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    The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1
    Unavailable
    The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1
    Unavailable
    The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1

    Written by John A. Flanagan

    Narrated by John Keating

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage - which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing.

    John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger's Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2011
    ISBN9781101538340
    Unavailable
    The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1
    Author

    John A. Flanagan

    Trish Purnell-Webb is an Australian clinical psychologist who became the first certified Gottman therapist in Australia in 2013. She then continued her training to become the first master trainer and consultant for the Gottman Institute in Australia in 2015. She has been in private practise as a psychologist since 1997 after a twenty-year career in organisational training and development in both government and corporate organisations while also raising three children with the help of her husband, Mark. Trish has always been fascinated by the impact relationships have on our sense of well-being and satisfaction, whether they are work relationships or intimate relationships. In her work providing executive coaching to senior members of organisations throughout Australia, she came to understand that intimate relationships had a profound effect on an individual’s ability to perform in life. This led her to explore the question “How can we help people have more successful relationships?” It also led her to the research work of John and Julie Gottman, and her fate was sealed. Since 2009, Trish has focussed on working with couples both in her private practise in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia, and on training therapists throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Asia to become more effective in successfully working with couples. Along with her business partner, John, Trish also runs couple workshops across Australia and New Zealand using the evidenced-based Art and Science of Love Couples Workshop developed by John and Julie Gottman. Trish conceived of this book as a resource for couples to use as a relapse prevention tool after they complete either a workshop or couples therapy with Gottman-trained therapists. Trish still lives on the Gold Coast with her husband of forty-one years and is the proud grandmother of five beautiful grandchildren to whom she devotes much of her time. John Flanagan is a mental health accredited social worker in private practise, completing his bachelor’s of social work in 1988 and later a master’s in gestalt therapy. He was the first social worker to become a certified Gottman therapist in Australia in 2015, and he became the second master trainer and consultant in 2019. John has had an extensive history in direct service delivery with couples, families, and young people, as well as in organisational development and training. He has developed a practise that utilises a range of experiential therapies combining these approaches in his work style. John has also completed his Certificate IV in workplace training and assessment and has delivered a broad range of training, both accredited and non-accredited. John knows the incredible value in attending to relationships, as well as the importance of how they are formed, maintained and developed. In over thirty years of working within complex environments and relationships, he has developed a strong speciality in understanding and guiding complex interactions and relationships. He has provided training to many individuals and human service organisations in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the United States about creating positive work cultures, managing challenging clients, resilience, and communication. Over the last twenty years, John has provided a range of psycho-educational group programs to Australian veterans and their families in areas such as trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and resilience.

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    Reviews for The Outcasts

    4.5/5

    184 ratings17 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Maybe it's just me, but I had a hard time getting into this book. It's about vikings (even though they have other names-still vikings). Vikings were marauders. So it took at least a third of the way into the book to start to root for the underdog characters. It did grow on me enough I may read (or more likely listen to) the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed Flanagan's "The Ranger's Apprentice" series, so I was looking forward to his latest offering. When I first started "The Outcasts" I thought I was going to be disappointed as the plot was rather slow but, thankfully, once Hal and the other boys started brotherband training, the pace really picked up and I found I couldn't wait to see how the boys fared in their training exercises. With lots of action, humour, good characters, positive messages about loyalty and never giving up, and a cliff-hanger ending, this book turned out to be an entertaining read and I have just borrowed the other two books in the series.
    • 5/5
      This book and the series in general is great because of its plot and action. Beware though when reading this book the language used is confusing. In the beginning of the book there are some terms that are used in the book explained but that only helps a little. Overall though it is a good book.
    • 3/5
      This is a very good book for boys, I think. There are no real surprises - I never felt like the protagonists wouldn't succeed, even if they were briefly thwarted...so for me, the suspense just wasn't there. I'll read the others - they were enjoyable, don't get me wrong - but I don't think I'll re-read them. However, kids will probably love these and I will recommend them to all the ones I know!
    • 4/5
      Not as awesome as the Rangers Apprentice, but all ready can see the bonds developing and  the strengthening of each charachter. Good to have some familiar faces in the crowd with the Oberjarl and such. I love the way Flanagan can form the bonds between the charachters and make you cheer for them and want to see them make it.
    • 5/5
      This is a very well written book, full of excitement and suspense. With relatable characters and an easy- to- follow plot, this is a great read for children of all ages and reading abilities. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure.
    • 5/5
      Hal is almost 16 and is on his way to brotherband training. Thorn and Stig had become his best friends. He owns a boat, the Heron which he and Stig had continued building together with some help from Ingvar and the twins, Wulf and Ulf. When she was finally finished, they took her out to sea and was delighted that she performed wonderfully. She was even better than a typical Skandian wolfship because of the special triangular sails (shaped like a heron's wings; thus the name) he made for her. Now they enter a compotition to see who will be rewarded. The team faces off against other teams. I thought the book was really good. It kept me on my toes every page. I would want to stay up all night just to read the last pages. There was a twist every page of unexpected happenings. I thought at first the kids were going to lose but in the end they won. i knew this book was going to be good because of the Author. So i would recommend if you like thrilling stories.
    • 5/5
      I was a bit hesitant to read this series. Not because I don't love John Flanagan, but I felt that there was nothing that could compete with Ranger's Apprentice. How could a make through a book of Skandians without Will and Halt? I was so wrong! Even though my favorite characters are not there, Flanagan has given us a new family to love and share adventures with. You will not be disappointed with this series!
    • 3/5
      I liked this book, especially for not being a fan of these types of books (all male characters, set in Medieval times). Flanigan did a nice job with the third person omniscient and had great character development. Definitely an 8th grade level!
    • 5/5
      I wasn't too sure at first that Skandia would really lend itself too well to a standalone series, but I thought I should at least give it a chance. I shouldn't have doubted John Flanagan here. The new characters are likable and well-developed, the new series story-arc is set up well, and my new annoyance is the fact that my library doesn't have book two, so I need to find a way to get my hands on it before I can move on to book three. Overall, I'd say that's a happy annoyance.
    • 4/5
      I rented a copy of John Flanagan’s The Outcasts book 1 of the Brotherband Chronicles from the local library on audiobook and listened to it while driving around with the help of a blue tooth connection and an app on my smartphone called Overdrive. If I’ve misspelled any of the names, it is because I have not seen them in print.

