The Ruins of Gorlan
(The Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 1)
by John Flanagan

Genre: Action & Adventure
Age: 10+
Length: 288
First Published: 2004

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Malinda’s Review

Rating

I love this set of books, The Ranger’s Apprentice!!! I can’t get enough of them. We’ve read the series twice as a family and some of us have read it more than five times.

Our family was introduced to The Ranger’s Apprentice book series in 2022. The family that recommended them had their then ten-year-old son reading them. Thinking they should be okay for my son, I let him check the first one out from the library.

He loved them and wouldn’t stop talking about them. Everything he was saying piqued my interest. I checked out the first book from the library and had us listen to it together as a family. I was hooked by the first five minutes.

We normally listen to books during lunch, cooking, and driving. I started stretching our lunches out so we could listen to the book more.

The characters are a collection of imperfect people ranging from teenagers to older leaders who work together to solve problems, learn, and overcome their shortcomings.

The book is set in the Middle Ages with knights, Lords and Ladies, villains, and Kings. There are no graphic scenes that describe the brutality of war. The book does describe the battle scene without the gore.

There is no romance in the book. Two of the teenage characters do kiss, but it is a little quick kiss on the lips. It is not made into a big deal and is not a major part of the storyline. In later books, the two characters who kiss in the first book get married, but it is in the last book. Again this relationship is extremely mild with no details. There is less romance in the book series than in a PG-rated Disney film.

There are some cuss words in the book. However, nothing you wouldn’t find in a PG-rated film.

I would recommend this book if you like mid-evil books that are clean, fun, full of adventure, and have the characters grow with each new book. I’d hold off on the books for kids younger than eight.

This first book in the series does a wonderful job of setting the stage for where each of the characters will go on their journeys. It also teaches about courage, doing the right thing, how important our decisions are, and the need to respect our elders and teachers. Life lessons don’t hit you in the face, but they are woven throughout the storyline.

I hope you enjoy it as much as our family still does.

Happy Reading!

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Publisher’s Description

The international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone!

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

Here is the fantasy adventure that launched the Ranger’s Apprentice series, an epic story of heroes and villains that has become an international phenomenon. 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. 

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About John 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 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 the suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.