Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting adventure pits Heron crew against cult assassins.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Fresh off a victory against Socorran slavers, Capt. Hal and the brotherband crew of the Heron sail back to Araluen, where they're stationed as protectors. There's less than a moment to enjoy their success when King Duncan of Araluen calls them to his castle. His daughter, Princess Cassandra, has a price on her head, and there's been an attempt on her life already. A man named Iqbal paid a group of assassins to carry out her murder after Cassandra injured his brother. Getting to Iqbal won't be easy. He's laying siege to a seaside town, and every ship that comes near its port is overtaken, its crews enslaved or killed. The Heron crew will have to be more than cunning and find a way to coordinate with the cavalry sent to take back the town while they take the port. Of course, leave it to Hal to have an excellent plan ... but, as usual, he can't plan for everything.
Is It Any Good?
There are fewer lulls in SCORPION MOUNTAIN than in Book 4; the objective is clearer earlier on. One might wonder, what heroics are left for the Heron brotherband, who've now vanquished pirates and slave traders? A creepy mountain-dwelling cult of assassins, it seems. Sounds extra scary, but fans of the series will follow Hal and crew anywhere. It's hard to worry about them when they possess such mad skills (of which author John Flanagan reminds readers at length) -- especially after Hal crafts spectacles for Ingvar. Now that Ingvar can see, he's a fighting machine.
Readers of The Ranger's Apprentice series have the advantage of knowing the Ranger Gilan a bit better, giving a climactic scene a bit more resonance. But it's exciting till the end regardless. And it will definitely make readers wonder what on earth could be next for the brotherband in Book 6.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about inventions. What did Hal invent this time? How did it help him and his friends?
Who's your favorite member of the brotherband? How does each contribute to the crew? If you were on the crew of a ship, what do you think your role would be? Which weapon would you choose?
Have you read the rest of the series or The Ranger's Apprentice series? Will you keep reading?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Philomel
- Publication date : December 2, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 464
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate