Brotherband #5: Scorpion Mountain by John Flanagan

The daughter of King Duncan is the target of assassins, so Hal and the Heron crew join with Ranger Gilan to find the man who wants her dead. They allow their ship to be attacked by a pirate ship but manage to capture it themselves. Using the ship like a Trojan horse, they enter the fortress where the man is killed. However, Hal and the crew discover the man assigned a tofah on the princess with the Scorpion Cult, and the cult won't stop trying to assassinate her until it's done. There is no way to stop a tofah, but Hal and Gilan search for Shurmel, leader of the cult, in the Scorpion Mountains. They hope to talk him out of the tofah, but if not, then his death might end things. It's extremely dangerous to walk into the middle of a scorpion nest and hope to get out alive!

I recommend you read the first four books in the series, but you can probably enjoy this book by itself. You may but understand some references to past people and events, but there's enough adventure to ensure your enjoyment. Ingvar is given a bigger role (no pun intended), and Hal's dog, Kloof, always seems to pop up when she's most needed (although Erak might disagree!). Warning, a member of the small crew is seriously injured during one of the battles, and it changes the mood of the Heron. This plot offers more action than some of the other books in the series; there are a couple of major battles, and several smaller ones. The author still provides much humor through character interactions, and Hal continues to come up with amazing plans and inventions to help the characters get out of tough situations.