The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice, #2)

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The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice #2)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 31,568 ratings · 1,249 reviews

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

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Hardcover, 262 pages

Published June 8th 2006 by Philomel (first published May 2nd 2005)

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Sep 08, 2012 Ryelor rated it 2 of 5 stars

I tried to give this series a fair shot, I really did. After the first book I wasn't convinced but figured that a lot of series get better as the story advances. Unfortunately, I enjoyed this novel less than the first one. Granted, the concept of rangers was very appealing, and I really wanted to lose myself in the novel, but for some reason I could not get into Falanagan's writing style or the way he forms his prose. His writing has a very "spoken" quality to it, meaning it reads as if he relat...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is very well written, not only grammatically, but in the emotion that the author can draw out of the reader. The story plot line is exceptional, and creates a world you can truly believe exists. This atmosphere in the book is so realistic, you become immersed in the world inside the book. The book is actually the second in a series. However, in the first two pages it explains the background, and then dives right in, not wasting time on lengthy unnecessary explanations. The story begins...more

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Mar 10, 2008 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-fiction, heroes-heroines, fantasy

The author’s command of the language allows the continuation of the story of The Ranger's Apprentice to flow with ease and familiarity. Characters become those you care about, nervous and anxious when they are in danger and happy and satisfied when a job is well-done. The on-going story starts with the The Ruins of Gorlan and your memory is refreshed in such a way that it is not merely rehashing and reiterating the beginning over again , but a gentle reminder of what proceeded at the start of th...more The author’s command of the language allows the continuation of the story of The Ranger's Apprentice to flow with ease and familiarity. Characters become those you care about, nervous and anxious when they are in danger and happy and satisfied when a job is well-done. The on-going story starts with the The Ruins of Gorlan and your memory is refreshed in such a way that it is not merely rehashing and reiterating the beginning over again , but a gentle reminder of what proceeded at the start of the saga.

Halt, and his apprentice Ranger, Will are continuing their training of the ranger method, as Horace, Will's orphanage mate, is training on the battleschool field. The first inklings of an invasion by evil and sadistic Morgarath and his Wargals is becoming apparent. Gilan, a trusted fellow ranger, was the first ranger trained by Halt.He is sent on a mission with Will and Horace to enlist the help of the secretive Celtica nation, a nation known for their mastery of mining, welding and tunnel excavations. When passing through many towns in Celtica, an ominous foreboding is surrounding the towns…they are virtually empty of life and it is evident that they have left their homes in haste. What happened to them? Why does Gilan, Halt and Horace sense that it has something to do with Morgarath?

An adventure story, touched ever-so-slightly by fantasy elements, is filled with battle strategy and maneuvers,strong yet compassionate men, no-good, money loving mercenaries and intelligent and beautiful women. The Wargals, half-men half-bearlike creatures are controlled by Morgarath. Their brute force is unmatched, yet their every move is controlled through the brain-washing effects dictated by Morgarath. Will, Horace, Gilan and Halt combine efforts to aid King Duncan of Araluen in the defeat of Morgarath. Will, Horace, Halt and Gilan , along with newcomer Evanlyn (Cassandra)all contribute to Morgarath's demise, but the story does not end conveniently, as Will and Evanlyn, seemed doomed to a life of slavery with their capture by the Skandias. Will Halt let that happen? I assume we will all find out in the third book of the series.
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Jul 07, 2008 Congoking rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 24, 2012 Amreen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-want-to-own, 5-stars

Me before reading The Burning Bridge: Oh my gosh I'm so excited to read this, ugh but I have other books to read but Im going to abandon those for this one because I miss Will's adventures.

Me immediately after reading The Burning Bridge: OH MY FUDGE GOSH WHAT? NO WTH THERE HAS TO BE MORE THERE HAS TO BE MORE AHHHHHHHHHHHH *scream that lasts for 10 minutes then slowly transfers into sobs* NO NO NO NO I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS IS THE END AHHHHHHHHHHHH IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS MACARONI NOT FAIR NOT F...more Me before reading The Burning Bridge: Oh my gosh I'm so excited to read this, ugh but I have other books to read but Im going to abandon those for this one because I miss Will's adventures.

