Review: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan (Ranger's Apprentice #1)

Publisher - Gorgi Yearling
Publication Date - 5th April 2007
Paperback - 304 pages
Genre - YA Fantasy

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it.

Book Info - Will, you have been chosen.

You and you alone. You will become the eyes and ears of the kingdom, learning to move silent as a shadow. Your arrow will fly true and your sword will be swift, risking your life to protect your people.

You are the Ranger's Apprentice. Are you ready?

My Thoughts - When this book arrived in the post I wasn't really sure what to make of it. I don't normally read fantasy novels but as it looked like a quick and light read I thought I would at least give it a try. And I'm really glad that I did as it was a fun book that did grip me right from the first page (in fact I almost finished it in just one sitting!)

Will is a young boy who is an orphan. He really wants to attend Battleschool and become a brave and strong knight, but he is turned down because he is too small. But the Ranger notices Will and takes him on as his apprentice. It is a Ranger's job to be a spy of sorts for his Kingdom and to put a stop to any attacks that may happen. At first Will isn't happy as not a lot is known about Ranger's, but he soon comes to appreciate the amount of skill it takes to become a good Ranger.

In a short interview with the author in the back of the book, Mr Flanagan tells the reader that he started writing this series as a way to get his young son interested in reading, and also to prove to his son (who was smaller than other boys his age at the time) that 'heroes can come in all shapes and sizes'. And I really do believe that the author has done this perfectly. He created a world that I believe a lot of young boys would be interested in reading about - monsters, heroes, learning to move around in shadows so as not to be noticed by the enemy, protecting an entire kingdom from threat. I can imagine a lot of young boys wanting to be just like Will.

As well as Will, there is another character that I really enjoyed reading about. This is Horace - another orphan who is friends with Will at the start of the book. He is accepted to Battleschool and shows a lot of natural talent but he is being bullied in a big way by three older pupils. I found his story absolutely heartbreaking to read at some points and I just fell in love with him. I can't wait to read more about Horace in future books in the series.

The storyline moves along at a good pace with a nice balance between Will learning the skills that he needs to become a Ranger (I particularly liked these scenes due to the amount of information given) and action as Will and his trainer, Halt, learn of a threat to the King and have to tackle the problem together. There is even a lovely twist at the end that brought a little tear of happiness to my eye.

Summary - A fun and interesting read that grabbed my attention from the first page. I think fans of YA fantasy (in particular, a series about a certain young wizard!) would enjoy this series, and I urge you to get yourself a copy as soon as you can!

Other books in the series:
1. The Ruins of Gorlan
2. The Burning Bridge
3. The Icebound Land
4. Oakleaf Bearers
5. The Sorcerer in the North
6. The Siege of Macindaw
7. Erak's Ransom
8. The Kings of Clonmel
9. Halt's Peril
10. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja
11. The Lost Stories

Other reviews of this book:
Blog Critics / Eclectic/Eccentric / Kids Reads / Literary Odyssey
(If you would like your review of The Ruins of Gorlan included here, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I will be sure to add it)

Follow Friday #8

Hi all and welcome to Follow Friday!

This is a great feature hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read and I am very excited to be taking part today.

Every week participants have to answer a question so that we can all get to know each other a little better. This week question is:

In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran’s Day tell us about your favorite soldier and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.

OK, this is a tough one as I don't know any soldiers in real life and as far as I can remember I haven't read about any either. So I'm going to have to go for the cop-out answer and say that I honestly think that all soldiers are amazing people who deserve a lot of respect for putting their lives on the line for the rest of us every single day!

Don't be shy. Let me know if you've found me through Follow Friday today and I'll come and return the favour!

Review: Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson #2)

Publisher - Orbit
Publication Date - 3rd July 2008
Paperback - 352 pages
Genre - Urban Fantasy

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 5 out of 5: It was amazing!

Book Info - Like most people who own their own business, I work long hours that start early in the morning. So when someone calls me in the middle of the night, they’d better be dying...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson is woken at 3am by a vampire calling in a favour. He has to deliver a message to a fellow undead and needs a witness that won’t be noticed – and Mercy’s shapeshifting abilities make her the perfect candidate. But the assignment turns into a bloodbath and Mercy attracts the attention of not just a powerful vampire, but the even more powerful demon possessing him. She can count on the supernatural community for protection – and alpha werewolf Adam would like her to rely on him in other ways too – but when it comes to being proactive, she’s on her own.

My Thoughts - Once again, I absolutely loved the character of Mercy – she is quite possibly my favourite character from an Urban Fantasy series! She is incredibly strong and brave, and she puts herself in a lot of danger in this book in order to help others and to do what she feels needs to be done. However, when she does find herself in these troublesome situations, she still manages to come across as a likeable and believable heroine due to the fear and struggles she faces when making certain decisions. Sometimes I think characters can lose a little bit of their believability if they come across as completely fearless, but this is not the case with Mercy. In fact she comes across as stronger than these other characters as she gets the job done despite the way she feels about the situation. I also really enjoy reading about Mercy’s interactions with the werewolves around her, and the way that she fits in with the Pack. This series is one of the best that I have read with regards to explaining a pack mentality and I find it fascinating to read.

