Parents' Guide to

The Ruins of Gorlan: The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1

By Debra Bogart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

1st in popular series has positive characters, some battles.

The Ruins of Gorlan: The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 15 parent reviews

age 11+
A great book series for anyone who loved Harry Potter… the descriptive language could be hard for your get readers. Great characters
age 9+

Language Warning

We love the story. It is the story of an underdog who comes out on top. It has the child enemies who become best friends. However, be aware that their is a significant amount of language in the book.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (66 ):

Lovely world building, good humor, strong adult characters, and brave Will combine to make this epic livelier and more fun than many fantasies written for this age. The Ranger's Apprentice is a very popular series for good reason. Will is a very likable young man who doesn't quite recognize his own skills yet, and he's still learning that being small on the outside doesn't determine the size of his capabilities. He's not ready to believe that adults always know what's best, even if they are royalty. That stubborn streak, and similar qualities in his friends who alternately doubt and believe in themselves, make these characters real and leave them room to grow over the next volumes in the series.

For families who like fantasy or want to encourage reluctant readers, this makes a great read-aloud. And the openness of some plot lines, including whether Will become a warrior or not, only adds to its appeal.

Book Details

  • Author: John Flanagan
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Philomel
  • Publication date: July 19, 2006
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
  • Number of pages: 249
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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