When ferret Swartt Sixclaw and his arch enemy Sunflash the Mace swear a pledge of death upon each other, a young creature is cruelly banished from the safety of Redwall. As he grows, he seeks revenge on the people of Redwall and finds himself embroiled in a hostile battle with far-reaching consequences.

I’ve finished the last of the Redwall novels I will be reading, “Outcast of Redwall.” As I mentioned in my last post, the repeating formula is getting tiresome for me. My daughter will probably continue to read the rest of the novels, but I’ll just have to hear what goes on from her.

This installment of the series probably should have had a different title: Veil the ferret almost seems like a secondary character. He’s not even the titular “outcast” until about 170 pages in! The main thrust of the story revolves around the badger lord Sunflash the Mace (son of Bella from “Mossflower“) and Swartt Sixclaw the ferret warlord as they try to track each other down. The usual supporting cast of creatures is present, as is the secondary storyline that eventually ties into the main plot. The extra variable in the formula is Veil: a (archtypically evil) ferret raised by the peaceful creatures of Redwall Abbey. Will he end up being good, or evil (does his name give that surprise away?).

That’s really all I have to say about this one …

Vicious Foxwolf, Urgan Nagru–a fox who long ago discovered the body of a wolf and skinned it to wear as his own–is holding the young Mariel and Dandin captive. The pair are at the mercy of the evil despot and have only one hope of survival. But can they really count on the legendary freedom fighter, Martin the Warrior, to come to their rescue?

On my flight to New York the other week I finished the next of Brian Jacuqes’ Redwall novels, “The Bellmaker.”

Mariel and Dandin, who were the central characters in “Mariel of Redwall,” along with Mariel’s father Joseph (the titular Bellmaker) make a re-appearance in this book, along with some other characters from that story. Whereas the previous book, “Martin the Warrior” took place in the farth north of Jacques’ world, most of this one takes place in a new area to the south known as Southsward.

Some seasons have passed since Mariel and Dandin left Redwall in search of adventure and Joseph is worried about what has become of them. In a dream, Martin the Warrior instructs Joseph (through the typical set of riddles) to leave the Abbey with a few companions and search them out to the south.

Meanwhile, Mariel and Dandin have become entangled in a siege of Castle Floret. Once ruled by the squirrel king Gael, it has been taken over by the foxwolf Urgan Nagru and his vermin horde (sound familiar?). Mariel, Dandin, and the usual cast of hares, shrews, mice, otters, moles, etc. etc. attempt to drive the horde from the castle … but will Joseph and his crew arrive in time to help them?

I have to admit now that I’m seven books deep into this series that it’s starting to get a little tiresome and repetitive. As mentioned in the wiki article on the Redwall series (which closely mirrors what I have said before):

Many reviewers have also criticized the Redwall series for repetition and predictability, citing “recycled” plot lines and Jacques’ tendency to follow a “pattern to the dot.” Of course, other reviewers note that such predictable “ingredients” may be what “makes the Redwall recipe so consistently popular.” Although the series does not continue to break new ground, it does provide satisfying adventures with “comforting, predictable conclusions for its fans.”

J.K. Rowling did the same thing with her Harry Potter books, but they were a lot more intriguing for some reason. I started reading the series with my daughter just over a year ago and continued reading it so we had something shared to do. We don’t read them together out loud anymore, and she hasn’t really waited for me to catch up any longer, so by the time I finish a book she’s already read a few more beyond it. It’s still fun to discuss them with her (and she still loves reading them over and over), but I’m feeling less of a desire to continue reading them myself (we’re not even halfway through the entire series!). I’ve already started “Outcast of Redwall” but I think that might be my last foray into the world of Redwall for a time.

Badrang the Stoat has his evil eyes set on ruling over his own empire, and will do anything to make sure that his ultimate fantasy is fulfilled. But little does he realize that the quiet, nameless mouse he is holding captive will one day turn out to be the heroic and fearless Martin the Warrior.

“Martin the Warrior” is the sixth book of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series. The opening sequence takes place shortly after “Mariel of Redwall” but the actual story of Martin is the earliest so far in the series, placing it sequentially before “Mossflower.” The book also takes place in the far north lands, a new area of Jacques’ world.

Badrang the Tyrant, the ruler of Fort Marshank on the shores of the Eastern Sea, has captured a young mouse named Martin. Martin eventually escapes with Brome (another mouse) and Felldoh (a squirrel) from the fort and meets up with Brome’s sister Rose and her companion Grumm (a mole) who have come from Noonvale.

Separated during their escape, the remainder of the book follows the two parties in their respective quests: Martin, Rose, and Grumm attempt to return to Noonvale and raise an army to attack Marshank; Brome and Felldoh meet up with a travelling troupe of entertainers known as the Rosehip Players (which include a Badger named Rowanoak and a hare called Ballaw) and plan a series of missions to free the remaining Marshank slaves. Meanwhile, Badrang has to deal with both the outside attacks and inside subterfuge caused by an old “friend” (Tramun Clogg, a sea-faring stoat pirate) paying an unexpected visit.

