The Tournament at Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice: The Early Years)

Product Description

A New York Times bestseller!From John Flanagan, author of the worldwide bestselling Ranger’s Apprentice (soon to be a major motion picture)—
the first in a new prequel series featuring one of our favorite Rangers, Halt!
 
When Halt and Crowley discover that the ambitious Morgarath has been infiltrating the Rangers in order to corrupt the Corps, the young Rangers travel north to find Prince Duncan, seeking a royal warrant to stop Morgarath before it is too late. By weakening the Rangers, the most powerful force in support of the King, Morgarath plans to steal the throne.

Yet when Halt and Crowley arrive in Gorlan, they discover just how close Morgarath’s scheme is to success. Morgarath has a plan to discredit the Prince and alienate him from his father. At the same time, the Baron of Gorlan has been conspiring to win the trust and admiration of the Council of Barons to further his plan. If the young Rangers are to prevent the coup from succeeding, they will have to tread a dangerous path, which leads them to a thrilling climax at the annual tournament at Gorlan, where a series of bitter duels must be fought and won.

This origin story brings readers to a time before Will was an apprentice, and lays the groundwork for the epic battles that will culminate with
The Ruins of Gorlan and
The Burning Bridge—Books 1 and 2 of the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

Review

 Praise for the New York Times bestselling Tournament at Gorlan

* “Action and intrigue, great characters, and a properly scary villain make this book an absolute necessity for any library. With appeal for both boys and girls, libraries can anticipate a waiting list for this title and great anticipation for the sequel.”–
School Library Connection, starred review

“Flanagan’s familiar mix of action, humor, and cliff-hanger endings will have fans and newbies hooked.”–
School Library Journal

About the Author

John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer, and after a successful career in advertising and television, he began writing a series of short stories for his son, Michael, in order to encourage him to read. Those stories would eventually become 
The Ruins of Gorlan, Book 1 of the Ranger’s Apprentice epic. Together with his companion series, Brotherband Chronicles, the novels of John Flanagan have sold millions of copies and made readers of kids the world over. Mr. Flanagan lives in the suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.
 
You can visit John Flanagan at
 
www.RangersApprentice.com
www.BrotherbandChronicles.com

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1
It had been raining for a week.

Not heavy rain, but a steady, persistent, soaking rain that finally overcame the protective oil in their woolen cloaks and worked its way into the fabric itself, making it heavy and sodden.

And cold.

As they had done for the previous few nights, Halt and Crowley were camping out in the woods. Halt suggested that they should avoid towns and villages until they were sure they were clear of Morgarath’s sphere of influence, and Crowley initially agreed. Halt, after all, had more experience of traveling as a fugitive than he did. Now, however, he wasn’t quite so sure about the decision.

They were sitting under a rectangular oilskin sheet that they had spread between four trees, with the lower side angled so that the rain would run off it. The ground beneath them was saturated and they had constructed low cots from tree branches to keep them off the wet earth. Each cot consisted of a rectangular frame, with a series of short crosspieces, and leafy boughs laid across it to form a rough mattress. Each day, they would disassemble the frames and carry the longer timber pieces with them, lashed in a bundle.

A few meters away, their horses were tethered. The animals huddled together, sharing their body warmth and keeping their hindquart