What do you think?
Rate this book
Brotherband Chronicles #4
Slaves of Socorro
The fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Brotherband series, for fans of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones
Hal and his fellow Herons have returned home to Skandia after defeating the pirate captain Zavac and reclaiming Skandia's most prized artifact, the Andomal. With their honor restored, the Herons turn to a new mission: tracking down an old rival turned bitter enemy. Tursgud—leader of the Shark Brotherband and Hal's constant opponent—has turned from a bullying youth into a pirate and slave trader. After Tursgud captures twelve Araluen villagers to sell as slaves, the Heron crew sails into action . . . with the help of one of Araluen's finest Rangers!
Hal and his fellow Herons have returned home to Skandia after defeating the pirate captain Zavac and reclaiming Skandia's most prized artifact, the Andomal. With their honor restored, the Herons turn to a new mission: tracking down an old rival turned bitter enemy. Tursgud—leader of the Shark Brotherband and Hal's constant opponent—has turned from a bullying youth into a pirate and slave trader. After Tursgud captures twelve Araluen villagers to sell as slaves, the Heron crew sails into action . . . with the help of one of Araluen's finest Rangers!
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
902 people are currently reading
5335 people want to read
About the author
John Flanagan
111 books9,210 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
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
April 30, 2022
3,75/5
July 25, 2014
~--B-----R-----O----T----H----E-----R------B----A----N-----D---~
BOOK REVIEW
5 STARS
This amazing wonderful book blew me away, of all of the Rangers Apprentice books and Brotherbands this is by far the most well written and planned one ever! It just makes me feel at home when reading all the arguments and teasing that John has written so well. I love the new plot and even more Kloof! Kloof is this big no huge dog that Hal fond and made his own pet! It loves to chew on things such as shoes and lets just say axes and Erik's walking stick that supposedly makes Erik a more "sophisticated" person. Hehe.
My favorite part of the book is when they are at the Festival and Turgard and his thugs are drinking way to much. Erik notices and goes over there to tell them to lay off. But he catches one of the kids mumbling something under his breath, so he picks up there beer filler and takes a swig and spits it all over the table. While they all have there attention on that, he smashes the filler on the kid that mumbled under his breath! It was hilarious, but while all this is happening a certain dog picks up his "sophisticated" walking stick and takes a few bites from it! Hehe.
One of the major thing that struck me in this book was how John managed to create this hole new plot ordeal right after finishing the last 3 books that were like a mini series. But as always when I read Brotherband or re-read Ranger's Apprentice I always battle over which one I like more! But of course I usually like the one I am reading at the time! This time though I realized that even though I read RA first I feel a deeper attachment to Brotherband, because how many much more you get to see all the characters! Also how John has already learned how to write humor and how he writes in a way that makes me realize why he is my favorite author and why these are my two favorite series.
Aww, Thorn and and Karine are so cute! I love how Hal is fine with them being together and how they are fine with him knowing! I also found it funny that Lydia has to hide from the the leader of the other team that participated in the Brotherband training!
All in all this book was truly a work of art and an art that only John Flanagan could prefect! All the funny jokes and how all of the characters interact makes my experience reading these books that much better! I cant wait for the next book "Scorpion Mountain" to come out in November! If anyone wants to talk about the book just comment below! And don't forget to join my group called "Ranger's Apprentice and Brotherband Fans"!
Kenny!
~--S---L---A---V---E--S----O--F----S---O---C---O---R---R---O---~
May 19, 2014
John Flanagan is one of my favourite children's fiction authors. It helps that he's an Aussie and writes with the humour and down-to-earth style of an Aussie of course. However, I like him even beyond these elements. I like that he is one of those authors who recognises that, though they are writing for children, their stories should not be 'dumbed down' for children. I also appreciate that he writes and creates characters who are organic.
In the past week I taught a group of students about the importance of style when it links into writing. Flanagan has a style that works for him in order to create likeable, honest characters. His heroes are just heroic enough, and his villains are just villainous enough, with plenty of morals and historical information to be gleaned in between. They are stories by a storyteller who has polished his work to the point where it is solid and clean. That's not to say that it is complex to the level of greater writers, but Flanagan accepts his own particular limitations and does not aim to mess everything up in sheer exuberance.
