| Title | : | Lord Brocktree (Redwall, #13) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0142501107 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780142501108 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 370 |
| Publication | : | First published September 26, 2000 |
Lord Brocktree (Redwall, #13) Reviews
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There's always a risk involved in re-reading childhood favorites. What if they're not as good as I remember? What if they espouse views I now can't stand?
That last one is a serious potential problem for the Redwall books, because Brian Jacques made no bones about writing morality with very few shades of grey. As he once wrote in the introduction to the Friend and Foe guide, "Goodies are good!" And yet, despite growing up on his work, I find myself less and less fond of black-and-white morality over time. At age seven, good vs. evil worked for me; at age nineteen it bothers me. I approached this book, therefore, with some trepidation.
I needn't have feared. Is the morality still mostly black and white? Yes. Is that a problem?
Well, no!
What I feel Brian Jacques did very well was making his conflicts clearly moral, set up along standards of right and wrong with which few can argue. His 'goodies' are friendly, generous, willing to help each other - they are above all devoted to the betterment of their community at large and helping others, and they fight for the defense of their friends. By contrast, the 'baddies' are selfish and cruel, don't treat others like their equals (Ungatt Trunn, the primary villain of this book, refers to those outside of his horde as 'Lesser Orders'), and respect only physical strength and martial competence. The lesson here is clear: altruism, respect, and acceptance are good; cruelty and treating others as if they are beneath you are bad. As stark morality goes, that's a message that I'm more than comfortable with being imparted to children.
The story is, of course, solid as well. As are pretty much all Redwall books, it's one part quest and one part large-scale conflict. There's a journey undertaken by small numbers of characters - actually, there are two such journeys in parallel. There are obstacles to overcome, minor foes to defeat, and puzzles to solve. An army is raised and, in the end, meets another such in pitched battle. Anyone familiar with the series already knows what to expect in terms of plot. What brings this book to life - as with any Redwall book - is the cast of characters.
It is, as usual, fairly extensive, and I'm not interested in discussing all of them at the moment. Rest assured that they're as entertaining as ever, and that this book has a healthy population of the always-entertaining hares.
I do want to talk about one character in particular: Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy, known as Dotti. She's a young haremaid, the first companion of the titular Lord Brocktree, and interestingly placed in the narrative. Despite being young, female, and largely unarmed, she is treated as just as much a warrior as any other character; her first scene is a battle with would-be robbers. She is simultaneously presented with the flaws of youth - overexcitedness, rash decision making, etc - and with a lot of things that, especially in the Redwall universe, are cardinal virtues. She's friendly and loyal, she's courageous, she's dedicated, she's empathetic, she stands strong under pressure.
What stands out to me about this is that, for all he was writing for young readers, Jacques wrote fairly conventional heroic fantasy stories in structure and conflict. It is therefore notable that one of the main characters, and the one written most so that the reader identifies with her, is young and female - not exactly a common choice for a genre which is traditionally extremely masculine.
Reflecting on Dotti got me thinking about one of the things I like best about Redwall in general: that in the years I've been reading the series, I've never felt like there was no place for me in the world it portrayed. As a nine year-old girl, these books told me I could be Dotti, Mariel, Triss, or even Log-a-Log Grenn. There... really aren't gender roles in Mossflower; male and female characters occupy a broad range of roles. There are male healers (Brome of Noonvale) and female war leaders (Cregga Roseyes), among many others.
I'm not claiming that Mossflower is all-encompassing in its inclusivity. But for a young girl who was just starting to get into reading as a hobby, and fantasy as a genre, it was immensely important to find a world that didn't adhere to tired old gender roles. Redwall has always felt like a safe space to me, and I think that's a large part of it: there is no judgement built into it, no strictures other than not hurting others. As characters so often say in the last chapter of the books, the doors of the Abbey are always open to friends.
