BOOK REVIEW: Rangers Apprentice-The Burning Bridge (John Flanagan)

Book: Rangers Apprentice- The Burning Bridge

Author: John Flanagan

Rating: 7/10

Recommended Age: 10-11 +

In the second book of the series the kingdom of Araluen is preparing for war against Morgarath.

Halt and his apprentice Will, are tracking a small group of Wargals, foot soldiers  and beast recruited and control by Morgarath. They have been spotted passing through Redmont pursuing someone.
Their target is soon found as Halt and Will  stumble across the Wargals attacking one man. Despite their intervention the man is killed and Will panics when faced with charging Wargals and misses his shot,luckily Halt and Tug(Will's horse) deal with them but Will has had a huge knock to his confidence.

Looking at the dead man they find a copy of Morgaraths battle plans, this could give huge advantage in the upcoming war.


Weeks later in the middle of the night Halt's former apprentice Gilan turns up looking for help. He needs 2 people to travel to Celtica with him and wants Will and one other who can be spared to go with him. This will fulfill the Celtic requirements for a embassy invoking an alliance.
So the next day Will,Gilan and Will's friend Horace are off into Celtica to invoke the defence treaty between the two countries.

But all is not what it seems, The border post is unguarded, the towns deserted. It seems that the people have just disappeared. They make a camp and while Gilan does some investigating Will and Horace practise the combat skills using sticks, so they are left seemingly helpless when 2 bandits arrive. Fortunately  Horace still has his sword behind a rock near him and manages to dispatch the 2 opponents with ease, he's a natural swordsman after all and these are just armed thugs.

They have learnt an important lesson and with the return of Gilan restrain the thugs. This is when the Araluen girl Evanlyn  appears. She know the reason no one is around. Morgarath has sent his wargals into Celtica and driven the population to the south whilst kidnapping the miners and workmen and taking them somewhere unknown.

Gilan  rides off ahead to report to the king leaving the other 3 to follow him back. but then they see Wargals and their prisoners heading somewhere and decide to follow them. Then they make an important discovery, Morgarath is building a bridge across the fissure to allow his army to go through Celtica. But none of this was on the battle plans. Morgarath has tricked them into assembling then he's going to crush them with attacked from the west and south with wargals crossing the bridge and Skanadian mercenaries from the west.

The kingdom is sure to be defeated in a 3 sided attack unless they find a way to prevent at least one element from succeeding.

what do they do?  (The clue is in the title).   Burn the bridge

But when Will and Evanlyn get caught on the other side of the fissure after making sure the fire didn't go out they seem doomed. Prisoners of the Skandians and sentenced to slavery they are taken away. leaving Horace to ride back to Araluen to report the happenings and warn everyone.

In the coming battle will the Kingdom be able to defeat the wargals of Morgarath and the other Skandians from the west?
Will a Apprentice warrior defeat the the lord of the mountains of rain and night in single combat?
 and will Will ever see Halt and Araluen again as he's taken away on a warship?



Read the book and enjoy a adventure that keeps getting better.



A great second book of the series which conclude some things and opens  a whole new adventure. The series keeps getting better. It's a must read for anyone interested in adventure and you'd be mad not to buy the series.

Hope you found this review helpful,
The Devonian Book Reviewer.


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