In terms of the story here? There is a story about the Brotherband working with strange and unfamiliar faces to defeat slavers and old enemies. The story itself has less depth than Ranger's Apprentice books have had before, I will admit, but there is enough in everything working together for the story to play out nicely. And for anyone else who is a fan of Flanagan, I definitely recommend reading this.
April 13, 2015
So... after the conclusion of Book 3 selling me on this series, I'm back to sort of being tepid about it.
I can't really put my finger on what the difference is between this and Ranger's Apprentice, which is one of my Top 10 series.
I decided to read some lower-starred reviews to see what they were saying, and I think these are some of the things I came across that I agree with:
1) The characters just aren't quite as endearing.
2) The plots are slower/not as exciting, and there's a lot more technical detail that sort of bogs the story down.
3) The writing seems younger.
Particular to this - and the next book - with the characters is that they introduced Gilan, a character from RA, into these stories, and then seemed to really underutilize his character. I get that he's making a "guest appearance", so to speak, and that the heroes still have to be the Brotherband, but I sort of wondered, honestly, why they bothered adding Gilan at all in this story, since he didn't seem to add that much to the narrative...
Anyway -
To the younger writing, there is something that bugged me in this series that I don't recall in the first and that's that there's no subtext. Every emotional nuance is explained. I almost feel like Flanagan is writing this series as a "how-to book on how to become a mature young man", with such lines as "he started to get upset at what X said, but then he realized he had a point".
No one - at least of the heroes - seems to ever have a negative emotional reaction that isn't easily talked out or something.
Also, I get that this is an MG series and all, but I find it funny that in a pseudo-medievalish level world, where 19-20 year old young men are running their own ships and getting into life and death battles, they're still too young to drink and stay away from ale. (I find this double weird since the legal drinking age in Australia seems to be 18, so our heroes are even old enough to drink in modern times.)
***
Anyway -
As to this story itself, Tursgurd (sp?) is set up to be a villain, and then sort of mostly set aside and easily dealt with, and the slave dealer guy is the real major villain.
Like all the stories in this series, it's a slower build leading to a climactic battle, but I'm find the build ups slower and slower, bogged down by the aforementioned technical detail of sailing and whatnot, and the pay offs kinda meh.
This was doubly meh after being really impressed with the finale of the last book.
One review I read of either this book or the next said that Flanagan should've left the series a trilogy, because the third book ended so well and these next two sort of are a let down after that and feel like filler. Sadly, I can't help but agree...
I can't really put my finger on what the difference is between this and Ranger's Apprentice, which is one of my Top 10 series.
I decided to read some lower-starred reviews to see what they were saying, and I think these are some of the things I came across that I agree with:
1) The characters just aren't quite as endearing.
2) The plots are slower/not as exciting, and there's a lot more technical detail that sort of bogs the story down.
3) The writing seems younger.
Particular to this - and the next book - with the characters is that they introduced Gilan, a character from RA, into these stories, and then seemed to really underutilize his character. I get that he's making a "guest appearance", so to speak, and that the heroes still have to be the Brotherband, but I sort of wondered, honestly, why they bothered adding Gilan at all in this story, since he didn't seem to add that much to the narrative...
Anyway -
To the younger writing, there is something that bugged me in this series that I don't recall in the first and that's that there's no subtext. Every emotional nuance is explained. I almost feel like Flanagan is writing this series as a "how-to book on how to become a mature young man", with such lines as "he started to get upset at what X said, but then he realized he had a point".
No one - at least of the heroes - seems to ever have a negative emotional reaction that isn't easily talked out or something.
Also, I get that this is an MG series and all, but I find it funny that in a pseudo-medievalish level world, where 19-20 year old young men are running their own ships and getting into life and death battles, they're still too young to drink and stay away from ale. (I find this double weird since the legal drinking age in Australia seems to be 18, so our heroes are even old enough to drink in modern times.)
***
Anyway -
As to this story itself, Tursgurd (sp?) is set up to be a villain, and then sort of mostly set aside and easily dealt with, and the slave dealer guy is the real major villain.
Like all the stories in this series, it's a slower build leading to a climactic battle, but I'm find the build ups slower and slower, bogged down by the aforementioned technical detail of sailing and whatnot, and the pay offs kinda meh.
