
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Will, the hero of The Ruins of Gorlan, could probably have been taken in entirety from any number of authors who have written this sort of children's/YA stuff, but for me it was like I was 13 years old and reading Magician’s Apprentice by Raymond Feist. That is high praise because I read that book over and over until the cover literally fell off and the binding no longer held the pages together. Will is an orphan who has grown up around a nobleman’s keep and lived with his support. He is nothing special to speak of in his own estimation and he has goals of becoming a warrior and a hero. His history is touched on briefly and it leads nicely into later parts of the plot.
Will is not selected according to his wishes to be a warrior, but is chosen as an apprentice to... Read More