The Tournament at Gorlan is one novel in a long series John Flanagan has masterfully produced: Ranger’s Apprentice. But this prequel isn’t an addition to a long list of successes; it’s an enhancement that makes a wonderful series shine.

The Tournament at Gorlan takes place in the years before the events of the main novels. The novel focuses around one main event: the competition that ignited a war spanning several decades. However, Flanagan doesn’t use this novel as a medium for background information; he uses the novel to portray his world. The novel doesn’t contextualize the main series. It doesn’t explain the sources of conflict. It reveals a part of the world that was always hidden from view and allows the reader to render a larger image. Instead of expanding his previous successes, The Tournament at Gorlan polishes an already robust world by casting a light on an unexplored region of Flanagan’s universe.

Aside from its ability to reveal a more holistic world, the novel gives old, familiar characters a new breath of life. Beloved characters are drawn back from the shadows of age and restored to their youth. The contrast between the characterization in the prequel and the characterization in the main series is sharp and refreshing; the reader gets to see the experiences shaping the father figures in the main series. The Tournament at Gorlan winds back the clock to a time when the kings and the leaders were inexperienced teenagers without guidance. For the first time, there are no pillars of leadership for anyone to rely on. The characters thrive, not because they are ready, but because they have to. They become the leaders of a nation because the alternative is death.

The Tournament at Gorlan isn’t a classic and it won’t show up on an AP test, but there are very few prequels that can compare. Instead of withering under expectations and attempting to explain a predetermined outcome, this novel expands and enhances the main series. It defines what leadership is in Flanagan’s world and sets heroes apart based on their actions. Even though the novel is 364 pages long and took me about 3 days to finish, it was definitely worth every minute and I strongly recommend it.