This was doubly meh after being really impressed with the finale of the last book.
One review I read of either this book or the next said that Flanagan should've left the series a trilogy, because the third book ended so well and these next two sort of are a let down after that and feel like filler. Sadly, I can't help but agree...
March 15, 2015
This book was sooooooooooooooooooooo good!
I really liked the action and supense in the book. As always, John Flanagan's book failed to dissapoint me. There was actoin, fighting, or suspense with the come of each new word. I liked how the book kept me reading and how the characters all had a strong mind of their own. I like the friendship and teamwork displayed by the brotherband as well.
I would definitely recommend it to any one, but it is crucial to read the first three books first.
I really liked the action and supense in the book. As always, John Flanagan's book failed to dissapoint me. There was actoin, fighting, or suspense with the come of each new word. I liked how the book kept me reading and how the characters all had a strong mind of their own. I like the friendship and teamwork displayed by the brotherband as well.
I would definitely recommend it to any one, but it is crucial to read the first three books first.
May 2, 2017
This was my favorite in the Brotherband series so far, quite possible because this is the first book that combined characters from Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband. Hal and his team of Herons are on a new mission, to track down Tursgud who has turned into a slave trader. Stopping in Araluen the Herons meet Ranger, Gilan, who joins them on their journey.
I love watching Flanagan’s characters grow. Hal is a stronger leader, yet he still has much to learn. Stig has calmed down tremendously since the first book. And Thorn is a far cry from the pitiful drunk he once was. The antics between Ulf and Wulf had be chuckling, especially when they realized they had found a new victim in GIlan. Having said that, one thing I really enjoyed about this book was bringing Gilan into the story. You see a side of the Rangers from the Skandians perspective. I felt his character brought the two series together, even though you know they relate with tidbits of the first series thrown into this one. This made the book seem full circle.
The first three in this series all tie together, where this is the first book on its own path. The mission is the previous ones has been completed, and now you see the Herons off to explore new places and meet “familiar” people. I am very eager to read the fifth book in the series.
I love watching Flanagan’s characters grow. Hal is a stronger leader, yet he still has much to learn. Stig has calmed down tremendously since the first book. And Thorn is a far cry from the pitiful drunk he once was. The antics between Ulf and Wulf had be chuckling, especially when they realized they had found a new victim in GIlan. Having said that, one thing I really enjoyed about this book was bringing Gilan into the story. You see a side of the Rangers from the Skandians perspective. I felt his character brought the two series together, even though you know they relate with tidbits of the first series thrown into this one. This made the book seem full circle.
The first three in this series all tie together, where this is the first book on its own path. The mission is the previous ones has been completed, and now you see the Herons off to explore new places and meet “familiar” people. I am very eager to read the fifth book in the series.
November 23, 2014
Fourth in the Brotherband Chronicles fantasy series for middle-grade readers revolving around Hal Mikkelson and his young crew aboard the revolutionary Heron and heading into an encounter with the Rangers of Araluen.
My Take
Noooo. I don't wanna wait…! I cannot believe this is only four installments into the series. I feel as though I've already spent so much time with the Herons, that I've known them for ages. And I can't wait for Scorpion Mountain , 5, to come out December 2, 2014. Partly because Slaves of Socorro is more of an introduction to the next set of adventures for Hal and the Herons.
Slaves of Socorro is a grand adventure with men of honor. I can't really call Hal and his crew boys, these boys are men. Honorable men. It's action and fun with good morals for your kids. Nor do they simply run into chaos, instead they plan for it. Not a bad trait to encourage, lol.
Although I did find the two fracases in the gold market clumsily written, and the lack of intelligence gathering about the slave market was a big misstep. Then there was Lydia's over-the-top reaction to Thorn's idea, but I suppose Flanagan needs to get the drama and tension in somewhere.
Turns out that Thorn cleans up well…and Hal may be getting a new dad.
Flanagan sets it up nicely to ensure that others learn to use the Mangler.
It is a lovely example of karma catchin' up to ya.
The Story
It's a well-timed trip in so many ways for Lydia is under siege and the boys are bored running routine patrols. Erik's decision to sent them to Araluen to relieve the duty ship there is perfect. Especially for the merchant ship that's sinking and then the 12 villagers from Deaton's Mill who are captured by slavers.
Both incidents are Tursgud's doing. And the Herons are willing to chase him down and recover those slaves, and hopefully, take Tursgud down.
The Characters
Hal Mikkelson, the skirl of the Heron, is consulting on reworking the sails of other Skandian in between sailing patrols with the rest of the Herons: Stig is his first mate and Thorn's battle lieutenant; Thorn is the older crew member, the Battle leader with his one hand and the removable implements Hal has created for his right hand; Edvin is their medic and chef; Jesper is the former thief; Stefan; Ingvar is their "mountain", the only one who can cock and load the Mangler — kinda makes up for his nearsightedness; and, Ulf and Wulf are the arguing twins brilliant at trimming the sails. From Limmat (see The Invaders , 2), Lydia Demarek is still with the Herons, an honorary and valued member of the fighting crew. Karina is Hal's mother, and she runs a restaurant. Kloof is the new pony, oops, I mean, dog, that Hal finds.
Erak is the Oberjarl, the ruler of Skandia at Hallasholm. Svengal is his constant companion and friend. Anders is the somewhat skeptical shipwright. Bjarni Bentfinger is even more uncertain — it's his ship! Rollond is a contemporary of Hal and the boys. A nice guy and leader of the Wolf Brotherband, he's interested in courting Lydia. Tark is one of the harbor watchmen. Gundal Leifson fetches a suddenly, um, customized ax.
Tursgud is the leader of the Shark Brotherband and has turned from a bullying youth into a pirate and slave trader. Daddy bought him a ship, Nightwolf , in hopes of creating a sense of purpose in his son. Kjord is one of his crew.
Araluen
Gilan is the Ranger who meets Hal and the Heron's crew. King Duncan rules in Araluen and will turn out to be grateful for that treaty. The Princess Cassandra, now married to Horace ( The Lost Stories , 10.7), had an alias some time ago, Evanlyn (see The Icebound Land , 3).
Village of Cresthaven
Wolfspear is the current duty ship and is captained by Jurgen Half-Foot. William is the headman for the village of Cresthaven where Heron will be based. His fellow councilors are Gryff Seeder and Sloan Wheelwright.
Village of Deaton's Mill
Gough is the villager who reports the attack and kidnapping of twelve of their people including Ophelia, Walton who is their spokesman, and George and Abel (whom I wouldn't have minded being left behind). Ben Tonkin is another villager.
Jerard is the Gallican captain of the foundering Hirondelle. Moondarkers are wreckers.
Socorro is…
…a desert Arridi town that holds slave auctions. The gold market, a.k.a., the souk , does not permit women to enter. Colonel Bekara is the commander of the souk garrison. The Bey rules and earns taxes on all transactions. Mahmel is the jerk in charge of the slave auction; Saleema is his long-suffering wife. Corporal Jemdal Oran is assigned to the Third Patrol of the dooryeh, the Bey's guards. Tarik is one of the prison guards. Asaroki are brigands who roam in groups, attacking the vulnerable. Bernardo is a prisoner whose karma catches up with him too. Jimpani is one of the Zambazi warriors Hal frees.
The Cover and Title
The cover is browns and blue as the Nightwolf surges forward with its vertically striped sail and its oars out for some reason. Quite satisfying to watch the ship moving so fast. The title is an embossed gold foil with deep shadows, the author's name is gold foil and those same shadows while the title has the shadows but a white fill instead of the gold. The extra bit of information is simply white.
The title is what Hal and his friends are after, the Slaves of Socorro.
My Take
Noooo. I don't wanna wait…! I cannot believe this is only four installments into the series. I feel as though I've already spent so much time with the Herons, that I've known them for ages. And I can't wait for Scorpion Mountain , 5, to come out December 2, 2014. Partly because Slaves of Socorro is more of an introduction to the next set of adventures for Hal and the Herons.
Slaves of Socorro is a grand adventure with men of honor. I can't really call Hal and his crew boys, these boys are men. Honorable men. It's action and fun with good morals for your kids. Nor do they simply run into chaos, instead they plan for it. Not a bad trait to encourage, lol.