On a different note - a specific point of the morality of the series where I feel Lord Brocktree is particularly strong. The rule of the mountain of Salamandastron is essentially one of divine right; there is always a Badger Lord or Lady in charge, always hares serving them faithfully. Often, rule passes down family lineages - Stonepaw to Brocktree; Brocktree presumably to his son when the time comes. And yet, their rule is not justified by birth or species, but by actions: as leaders, they must be wise, fair, kind, and brave, and those are the traits that make them fit to rule. Brocktree demonstrates this over and over: most notably in sending Dotti to confront King Bucko instead of doing so himself (simultaneously ensuring both that she grows stronger and more self-confident and that he doesn't win the contest by unfair species advantage), and in fighting Ungatt Trunn in single combat as honorably as possible, rather than claiming victory by trickery. He earns the right to be Lord of Salamandastron by the virtues of his actions.
To end this rather disorganized review, here are a few of my favorite quotes:A venturesom ferret, who had aspirations to captaincy, charged forward, urging the rest on. "There's only three of 'em. Charge!"
He collapsed under a frightening barrage of hefty blows from Bobweave, who shouted as he delivered the punches, "Sorry t'make a liar out of you, old lad, but listen. Eulaliiiiaaaaaa!"
His war cry echoed back at him like rolling thunder.
"Eulaliiiiaaaaaa!""I say, d'you want me to load your sling, miss Dotti?"
"Tut tut, old chap, I'm the sling-loader 'round here, y'know!"
The haremaid rescued her sling from the irrepressible twins. "Oh, give it a rest, you two, I'm perfectly capable of loadin' me own bloomin' sling."
These books remain, after all the years that have passed, one of my favorite things from my childhood, and things I wholeheartedly recommend to any young readers who are up for the challenge a 350 page novel presents - and to anyone else, really. They're good fun, and their essential optimism about people of all kinds is invaluable in these all too pessimistic times.
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Sad to have finished this one. I do love a Redwall tale. There is something infinitely comfortable about them and yet they still entertain.
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It has been a very long time since I've read any of the Redwall books. With several video games and a movie in the works, I decided that it would be a good time to revisit Mossflower. I'm reading the books in chronological order instead of publication order.
So our saga begins with Lord Brocktree. Redwall Abbey hasn't been built and the hero Martin the Warrior hasn't been born yet. The only thing protecting Mossflower is the mountain fortress of Salamandastron, which waits a new Badger Lord.
Enter our hero Brocktree. He has entered the time of his life when many male badgers leave home to go questing. Joined by a talkative (and tone-deaf) hare maid named Dotti and a handful of other creatures, they journey to take back Salamandastron from a barbarian conqueror who's army is vast. -
Lord Brocktree is a tough book to rate. One one hand, the book contains a fun and interesting story with likable characters. On the other hand, there are so many things in this book that are either completely unnecessary or just plain annoying (or both). It comes down to this: Are the abundant annoyances present in this book forgivable due to the presence of a well told story?
The answer to the above question, in this case, is no. Yes, Brocktree and Stonepaw are interesting characters who have a fun supporting cast up against an intimidating villain. Yes, the story surrounding these characters and there connection to Salamandastron (is that an awesome name, or what?), while highly predictable, is enjoyable to read about. But with everything that works well in Lord Brocktree, there's a fault that offsets it.
Chief among those faults is the large amount of unnecessary content, especially in the first half of the book. Large portions of many chapters are dedicated to the description of tables full of food, dancing, and the singing of songs. There's nothing wrong with developing a culture for the characters/species in a story, but it has to be interesting. I found myself thinking many times that I would rather be reading about Ungatt Trunn than hungry rabbits (excuse me, hares) and moles. Speaking of moles...
Dialect is another issue in the novel. While I don't expect every species to talk exactly like the others, some characters (any mole, for example) speak in nigh unreadable dialects. I would audibly sigh whenever I was confronted with paragraph after paragraph of "mole speak". What was most frustrating about it though, was that I couldn't figure out if I was missing crucial plot points or just struggling to read an over elaborate description of rice. Perhaps, though, the fault is mine and I merely lack the faculties necessary to read the different dialects.