Me immediately after reading The Burning Bridge: OH MY FUDGE GOSH WHAT? NO WTH THERE HAS TO BE MORE THERE HAS TO BE MORE AHHHHHHHHHHHH *scream that lasts for 10 minutes then slowly transfers into sobs* NO NO NO NO I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS IS THE END AHHHHHHHHHHHH IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS MACARONI NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!!!!! I am honestly at a loss for words except for WHAT THE IN THE NAME OF KING DUNCAN JUST HAPPENED? Honestly THEE most torturing CLIFFIE in history of books. I am seething. Ugh this is so BLAH

I will go get a snack and do a proper review after I gather my thoughts and mop up the sea of tears that have splattered my floor. If you'll excuse me *sniff sniff*

.................

Okay I have returned more emotionally stable.

So this is the 2nd(epic) installment in the Ranger's Apprentice series by Mr Flanagan. I have to say I like this sequel better than the 1st. Don't get me wrong though, the 1st is incredible as well. But there's a lot more action in this one and Gilan (one of my all time favorite characters) got a bigger role in it.

I can't really explain the plot without giving several things away so I'll just say that the Kingdom is preparing for a vicious war against Morgarath (Evil bad guy) and Will, Horace, and Gilan must stop his treacherous plans.

Along the way they encounter everything from Wargals (creatures that work for Morgarath) Skandians(actually pretty chill group of men but also working for Morgarath) and a girl who goes by the name Evanlyn.

The writing was very good, detailed but not repetitive. I loved everything about the book. The characters were all extremely likable except for the bad guys of course. I was actually really scared for them when they were left alone (won't tell you who but the point is I felt emotion and general attachment to the characters)

The ending I knew was coming because of the title of the next one in the series but I refused to believe it until I was on page 262 even then staring dumb-fonded as I refused to believe it could end like that. Ughh I hate cliffiessssss.

I'm dying to read the next one ASAP! Highly recommend the whole series to everyone and I haven't even read all of them yet. Hehe really good book though, 5 well-deserved stars!(less)

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Jan 31, 2008 Kaleb rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Rangers Apprentice book number two: The Burning Bridge, is exciting and packed with adventure and action. The main character is Will the apprentice of a legendary Ranger named Halt. The kingdom is preparing for the great battle of their time and need more men. So Gilan, which was Halts old apprentice was assigned to go convince the Celts to help them fight. Gilan takes along Will and Wills friend Horace who is training to became a knight. On their journey they encounter thieves and an unexpe...more

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Dec 30, 2008 Valerie McNamee Earl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2008

Really, if I could give 6 stars, this series would get them. They are so good. I love the characters, good and bad, and the way we are seeing them grow up or older. There is so much action and adventure, very much like Lord of the Rings. Love these books.

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Jun 10, 2013 Hacedores Desierto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasia-ligera, fantas-a-ligera, fantasy, fantasía, fantasía-épica, juvenil, khardan, middle-grade

Bueno, partamos porque todas las sinopsis de este libro tienen una cantidad de spoilers horrible. Menos mal que no me he leído ninguna antes de comenzar a leerme el libro. Seguimos con el mismo problema con esta saga, son libros "cortitos" pero que te dejan ver que la saga tiene un futuro extraordinariamente interesante. Pero son ocho libros, de los que solo han salido aquí tres hasta ahora.
Pero bueno, pasemos de nuevo a hacer el análisis del libro en sí. Por un lado tenemos unos personajes que...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Brandon Z rated it 4 of 5 stars

Burning Bridge is the second book of the Rangers Apprentice series. It starts off with the main characters Halt and Will talking about the coming war with the evil Lord Morgarath. Halt can see how much stress the coming war is putting on Will and sends him with his former apprentice Gillian and Will friends Horace who is a knight in training. They are sent to the neighboring country of Celtica to get men for the coming war. Instead they find that the towns are mysteriously empty and they discove...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Theron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: enriched-reading-semester-2-2013

