John A. Flanagan.
John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. It wasn't until he wrote a highly uncomplimentary poem about a senior executive at the agency where he worked, however, that his talent was revealed. It turned out one of the company directors agreed with John's assessment of the executive, and happily agreed to train John in copywriting.
After writing advertising copy for the next two decades, John teamed with an old friend to develop a television sitcom, Hey Dad!, which went on to air for eight years.
John began writing Ranger's Apprentice for his son, Michael, ten years ago, and is still hard at work on the series.
He currently lives in a suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.
For mysteries by this same author, see John A. Flanagan.
John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. It wasn't until he wrote a highly uncomplimentary poem about a senior executive at the agency where he worked, however, that his talent was revealed. It turned out one of the company directors agreed with John's assessment of the executive, and happily agreed to train John in copywriting.
After writing advertising copy for the next two decades, John teamed with an old friend to develop a television sitcom, Hey Dad!, which went on to air for eight years.
John began writing Ranger's Apprentice for his son, Michael, ten years ago, and is still hard at work on the series.
He currently lives in a suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2025
Is it woke?
Not at all.
Is it good?
'The Ruins of Gorlan' is fantastic. Written for Flanagan's own small son, it explores a teen who is too small in stature to become a knight. Instead, he joins the ranger core - think medieval SAS. It explores bullying, honour, hard work, and morality.
Will is a great character, and he doesnt follow the overused and dangerous "mini adult" or "completely powerful with no work" cliches.
This first novel is in a short story format and has an easy reading level yet manages to still be a thrilling story for adults.
I highly recommend for children and adults alike.
Is it appropriate for your children?
There is no sexual content or swearing. There is one character that says, "Good Lord," and "Lord Almighty," once or twice in the novel.
There is violence, but it is not gory. It is centred on battle tactics and the combatant's skills more than the bloodshed.
This is a great battle story for kids without the mature content. It is enthralling and clean.
10-12+
Not at all.
Is it good?
'The Ruins of Gorlan' is fantastic. Written for Flanagan's own small son, it explores a teen who is too small in stature to become a knight. Instead, he joins the ranger core - think medieval SAS. It explores bullying, honour, hard work, and morality.
Will is a great character, and he doesnt follow the overused and dangerous "mini adult" or "completely powerful with no work" cliches.
This first novel is in a short story format and has an easy reading level yet manages to still be a thrilling story for adults.
I highly recommend for children and adults alike.
Is it appropriate for your children?
There is no sexual content or swearing. There is one character that says, "Good Lord," and "Lord Almighty," once or twice in the novel.
There is violence, but it is not gory. It is centred on battle tactics and the combatant's skills more than the bloodshed.
This is a great battle story for kids without the mature content. It is enthralling and clean.
10-12+
May 26, 2013
When I first started reading this series I didn't think it would be that good. I was absolutely wrong, it was amazing. I hadn't loved a book that much since the first time I read the Harry Potter series.
This book didn't last me very long, but I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend it to anybody who strives to read books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
This book didn't last me very long, but I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend it to anybody who strives to read books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
January 29, 2015
The first of Flanagan's books which introduces Halt, Horace and the MC Will. It is a continuing coming of age storyline and highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews