Erak's Ransom

Erak's Ransom

John Flanagan

Action/Adventure

2

Will is the main character.

He is the apprentice of the famed ranger Halt.  A ranger is one of the most dreaded fighters in all the land or Araluen.  They are masters of unseen  movement and have deadly accuracy with a bow.  They also use a Saxe knife and a smaller throwing knife.

Will does right, when he volunteers to go with the princess Cassandra and Horace to free Erak.

Erak is another main character  in the story. 

Erak is a Scandian, a huge viking like guy who carries an axe, and loves to go on raids.  He is also the Oberjarl of the Scandians, and a good friend to the king a princess of Araluen.  And a good friend of Will's.

Selethen is another character who plays a big part in the book.

Selethen is an Aradian.  He is the one who is responsible for taking Erak captive when he is trying to raid his city.  He is the the governor-like guy who is in charge of the city.

3

A majority of the book is written in Aradia, somewhere in the medieval times.

Aradia is largely inhabited by deserts and barren lands, where it is hot, and dry, and humid.

4

Moral of the story:  Good always win over the bad (in the end).

Friendship, and courage.

A big problem in the book was King Duncan of Araluen had important business to attend to, so he could not go and ransom Erak.  His daughter, Cassandra, volunteered to go, but he was reluctant to let her, since she was only fifteen.  But finally after much persuading from his friends he relented and told her she could go.

5

1. Erak grows restless of being Oberjarl and decides to go on a raid, but he is captured and his men are sent away to collect a ransom for him
2. Instead of going to Scandia, he goes to Araluen.  Erak had told his first mate Svengel to go to Araluen instead of Scandia because he believed that a fellow Scandian had betrayed him so he could claim to be the Oberjarl in Erak's place.
3. Will, Horace, Halt, Gilan, Cassandra, Svengel and thirty Scandians go back to Aradia to ransom Erak.
4. When they get there they find that Erak's escort had been ambushed and he had been taken captive but the Blueveils, or the Forgotten of God.  A desert warring tribe, whose only desire in life was to get as much Gold as they could.
5. After Will's horse runs away and he is found by the Bedullins, Halt and his companions are taken captive by the Blueveils and are going to be taken captive.
6. Will rallies the Bedullin's help and united with them takes out the Blueveils and Asek, the leader.

6

It is my favorite book of the series.

I like it in the end when Will comes to the rescue and saves Halt and his friends from becoming headless.

I don't like it how Will is willing to risk his life for his horse.

Not really, John Flanagan is one of the best authors I have ever read before.

Not at all.

Will finally gets the silver oakleaf, the sign of him becoming a full-fletched ranger.

Ky