Although I did find the two fracases in the gold market clumsily written, and the lack of intelligence gathering about the slave market was a big misstep. Then there was Lydia's over-the-top reaction to Thorn's idea, but I suppose Flanagan needs to get the drama and tension in somewhere.
Turns out that Thorn cleans up well…and Hal may be getting a new dad.
This one's too funny…
"'My father replaced the handle and I replaced the head,' he said. 'But otherwise, it's completely original.'"
Flanagan sets it up nicely to ensure that others learn to use the Mangler.
It is a lovely example of karma catchin' up to ya.
The Story
It's a well-timed trip in so many ways for Lydia is under siege and the boys are bored running routine patrols. Erik's decision to sent them to Araluen to relieve the duty ship there is perfect. Especially for the merchant ship that's sinking and then the 12 villagers from Deaton's Mill who are captured by slavers.
Both incidents are Tursgud's doing. And the Herons are willing to chase him down and recover those slaves, and hopefully, take Tursgud down.
The Characters
Hal Mikkelson, the skirl of the Heron, is consulting on reworking the sails of other Skandian in between sailing patrols with the rest of the Herons: Stig is his first mate and Thorn's battle lieutenant; Thorn is the older crew member, the Battle leader with his one hand and the removable implements Hal has created for his right hand; Edvin is their medic and chef; Jesper is the former thief; Stefan; Ingvar is their "mountain", the only one who can cock and load the Mangler — kinda makes up for his nearsightedness; and, Ulf and Wulf are the arguing twins brilliant at trimming the sails. From Limmat (see The Invaders , 2), Lydia Demarek is still with the Herons, an honorary and valued member of the fighting crew. Karina is Hal's mother, and she runs a restaurant. Kloof is the new pony, oops, I mean, dog, that Hal finds.
Erak is the Oberjarl, the ruler of Skandia at Hallasholm. Svengal is his constant companion and friend. Anders is the somewhat skeptical shipwright. Bjarni Bentfinger is even more uncertain — it's his ship! Rollond is a contemporary of Hal and the boys. A nice guy and leader of the Wolf Brotherband, he's interested in courting Lydia. Tark is one of the harbor watchmen. Gundal Leifson fetches a suddenly, um, customized ax.
Tursgud is the leader of the Shark Brotherband and has turned from a bullying youth into a pirate and slave trader. Daddy bought him a ship, Nightwolf , in hopes of creating a sense of purpose in his son. Kjord is one of his crew.
Araluen
Gilan is the Ranger who meets Hal and the Heron's crew. King Duncan rules in Araluen and will turn out to be grateful for that treaty. The Princess Cassandra, now married to Horace ( The Lost Stories , 10.7), had an alias some time ago, Evanlyn (see The Icebound Land , 3).
Village of Cresthaven
Wolfspear is the current duty ship and is captained by Jurgen Half-Foot. William is the headman for the village of Cresthaven where Heron will be based. His fellow councilors are Gryff Seeder and Sloan Wheelwright.
Village of Deaton's Mill
Gough is the villager who reports the attack and kidnapping of twelve of their people including Ophelia, Walton who is their spokesman, and George and Abel (whom I wouldn't have minded being left behind). Ben Tonkin is another villager.
Jerard is the Gallican captain of the foundering Hirondelle. Moondarkers are wreckers.
Socorro is…
…a desert Arridi town that holds slave auctions. The gold market, a.k.a., the souk , does not permit women to enter. Colonel Bekara is the commander of the souk garrison. The Bey rules and earns taxes on all transactions. Mahmel is the jerk in charge of the slave auction; Saleema is his long-suffering wife. Corporal Jemdal Oran is assigned to the Third Patrol of the dooryeh, the Bey's guards. Tarik is one of the prison guards. Asaroki are brigands who roam in groups, attacking the vulnerable. Bernardo is a prisoner whose karma catches up with him too. Jimpani is one of the Zambazi warriors Hal frees.
The Cover and Title
The cover is browns and blue as the Nightwolf surges forward with its vertically striped sail and its oars out for some reason. Quite satisfying to watch the ship moving so fast. The title is an embossed gold foil with deep shadows, the author's name is gold foil and those same shadows while the title has the shadows but a white fill instead of the gold. The extra bit of information is simply white.
