The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1

One of my most consistent criticisms of young adult literature featuring the youthful protagonist setting out on his first adventure is that most of the time the hero is worthless. I am sure you have all read those stories, where the main character spends his time panicking and running away and hiding while his more capable and cool allies save him. I can safely say that this is not a story of that mold. The Outcasts main character Hal is likable, competent and an intelligent leader who doesn't balk from a challenge. This is such a refreshing thing to see in a YA novel that even his slight Marty Stuness doesn't detract. In fact in many ways it works for this story, you can tell that he is a young man who has outgrown his home and will be capable of moving on to greater challenges in future books. On this front my only real concern is that his unpopularity seems like a bit out of place, he is intelligent, witty and charismatic. The idea that his mixed blood would really be such a major handicap among his peers feels artificial at times. Still this doesn't detract from the experience in any measurable sense. The supporting cast is enjoyable enough. Thorn was a good mentor character, involved enough to be interesting without overshadowing his charge and he managed his own issues without falling into overly dramatic angst. Stig was constantly brave, honest and temperamental I am looking forward to seeing his development. The other members of the brother-band were interesting but for the most part rather undefined. It felt a little bit like there were too many of them. This however I am sure will be remedied in later books as the page count rises the other Heron's should become more filled out. The villain of this piece Tursgud is everything that a youthful bully should be in a series that intends to move beyond schoolyard antics. Nasty, shortsighted and self indulgent Tursgud is a character that people love to hate without ever feeling like a real threat to the protagonist. If Tursgud had been a real threat then it would have made it much harder to believe that these characters will move on to challenge real enemies that are out to kill them in later books. Just enough annoying petty cruelty to make us cheer when the hero beats him but not a true villain. Over all a fantastic story with an interesting plot and characters all. It has also tempted me to look into sailing, I have no idea of the descriptions of seamanship are accurate but they really do sound like they are.

John Flanagan's "The Outcasts" is a book that will pull the reader into a world unlike any they have experienced. He creates a strong storyline with characters that can be easily identified with. Though it may take the reader a few pages to get into the momentum of the main story plot it is a fast- paced read that will keep pulling the reader back until they turn the last page and then it will leave them hungry for more. Flanagan is a masterful storyteller with the ability to create complex situations and have his characters think through them in a way that is extremely intelligent, rather than creating almost "magical" situations to maneuver the characters out of their problems. Flanagan did a masterful job of creating a world centered around ships that even I could follow (and I've had next to no experiences with ships). It takes a skilled writer to immerse a reader in a world with which they have no experience with or concept of. Personally, I really enjoyed the growth that the characters experienced as they learned and grew and formed their brotherband. Many will be able to compare themselves to the main character, Hal, in his quest for acceptance and his use of imagination. It also tied in to the Ranger's Apprentice series well with Flanagan's continued use of many familiar characters such as Erak and Borsa It's the right amount of familiarity mixed with enough new and interesting characters to make it a completely different series. It's the perfect beginning to another new, gripping series and I eagerly anticipate the completion of the series. The story is engaging, the characters are memorable, and all I can say is that John Flanagan has earned another devoted follower! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun, interesting read.

This book is a sort of continuation to the Ranger's Apprentice. The Apprentice as done all his training and as now moved on. The story is about a group of friends who are oddball in character which gives the strengths of the group. The adventure begins after they have finished the training and they are given the honour of guarding Scandias greatest treasure and they allow it to be stolen. So to save thier honour they set off to recover the treasure, and the actual story begins. In my opinion after reading this first book I am expecting it to be as good as the Rangers Apprentice series of books.

Our family loved this book. The character development was great. The story was so good! Would highly recommend. (My kids are 8 and 10, and hubby was totally into it and could not wait to hear more)

A good first book in the series. easy to follow the storyline and the characters are relatable. look forward to the next installment.

Sie sind Ausgestoßene, Hal, Stig und die anderen – das sind die Jungs, mit denen die anderen nichts zu tun haben wollen. Skandianer sind für ihre Größe und Stärke bekannt. Nicht diese Jungs. Das bedeutet jedoch nicht, dass sie keine Fähigkeiten haben. Und Mut – und den brauchen sie mit aller Kraft, um im ultimativen Rennen auf See gegen die anderen Gruppen, die Wölfe und die Haie, zu kämpfen. Das eisige Wasser ist ein tückisches Spielfeld. . . vor allem, wenn es nicht jeder als Spiel betrachtet.

Great story ! I loved !