Brotherband #6: The Ghostfaces by John Flanagan

My name is Stig, and I am first mate aboard the Heron. I don't know how we survived weeks in that massive storm on the Endless Ocean, but Hal's smartness always amazes me. The land we've found has plenty of food and shelter, so we'll wait until the winds change before trying to find our way back to Skandia. Lydia and Thorn found claw marks on tree from a bear that's three meters tall! There's also evidence of people spying on us. We have no idea if they're friendly or dangerous, so we're on guard at all times. I've just been awakened from my sleep, because Hal needs me at the palisade. It seems an old man and two armed warriors have just shown up outside our defenses.


This book captured the magic of the acclaimed Ranger's Apprentice and the other books in the Brotherband series, but it lacked a little of the adventure and intrigue. The beginning of the book had the adventure of surviving a massive storm on the ocean, but I found myself losing interest. It's hard to keep things interesting when the characters, setting, and problem don't change, which is what happened when the characters were battling Mother Nature. Once they found land, they needed to survive for weeks, but a significant problem wasn't presented until a huge bear showed up. The threat of the Ghostfaces was hinted at mid-book, but they weren't an actual problem until later on. The action built up to final battle, but even that wasn't much of a contest. I found this plot lacking when compared to other outstanding books by Flanagan.