The Ruins of Gorlan

Book One

By: John Flanagan

Narrated by: John Keating

The international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone!

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaksand shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

Here is the fantasy adventure that launched the Ranger's Apprentice series, an epic story of heroes and villains that has become an international phenomenon. Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Critic reviews

"The last few years have seen the publication of many fantasies, but few have the appeal of this original story. Rather than creating a host of strange creatures and magical powers, Flanigan concentrates on character, offering readers a young protagonist they will care about and relationships that develop believably over time.Readers will look forward to the next adventure in The Ruins of Gorlan series." -Booklist, starred review

Great book!

I chose this book to listen to with my 12 yo daughter on soccer trips. It started off a little irritating due to the narrators audible quick breaths in while telling the story. But you soon get so engrossed in the story that you don’t hear it. The narrator does a good job with accents and pitch with different characters.

One of the things in books I crave are descriptive qualities and the author does an excellent job of this! We are both excited to move on to book 2!

By far one of the best medieval series.

I've read a couple of these books as a middle schooler, and I never got around to getting past the 4th or 5th one. Now many years later in my early 20's, I am going back to many of my childhood memories memories and going through the wing through the books I have started and have never been able to finish. I know 100% that I am going to go through all 14 of these books, as well as the Chronicles written by the same author.

A Story Of Bravery, Discovery, and Loyalty

Narrated by a guy that sounds like the Reach toothbrush voice over commercials, small and clever Will becomes the ranger's apprentice. Upon training he discovers things allot himself that help him overcome doubts and helps him find belonging. It's very well done story wise and narrative wise. Looking forward to book 2!

My favorite series of all time!

This is my favorite series! I am rereading it for the 4th time, and I plan to read it to my son over time. There is something about this book that I connect with on a very deep level, and I hope everyone is able to find that in a book or series at some point in their life.

Best book series. Johnny F is a legend in my house.

Best book series. I have read all of the books dozens of times over the years. Started when I was 15, my entire family have read them. Classic. Staple in our family! Will pass on to my children.