Remembered from childhood
I loved John Christopher's books as a kid and read everything I could get from my local library, although I did not own his books. I remembered them and was so delighted to find that as a Mom I could buy the books now for my son (age 12) and enjoy them again together.
The Sword of the Spirits books (of which Burning Lands is #2) are a particular favorite of mine, combining Sci-Fi and Fantasy in one package through its post-apocalyptic medieval society setting. I think it offers some fairly profound social commentary through an action-oriented storyline--makes you think without being overly aware of it. My son does think that this series is a bit 'dark', in that no easy answers are presented and several characters have less than savory motives. However, it is clear that the hero is a good guy, although he (as a young man) sometimes lacks good judgment.