The Ghostfaces (30 page)

I
would ask readers to bear in mind that the world of Brotherband, and Ranger's Apprentice, is not the real world. It's a fantasy world, although it's similar in many ways to our own.

This is particularly relevant when it comes to indigenous people referred to in the book. Astute readers will quickly identify the real-life groups who have inspired the fictional ones. But please remember, they're not intended to be identical. For this reason, I haven't used any identifiable language to create the words and descriptive phrases used by my indigenous people. They are all fabricated.

I have tried to avoid any stereotypes or potentially offensive words and phrases, be they about appearance or behavior. If any references or phrasing cause offense, please understand that this is totally unintentional, and forgive me for my ignorance.

John Flanagan

JOHN FLANAGAN
grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer, and after a successful career in advertising and television, he began writing a series of short stories for his son, Michael, in order to encourage him to read. Those stories would eventually become
The Ruins of Gorlan
, Book 1 of the Ranger's Apprentice epic. Now with his companion series, Brotherband, the novels of John Flanagan have sold millions of copies and made readers of kids the world over.

Mr. Flanagan lives in the suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.

You can visit John Flanagan at
www.WorldofJohnFlanagan.com

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