John Flanagan's "Scorpion Mountain: The Epic Adventure of the Brotherband Chronicles"

Kindle Customer: Adventurous book - so fun to read if you need an escape from reality!

United States on Oct 23, 2023

Amazon Customer: So we finally get closure over what happened to attempt on Cassandra/Evelyn's life around the time of her wedding. The Heron crew is acclimated to one another as they also get a new mascot/member for the crew.

United States on Sep 17, 2023

Kathryn M. Lester: Suspenseful stories, while showing not only the human sides of the characters, but also their individual skills. I loved that the brother band were all scorned at first. They overcame!

United States on Oct 15, 2022

titus: totally recommend this book and series

Canada on Jan 16, 2022

Amazon Customer: Excellent story from start to finish …

United Kingdom on Oct 10, 2021

Alison: This is a review of the whole series rather than just this one book. I have read and enjoyed the Apprentice series so I was a bit wary of reading this one in case it didn't match up but it did. It was different but in a good way and centred more on the team and how they grew and developed not just the main character. Yes it's a kids book and no I'm not a kid but it didn't stop me really enjoying it and wanting to know what happened next. The only slight misgiving is the hint of a love triangle, I really hope the author doesn't go that route I hate love triangle. I hope there is another installment very soon.

United Kingdom on Aug 31, 2015

Mike: In Scorpion Mountain, Hal and crew work to put an end to an assassination contract against princess Cassandra. By now I know to expect any John Flanagan book will be a 5-star book for me (after reading tons of them), and this one is no exception. The writing is top-notch, the characters continue to surprise me, and the plot is always non-stop action. This book has some very interesting developments with Wulf, Ulf, Thorn, and Lydia, not to mention a major life-altering change for Ingvar. And Ranger Gilan is a large part of this book, which is great for people who love the Ranger series. It is so easy to get immersed in this fantasy world and to feel like you are a part of the crew. The humor, comradery, cunning, and teamwork are all well done. It is always fun to see enemies underestimate the Heron crew. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for future ones.

United States on Jul 01, 2015

Believer: "Scorpion Mountain" the fifth book in the Brotherband Chronicles picks up the story after Hal, Gilan and the Herons have freed the twelve Araluens held hostage in Sorocco. After being summoned to Castle Araluen they're given a mission to end the tolfah that threatens Princess Cassandra's life. After foiling one assassination attempt King Duncan has strengthened her guard but has ordered Ranger Gilan and the Brotherband to discover the lair of the Scorpion Cult who will continue to try and kill her.

The action is fast-paced and deadly as Hal, the Ranger Gilan and the Herons engage not only the Tualagi tribe lead by Iqbal, a sinister killer who wants to avenge his brother's death, but the Scorpion Cult whose tolfah cannot be terminated until Cassandra's dead. Cleverly John Flanagan weaves a plot where suspense and tension mount as new battles begin and old friends appear in the nick of time to save the heroes. Yet amid all the chaos, suffering and violence the courage and friendship of the Brotherband shines through.

Like all the characters with their complex and unforgettable natures Hal Mikkelson, the Heron's youth skirl is smart, resourceful and compassionate,...

Canada on May 09, 2015

John O'sullivan: Hot on the heels of their triumphant victory at soccoro, Hal and his herons are given another tricky task by king Duncan!
We meet Duncan, Crowley and Cassandra in this instalment, blurring the apprentice/Brotherband lines. Ingvar is aided by Hals ocular invention, bringing him to the fore in battle.
If you've enjoyed the series so far? Then you'll enjoy this just as much!, overall an easy read with plenty of derring-do and battles to be fought.
The scorpion cult is an interesting addition though.

United Kingdom on Dec 18, 2014

Finn: /// Edit: Just to note I have now finished the book with an additional section explaining my feelings after its completion

Ok, so a thing to keep in mind is I'm not entirely finished with the book, only about half way through, but I had some nigglings that wouldn't go away and I felt the urge to share them, so here are my thoughts so far.

The book isn't the best of Flanagan's works, not quite up to the level of previous entries but good and entertaining nonetheless.

My major quibble, as was a case with the latest rangers apprentice book, the royal ranger is that character contradictions are beginning to become woefully apparent. The fact that will in the last book was overpowered by lowly brigands ground my gears to say the least, this one however (mild spoiler) compares the characters of horace and stig, claiming they are on equal footings.... This may seem minor to some, but to me, claims like this need to make sense, and to me, this doesn't. Stig is at most a late teen to early twenty something male, and in this series has been described a capable warrior, nothing more. Yet here he is being called equal with Araluen's Best, literally their best soldier.......

United States on Dec 08, 2014