As usual, the characters are varied, colorful, and entertaining and the story is easy to read. This volume, however, has the most sad and tragic turn of events in any of the books so far in the series. Suffice it to say that the ending plays an important role for the Martin we see at the beginning of “Mossflower” and explains his actions that carry on in the later Redwall novels.

As the inhabitants of Redwall relax in the haze of the long, hot summer, they are unaware that the neighboring stronghold of Salamandastron lies besieged by the evil weasel army of Ferhago the Assassin. Nor do they realize that Mara, beloved daughter of Urthstripe, Badger Lord of the Fire Mountain, is in terrible danger. But when a lightning bolt uncovers the sword of Martin the Warrior, young Samkin embarks on adventure that leads him to Mara, and their lives become inextricably entwined.

Book 5 of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series is “Salamandastron.” As before, my daughter and I started reading this together, but only got a few chapters in before she decided to go on without me, so once again I ended up reading this one on my own after she finished.

Despite following the now-familiar formulaic approach (which I detailed in my previous Redwall-related post), “Salamandastron” was a quick and fun read. If I had to pick, the badgers would be my favorite characters in the Redwall mythos, and there are quite a few of them in this book. Here’s the breakdown:

• Ferhago the Assassin and his son Klitch, along with the horde of Corpsemakers are beseiging the mountain stronghold of the badger lord Urthstripe. Mara, a young orphan badger under the care of Urthstripe, runs away with Pikkle (a hare).
• all is peaceful at Redwall as they prepare for their seasonal Nameday celebration until the sword of Martin the Warrior is stolen by two weasels; they are pursued by Samkin (a squirrel) and Arula (a mole maid).
• shortly after they leave Redwall, an outbreak of Dryditch Fever spreads through the Abbey; Thrugg (an otter) and Dumble (a baby mouse) strike out north seeking the Icetor flowers, the only known cure for the disease.

Some more familiar groups make an appearance, like the guerilla shrews (another personal favorite), along with some new characters, like the hawks and eagles of the North (with their highland accents). Jacques does a nice job of establishing the three storylines and then weaving them together, tying the whole thing up in a neat package by the final chapters.

Chronologically, this book comes after “Mariel of Redwall” but before “Redwall.” Just like before, my daughter enjoyed being able to tie some of the characters and plotlines of “Salamandastron” into the other books. I’m amazed by her retention of characters, events, and details … she remembers the little things much better than I do. That could be because she is constantly re-reading these books. I told her that once we read all of the books (which could take a while, I think there are over 20!), she should re-read them in chronological order.

Next up: “Martin the Warrior.”

Heaved off her ship in a pirate raid, Mousemaid Mariel is washed up on the shores of Mossflower. With no idea where she is, or indeed who she is, the young warrior mouse embarks on an unforeseen adventure that will take her to the very heart of Redwall and into the arms of the people who live there.

So I’ve finally caught up with my daughter and finished the fourth book of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, “Mariel of Redwall.”

Just like J.K. Rowling’s first few Harry Potter books, I’m beginning to see the pattern in Jacques’ novels:

• new enemy/bad guy is introduced
• all is peaceful at Redwall
• an event occurs that requires some Redwallers to leave on a perilous quest, directed by the spirit of Martin the Warrior and mysterious Abbey writings/poems/riddles, joined by other friends along the way
• while the questing party is gone, Redwall comes under attack and must be defended by the peace-loving Abbey dwellers
• the Abbey is successfully defended, though some lives are lost
• the questing party returns successfully to the Abbey
• a final journal entry by an Abbey dweller sums up the final events and links to the other books in the series

The one difference in “Mariel” is that the main protagonist is a female mouse. Otherwise, the book falls into my outline above as follows:

• Gabool the Wild, king of the sea rats, has captured a magnificent bell intended for the badger lord of Salamandastron.
• Redwall is still being constructed, with the current project being the bell tower (hint hint)
• Mariel the mousemaid arrives, discovers an old poem that describes how to get to Terramorte Isle, and then leaves on a quest to kill Gabool and avenge her father Joseph the Bellmaker. Dandin (mouse), Durry (mole), and Tarquin (hare) accompany her northwards.
• a gang of sea rats, led by Graypatch, decide to besiege the Abbey intending to be the new rules of Redwall and enslave its inhabitants.

I can’t really go into the final points without giving away major plot lines or spoilers, but suffice it to say it follows the pattern.

While these are primarily books for younger readers, I have enjoyed them. While I was reading “Mariel” I was giving my daughter daily updates on my progress. She was always excited to remember certain sequences or events and discuss them with me. She was also very good about not spoiling any upcoming surprises. She also loves the maps in the front of each book, which show a little bit more of Mossflower Woods and the surrounding lands in each story.

Next up is “Salamandastron,” which we’re going to read together like we did with the first two. It takes a little longer, but it’s our fun bedtime activity.

Preparations for the feast for the Summer of the Golden Plain are underway at Redwall Abbey, and young Mattimeo’s mother sets him to work with the other inhabitants. His father, Matthias, is the guardian of Redwall Abbey and it is this fact that puts the young Mattimeo in danger as the evil Slagar the Fox plots to kidnap him in a bid to shake the very foundations of the Abbey and its inhabitants.