The title is what Hal and his friends are after, the Slaves of Socorro.
April 6, 2024
Another amazing book from John Flanagan. This serie is as good as the first one.
December 1, 2025
3,5 ster w
Was er zo doorheen en heb van het verhaal genoten, maar miste wat diepgang t.o.v. de vorige boeken
Was er zo doorheen en heb van het verhaal genoten, maar miste wat diepgang t.o.v. de vorige boeken
February 18, 2016
De boekenreeks de Grijze Jager is altijd een van mijn tienerfavorieten geweest. Na het twaalfde boek werd het epos helaas afgerond en begon Flanagan 'Broederband' dat zich in dezelfde periode en wereld afspeelt als die van de Grijze Jager. Het gaat over de bemanning van het schip 'De Reiger', een groepje buitenbeentjes. De eerste trilogie van de reeks vervulde mijn hoge verwachtingen: de typische Britse (of Australische?) humor, de avonturen, het 'buitenbeentje' dat zichzelf wil en zál bewijzen...
Bij het vierde deel heb ik een beetje mijn twijfels gehad, alhoewel ik het boek op zo'n 10 dagen heb uitgelezen, waardoor het aan spanning zeker niet ontbreekt. Het boek voelt aan als een uitgerekt kortverhaal of slechts 'prequel' op een nieuw epos. Er is werkelijk niets misgegaan tijdens de avonturen van de Reigers, wat voor mij afdoet aan de geloofwaardigheid. De bemanning wordt uitgenodigd (na een lange inleiding over koetjes en kalfjes) bij de koning van Araluen, wanneer ze plots horen dat er een plundering Is gebeurd in een naburig dorpje. Verder gaat het boek dus over de bevrijding van enkele gevangen van die plundering, wat het kortverhaal-gehalte alleen maar doet stijgen.
Verder lijkt het ook alsof de schrijver zijn grote publiek voor de Grijze Jager terug wil door een bekende 'grijze jager' een hoofdrol te geven.
Maar goed, ondanks dat het verhaal misschien lijkt op een enorm uitgerekte prequel, moet dat niet per se als kritiek opgevat worden en is het volgende boek misschien ook een echte kanjer. Het staat al te wachten in mijn boekenkast. Stel me niet teleur, meneer Flanagan!
Bij het vierde deel heb ik een beetje mijn twijfels gehad, alhoewel ik het boek op zo'n 10 dagen heb uitgelezen, waardoor het aan spanning zeker niet ontbreekt. Het boek voelt aan als een uitgerekt kortverhaal of slechts 'prequel' op een nieuw epos. Er is werkelijk niets misgegaan tijdens de avonturen van de Reigers, wat voor mij afdoet aan de geloofwaardigheid. De bemanning wordt uitgenodigd (na een lange inleiding over koetjes en kalfjes) bij de koning van Araluen, wanneer ze plots horen dat er een plundering Is gebeurd in een naburig dorpje. Verder gaat het boek dus over de bevrijding van enkele gevangen van die plundering, wat het kortverhaal-gehalte alleen maar doet stijgen.
Verder lijkt het ook alsof de schrijver zijn grote publiek voor de Grijze Jager terug wil door een bekende 'grijze jager' een hoofdrol te geven.
Maar goed, ondanks dat het verhaal misschien lijkt op een enorm uitgerekte prequel, moet dat niet per se als kritiek opgevat worden en is het volgende boek misschien ook een echte kanjer. Het staat al te wachten in mijn boekenkast. Stel me niet teleur, meneer Flanagan!
November 22, 2019
A more straightforward book in this series, the story is carried (as always) by great writing and characters. There’s not as much to be said about cleverness or excitement, as the story is pretty cut and dry. One of the highlights is a small crossover with the Ranger’s Apprentice series, where a Ranger joins with the crew for this journey. There’s enough attention paid to him that we do get a good contrasting feel between Araluean and Skandian weapons and tactics. Otherwise, there’s no real set up for the next book, and that’s fine; I just wish that the story told here was more enjoyable.
