My brother started listening to The Outcasts, and knowing me, he told me about some of it and how I would like it.
I decided to give it a shot. I love fictional stories in the medieval settings.
So when I started reading it I could hardly stop!
The BrotherBand Chronicles is a wonderful series full of adventure and excitement.
If you’re like me you won’t want to put it down.
BrotherBand(The Outcasts): Book Review
Book Details
This is the cover of the my book, in some places the cover is different.
Author: John Flanagan
Publisher: Philomel books
Series: The BrotherBand Chronicles, book 1
Age Range: 12 and up
Media Type: kindle book, paperback, audiobook
Pages: 452
ISBN: 9781101545393
What to expect:
Vikings, Humor, Fighting, Bullies,
Introduction:
This is John Flanagan’s fictional map of Skandia!
Hal Mikkel, is a young teenage boy who lives in Skandia.
His father died when he was young.
With his mother being an Araluen, Hal continually faces rejection as an outcast.
This fact is even more evident when he shows up for BrotherBand training.
BrotherBand training is when the boys who are turning sixteen form into their own teams.
Each team is trained in the use of weapons, ship navigation and teamwork.
This prepares them for life in Skandia.
The boy chosen as the leader of his team is also Skirl when they are on the sea.
(A skirl is a captain of a ship.) Each BrotherBand competes against each other.
The team with the most points wins.
A celebration is held for the winner.
The winning team is honored by being allowed to guard the most sacred treasure of all of Skandia, the Andomal.
The losing team will then carry a sense of shame they will work to overcome.
Hal along with the other outcast boys are left standing by themselves while all the the others are chosen into their own BrotherBand teams.
Erak, the Oberjarl of Skandia, seeing this, delegates the remaining boys into their own BrotherBand team.
(For anyone who doesn’t know who an Oberjarl is, it’s the chief or leader.)
The other boys elect Hal as their leader.
But can Hal and his friends win against such overwhelming odds?
Or will they continue to be outcasts forever looked down upon?
What I liked about the BrotherBand Chronicles, The Outcasts:
This is Hal’s ship, the Heron.
I liked how the different boys in the crew worked together as they try to win.
I also like when the boys are teasing each other.
Their arguments are amusing to read and I enjoy the humor.
And then there’s Thorn, a raggedy old seawolf who watches out for Hal.
(A seawolf is basically a sailor and a warrior.)
Thorn tends to be gruff and sarcastic but cares deeply when it comes to Hal and his friends.
Although he does tend to keep them on their toes.
What I didn’t like about BrotherBand(The Outcasts):
In chapter 20 and 21 it briefly describes a statue of a boy urinating as a water fountain.
I felt this was fairly inappropriate.
There are some fighting scenes, but the ones that are there are not gory.
If you don’t like fighting then this book is not for you.
A list of the BrotherBand Chronicles:
Book 1: The Outcasts
Book 2: The Invaders
Book 3: The Hunters
Book 4: Slaves of Socorro
Book 5: Scorpion Mountain
Book 6: The Ghost Faces
Book 7: The Caldera