But of course there are two werewolves whose interactions with Mercy I most enjoyed reading about, and these are Samuel and Adam. They both have feelings for Mercy, and she also has special feelings for them, but there are complications which stop her from being with either of them. As I said in my review for Moon Called, I am a big fan of Adam, and I have to say that I am very impressed with Mercy’s willpower as I don’t think I could have avoided the situation with Adam for as long as she has! But the fact that she has remained by herself despite the fact that she has got two very sexy werewolf males after her just goes to show how strong and independent she is. It also adds a lot of chemistry to the book, which I think could be spoilt if Mercy does ever choose between them.

We learn a lot more about the character of Samuel in Blood Bound and, because of the things that we find out about his past, he has become a much more likeable character for me. There are times when we see a very vulnerable side to him and I really started to get a feel for his character. Although I still don’t think he is right for Mercy, Samuel is definitely a great character in this series.

At the end of this novel though, the character I found myself thinking about most is Ben. He is a werewolf who we first meet in Moon Called and right from the start he is portrayed as a bad guy. He is linked with some bad things that happened a long time ago but it is never really known whether or not he was involved with these events. And throughout the course of Blood Bound we start to see another side of Ben until something very sad happens to him at the end of the book. I would really like to find out a bit more about him in future books, including whether or not he is really as bad as Mercy seems to think he is, and what really happened to him in Blood Bound. I hope that Mercy will now take the time to get to know Ben a bit better as I think that he could be a fascinating character.

Summary - Overall, I absolutely loved Blood Bound and these books are fast becoming my favourite Urban Fantasy series of all time - I highly recommend them to all fans of this genre! They are well-paced, with a good balance between characterisation, action, romance and story. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series – Iron Kissed.

Other books in the series:
1. Moon Called
2. Blood Bound
3. Iron Kissed
4. Bone Crossed
5. Silver Borne
6. River Marked
7. Frost Burned

Other reviews of this book:
Book Chick City / Dear Author / Love Vampires
(If you would like your review of Blood Bound included here, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I will be sure to add it)

Waiting on Wednesday: Fair Game

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs (Alpha and Omega #3)

When the FBI request a pack consultant on a serial killer case they’re following in Boston, Anna and Charles are sent in. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves - all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And if Charles and Anna can’t get to the bottom of this mystery, they may be next...

Review: Angel's Desire by Rosalie Lario (Fallen Warriors #2)

Publisher - Self-published
Page Count - 115 pages
Genre - Paranormal Romance

Source - Received from author for review

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it.

Book Info - In a world where angels rule over humans, twelve outcasts dare to defy expectation, warring with their angel brethren to prevent the extinction of humankind.

They are The Fallen.

Fallen angel Ethan has been outcast due to his love of humankind. In order to preserve his immortality, he must find a mate with angel blood…but the one woman he desires blames him for her father’s death. As a teenager, Tayla had a fierce crush on Ethan, her angel father’s best friend. She was humiliated when he rejected her, claiming she was too young for him. Her love turned to hate when he failed to save her father from being killed by the other angels.

Battle looms on the horizon, and Ethan can no longer afford to waste time. He must claim Tayla as his…but convincing her she’s his mate won’t be so easy.

My Thoughts - As you may have noticed, I have become a bit of a fan of Ms. Lario's work over the last couple of months and I'm glad to say that I wasn't at all disappointed in this latest installment in the Fallen Warriors series.

Once again the author has created a world so vivid that you feel as though you are standing there with the characters. I really liked Ethan - he is a strong and loyal character that you can't help but fall in love with. Tayla was ok but she did have a few little quirks that I found to be a bit irritating. The main one is her inability to let go of the past. I know that Ethan hurt her but he is doing all he can to make it up to her and prove to her how he feels, and all she can do is throw their history together back in his face. Tayla is very strong and independent, perhaps a bit too much so, and I found myself really wishing that she would learn to trust Ethan.

My main complaint about the first novella in this series was that the whole thing was so focused on the two main characters that the plotline suffered. However, Ms Lario has resolved this issue in Angel's Desire. There is a much better balance between romance, plot and action, and for me the story flowed much better because of it. Once I started reading this book I just couldn't put it down.

Summary - Another great read from Rosalie Lario! She is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and if you haven't read anything by her then I highly recommend that you do so soon. I am eagerly awaiting the third book in the series as I can't wait to find out what lies ahead for this group of very sexy fallen angels.

Other books in the series:
1. For Love of an Angel
2. Angel's Desire

Other reviews of this book:
Bitten by Paranormal Romance / Kick Back and Review / Smitten with Reading
(If you would like your review of Angel's Desire included here, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I will be sure to add it)