If you can deal with the above complaints, you'll likely really enjoy Lord Brocktree. It's an epic story with a large cast of fun characters. However, Lord Brocktree will likely cause more frustration than pleasure for less than patient readers. -
5 stars. I have read
Redwall and
Mossflower last year, as well as watched the Redwall TV Show on repeat for the last 12 months. This year I am reading the series chronologically, and this is the first one. I was expecting this to be as similar as
Redwall and
Mossflower are, and was pleasantly surprised. While it keeps many of the basic elements, it’s quite different.
Tired old Lord Stonepaw and his little group of loyal old followers are besieged by the wicked Ungatt Trunn, a wildcat who is both a sea- and land-rover. Many miles away, Lord S.’s son and successor, Lord Brocktree, is on his way to his heritage, and accompanied by flighty Miss Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy—aka Dotti—a “fatal beauty” with a terrible singing voice. Soon the plot sprawls over prisoners at Salamandastron, the trials of Fleetscut Rabbit, struggling to raise rescue, and Ungatt + his followers’ wicked plans. A bitter squirrel tribe, King Bucko Bigbones’s wild camp, a runaway baby, and shrimp-catching otters help round out the familiar animal contingent. Sea-girth island Salamandastron, with its prisons and caves; forests; rivers; and meadows make for a pleasant outdoor setting and a mix of aesthetics. The writing style is not spectacular; but it’s good, and I particularly love the dialects. The dialogue is really quite good. The characters, however, are the best part.
Lord Brocktree, the main badger, was a male this time—rather a relief after all the strong female badgers—and was quite different from Constance or Rowanoak. I liked his calm reticence, his strong leadership, his gruff love, and his wild warrior side. He was not a prominent character, although the main protagonist, but he was a solid, reliable, likeable one. His father was rather a nobly pathetic old figure, along with his poor trusty broken-down rabbits. Dotti, the other MC, was also very different from Basil or Ballaw. She was a colourful personality, a mixture of kindness and selfishness, sweetness and sass, folly and cleverness. While sometimes she drove me wild, I couldn’t help liking her a great deal, especially as the story progressed. Ruff was the typical nautical otter fellow; but Brogalaw was rather different and I loved his relationship with his mother—so cute and funny! Stiffener was a gallant old chap, as were the other rabbits except for silly Willip; Jukka was slightly similar to Jessi and Amber, but much more fierce and bad-tempered, and brought in a lot of extra flair to the plot. Bucko was another colourful personage, and while I hated him at first, I ended up with a pretty big soft spot for the old rascal. And finally Skittles was kinda really cute. Karangool, Ripfang, & Doomeye felt different from the typical baddies with their plot lines and relationships; Ungatt reminded me strongly of Verdauga but I didn’t mind it.
(Speaking of the characters, I would like to point out how I appreciate the society built in these novels. They feel much more animal-like than many anthropomorphic books I’ve read. While there is a lot of inspiration pulled from the British isles, it feels more like these characters are the animal counterparts than representations.)
I’ve already mentioned the plot, but it’s Brian Jacques’ typical mixture of journeys with adventures and small strifes, lots of relationships and simple friendly moments, and an epic battle or two. Dotti & Bucko’s showdown was very, very enjoyable and new; and I was such a fan of how many threads were connected!! The theme was a basic good vs. evil theme, but I liked the small pro-life thread. Contentwise, I was not a fan of how many wives were presented as cleverer and stronger than their husbands; but it wasn’t too bad. Also, I should mention this book, as all the others, have female warriors and leaders; given they’re animals, I don’t see any real moral objections to it but personally it’s not my fav. Again, however, it’s a very minor point. There is rather a lot of violence, but never excessive or over-detailed; I’d recommend it for ages 12+.
Overall, this is another rollocking, enjoyable tale in the Redwall series, or a great start—whichever way you prefer to read the series.
