Will, a curious teenage boy, one of the main characters in Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan, meets up with the other main character, a grim faced ranger named Halt. A ranger is regarded as a mystic and mysterious figure among the common people. Will is chosen by Halt to become his apprentice and this leads them to many adventures throughout the book. The book takes place in a time somewhere around the middle ages. Kings and knights are still important in this book but it is centered on the Ranger’s Corps. Will and Halt must stop the evil Morgarath. He was once head over his fief, Gorlan, where the book gets its name, but tried to revolt against the king and failed. He has been in hiding for the past fifteen years and he is ready to make an attempt to overthrow the king once more. Will and Halt along with other companions must save the entire kingdom from the evil Morgarath.

The author is John Flanagan, who says that the book started off as a simple story for his son to enjoy and that it grew into much more. When you pick up the book and look at the dark blue cover it has a figure cloaked in a similar color to the cover, it allows you to see just enough to see the silhouette and part of the face of the figure. It gives it a mysterious feel and makes you curious as to what the clad figure could be about. Open up the book and you first read the Prologue. It introduces you into the story and gives you background. Then it is followed by the normal chapters. At the very end of the book it gives you an epilogue, it gives you an insight as to what is to come in the series and does a very good job of leaving you wanting to immediately get the next book and start reading.

The content of the book itself is very interesting and keeps you wanting to know what will happen next. It is very exciting and Flanagan does a good job of describing everything, making you feel like you are there during every second. At times I caught myself tensed up during an intense part of the book and had to relax and begin reading again. The first book to the series Ranger's Apprentice is very good read and is a great fiction, fantasy book. The back cover of the book describes it very well, “Combining the intensity of a young King Arthur with the epic fantasy of The Lord of the Rings...” I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fiction novel.