Plot summary: Will and Halt sit comfortably at their cabin when Gilan walks in. Halt ask what was wrong. Gilan says that he has to go to a nearby country called Celtica. He asked if Will can go along on this journey. Halt says ok to give Will some time with someone else. Once they get there something was wrong nobody was there. They searched and searched but couldnt find anyone. Finally they find someone. Gilan then leaves Will to lead this person to Aurlen. Will they make it? Will something go...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Alex Morrow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Over the weekend I quickly read the book "Rangers Apprentice: The Burning Bridge." Even though I spent little time thinking about the hidden messages and points I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. This happens to be the second book in the series by Australian author John Flanagan, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. The book begins with Will, Horace and Gilan traveling to the distant land of Celtica. Celtica is a border country to Araluen. On arrival the team real...more Over the weekend I quickly read the book "Rangers Apprentice: The Burning Bridge." Even though I spent little time thinking about the hidden messages and points I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. This happens to be the second book in the series by Australian author John Flanagan, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. The book begins with Will, Horace and Gilan traveling to the distant land of Celtica. Celtica is a border country to Araluen. On arrival the team realizes that the whole population has some how disappeared. Even though the group has different theories, Gilan believes that the evil Lord Morgarath has somehow imprisoned the population so he can escape his mountainous prison. If this occurred and Morgarath's armies crossed the pass, the kings armies would surely be destroyed. The group splits up, with Gilan riding to warn the king about the possible threat, well Will and Horace follow a Wargal force. Wargals are Lord Morgarath's personal fighting force against the Kingdom of Araluen. Well following the force Will and Horace meet a girl named Evanlyn. After days of tracking, the group comes upon the real Wargal objective. A massive bridge is being built across the fissure which separates the Kingdoms of Araluen and Lord Morgarath. If they were to succeed nothing would stop the whole kingdom from being ravaged and destroyed. As the action increases and all hell starts to break loose, I started to question the fate of the Kingdom. Well all this is occurring, Will's character is slowly growing, as are his skills. Can he save the day with his companions? Will the Kingdom fall to the Dark Lord? All will be told in this thrilling and adventurous book.

John Flanagan does a fantastic job in the writing of this epic tale, well developing all the characters and creating scenes and scenarios appealing to every lover of magic, bravery, action, and adventure. You can expect nothing less then extraordinary in every single one of these books.(less)

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Jan 18, 2013 βιβλιοφάγος (a.k.a. Cat) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read, all-night-reads, eye-catching-cover, fictional-crushes, four-and-a-half-stars, good-but-not-the-best, great-expectations, read-it-and-loved-it, ya

Will cannot die. Will cannot die. Will cannot die. Will cannot die.

Right, Flanagan?

Because you signed the Contract when you brought Will to life by writing "The Ruins of Gorlan". You didn't know you signed it? Shame on you. Every author knows that as soon as they publish a book, they have made a pact with the reader. Unless it is an insanely sad book, the author, once creating a character, is not allowed to kill him off under threat of having an angry army of fangirls come after them.

So it has b...more

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Jan 15, 2013 05NathanK added it

Shelves: book-reviews

The main conflict in the book Ranger’s Apprentice Book Two: The Burning Bridge, is that Morgarath has prepared an invasion, 15 years in the making, against King Duncan’s kingdom of Araluen. This book has many twists and turns and multiple conflicts, another major one to make note of is one of the major characters ends up being captured and taken away. In this book, King Duncan has a group of elite soldiers called Rangers. These people are specialized in stealth and military tactics and are respo...more The main conflict in the book Ranger’s Apprentice Book Two: The Burning Bridge, is that Morgarath has prepared an invasion, 15 years in the making, against King Duncan’s kingdom of Araluen. This book has many twists and turns and multiple conflicts, another major one to make note of is one of the major characters ends up being captured and taken away. In this book, King Duncan has a group of elite soldiers called Rangers. These people are specialized in stealth and military tactics and are responsible for many of his armies victories. The book follows the adventure of a Ranger’s apprentice named Will.

