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On a mission to pay the ransom of a new ally, apprentice Will and his friends find themselves in a desert wasteland awash with enemies.Tags
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{Seventh published of 11 (or 12); Ranger’s Apprentice series. Fantasy, children’s, YA} (2007)
Group read.
I started reading this but then paused it to finish some library e-books before returning to it so my reading was a bit fragmented. I read it before the books numbered 5 and 6 in the series, per the author's recommendation, as events in this book take place before those in the other two.
The story opens with Will's imminent graduation to full Ranger status and Halt's surprising upcoming wedding. However as the festivities are concluded news comes of Erak's capture. Erak is the Oberjarl of the Skandians, erstwhile enemies of Araluan but now allies since the signing of a treaty. Will, Halt and friends travel to the desert country of show more Arrida to ransom him taking the princess with them as negotiator. But nothing is as simple as that and adventures ensue.
Flanagan writes well; he does good action scenes that don't go on forever and I like his banter, which amuses and doesn't seem forced. The characters in this fantasy world, which parallels ours, are believable - not too perfect or too angsty. My eleven year old is also reading this series and enjoying it; it is a good one for children and doesn't talk down to them. The characters do go through hardships and, since they become involved in battles, there is some killing and some deaths but I don't feel that these are traumatic for readers while still keeping the story realistic.
Worth reading, even for adults.
4.5 stars show less
Group read.
I started reading this but then paused it to finish some library e-books before returning to it so my reading was a bit fragmented. I read it before the books numbered 5 and 6 in the series, per the author's recommendation, as events in this book take place before those in the other two.
The story opens with Will's imminent graduation to full Ranger status and Halt's surprising upcoming wedding. However as the festivities are concluded news comes of Erak's capture. Erak is the Oberjarl of the Skandians, erstwhile enemies of Araluan but now allies since the signing of a treaty. Will, Halt and friends travel to the desert country of show more Arrida to ransom him taking the princess with them as negotiator. But nothing is as simple as that and adventures ensue.
There was a risk involved in coming so close to the shoreline, he knew. But it was the lesser of two risks. They'd kept a steady south-east course through the night, driven by the unwavering northerly breeze that blew towards the coast at this time of year. Borne along by the wind, Erak had sailed in close to the land, inside a huge bay that took a bite out of the coastline. On the eastern end of the bay, on a raised promontory, stood the township of Al Shabah. By placing his ship inside the bay, and inland of the spot where the town stood, Erak knew that he would be screened by the dark land mass behind him. Also, as the sun slowly rose, which it would be doing in about another forty minutes, his ship would still be in darkness, while the promontory and town, to the east of his position, would be illuminated. He could have turned towards Al Shabah while they were still further out to sea, avoiding the risk of being spotted from the coast. But that would have increased the risk of being seen from the town itself. Even by night, Wolfwind would have been a darker shadow on the steely grey surface of the sea.
Flanagan writes well; he does good action scenes that don't go on forever and I like his banter, which amuses and doesn't seem forced. The characters in this fantasy world, which parallels ours, are believable - not too perfect or too angsty. My eleven year old is also reading this series and enjoying it; it is a good one for children and doesn't talk down to them. The characters do go through hardships and, since they become involved in battles, there is some killing and some deaths but I don't feel that these are traumatic for readers while still keeping the story realistic.
Worth reading, even for adults.
4.5 stars show less
The book is fine. My issue really is the order it was written and published in. I enjoy apprentice Ranger Will as much as the next person, but having already read full fledged Ranger Will in the last two books, this felt like a step back that I didn’t want to take. I was perfectly happy knowing that Will completed his training and became a Ranger, without needing this added intermission.
As for the writing, while it flows as easy as always and is crystal clear, the plot is a little hard to fathom.Why was Gilan even there? They didn’t need two and three quarters Rangers, it was extra. Same for Horace, lovable though he is. I get that it was a form of getting the gang back together, but it didn’t feel earned. Also, the whole show more Araluens going to save the Oberjarl from the Arridi only to find him kidnapped by the Tualaghi was a bit too contrived for me, as was Will surviving the desert.
I’m not sure I buy that one Ranger sent to rescue Erak wouldn’t have been sufficient, no matter the amount of dialogue spent on attempting to establish that fact. But perhaps that’s due to the reputation and achievements of said Rangers being too good to be true for so long? Like, if you’re going to write super spies capable of pulling plans out of thin air that suffice to stop armies, at least three times that I can easily think of, those same spies should be able to get one Oberjarl out of a bind.
I think I would’ve preferred reading about the Ranger tests Will went through that were mentioned in the previous two books, all things considered. show less
As for the writing, while it flows as easy as always and is crystal clear, the plot is a little hard to fathom.
I’m not sure I buy that one Ranger sent to rescue Erak wouldn’t have been sufficient, no matter the amount of dialogue spent on attempting to establish that fact. But perhaps that’s due to the reputation and achievements of said Rangers being too good to be true for so long? Like, if you’re going to write super spies capable of pulling plans out of thin air that suffice to stop armies, at least three times that I can easily think of, those same spies should be able to get one Oberjarl out of a bind.
