434 pages
"Hal never knew his father. A Skandian warrior, he died in battle when Hal was a young boy, but his reputation lives on long after death.
Hal, unlike his esteemed father, is an outcast. In a country that values physical strength over intellect, Hal's ingenuity, and the fact that his mother was an Araleun slave, only serves to set him apart from the other boys his age.
The one thing he has in common with his peers? Brotherband training. Forced to compete in tests of endurance and strength and to learn the skills needed to become a Skandian warrior, Hal discovers that he's not the only outcast in this land of seafaring marauders. And that his battle for acceptance has just begun." -Dust Jacket
John Flanagan is one of my favorite authors. He writes fantastic adventures and even better...he publishes a book every six months! You don't have to wait a year for the next book in his series. Love that. There were at least three typos in this book which is probably a result of the condensed publishing schedule. I'd say three small typos is an okay trade for six months less wait though. I was a bit hesitant to start this new series because I loved Ranger's Apprentice and its characters so much, and didn't want to be disappointed, but there was no need to worry. RA was about the Araleuns and Brotherband Chronicles is about the Skandians so there are some crossover characters. Admittedly, the Skandians stole the show a lot of times in Ranger's Apprentice. I think chronologically this takes place after some of the RA books but not after all of them, because Erak mentions in this book how Halt and some of the Araleuns helped them defeat the Temujai warriors a few years back and that was book 4 of RA. Anyhoo, Thorn and Hal are a bit like Halt and Will from RA but different enough to hold their own in this new series and not warrant too many comparisons. I think Flanagan's brilliance is his ability to write cranky, yet soft-hearted, older men who mentor the main characters of the story. I liked that Flanagan started the story with two flashbacks that give the reader a glimpse not only at Hal's father, but also at Thorn. Thorn's former life is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the story, with the most important revelation coming from the Oberjarl Erak during a conversation with Hal in his eclectic treasure room.
Hal's brotherband (the Herons) is made up of other outcasts: Stig, Hal's best friend and a guy that has spent his life in his father's cowardly shadow, Stefan, an expert at mimicking voices, Ingvar, a huge, almost blind kid with tons of heart, Ulf and Wulf, two identical twins who just won't shut it and insist on arguing over everything, Edvin, and Jesper, a skilled thief. Hal's crew is two men smaller than the other brotherbands which is a disadvantage in the competitions, yet inspires the Herons to be creative and use their unusual skill sets. (Loved the tug-of-war and the assault/defense scenes.)
The majority of this first book is spent in brotherband training. The three brotherbands are the Herons, the Sharks and the Wolves. Tursgud, a cocky kid whose father is the Maktig (the greatest warrior) that year, is skirl of the Sharks and basically a bully. He's not even really liked by his own brotherband and everything he does is self-centered. Rollond is the skirl of the Wolves and he's a decent guy, but he tends to go along with the crowd until a pivotal moment when he stands up for Hal and his crew.
The Magyaran pirates, led by Zavac, are introduced in this book and are the big game-changers at the end of the story, taking Hal's crew from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
I can't wait to read the next book...but just in case I do, I have to put a few notes here so I can remember. I've learned that's better with a series than having to re-read the book!
{SPOILERS IF YOU KEEP READING}
-Erak cut off Thorn's hand years earlier to save his life, but it ruined his life because it took away all of his pride and ability to sail in a crew. Erak confiscated his treasure in an effort to help his friend and prevent him from spending all of his treasure on alcohol.
-Thorn and Hal's father (Mikkel) were best friends and Thorn had promised him before he died that he would take care of Hal. Losing his hand made him feel like he couldn't keep that promise.
-Hal's mother (Karina) helped Thorn out of his drunken stupor by giving him responsibilities around her eating house and mentoring Hal.
-Thorn was the Maktig for three years in a row, a feat unheard of and not accomplished before or since. Erak tells Hal this in his treasury after Thorn gives Hal his father's sword. Erak makes Hal promise not to tell Thorn that he knows but it eventually comes out. As a way of apologizing, Hal makes two prosthetic hands/hooks for Thorn. They bring the light back into Thorn's eyes and almost make him a new man, a reflection of his former self.
-The Skandians greatest treasure is the Andomal, which is guarded day and night by the best warriors. When Hal and his brotherband win the championship they are given the honor of guarding it for a night. Hal sets up the watch schedule but then ducks out to check on his ship (the Heron) to make sure that it's protected from the storm. While he's away the Andomal is stolen by Zavac. Hal and his crew must admit what's happened to Erak. Erak takes away their championship, demands that they turn in their weapons, confiscates the Heron, disbands them, wipes them off all records and awards the championship to Tursgud and the Wolves. Really though, he's done all this knowing that the Herons' only chance for redemption and a life in Hallasholm is to sneak away on the Heron and try to get back the Andomal. Hal and his crew do just that, with Thorn coming along and financing the adventure.
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