The setting of the Ranger’s Apprentice is sometime in the medieval times. They still rely on horse for transportation and use weapons like bows and arrows, spears, swords, shields, and axes. There are also castles mentioned, kings, barons, and people refer to superiors as my lord. “Morning, my lord,” replied the officer (209). The story could not take place in a different time setting. The whole book is revolved around it being in this time period. You could not put this book in present day America and have it be anywhere remotely similar. This is one of the things that makes this book a very unique and interesting one.

The main character in this book, or the protagonist, is Will. He was an orphan in Redmont Fief’s ward. Halt, one of the most notorious and most elite Rangers the kingdom has to offer took him in as his apprentice. Will is intelligent, and has a ton of courage. In the beginning of the book he started off as not sure of himself, but once he was put in charge of Horace and Evanlyn he realized his potential and really became the “Ranger’s Apprentice” he was meant to be. Some other notable characters include Halt - Will’s mentor, Horace - Will’s childhood friend, now a apprentice at Battle school and can wield a sword like no other, King Duncan - King of Araluen, and Gilan - accompanies Will on his journey to Celtica. The antagonist in this book would be Morgarath. He is a traitor and enemy to the kingdom of Araluen. “Now I see you’ve turned coward as well as traitor” (242). Morgartah seeks revenge and has assembled an army over the 15 years he’s been secluding himself.

The book starts off with Halt and Will capturing war plans for Morgarath. They deliver it to King Duncan, and he soon gets his armies dispatched and starts to make war plans and preparations with his top officers. With Halt all tied up and needed for more important tasks, such as helping plan they keep him here. Halt suggests that they send Will, his apprentice, and Horace, Will’s childhood friend, to accompany Gilan on the embassy mission. The Celts have a superstition where three people have to deliver the message. “One man may be deceit. Two can be conspiracy. Three is the number I trust” (16). Upon their arrival in Celtica, they notice that the border post is deserted. There are signs that the occupants left in an hurry, which is totally unlike them because the book described the Celts as very neat people. As they approach the mining town of Pordellath, it was completely empty as well. They spend the night in the empty town, and continue on their journey. Along the way, Gilan gives pointers to both Horace and Will on combat skills. While Gilan was off scouting ahead, Will and Horace were left alone at the campsite. They encounter two bandits named Bart and Carney. Horace takes them both on, as Will has made the amateur move of not carrying his bow with him at all times. He left it on the other side of the campsite. Gilan had took note of these two bandits and lopped back around, so throughout the entire encounter he was watching how the two would handle this. If things were to get out of hand, he would of stepped in. Horace easily takes care of the two bandits, and they tie them up and take them prisoner for a day or to before letting them go. Soon after this encounter, they meet an Araluen servant named Evanlyn. Gilan feels that he needs to ride ahead of the group, and leaves Will in charge. A group of Wargals (Morgarath’s soldiers) pass Will, Horace, and Evanlyn and they decide to follow them. They soon arrive to a huge bridge that they are building, so their army can cross the cliffs easily and in a short amount of time. The following night they set fire to the bridge, burning it down and setting back the Morgarath’s army. Will and Evanlyn are captured by Skandian mercenaries. Without reinforcements from the bridge, Duncan’s army easily defeats Morgarath’s army. Horace ends up killing Morgarath in single combat. Will and Evanlyn are taken away on the Skandian’s ships, while Halt desperately tried to chase after them.

The theme of this book is, those who seek revenge often end up paying the price for it. Morgarath sought revenge against King Duncan, and he ended up dying in the process. This book is unique that it is set in the medieval time period, and it follows two parts of the story at the same time. It’ll alternate chapters covering the different parts of the story. “Have we got daddy’s sword with us?” (80). I liked this quote, just because the two bandits underestimated Horace. As young as he is, he knows what he is doing.