*quotes & content list to follow upon reread* -
I love this series and this is another great addition to the saga!
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"Defend the weak, protect both young and old, never desert your friends. Give justice to all, be fearless in battle and always ready to defend the right."
—The law of Badger Lords, Lord Brocktree, P. 370
Thirteen books into the beloved Redwall series, Brian Jacques demonstrates in Lord Brocktree that his tales of Mossflower Wood and its many and varied inhabitants still have plenty of freshness in reserve. This is the best entry in the series since The Bellmaker, episode seven in the Redwall saga.
Reaching back through the rich history alluded to in previous Redwall novels, Brian Jacques casts a spell of gorgeous language and strong, brave characters as he tells the legend of Lord Brocktree, the Badger Lord who organized Salamandastron into the powerful fortress it became in later years. Leader of the stouthearted Long Patrol of warrior hares, Badger Lords down through the ages fought with everything they had to protect all innocent creatures, often sacrificing their own life to rid the world of vermin.
Leaving his mountain home of Salamandastron at a young age, Brocktree wanders Mossflower country in search of his destiny. His father, Lord Stonepaw, is the acting Badger Lord, and it is always difficult for two male badgers to inhabit the same dwelling without a great deal of resulting friction due to their headstrong personalities. On his way Brocktree makes the acquaintance of a young hare named Dorothea, who had struck out on her own after her parents decided that it would be best for her to make a life for herself away from home. Together, Brocktree and Dorothea find their way in the world, trying to figure out what fate may have in store for each of them, while learning about themselves and what it takes to maintain a friendship.
Back on Salamandastron, the aging Lord Stonepaw and his courageous hares, who are also quite old and well past their peak physical years, are met with an ominous challenge from a dark, evil marauder, a wildcat by the name of Ungatt Trunn. Supporting Trunn is a vast sea of assorted vermin, too numerous to count and impossible to defend the mountain against for very long. The siege follows predictable lines and Lord Stonepaw manages to escape to the interior of the mountain with a couple dozen of his most resourceful hares, to hopefully await rescue from someone who may have what it takes to challenge Trunn's stranglehold on Salamandastron.
Eventually, Brocktree and Dorothea receive word about the goings-on at the mountain, and Brocktree realizes at last where his destiny is leading him. He is being called to lead the charge on Trunn's evil army at Salamandastron with not only the bravery and physical strength of a burgeoning Badger Lord, but more importantly with the kind of smarts that can lead a terrifyingly outnumbered group of willing soldiers to topple an infectious empire before its hold on the land grows too strong and it becomes nearly impossible to break that hold. Brocktree must rise to the occasion as no other Badger Lord before or since, and demonstrate a level of heroism that will rock the foundations of Mossflower lore forever.
I thought the Redwall series had been starting to slow down prior to reading Lord Brocktree and its direct predecessor, but if Brian Jacques can keep up this standard of richly imaginative storytelling, then I have no doubt the final ten or so volumes to the series will be compelling reading I would not want to miss. Lord Brocktree stirred my spirit in a way I hadn't really felt for the last several books in the series, and left me eagerly wanting more of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read other Redwall books, or even as a possible introduction to the series. I don't think many readers will be disappointed with what they find in its pages.
I would give three and a half stars to Lord Brocktree. -
One of the problems with the Redwall series is that the books have gotten extremely based on a formula and while that formula is pretty easy to like, it's still pretty easy to predict character actions in the later Redwall Novels like Lord Brocktree.
Basically, the formula is villain makes appearance, causes trouble, new (and most times inexperienced) hero appears, lot of eating and description about food, some kumbahya-sing-round-the-campfire songs that are rips from Lord of the Rings and that don't really keep the plot going and just act as some filler space; climatic and predictable battle where villain army get their tails kicked from here to Salamondastron; a lot more eating; and finally narrative ending that tells the reader they shall be welcome in Redwall Abbey.
