The Lost Stories

The Lost Stories
By John Flanagan
Philomel Books, 2011. 422 pgs. Young Adult

In 1896, an archaeology student in the Republic of the Aralan States uncovers a collection of lost stories about the legendary Rangers. In a collection of short stories, readers come to find out more about (among other things) Halt's background, Will's parentage, and what happened after the tenth book in the series.

Reading this was a little bittersweet for me. I loved the chance to see my favorite Araluens one more time and to find out a little more about them, but this book didn't have the same captivating power that the others did. There wasn't as much action, and since the stories weren't necessarily connected to each other, they didn't create the same pull to devour the book to find out what's going to happen. There was, however, a story that made me cry, something I wasn't quite prepared for after reading the ten others dry-eyed. Overall, it isn't quite as wonderful as the rest of the series, but it's definitely something fans of the series should read.

AE