Overall this is a fantastic book, I would recommend this to anyone!(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 03TristanH rated it 5 of 5 stars

The main issue of the book is that Morgorath is trying to take over Arulan by building a secret bridge over the fissure.

The story is based off an older time so it would prove a bit difficult to make a similar story in present day conditions.

Will is a young, curious orphan who was drafted by a seasoned, grizzly ranger, who can prove to be short tempered at times. But occasionally does show a kinder side towards Will.

Will, his friend Horace, and a fellow ranger Gilan travel to Celtica and disco...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Beka rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book! I loved the story! I originally started the whole series because my brother loves it so much and i agree! It is a gripping story that makes you not want to put it down and characters that leave you wanting to meet them. The writing its self makes it a rather easy read, by the vocabulary and such. The plot is twisting and perfectly surprising but not too out there. It is a book that i'd suggest to a lot of younger readers to encourage them that reading really is fun!
The mai...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Felita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, action

beberapa bulan beres kejadian di buku pertama, Will kembali melakukan perjalanan, kali ini sang Master ga ikut tp ada Gilan-senior sekaligus mantan murid Halt dan Horace.

perjalanan santai mereka ke Celtica berubah saat penduduknya diserang dan diculik pasukan Morgarath. tujuan dan personilnya perjalanan mereka pun berubah dmana Gilan terpaksa meninggalkan Will demi mengejar berita kpd raja Araluen. belum jeda sehari beres Gilan pergi, mereka menemukan petunjuk alasan orang Celtica ditawan. dan h...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Julius rated it 3 of 5 stars

For his first book, I was able to simply mention some of Mr. Flanagan's... over-used themes and move on. Here, I find I must approach a wee bit differently. Ahem.

In a fantasy book, where all is supposed to be fictional and as original as possible, he actually has a people in his story named the Celts?! THE CELTS!! I mean really!! Are we so far gone that we'll take any name from existing places/peoples, apply it to our 'original' work, and everybody just accepts it with thunderous applause? Not i...more

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Jun 02, 2012 George rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rangers apprentice: the burning bridge by John Flanagan is the second book in the Rangers Apprentice series and already starts to hook me from the start of the book. Will is now on the second year of his apprentice ship as a ranger and war has broken out around the kingdom. Wills mentor Halt sends will on a mission to celtica. But what Halt doint know is that Celtica has been attacked and he may never see Will again. The second book in the series follows up from the first book and answers many q...more

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May 30, 2012 05shannonf added it

this book was one of my favorite in the series. it is about a boy who is apprenticed to a ranger, a group of fifty skilled men, they are skilled in throwing knives and shooting arrows, this story is mainly about how even the apprentices are the best of the best. the apprentices name is will. in this story will goes with a ranger named gilian to a neighboring land where they planned to sign some treaty, but when they get there they find some things are terribly wrong, no one is there,they find a...more

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May 28, 2012 Jerome rated it 4 of 5 stars

Will's adventures continue in book two of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, The Burning Bridge. This book was much like the first one: full of action, adventure...and was just downright fun. There isn't much about this series that is deep or inquisitive, but that's part of the its appeal. The writing is easy to read, goes by fast, and has just the right balance between action and plot to keep the reader interested.

