The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1

John Flanagan

Nov 2011 · The Brotherband Chronicles Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

From the author of the global phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice!

They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage - which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing. John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger's Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books.

Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Ratings and reviews

What a great book. A wonderful edition to the Ranger's Apprentice series! Stig is my favorite. Jesus loves you! No matter what!

First in the Brotherband Chronicles children's adventure-fantasy series revolving around eight young men of Hallasholm who are anxious to prove themselves to their peers and countrymen. This story is set several years after the events in The Battle for Skandia: Book Four (Ranger's Apprentice), number 4 in the Ranger's Apprentice series. My Take The prologue is half-finished which made a reveal later in the story a bit confusing. I'm not really sure why Flanagan bothered with a prologue. The main theme is team building as the eight primary characters--all outcasts in the village--come together as part of the brotherband training season. Secondary themes include strategy, humanity, and ingenuity. I liked the glossary explanations Flanagan provided; I had never thought to remember that "port" is "left" and they both have four letters. I've always remembered it as "pass the port on the left". Tells ya where my mind is at! The Story It's a critical year for Hal and Stig. They are 16 now and, with 26 others, will take part in the brotherband training this year. Teams are chosen much as kids today choose teammates and there are a number of young men this year who know they will be chosen last or forced onto a team. And so it goes, Rollond and Tursgud have each chosen 9 other teammates and neither of them wants what's left; Erak makes his own choice and determines that the remaining eight will form the third brotherband. What follows is three months of training in tactics, weapon skills, seamanship, ship handling, and navigation facing down Tursgud and the Sharks team. Proving themselves to each other, growing together as a team, and demonstrating their abilities to their people. Until that last day. The day when all falls apart. The Characters Hal Mikkelson is Thorn's protege and brilliant. He sees a way to make things better and he does it from improvements to a crossbow to ideas on indoor plumbing to prosthetics to improved sail designs. Because his mother, Karin, was brought to Skandia as a slave, many in Hallasholm still see her as one even though Mikkel freed her as soon as he bought her. Stig is his best and only friend; his father stole from his shipmates and ran off years ago. Now his mother takes in laundry to survive. Wulf and Ulf are bickering twins; Edvin is good at math but so average in every way that most don't even notice him; Jesper has real talent as a thief and pickpocket; Stefan is the village clown and an expert mimic; and, Ingvar is very strong and very nearsighted. Tursgud leads one of the boys' cliques in Hallasholm; he's tall, well-built, athletic, handsome, and an arrogant bully always bragging about his father, the Maktig. Rollond is elected as the second team leader. Erak is Oberjarl of Skandia. Sigurd is responsible for the brotherband training while Gort, Jarst, and Viggo are in charge of a team each. Thorne was a mighty warrior until the voyage when his best friend Mikkel died and he lost his hand saving the ship; in the six years since he has degenerated into a staggering drunk until one night, Karin Mikkelswife, Mikkel's widow, saves him from himself. Zavac is the captain of a pirate ship plotting to steal Skandia's greatest treasure. The Cover The cover is chilling and exciting as I'm guessing that Hal is pulling on one of the sheets as the Heron and two other ships battle a storm at sea. It's a gorgeous figurehead on Hal's ship...the boys must have added that after this story ended because it sure ain't in this story. Nor is this particular scene. The title is very accurate for the eight boys are Outcasts twice over.

This series was one I have been looking for! I read the previous series and had just started brotherband only to realize at the time you had only written outcasts. Great read for anyone of any age.

About the author

John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. John began writing Ranger’s Apprentice for his son, Michael, ten years ago, and is still hard at work on the series and its spinoff, Brotherband Chronicles. He currently lives in the suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.