June 26, 2024
In Kloef we trust
April 21, 2025
I almost gave this one 3 stars as I didn’t think it was as good as the others in the series have been. Lydia’s character wasn’t as strong and seemed to be for moody and petulant. I hope that doesn’t continue. The author always spends a lot of time on description and the venue changes resulted in even more than usual and that made the story drag. I have always liked Gillan but his character wasn’t as super-human as Ranger’s should be. Some of the character development is heading in the wrong direction as the twins get more annoying and Jesper more shifty. I did like the development of Ingvar’s character and think he is under appreciated by the group. The dog Kloof was not my favorite. It would seem that a dog that smart could be taught not to chew on everything he finds. It is always a risk as you read a series that the later books don’t measure up to the early ones. I am hopeful things will get better, or at least stabilize as the series moves forward.
July 5, 2024
3.5 stars. A standard Brotherband book, very much in line with the others.
Content:
The language is clean. There is no real romance to date and no magic. They have a number of Norse-like gods, but religion doesn’t play much part in the story
Content:
The language is clean. There is no real romance to date and no magic. They have a number of Norse-like gods, but religion doesn’t play much part in the story
March 29, 2025
Another solid book from Flanagan. I felt this one was more compelling than the last two, possibly because it was more of a "heist plot" than a "chase plot." It was nice having this have a little more of a tie to the Ranger's Apprentice series too. There were several times in this book where I would tell my wife I wanted to keep reading because I was "at a good part." It's nice to have a book where that happens repeatedly!
February 2, 2020
Leest lekker weg en doet dus precies wat ik ervan verwacht.
Slordige redactie. Voorbeeld: de naam van Arnaut wordt in dit boek niet vertaald.
Slordige redactie. Voorbeeld: de naam van Arnaut wordt in dit boek niet vertaald.
Read
April 3, 2021Oh, i really love this series!!!!!
April 9, 2024
Bardzo fajna kontynuacja, akcja trochę zwolniła względem poprzedniej części, ale w żadnych wypadku nie było miejsca na nudę.
March 28, 2023
4,5
Gilan kocham cię.
Wgl to kocham ich wszystkich.
Gilan kocham cię.
Wgl to kocham ich wszystkich.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2017
Tak nějak si stále nemohou zvyknout, že už to není Hraničářův učeň a dobrodružství s Volavkami už zkrátka není to pravé ořechové. Ale návrat ke kořenům zde působil až nostalgicky, i když postava Gilana byla do určité míry zklamáním.
October 20, 2022
Spannender en vlotter dan deel 3! Goed verhaal en nóg leuker door de komst van een Grijze Jager :-)
October 26, 2022
As always, with John Flanagan, a solid adventure story.
Read
August 31, 2023Ja, erg leuk verhaal. Hou wel van deze humor.
May 6, 2017
De reigers gaan op missie naar Araluen. 'Yeah!' dacht ik, maar helaas blijven ze daar niet lang... Aardig verhaal, soms wat langdradig.
December 12, 2018
So in love with this series
May 30, 2024
niby friends forever a jednak trochę wykreowani są jakby bez Hala byli nikim. głupie troche😁
September 28, 2014
Thoughts on the Overall Book: I've enjoyed the Brotherband Chronicles so far, and I did like this one, I don't think I'll ever hate John Flanagan's books (though I'm still not happy about Maddie, but that's beside the point) this one is just not the best book in the series. I was just a little disappointed.
Cover--Yea or Nay: I do like the cover, though I'm annoyed they changed the scheme. It's not bad, I just hate it when they do that because then the books don't match on the shelf. (it's a pet peeve of mine)
Characters: My opinions of the characters have not changed since the last book. I still like Hal and his crew, and Thorn is awesome as always, and Lydia seems unnecessary. I still think she would have been a better character had she been a younger boy instead of a girl and accomplished the same thing, but whatever. I did really enjoy seeing Gilan again, he was always one of my favorite characters in the Rangers books. There really weren't that many new character introduced, and I'll talk more about that later.
The Romance: None. I was super glad that a love triangle didn't develop between Hal, Stig and Lydia which is what I was afraid of.
Writing Style: Typical for John Flanagan. It was a little slow to start, which seems to be expected with the Brotherband books which never seemed to be quite the same with the Rangers Apprentice books.
Accuracy/ Believability: About as believable as ever. I think there should have been a few more issues with their mission personally; it just seemed to go a little smoothly, but that's just my opinion.