Burning Bridge follows the training of Will, an orphan who was apprentic...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Ricky Ganci rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This one was much better. It had more action, a more interesting plot, and more “surprises” (even though the one that caught me totally off guard was Horace’s challenge and subsequent dispatch of Morgarath in the second volume of the series). I like how it was totally left as a major cliffhanger with Will and Cassandra being carted off to Skandia, and I found myself over the last 20 pages of the novel hoping that Halt wouldn’t rescue the two of them, just so the story would take on a different d...more This one was much better. It had more action, a more interesting plot, and more “surprises” (even though the one that caught me totally off guard was Horace’s challenge and subsequent dispatch of Morgarath in the second volume of the series). I like how it was totally left as a major cliffhanger with Will and Cassandra being carted off to Skandia, and I found myself over the last 20 pages of the novel hoping that Halt wouldn’t rescue the two of them, just so the story would take on a different direction. The introduction of the hand-to-hand combat training was surprisingly engaging and believable, as was Horace’s use of the Ranger technique to slay the villain at the end of the book—really well-structured, and I can see why the reviewers are such fans of the story. I’m anxious to see if Flanagan can continue to write as well as he has been in the four(?) remaining installments of his series.
Second Reading:
This is a truly fabulous story. It goes down fast, and is genuinely hard to savor—it has the “one more chapter” feel to it, and it’s legitimately hard to put down. I think that my anticipiation for the climax of this volume really drove my reading through, and I probably only sat down four times or so to read it. There’s some suggestion of the romance that appears to be blooming between Cassandra and Will, and Flanagan is subtle without being vague. For the age group whom the novels target, there’s perhaps not a better example of high fantasy. Halt’s role is greatly diminished in this story, but the early chapters that involve him chucking people out windows and getting acquainted with Alyss are pretty cool. He still has the edge and still the gruffness, but it’s greatly diminished here in a way that I didn’t quite pick up the first time, and that’s a shame. If I remember correctly, it returns in Book 3 when Halt and Horace go looking for Will. I’ll look for it as I invest in this juvenile but no-less-epic fantasy a second time.
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Nov 19, 2011 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 t...more 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. (less)

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Oct 25, 2011 02oscarr rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story is like any other not! Is a story unlike any other you have read a young man named Will has just become the apprentice of a Ranger named Halt and he has already deafeted a great enemy called the Kalkara. They're evil beasts that can freeze you with one look until you die. Anyway a Ranger is kind of like a CIA agent, they're stealthy, use long range weapons, and gather intelegane for the kingdom. Things were a little slow after the Kalkara insident so Will went with Gilan (Halts old a...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Rosalia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, boy-reads, tween, fantasy

I have been waiting years to read this one because the first one in the series was part of a program I did with the kids and I didn't want to get confused.

War with Morgrath is fast approaching but the Araluens think they have a leg up on him because they believe they have gotten ahold of his battle plans. Will, Horace and Gilan go on a trip to try and get help from their Celtian neighbors, however when they arrive they find that all is not as it should be and Will and Horace find that they must...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

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May 31, 2011 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was very very good. It had a lot of action in it and cliff hangers and had points where you'd think everything's going to go bad but goes well or visa versa. There are sad parts and also awesome parts; there's stuff that might be a little boring at the start but as you read on it gets much better. It's pretty obvious that it's called the Burning Bridge when you get to the middle of the book, he did that in the first one too. This book is set in medieval times and Halt, a Rang...more

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May 13, 2011 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in The Ranger's Apprentice series by Flanagan, there are twelve books planned for this series with a spin-off series planned after that. Book 9, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja just came out in April. This book was a good addition to the series; there is a lot more adventure than in the first book.

Will is sent on a mission with Galen and Horace to go talk to the Celts but when they get there something is terrible wrong. Towns are abandoned and people are missing. The local nobles...more This is the second book in The Ranger's Apprentice series by Flanagan, there are twelve books planned for this series with a spin-off series planned after that. Book 9, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja just came out in April. This book was a good addition to the series; there is a lot more adventure than in the first book.

Will is sent on a mission with Galen and Horace to go talk to the Celts but when they get there something is terrible wrong. Towns are abandoned and people are missing. The local nobles are not cooperating and Halt is sent to deal with them. The possible war with Mogarath is drawing near.

There is a lot more adventure and excitement in this book than was in the previous book, The Ruins of Gorlan. Will and Horace are forced to show resourcefulness and take on more and more responsibility in hopes of preventing or at least delaying a war with Mogarath. A new and interesting character joins the plot, Evanlyn. Evanlyn is a noblewoman in disguise and is just as smart and resourceful as the boys she ends up traveling with.

