ratenawer.blogg.se

His resolve at the end of the book leaves the reader breathless, awaiting The Hunters (vol. When he does damage to an ally of the Brotherband, Hal is left with a compelling moral dilemma. However, Zavak slithers away in his black ship Raven with the goods. The Brotherband and their allies inflict explosive, fatal defeat on the pirates, thus saving the beleaguered town. In a dramatic episode Hal and the other teen warriors prove deadly against the pirates in an incendiary battle waged with a weapon Hal has effectively adapted, creative use of limited means, and excellent war strategy on Hal’s part. As a rebel faction, they join forces with the Herons. Her grandfather and parents were killed by pirates so she wants vengeance and collaborates with a clandestine band of other Limmatan teens. Here Hal and company meet Lydia Demarek, a Limmatan with a talent for hunting with a clever weapon choice the author has given her – it requires skill rather than brute force to be deadly. The chase leads the Brotherband to Limmat, fully under siege by the dastardly pirates. There is a scene where a victim of the pirates’ greed is tortured, then murdered in spite of his having given the information they wanted. 2), the Brotherband pursues Zavak and his men to retrieve the Skandians’ most valued treasure, which the pirates had absconded with. In the glow of their victory however, the young Brotherband makes a huge mistake that leads to a compelling cliffhanger at the end of the book. The Brotherband exceeds everyone’s expectations during training, including those of the Oberjarl, Erak Starfollower. This gives the characters time to strengthen their understanding of one another, thus empowering their bond and making them a far more effective team. Augmenting the strongly individual Brotherband members is a mentor, Thorn, a one-armed Seawolf and former alcoholic who helps to train the boys and hone their skills. Hal and each of his crew have moments of weakness, but share a desire to work together for their common goals. Identified early on as an inventor, his creative thinking in the iconoclastic design of strategic equipment and weaponry and in his quick-witted tactics in dealing with other people or in conflict make him an apt, heroic leader who must track, then contend with, the devious and malevolent pirate captain Zavac and his murderous crew. Hal, as the skirl, or leader, of this Skandian brotherhood, wrangles with himself over all aspects of his choices and feels deep responsibility to his crew. Skandians are seafarers and with Hal’s innovations to the Heron and training for his nascent crew, they evolve into thrilling masters of the winds and sea. Each of the boys has his own emotional baggage, but Hal, reminiscent of Will from the author’s previous Ranger’s Apprentice series, gathers them into a team and channels their strengths. They call themselves the Heron Brotherband after the ship that one of them, named Hal, has built. An assortment of underdog, misfit types known for various weaknesses – small size, poor anger management, weak vision, illicit behavior, or annoying personality traits, by default are thrust together as a team of leftovers, shorthanded by two. Most are excited at the prospect, although it is mandatory.

In The Outcasts, volume 1 of the trilogy, sixteen-year-old boys are divided into teams to train as Skandian warriors.

Although mostly promoting good morals, the level of violence over these first three volumes escalates beyond what some will feel is appropriate for ten-year-olds who will read all three. This fantasy adventure trilogy with a Middle Ages setting combines humor, intelligent language and complex characters to propagate a fast-paced, engaging tale awash with daring plot twists. John Flanagan’s strengths are dramatic action, innovative conflict, and complex male characters who breathe and sweat.