I think I would’ve preferred reading about the Ranger tests Will went through that were mentioned in the previous two books, all things considered. show less
Quando Erak, o oberjarl da Escandinávia, decide liderar seus homens em um saque à pequena cidade mercantil de Al Shabah, ele não imagina o desfecho dessa empreitada. Depois de uma invasão surpreendentemente fácil, o líder escandinavo acaba prisioneiro de um grupo de guerreiros do povo arridi. Svengal, homem de confiança do escandinavo, pede ajuda aos araluenses. Por conta da dívida de honra que tem com o oberjarl, o rei Duncan se vê obrigado a enviar a princesa Cassandra como representante da família real para efetuar o pagamento do resgate e garantir a liberdade de Erak. Preocupado com a segurança da filha, Duncan convoca Halt, Will, Horace e Gilan para acompanhá-la e protegê-la durante a missão. Tem início uma jornada show more onde o perigo espreita atrás de cada pedra do caminho. Uma verdadeira provação para Will e seus companheiros, que fica ainda mais arriscada quando o grupo é castigado por uma tempestade de areia que carrega rumores de uma grande traição. show less
In the wake of Araluen's uneasy truce with the raiding Skandians comes word that the Skandian leader has been captured by a dangerous desert tribe. The Rangers - and Will - are sent to free him. But the desert is like nothing these warriors have seen before. Strangers in a strange land, they are brutalized by sandstorms, beaten by the unrelenting heat, tricked by one tribe that plays by its own rules, and surprisingly befriended by another. Like a desert mirage, nothing is as it seems. Yet one thing is constant: the bravery of the Rangers.
John Flanagan's creativity and mastery of storytelling once again shines through in this riveting installment of the "Ranger's Apprentice" series as he sweeps readers along with Will and his friends to distant desert lands fraught with danger. Despite the fact that this book's timeframe is set before books 5 and 6 and reveals what happens in Will's final year as an apprentice, the switch in time isn't difficult to follow. Readers will, in fact, be thankful that Flanagan choose to recount this key adventure in Will's life. I literally devoured this book and found it to be one of my favorites in the series thus far. If you're a fan of this series, "Erak's Ransom" is definitely not an installment you want to miss!
The best John Flanagan to date, bar none... This is a chunky volume (compared to the others in the series) and it goes like a rocket! Will and Halt's relationship is fleshed out beautifully, Evanlyn (one of my fave characters!) features, and it's a really brilliant adventure story. I love this entire series, but this is definitely my fave -- head and shoulders above the others!
3.5 stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
It has been a year since I read the sixth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series and since I was looking for an Australian author to read for the Southern Hemisphere reading challenge, it seemed the perfect moment to pick this series up.
For this book I've made the change from reading it in Dutch, to English. This caused little problems (it took me quite some time to realize that Horace is Arnaut from the Dutch books), but after some initial confusion it was a good read.
Because of the time between the books, I wasn't bothered too much with the weird chronology in this part of the series (book 7 takes place before books 5 and 6). Apparently, John Flanagan decided he had show more left out some of Will's story and just added it later.
So, Erak's Ransom takes place just before Will becomes a real Ranger, and he will need everything he has learned when they venture into the desert to save an old friend, Erak, who's been captured.
I quite liked the story of this one. I felt that, compared for example with book six, more things happened and there was more suspense (though it was limited a little bit with the fact that this book takes place earlier). Will however annoyed me a little as he is turning more and more in the special snowflake one who is the only one who can solve things and is also the one who is always right. I like my main characters slightly more flawed.
Looking forward to the next book! show less
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
It has been a year since I read the sixth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series and since I was looking for an Australian author to read for the Southern Hemisphere reading challenge, it seemed the perfect moment to pick this series up.
For this book I've made the change from reading it in Dutch, to English. This caused little problems (it took me quite some time to realize that Horace is Arnaut from the Dutch books), but after some initial confusion it was a good read.
Because of the time between the books, I wasn't bothered too much with the weird chronology in this part of the series (book 7 takes place before books 5 and 6). Apparently, John Flanagan decided he had show more left out some of Will's story and just added it later.
So, Erak's Ransom takes place just before Will becomes a real Ranger, and he will need everything he has learned when they venture into the desert to save an old friend, Erak, who's been captured.
I quite liked the story of this one. I felt that, compared for example with book six, more things happened and there was more suspense (though it was limited a little bit with the fact that this book takes place earlier). Will however annoyed me a little as he is turning more and more in the special snowflake one who is the only one who can solve things and is also the one who is always right. I like my main characters slightly more flawed.
Looking forward to the next book! show less
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- Canonical title
- Erak's Ransom
- Original title
- Ranger's apprentice. Erak's ransom
- Original publication date
- 2007
- Original language*
- Angličtina
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Fiction and Literature, Tween, Kids, Fantasy, Teen
- DDC/MDS
- 823.92 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English fiction 1900- 2000-
- LCC
- PZ7 .F598284 .E — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
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