Middle Earth Ranger Forum

I have been waiting so long for this. When book 10 came out, I emailed John Flanagan and asked about other books and he said he was working on one and planned for a twelfth one and have been eagerly waiting for this!!

I have a copy of "The Lost Stories". I have also seen The Brotherband Chronicles books but haven't picked them up.

I stopped before the Emperor of Nihon-Ja (I didn't really fancy the idea of them travelling all the way to "Japan"... seemed a little too outrageous for my tastes), and I haven't read the Lost Stories, but I am definitely curious about the Royal Ranger. I think there's a lot of potential in the series that Flanagan hasn't even tapped into, and I'm a little bummed that this book is to be the last, even if I haven't read past book 9.

Manveruon wrote:I stopped before the Emperor of Nihon-Ja (I didn't really fancy the idea of them travelling all the way to "Japan"... seemed a little too outrageous for my tastes), and I haven't read the Lost Stories, but I am definitely curious about the Royal Ranger. I think there's a lot of potential in the series that Flanagan hasn't even tapped into, and I'm a little bummed that this book is to be the last, even if I haven't read past book 9.

Before you read it though, you have to read Emperor of Nihon-Ja and Lost Stories. I will admit, I wasn't to keen on the whole Japanese samurai style at first either, but it is a really REALLY good book. The Lost Stories isn't so much a book, but a compilation of several shorter stories that take place after Nihon-Ja. I won't give any spoilers, but the end is really sad, but then turns it around with final happy ending Trust me its worth the read

And I also read somewhere that John Flanagan is contemplating writing another series sort of like "The Brotherband Chronicles", but based off of Halt and his younger days.

rangersamII wrote:And I also read somewhere that John Flanagan is contemplating writing another series sort of like "The Brotherband Chronicles", but based off of Halt and his younger days.

Now THAT would be worth reading.

For the record, if anyone ever makes a film/some films based off the original RA series, am I not completely right in assuming that they would be complete failures at life if they didn't cast Jeremy Irons as Halt? For serious?

Disagree at your own peril...

I'm almost positive Flanagan was thinking of Jeremy Irons the whole time he wrote Halt. Er... a sort of... Irish Jeremy Irons.

Greg wrote:

rangersamII wrote:And I also read somewhere that John Flanagan is contemplating writing another series sort of like "The Brotherband Chronicles", but based off of Halt and his younger days.

Now THAT would be worth reading.

For the record, if anyone ever makes a film/some films based off the original RA series, am I not completely right in assuming that they would be complete failures at life if they didn't cast Jeremy Irons as Halt? For serious?

Disagree at your own peril...

Hah! As before I will take peril in my own hands on this subject and say that though I like Irons for the scruffy Eragon type mentor he was, I could more readily see Pierce Brosnan first and Hugh Jackman a close second, as they give me a more masculin, phisically, athletic, "rangy-tough guy" impression. And of course, Liam Neeson as Crowley, Ian McGreggor as Gillan (though he is getting a bit older I think he could still pull it off) and the young man from Percy Jackson who played D'atagnon in the last 3 Musketeers as Will. Hulk Hogan as Erak, Ben Cross as Morgorath...we did this before did we not?

I can see Hugh Jackman, but Pierce Brosnan? Not particularly masculine or tough looking to me. *shrugs* Then again, I would be far more interested in the Princess or Alyss anyway, me being me. Or even the Princess Regents' daughter.

Eledhwen

I'm gonna have to say that Pierce and Hugh would do nothing for me as Halt. Halt's supposed to be smallish, and deceptively wiry...not ripped and muscular, particularly like Hugh is. Irons' role as Brom in that film was exactly what got me thinking of him as Halt, and, in my opinion, was one of the few good things about that film.

I take that back...Eragon wasn't all that bad of a film, but some of the book-to-film changes were excessive, the villain was WAY over-done in the costuming/make-up department, and the way they dressed the elves nearly as Native Americans bothered me, but all in all, the first two-thirds of the film were very entertaining. It was when they showed up at the Varden that props started to piss me off. I thought Brom, Eragon, and Arya were well cast.

End of Rant.

Hugh as Jon Val Jon in Les Mis or the Drover in Austrailia, was very much the scruffy yet not overly jacked Jackman I was reffering to as a Halt possible, I would not want him looking like Wolverene, and I am not sure if you can envision it, but there was a Western not too long ago that Peirce was in that he was chasing a fugitive as a lawman and he was a bit moutain man-ish and was not the polished 007 we normaly see him as.
That Peirce could have done very well as he was scruffy and wirey and realy showed his versatility as an actor. It is funny how these actors can transform from their stereotypical forms into the perfect role and you just kinda scratch your head and say "Wow I would have never pictured that!" and yet they are great. Quite a tribute to the actors craft.

I agree that Brosnan could do a decent job in the role. I've always thought he was a somewhat under-rated actor. And he's Irish, so that's something. Still, I'd be willing to lay money that Flanagan had Irons in mind when he wrote the character.

Call me crazy, but I always saw Lance Henriksen as Halt. Since 12 is the last RA book, I'm re- reading the first 11 before I read 12. The covers here in the USA are crappy....I love the Aussie ones, the art is breathtaking on those paper backs.

I wonder if there will be some books in the world dealing with Wills' apprentice...given who and what that apprentice is. I applaud the choice and would love to see more along that line. I figure folk know who it is but in the interest of not spoiling things in case some do not know, I have not used names/types.

Eledhwen

Just finished the book. I didn't want to start it till Winterum...Ooops oh well I only skipped two classes to read