The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan

1.  Can't believe I hadn't heard of this RA series when it was made by another prominent Australian author and the publication of which overlapped with Deltora Quest
2. I actually liked this first book more than the Forests of Silence (DQ#1), but that's perhaps an unfair comparison as DQ's books are very thin compared to the RA series - there's more room to explore in RA
3. RA is about espionage in medieval times in a place apparently resembling the modern day UK. It's a pretty cool concept. 
4. I loved how Flanagan explores the concept of adventure, growing up, coming of age, those that appear to be "weak" being actually quite strong... and comradery through adversity I suppose.
5. It was interesting to see the village crafts being divided into different sections (not an uncommon theme in these sorts of books but I liked how the different areas were explored early, with a focus on knights and rangers)
6. I am keen to see the world map expand and/or used more in the novels to come - wished there were more detailed locations on the map that corresponded to the story
7. The way in which the rangers tracked targets and journeyed over long distances was well described and I felt like I was going on the actual journey
8. There were a few moments early on where I wasn't quite used to Flagan's writing and humour but I got used to it and really enjoyed it
9. Not sure of the exact score yet but I'd say 4.5-4.7/5