Plus, the fact that all of Brian Jacques' novels don't coherently fit together and build off of each other like Harry Potter or Wheel of Time is a factor. Lord Brocktree is no exception to his rule. You know how the story turns out after five minutes of reading and nothing really comes as a surprise.
The other thing that drives me nutty lately about the Redwall series is that animals like Rats, Weasels, and Stoats automatically have cruelty and brutality hardwired into their brains. That's almost racist.
Another thing that rubs me the wrong way with not just Lord Brocktree but the entire Redwall Series are the kids/dibbuns are virtually idiots and are basically implied to be seen and not heard. In short, this series of novels are full of conformity and cliche.
So, in short, you're not missing much if you decide to not read the Redwall Series. -
I just love every single book of the Redwall stories. I love the simpleness of plot, yet charmingly told. I love the characters, I love the things they do best. I love how the author painstakingly written down every weird accent, and I love how he created all the lovely food. I love all the wise advice along with the story; classic, told in old ways, but never boring with stories like this. A great children book!
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Beautiful Book, I absolutely adore Brian Jacques' writing, i have read many of his book multiples times starting at a young and continue to read them into my adult years. They never get boring dull or cumbersome. They may come across as whimsical to some, however this is what i love most about them. We all need more Whimsy in our lives.
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Very excellent. This story, like the previous two books I've read in this series, boasted a nice [somewhat] fresh plot from the usual fare you get from Redwall. It was quite well done and enjoyable.
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I have every one of Brian's books, I've read them lots of times and I love them all. I would be hard pushed to choose a favourite. Yes they are children's books, but they have that special magic that can draw reader right in and they do that for me. This one is brilliant like all of them
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Reading in chronological order for the second time!!
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When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Redwall series. I read all twenty-two books, participated on forums and roleplays, even joined a Redwall Minecraft server. I still have friends who I met through those communities. But over time, Redwall itself became something I fell out of love with. I grew tired of the simplistic plots, and especially of the black and white morality of the series. So I stopped reading it. It has been years since I last picked up a Redwall book. But I've been meaning to reread them for a while, and the Booktube spin gave me the opportunity. While I could conceivably have picked up any Redwall book, I decided to start with the one that comes first chronologically, Lord Brocktree.
Evil has come to the western shores. The mountain of Salamandastron, ancestral seat of the badger lords, is beseiged. The wildcat warlord, Ungatt Trunn, whose hordes are as many as the grains of sand on the beach, has come to claim the mountain for himself. Old Lord Stonepaw and his small force of aged hare warriors mount a desperate defence. Stonepaw sends his friend Fleetscutt out for help. Meanwhile Stonepaw's son, Brocktree of Brockhall, feels the call of the mountain and sets out to find it, haunted by dreams of Ungatt Trunn. Along the way he meets a young haremaid, also bound for Salamandastron, and they decide to travel together.
Redwall has always had charming characters, and this book is no exception. It has a likable, fun cast, who interact with each other in entertaining ways. However, for most of the characters, that's where it stops. Most of the characters are broadly defined stereotypes of a Redwall animal, with little else to them. Lord Brocktree himself feels like an afterthought in his own book, and barely does anything of consequence throughout the novel. I also don't really like him. He's arrogant and demanding, and throws his weight around in a way that is probably supposed to be comedic, but really just comes off as bullying.
The true main character is Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy, the haremaid he meets at the start of the journey. Dotti is one of the few characters with a defined personality of her own, and she is the character with the most development throughout the novel.
Other characters of note are Trunn's magician Groddil, who manages to be something of a sympathetic character in his own right, and doesn't fall into Redwall vermin stereotypes, other than being a fox who is also a spiritualist. King Bucko Bigbones is another interesting character. A braggart and a bully with his own hidden depths. Karangool is worthy of note, if only for his interesting speech patterns. Jukka the Sling is an interesting character, a different sort of squirrel for Jacques to write, with some edges of moral greyness to her and her tribe. Stiffener Meddick, Gurth, and Brogalaw also feel like more than Jacques' stock characters, but it's difficult to put my finger on why.