      While listening to the story, I was intermittently accompanied by my son who is nearly nine years old. I make mention of this because it affected how I ended out with four stars for a rating. Jackson loved every member of the Heron Brotherband! He fancies himself bright like Hal and probably picked some kids from school who were like the other boys. I was trying to decide between 3 and 4 stars for this book, so I asked him to rate it. He offered 4.5 stars. Since indecision amounted to 3.5 stars, I averaged both our opinions and ended out with a 4 star rating! Jackson told me that he took away half a star because the story was a bit more “describey” than his usual fare of Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

      Now on to me and my wonderful opinions! Just kidding…Unless you were thinking the same thing.
      I’ve never heard of Flanagan or Ranger’s Apprentice beyond what the book cover acclaims. I was delighted to see that someone who is a Bestseller uses the omniscient third person point of view, or gaining the insights and thoughts of any character and the ability to be where all the best action and conversation is whether or not the character has an important role in the story. I’ve spent a long time in writing workshops and one thing that a lot of people in the Young Adult genre have told me is that stories flow better from a fixed character’s point of view and that only Charles Dickens could write in omniscient third person because it was so long ago that the style of the era was different and no one knew any better. I wrote my entire first novel before I began workshopping, so I had never even considered what “today’s readers” think is the best POV for a story. I published it because I’m the type of person who would rather write a second book in another style than completely rewrite the first book over something like point of view. Sorry if I ran off the topic, but I feel the need to make mention since I was running this rant through my head every time we left Hal, the main character’s head to hear Thorn, or Tersgood’s thoughts. After being on both sides of the conversation and then listening to a story that carries the underdog view, I’ve now decided both are just fine.

      Based on the other’s accurate, technical description of boxing and grappling I believe Mr. Flanagan has trained in martial arts. One bit of footwork he described early on really stuck in my craw for a couple days. It was about throwing a right hook, when your jab hand is your left hand. Most people would never connect a right hook because their arm wouldn’t be close enough with their right foot behind their body. Later Thorn explains to Hal that he should always press forward. Aha! When you step forward with your right foot, a right hook is possible and very effective. I practiced a handful of martial arts for years so I love dissecting another writer’s ability to write a fight and Flanagan can write good action scenes. One grappling scene lost me, but again I was driving so perhaps my attention was simply frayed.

      I disliked the use of certain phrases that I felt don’t fit the time period. “Who are you, his lawyer?” and “brand new” are two examples I noted (while pulled over, safety first!).

      Thorn and Hal’s relationship was heartwarming. When Hal literally rebuilds Thorn into a whole man the symbolism of Thorn’s spiritual healing represented by the boy’s inventions nearly made me weep. I’m a father though, and that kind of thing hits the button!

      One final nitpick, sometimes the narrative spoils a scene by stating flatly what dialogue and action are about to show. I know I’ve used this device myself a couple times, but I heard it enough to become annoyed by chapter 40.

      I will definitely look out for the next adventure of the Brotherband. I know this book has been out a while and there are plenty more to go, but I may wait until my son and I have a road trip. The dynamic between Hal and his seven friends is great. I clearly remember seven of the eight by their distinct characterization. Perhaps the last boy is just a wall flower! I won’t mention who, challenge yourself and try to guess.

