Bookworm Speaks!- Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan

Bookworm Speaks!

Ranger’s Apprentice Book Seven

Erak’s Ransom

by John Flanagan

****

The Story: 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.

The Good: This is more like it! Compared to the puttering messes of books five and six, the seventh book of this series is what this series is really all about: The adventure. After Halt and Pauline are wed, it is off to the desert land of Arrida. 

The book does a good job of setting up the two part Northern story, in that in shows Will’s growth from being rather dependent on guidance from Halt and coming into his own when he is separated from the group in the sandstorm. He is forced to rely on his own wits in order to prevail, a necessary trait for any Ranger. This book shows he is ready for the exploits of Seacliff Fief. Some lessons have to be hard ones in order for them to be taught. 

A favorite aspect of this book is the setting. The desert has long been a favorite setting of Bookworm. It is such a dynamic land, full of trials and secrets. It is so different from what the character’s are used to that they have to adjust their tactics and mindsets in order to survive. Setting is very important in any book and the desert is a particularly engaging setting. The heat, the sand, and the dangerous peoples who live in it make the very land itself become a character that challenges the protagonists. It tests and challenges that character and nearly does a few in. 

In a genre dominated by mountains and forests, the desert is an excellent place to host a fantasy novel. The people who have dwelled within them in the real world have a rich and fascinating history and the author integrates real-life history and culture into the text. 

It is true that coffee was invented in the Middle East during the 10th century, in Yemen to be exact. These little historical touches add a small layer of realism to the text which makes the whole thing all the more richer.  

The Flaws: What’s interesting is that this Book actually takes place before the fifth and sixth books, just as Will is about to perform his trials to become a full Ranger. It is a little odd that the author would release the books out of order. Perhaps it was intentional to rectify the duds that were the fifth and sixth books. Anyway, for those reading the the books in order it may be a little confusing.

While Bookworm feels that it works in the book’s favor there is also something lacking in the character of Will. For the first part of the book, his character is relegated to the sidelines. It is only after that he gets separated from the group in search of missing Tug, that he really comes into his own and his part of the story comes into fruition. That may turn off readers and make them struggle through the first parts of the book. The character of Will is one of the things the readers fell in love with.

However, an opposing view would be that this tactic on the part of the author serves to illustrate a critical part of Will’s trials. For a long time, Will has depended upon the actions of others in order to prevail, for the most part, be it Halt, Gilan, or even Horace to some extent. He was a part of a team. Even when he was separated from Halt while a slave in Skandia, he was very dependent on Cassandra/Evanlyn in order to survive. This time, he truly understands what it means to be a Ranger of Arulaen.

The final flaw is once again we get into a common problem with a lot of media: The main characters travel to an exotic land where everyone seems to speak english. Its a pretty common trope in popular media that may seem rather trite and as unrealistic as you can get. Then again, having the character’s learn a new language and having to deal with that would take away a lot time from the story. Fantasy is not meant to be realistic…but it is still one of those things that can cause the reader to roll their eyes. 

Final Verdict: Ranger’s Apprentice is not about sieges and sorcerers, it is about bringing the fight to the enemy, traveling through new lands and meeting new people. This book fulfills all of that and more. 

Four out of Five Stars

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