I love that despite the serious scenarios in this book, there is a lot of humor laced throughout. Halt is just as dry as ever, with a very sarcastic sense of humor. Evanlyn also has a biting sense of humor. This makes the book more fun to read and probably depicts human nature in an more accurate way...I love that the story doesn't take itself too seriously.

The plot is well done, but again this book feels like only part of a larger book. The book ends on a horrible cliffhanger; that left me kind of irritated. I hate it when authors feel the need to drag the reader into the next book rather than just write a good story so that the reader picks up the next book in the series willingly. So be prepared, if you read this book you will immediately want to read the third.

The worldbuilding is fantastic. Flanagan has created a detailed world that is interesting to read about and very realistic. It is not the most creative world, most readers have probably read about worlds like this before...but it is still well done.

Overall this is a very solid fantasy series. I really enjoy the characters and the sense of humor throughout the book. This book had more adventure than the first, which was nice. I did not enjoy the horrible cliffhanger this book ends with. If you enjoy this series I would also recommend The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney and Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 Splash Of Our Worlds *Yiota* rated it 4 of 5 stars

The second book of the Ranger's Apprentice series takes us through the journeys of young Will throughout the lands of the Celts. This time seeking the aid of the Celt people against the evil Morgarath etc etc. There they will find a land torn and split as...well i shouldn't actually say due to spoil but...Morgarath has been taking Celts as slaves. Will will then have to find out what Morgarath is planning and stop his devious plans.

Once again John Flanagan manages to create another interesting s...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Braden Bell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Flanagan begins to hit his stride in this book. I remember that this book was the one that really sold me on the series. Flanagan is quite good at cliffhanger endings that draw you in and I found his characters to be interesting. At first they seem to be well-worn types--but as the book progresses, he draws back the layers and they have become very real to me.

This is a fun, page-turning book. Not sure what genre it is. It's listed as fantasy but there is not much sorcery or magic. It reads more...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Saskia Marijke Niehorster-Cook rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This is the second book of the Ranger's Apprentice. The humor in it is one of the best parts of the book. It is so well told that there is never a piece it that is too descriptive or boring or too long. It has great action that moves all the characters in a synchronized dance that brings them to the destination they are intended to be, and yet it is done in a masterly way so that never once is the reader suspect of the author's intentions. Here the story moves to war between two factions and a...more

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About John Flanagan

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. It wasn't until he wrote a highly uncomplimentary poem about a senior executive at the agency where he worked, however, that his talent was revealed. It turned out one of the company directors agreed with Joh...more

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Books by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice, #1)

The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, #4)

The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice, #3)

The Siege of Macindaw (Ranger's Apprentice, #6)

The Sorcerer in the North (Ranger's Apprentice, #5)

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Quotes from The Burning Bridge

“That taught us how to block a sword with two knives. But what if an ax man's coming at me?"
Gilan looked suspicious. "An ax man? I don't recommend trying to block an ax with two knives."
But Will wouldn't take no for an answer. "But what if he's charging at me?" Horace walked over.
Gilan looked away. "Uh...shoot him."
Horace intervened. "Can't, his bowstring's broken."
Gilan gritted his teeth. "Run and hide."
Will kept on him. "There's a sheer cliff behind me."
Horace caught on. "There's a sheer cliff behind him, and his bowstring's broken. What should he do?"
Gilan thought for a moment. "Jump off the cliff, it'll be less messy that way.” — 444 people liked it

“So I sent Halt to straighten matters out. Thought it might be a good idea to give him something to keep him busy."
So what's Digby got to complain about?" Rodney asked. It was obvious from his tone that he felt no sympathy for the recalcitrant commander of Barga Hold.
The Baron gestured for Lady Pauline to explain.
Apparently," she said,"Halt threw him into the moat.” — 204 people liked it

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The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice #2)

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