      All my criticism above is just a personal reflection of style and I don’t feel like it should dissuade even the reader who shares my opinions. I really enjoyed this Viking adventure!
    • 5/5
      Flanagan does it again! He did an excellent job showing all the personalities of the each member of the crew of the Heron. He gives good clues to what will happen with the crew when they begin their brotherband. It is great how he integrates the Skandians and Erak. This was a page turner for sure.
    • 5/5
      5 STARSAs far as I am concerned John Flanagan has another hit series going. It was exciting and drew you in from the first. Did not want to put it down. The only bad thing is wait till the next book comes out.It starts out 12 years in the past when Erak is still raiding and two warriors are holding off some fighters whill the rest are taking the treasure to the ship. One is killed and he asks his friend to watch over his wife and boy.Than it tells a little about Hal his mom Karina and Thorn lives. How Hal became good friends with Stig and how he builds his boat .Then most of the story is about the Brotherband training camp. How their is 3 teams competting to be the best. Wolves led by Rollond, Sharks let by Tursgud and the Herons by Hal. The first two co-captains were picked but no one second the third so the first two teams picked 10 and the ones no one wanted became the Herons named after Hal boat that 5 of them had worked on and sailed with him. They only had 8 to their team.Right away you want to root for the Herons the underdogs. Tursgud is spoilled and does not fight fair. It build the story very well and you want to see what happens next. See how they come together and become a team.
    • 5/5
      Hal doesn’t really fit into the typical mold of a Skandian nor does he really fit in well anywhere for that matter since his mother is an ex-slave from Araluen. So when he comes of age and begins brotherband training he’s a bit worried, especially about Tursgud who makes Hal’s life miserable every chance he gets....and is bound to be one of the leaders of the brotherbands. So its with a just a wee bit of surprise and trepidation that Hal finds himself a leader of a brotherband, a brotherband of other outcasts. Like him. No one takes this brotherband seriously, yet each of the boys has their own unique talents and bit by bit they begin to show the others what they’re really made of. Meanwhile a mysterious ship filled with Magyaran pirates has made landfall...what have they come for? And what role with Hal and his brotherband play?I loved Flangan’s Ranger Apprentice series so I approached this new one with both glee and a bit of trepidation. After reading the description of the book I was a bit worried that Flangan was recreating Will Treaty (the main character in the Ranger Apprentice series) just in a different nation. I mean Hal sounds a good bit like him--an outcast, an Araluen, smart and quick on his feet, a leader...but he’s much more as well. He’s an inventor always seeking to improve things, a shipbuilder, and a swordsman like his dad. And even though some of the characters, such as Steig, have some traits similar to other Ranger Apprentice characters they stand on their own. My worries were clearly unfounded as Flangan has once again crafted a fantastic tale of adventure and intrigue. It’s clear that Flangan has grown as a writer as this book jam packed with action, adventure, and humor--such as Erak’s storeroom of treasure. The story has a good pace and keeps you turning the pages till the very end. I started the book rather late at night with the anticipation of only reading a couple chapters, yet as the hours past I kept saying one more chapter till I finished it (and was quite glad that I stayed up till the end.) Flangan still creates characters that aren’t perfect, that have flaws for everyone to see. Such as Thorn (who is one of my favorite characters,) Hal’s mentor, who begins the story as a drunk one armed former warrior. And by the end shows everyone what he’s really made of. I have some minor concerns about where the series takes us, but...I’m going to trust in Flangan. This is a great start to a new series, with a new group of heroes, and I can’t wait to read and find out what happens next.
    • 4/5
      Good set up for a new series, enough action to keep your interest as you are introduced to a new set of characters. Plot ending leads into the next book as reflected this title the "The OutCasts". Fun, fast reading liked the characters. A BOY series for those who like adventure .
    • 2/5
      In Skandia boys are trained in brotherbands. These are made in the time tested tradition of picking the team leaders (skirls) who then take it in turns to pick who they want from the group, each trying to make sure he doesn't get the fat one. But in the year of Hal's brotherband training only two skirls are nominated when they have enough boys for three teams. The stereotypical, mildly sadistic PE teacher (or trainer in this case) decides that he will let the two skirls take their pick of the boys and those remaining can form another team. So this means that Hal, an outcast half Araluen, different from Skandias and his best and only friend Stig are stuck in a team of the boys that no-one wanted. It gets worse for Hal when they decide he should be their skirl, but as the weeks of training and tests progress he finds that he is a born leader, and the team that nobody believed had a chance is in the running to win, even if it's not a sure thing.I just thought I better mention that I haven't read The Rangers Apprentice, so this review has nothing to do with that series. This is a good book if you want action, and adventure, but not exactly great literature, and in my opinion books like the 'Thieftakers Apprentice' by Stephan Deas or 'The Spooks Apprentice' by Joseph Delaney (I know, so many apprentices!) by Joseph Dealany are much better written and have far more complexity of plot. However this book is still good in terms of giving the reader an exciting read, definitely a teenage boy book. What spoiled it for me was the ending, which set it up for the rest of the trilogy. It almost felt as if it was just stuck on so that more books could be written when it would have been a perfectly good book without it. I doubt that I will bother reading the rest of the trilogy.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful story! I couldn't put it down!