The Emperor of Nihon-Jan by John Flanagan

I've mentioned Matt before. He's one of my freshmen and he is unbelievably stoked that I'm reading his favorite series. As I get closer and closer to the end of the extant series, he and I have had a series of discussions about what I think of it all. Surprisingly, these are pretty mature and critical discussions for a 14 year old.

Last friday was a kind of reward day for the kids and Matt took the opportunity to corner me at lunch to discuss what I thought of the series so far. Here's the highlights.

• I think this book, book 10, was originally envisioned as the end of the series (true apparently according to Matt)
• This book and book 7 (Erik's Ransom) both are really, I mean really, slow starting. They pick up and are otherwise two of the strongest books in the series, but that first 50 pages are a doozy. Matt suggested that it could be because those two books introduce new lands and cultures. I agree.
• Flanagan does a good job with character development.
• The next two books aren't as good apparently. (thanks Matt :-P )
• I should totally read the associated Brotherband series.

For a hopeless fanboy, he did a pretty good job. Clearly he's waiting, rather impatiently, for me to finish off the last two books so that we can have "the long conversation" about them.

If I sound like I'm complaining, I'm really not. This is why I became a teacher. It's really encouraging to see a kid enthusiastic about literature.

As a series ender, I can't really ask for an author to do a better job than this book. All the plot and character threads tie up pretty neatly and in a satisfying way. Horace finally gets his father figure and so, since the series starts off with five orphans, that means that they've all found parental figures. As young adults they are both happy and competent. Flanagan really did a good job. I'm not sure I want to acknowledge the existence of the next two books.

*frowny face*

But if I don't read them, Matt will pester me. *sigh*