Ranger’s Apprentice (Book 2) The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

Rating: Recommended with Parent Supervision age 11+

Reading Level: Middle School

A 13-year-old boy uncovers an evil plot, and puts his own life at stake to destroy it.

Possible Concerns (Spoiler Alert!):

• Mind control. Monsters are controlled by the mind of an evil villain.
• Peril. An evil villain plots a war, sends out assassins, enslaves others, etc.
• Slavery. A man is beat to death, another drops dead; many are stolen from their homes and enslaved.
• Use (once each) of the terms, “damn,” “hell,” and “Oh God.” There
• Pagan Temple. A temple is described for a mining culture that worships gods related to their industry.
• A kiss. The main character recalls a kiss with a girl, from the end of book 1.
• Romance. Two adults apparently have a romantic history; a girl probes with questions.
• Viloence. Much like batman, a ranger takes Justice into his own hands, a bit violently. There is also sword fighting, war, and a lot of death.
• A woman’s place. A treasonous leader makes rude comments to an ambassador girl that she is only good for having babies.

Things I liked:

• Courage & Honor. The boy puts others first, and sneaks to do sabotage to save the kingdom.
• Leadership. He obeys orders and makes decisions.
• Self-sacrifice. In several instances, characters display self-sacrifice to serve others. He chooses not to rescue himself when it would mean abandoning his friend.

Definitely read the books in order. Here are links to my reviews of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7, and Book 8.