I have just finished the Slaves of Socorro, by John Flanagan. It is the fourth installment of the the series. All previous books have been very exciting and I have high expectations for this one.
After reading the first 6 chapters of the book, I have to admit, I expected a faster transition to the plot in those beginning chapters. Much of those chapters were spent reintroducing all the characters, and what had happened previously. I found this very boring, and hoped the plot will continue soon, because very little has actually happened in the first 6 chapters...
However, the setting of the beginning chapters has been very descriptive. John Flanagan has done a nice job setting the scene in the woods as well as town of Hallasholm. An example of this description is "There were also half a dozen fire pits, each one with a spit set over it, where carcasses of bullocks and sheep turned above the red-hot coals, spitting and sizzling as they gradually browned". These details are quite interesting, and pull the reader into the scene, but I still disliked the beginning of this book, mostly due to it's slow pace. I hope the rest of the book has a faster pace and more action.
As the plot moved on, things got a great deal more interesting. Hal and his wolfship sailed to monitor the coasts of Araluen, protecting it from sea raids. The reintroduction of Gillian, when much faster and much better executed than of the previous characters. The antagonists were also introduced, with much detail. However this was ok because these were new characters to the story. The middle of the book was very strong, and much more entertaining to read. As the story moved onto to the constant action that is clearly present in most of Flanagan's books, I started to enjoy it more. The middle to the end of the book really do follow the structure and style of the previous books. The characters must always be thinking to outsmart their opponent, a big theme present in this series.
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