A pretty solid story yet again from Flanagan. It was just the right time to head back to Araluen, too, and revisit some familiar characters. ( )

I have really been enjoying reading the Brotherband Chronicles. This one was no different. I am a little bit upset by the representation that Gilan had in this book. I hope that he grows more in this series and picks up the pace much like he was in the Ranger's Apprentice series. I'm excited to start on with the next book. ( )

Hal is still ingenious with his solutions to problems, but I expected more on the slaves from the title. It took quite awhile to get to that. ( )

I liked this book best of the Bortherband Chronicles so far. Hal Mikkelson, now a skirl (captain) for the Herons, is asked by Erak to take an assignment in Araluen, effectively patrolling its coasts. He arrives and is quicly drawn into a mission with Gilan (a Ranger) to rescue some farmspeople kidnapped by a rogue band of Hal's countrymen. They have to infiltarte a slave market and make a daring rescue, cloaking their famous sailing ship. One of the highlights is a huge dog Hal adopts (Kloof), who saves the day twice, but who also disappears for 100 pages. Perhaps I am liking the banter among the Herons better, especially Lydia and Thorn. ( )

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission. Title: Slaves of Socorro Series: Brotherband Chronicles Author: John Flanagan Rating: of 5 Battle Axes Genre: SFF Pages: 482 Format: Kindle

Synopsis: Hal and Crew are assigned to Araluen to be at the King's disposal. However, as soon as they arrive, they are met by Gilan, a Ranger and news that a village has been attacked by pirates and people captured. Said pirates are some rogue Skandians and Hal feels it is their duty to end this problem once and for all. A rescue mission is mounted to the slave town of Socorro. My Thoughts: I was ok with the first trilogy of the Brotherband Chronicles and was satisfied with how it ended. After my experience with Flanagan trying to continue the Ranger's Apprentice series I wasn't expecting much from this "second" trilogy and in many ways was kind of dreading it. Thankfully, this stays faithful to the original trilogy and intent, ie, a boys adventure story. And this WAS an adventure story. Fights on the sea, fights in slave markets, Aruluen Rangers shooting the crap out of people, that tiniest hint of romance, it was just right. I really have to admire Flanagan for walking that line of writing about emerging adults/adults [because this series starts out with everyone being a kid] for kids and younger adults without crossing the line into inappropriate material for 10 year olds. I still didn't like this as much as the original Ranger's Apprentice dekalogy, but I wasn't expecting to and hence things were good. " ( )