The third book of Brian Jaques‘ Redwall series, “Mattimeo,” picks up eight seasons (so, uh, two years?) after the events of “Redwall.”

Mattimeo is the young son of Matthias (the Champion of Redwall) and Cornflower. Growing up as the son of the Warrior isn’t an easy thing for Matti, who tends to get himself into trouble. During the feast of the Summer of the Golden Plain, Slagar the fox, a slaver, infiltrates Redwall Abbey, drugs the inhabitants, and makes off with Redwall’s young ones.

Once Matthias and the rest of the woodlanders awaken and realize what has happened, a grand pursuit begins which takes us, the readers, and the rescue party (Jess squirrel, Basil Stag Hare, and some new and old friends) through the southern reaches of Mossflower country to the underground kingdom of Malkariss.

While the warrior party is away chasing Slagar, a second plotline follows the raven General Ironbeak and his army of rooks, crows, and magpies as they invade the roofspaces of the abbey and attempt to take over Redwall from the top down. With their warriors gone, the remaining Abbey residents must come up with different, inventive ways of dealing with the invaders.

As before, my daughter was tired of waiting for me and has already gone ahead and read the next book in the series, “Mariel of Redwall.” She’s promised to wait for me to finish that one so we can read “Salamandastron” together.

I discovered, while perusing the wiki, that there was a Redwall animated series on Canadian public television back in the late 90s/early 2000s. I managed to find the Season 1 DVDs (which basically cover the first book) on eBay and bought a set for my daughter’s birthday (I think she’ll flip out). There is also talk of a live-action/CGI Redwall movie to be released in 2011.

Martin the Warrior finds himself trespassing on the land of Verdagua, King of a Thousand Eyes, as he lies sick and near dying. With his last strength, Verdagua is struggling to make a decision on who should replace him as ruler of Mossflower Country. As Martin and his newfound friend and fellow prisoner Gonff become embroiled in the battle against Verdagua’s ruthless daughter, Tsarmina, a bloody fight between good and evil ensues.

It took us a little longer than book one, but my daughter and I finally finished the second book of Brian Jaques’ Redwall series, “Mossflower.”

“Mossflower” takes place an unspecified amount of time before “Redwall” but in the same general location. The now-familiar cast of woodlanders are all present again: mice, moles, hedgehogs, otters, badgers, and squirrels. The antagonists this time are the usual armies of rats, stoats, weasels, and foxes, led by the evil wildcat queen Tsarmina. The book tells the story of Martin the Warrior: how he came to Mossflower country and his quest to free Mossflower Woods from the armies of Kotir. Along the way he must repair his father’s sword, the same sword that ends up playing a central role of Matthias’ quest in “Redwall.”

It was great seeing my daughter’s face light up as we read together and she put together the pieces linking the characters and locations in “Mossflower” to “Redwall” (especially at the end). She also enjoyed comparing the maps in the front of both books. I think her favorite characters in this one were Ferdy and Coggs, the two young hedgehogs. My favorites was young Dinny, the mole. Molespeech is really hard to read out loud.

My daughter has already read (by herself) the third book in the series, “Mattimeo” (I guess she got tired of waiting since it was taking us so long to finish “Mossflower”). So now I’ll have to read that one next (by myself) to catch up and then we can move onto book four.

Matthias, a mouse of Redwall Abbey, is in trouble, as are the rest of the mice. When Cluny the Scourge attacks Redwall with his horde, Matthias goes on a quest to retrieve the sword of Martin the Warrior, which he believes will give victory over the evil vermin.

My daughter and I just finished reading Brian Jacques’ “Redwall.” the first book in his 20-year old Redwall series. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy as a child so I’m not quite sure how I never came across this saga until now. I think I heard about it mentioned casually on a podcast a few months ago and thought, now that my daughter had finished the Harry Potter books, it sounded like a good series to challenge her with (she’s in first grade) and something we could read and enjoy together. So we spent the past month reading a few pags a night …

All of the characters in “Redwall” are animals: mice, moles, badgers, rabbits, and other woodland creatures are the good guys, and the bad guys are the rats, weasels, ferrets, stoats, snakes, foxes, etc. You can see how the good/evil theme moves on from there. The mice are peaceful and share the bounty of the land with their fellow creatures at Redwall Abbey. The rats, led by Cluny the Scourge, are power-hungry and want to pillage, plunder, and loot. To save the abbey and his friends, Matthias must go on a quest to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior, the previous champion defender of Redwall.

It was a relatively easy read: some of the chapters were just a few pages, which made for a nice quick skim before bedtime. There are a lot of “dark” subjects though, particularly murder, that I was a little concerned about reading with a 7-year old. Like I mentioned though, she’s read all the Harry Potter books so she’s been exposed to those topics before. I did learn, though, to not necessarily end the bedtime reading on a Cluny chapter.

Since we had so much fun reading the first one, I’ve already ordered the next four in the series. We’ve got our daddy/daughter reading material set for the summer. Next up, “Mossflower.” Want to know more? Check out the Redwall Wiki.