Problems/What bothered me: My main problem with this book, which made me not enjoy it quite as much as the others was that it just seemed like a filler book. It just didn't have the danger or urgent feel to the other Brotherband books and definitely not like the Rangers books. I don't think I was on the edge of my seat worrying about any of the characters at all during this book. It just seemed like nothing bad could happen, and no one was put in peril. That disappointed me because usually John Flanagan will give us a little more something that his other books had. There weren't any really good baddies either. I never really saw Tursgud as a villain so much as I did just a rival who Hal butted heads with, so he wasn't scary .
Conclusion: 3 stars. I did enjoy the book because I liked the characters, but it definitely wasn't the best book in the series and definitely not John Flanagan's best work. I am looking forward to the next book though, because I think it should be more meaty. Like I said, this book just seemed more of a filler novel
Recommended Audience: Obviously, if you've read the others, then you should read this one. Girl or guy read ages 12 and up
Cover--Yea or Nay: I do like the cover, though I'm annoyed they changed the scheme. It's not bad, I just hate it when they do that because then the books don't match on the shelf. (it's a pet peeve of mine)
Characters: My opinions of the characters have not changed since the last book. I still like Hal and his crew, and Thorn is awesome as always, and Lydia seems unnecessary. I still think she would have been a better character had she been a younger boy instead of a girl and accomplished the same thing, but whatever. I did really enjoy seeing Gilan again, he was always one of my favorite characters in the Rangers books. There really weren't that many new character introduced, and I'll talk more about that later.
The Romance: None. I was super glad that a love triangle didn't develop between Hal, Stig and Lydia which is what I was afraid of.
Writing Style: Typical for John Flanagan. It was a little slow to start, which seems to be expected with the Brotherband books which never seemed to be quite the same with the Rangers Apprentice books.
Accuracy/ Believability: About as believable as ever. I think there should have been a few more issues with their mission personally; it just seemed to go a little smoothly, but that's just my opinion.
Problems/What bothered me: My main problem with this book, which made me not enjoy it quite as much as the others was that it just seemed like a filler book. It just didn't have the danger or urgent feel to the other Brotherband books and definitely not like the Rangers books. I don't think I was on the edge of my seat worrying about any of the characters at all during this book. It just seemed like nothing bad could happen, and no one was put in peril. That disappointed me because usually John Flanagan will give us a little more something that his other books had. There weren't any really good baddies either. I never really saw Tursgud as a villain so much as I did just a rival who Hal butted heads with, so he wasn't scary .
Conclusion: 3 stars. I did enjoy the book because I liked the characters, but it definitely wasn't the best book in the series and definitely not John Flanagan's best work. I am looking forward to the next book though, because I think it should be more meaty. Like I said, this book just seemed more of a filler novel
Recommended Audience: Obviously, if you've read the others, then you should read this one. Girl or guy read ages 12 and up
January 2, 2016
Overall an okay installment. After the Heron Brotherband returns home with the Andomal and an additional member, life seems good for them all. That is until they get caught up with saving a group of Araluen slaves and an encounter with an old enemy. We get to see more of the Heron brotherband interacting, the introduction of a new character and new lands which was pretty fun. However, the story was so slow! I also didn't get enough action and relevant info from this, making it a pretty weak tale.
The narrative suffers from the same problem as the rest of Flanagan's series, oversharing. He tends of explain too much of the characters' motives and thoughts through dialogue or through exposition when it should be shown through action which takes from character development. Furthermore his attempts of humorous conduct between a couple of the characters, namely Thorn and Lydia, are starting to become forced and trite. He keeps repeating the same formula and it was getting on my nerves early on in the story. All of this resulted in a very slow pace for much of the middle. I'm hoping for a more exciting plot for the next book.
The narrative suffers from the same problem as the rest of Flanagan's series, oversharing. He tends of explain too much of the characters' motives and thoughts through dialogue or through exposition when it should be shown through action which takes from character development. Furthermore his attempts of humorous conduct between a couple of the characters, namely Thorn and Lydia, are starting to become forced and trite. He keeps repeating the same formula and it was getting on my nerves early on in the story. All of this resulted in a very slow pace for much of the middle. I'm hoping for a more exciting plot for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews