Brotherband Chronicles #3: The Hunters by John Flanagan

This book is the third in the series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Hal and his crew on the Heron are still chasing Zavac to recover the stolen Andomal, a prized Skandian relic. Zavac heads into pirate-inhabited waters, so the crew of the Heron will not find any help. Hal and his brotherband are arrested in one town for the murder of a member of Zavac's crew, and they later encounter a group of pirate boats, waiting to ambush trade ships. Eventually, they find their way to Raguza, a town filled with pirates willing to kill any outsiders. Zavac has found refuge there, so Hal must figure out some way to defeat him and recover the artifact from his ship.

This series has the same feel of The Ranger's Apprentice books, although much of the action occurs on the water. I enjoy how the author gets Hal's crew into seemingly impossible situations, but then allows them to beat the odds. The plot moved along nicely with plenty of action along the way. The interaction of the characters is entertaining as they each have their own quirks. The other characters recognize this and often find ways to tease each other. I like the blend of seriousness and humor that the author is able to achieve.