Book Review: The Burning Bridge

Title: The Burning Bridge
Series: Book 2 in Ranger's Apprentice
Author: John Flanagan
Publisher/Year: Puffin / 2005
Date Finished: 6 November 2011
Source/Format: B&N / Print
Book #: 83

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It (from Amazon)
Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Rangers rally the kingdom’s allies, and Will is chosen, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn – the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassible eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king’s army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord’s plans.They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?

A Bit of a Ramble
If you read my review of the first book in the series, you know that Flanagan's tale appeals to my geeky core. The story combines heroism, loyalty, battles, intrigue, and power in a way I find truly entertaining.

This sort of pseudo-historical epic story really gets my blood pumping, and I found myself thinking about and comparing other stories like this I've read. At their core, series like the Ranger's Apprentice, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, etc. appeal to me in a way similar to series such as Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire. I am truly a nerdy teenage boy at heart. I adore the dramatic tales of adventure which are soaked in politics and magic and collusion and complication and subterfuge and swords and secret paths and.....errr...yeah, you get the idea, right?

While there are obvious and tremendous differences in reading adult and YA, these stories are the stuff of myth and legend whether written for a sixth grade jock or a middle-aged scholar. And I like it. I like it a lot. I love watching the characters grow, the plot thicken, and the setting come alive. I get caught up in the different generations and how each has its own story, its own strength, and its own weakness. My mind is fascinated by the detailed battle scenes and the strategic planning. My heart is torn by the loss and the glory that comes with battle.

I am so very glad I started this series despite the fact that it has put a serious hold on my more "academic" and "purposeful" reading. And it has completely destroyed my book buying ban. I fully intended on asking for the rest of the books in the series (11 total) for Christmas, but I couldn't wait. The next two are already on my shelf, and books five through eight are on their way in the mail. Bad Trisha.

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Question: What other adult and YA series should I be reading if this type of story gets my geek going?