And what of Ungatt Trunn, the fearsome beast? Trunn at first is a good villain. He's competent and cunning, and he seems to have some sense of honour and respect for his opponents. This quickly disappears, and he turns into just another one-note Redwall villain, with nothing to distinguish him from the rest. It's mightily disappointing.
The book begins with some very nice atmospheric writing, but while it reappears in some moments, that is mostly lost as the story goes on.
When it comes to the plot, I wasn't truly engaged until about a third of the way through, when the characters reach the court of King Bucko. Bucko's tournament helps the book to stand out from being just another formulaic Redwall plot, and honestly I think it saves the book. Before that I was fairly bored reading it. There are some moments of genuine emotion, some funny moments, clever moments, and some that are truly tense, but they're few and far between.
Something that usually makes Redwall books interesting is their reliance on puzzles and riddles. But this book only has two major puzzles and perhaps it's because I'm much older than the intended age demographic, but I found them pretty uninteresting.
The final duel of this book was something I had always remembered. I expected this epic confrontation between two giant, powerful fighters. So I was disappointed to find it incredibly anticlimactic, and frankly boring.
All I can really say to conclude is that it is a Redwall book. I knew what I was getting into when I picked it up, and my expectations were met. I don't think it's a particularly strong Redwall book, but I don't think it's an exceptionally weak one either. Very middle of the road. But don't take my review as saying you shouldn't buy it for your kids if that's your intention, they'll almost definitely enjoy it more than me, a cynical adult. -
"Dottie is a good character and I liked her, but she needed her own book. She didn't belong in a book called Lord Brocktree with Lord Brocktree, getting as much time and development as a character as he does. I also expected this book to be a Salamandastron origin story, but it's not, and that too is disappointing. Also also, all the good guys have to get together and fight the bigger bad guy army plot is getting kind of old at this point."
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Another rollicking adventure from the pen of Brian Jacques. My son loved it.
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Cathartic & beautiful.
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Lord Brocktree artfully tells the tale of a young fearless badger-lord, an aging badger-lord, and a wild-cat hell bent on conquering the western shores. Brian Jacques effortlessly follows the several characters, separately telling each character's story from chapter to chapter. Ultimately, Jacques gracefully merges the stories into one during a climax that both young and old can enjoy.
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This was as good as I remembered! I really enjoyed all the action, and being able to tell the good and bad beasts by species. I really liked that there was different dialects for different animals too. I'm excited to read the next in the series.
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It is a Redwall book. It followed the formula. There was an upstart baby animal, impossible to understand creatures and feasts. Even though the theme of this book seemed to be that everyone should be able to function without food for long periods of time (while alternately wasting it with foolish eating contests).
My mistake was hoping this book would provide insight into the history and establishment of Salamandastron; it doesn't. In fact, it doesn't do anything to distinguish it from the other books in the series, not even containing the iconic Lord Brocktree.
While these books usually have one character that carries me through, all the characters in this book are kind of jerks, even the good guys. In fact, if it weren't for the the fact that certain types of animals are always good and certain others evil, you'd have a hard time distinguishing the good and bad guys in this book. And for the first time, the typical teenage lead is allowed to go into battle, but suddenly babied the moment she steps close to blood.
It might be interesting to fans of the series, but I only found it disappointing. -
Not the best Redwall book, but still good. As many have said, Redwall has a plot pretty much set. Villain comes and does evil (Usualy a wildcat, rat, stoat, ferret, weasel, fox or bird of some sort) and a hero saves the day, usualy with killing only the main villian. Whike entertaining, this gets to be kinda unrealistic. Usualy, there is another to continue said villainy, not just a bunch of cowards. Regardless, a good series and book in general. I like that we get to see more of the Redwall world, like in Mossflower and Martin the Warior to name a few "roaming" books.
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How flat and formulaic can these books get? I read this long ago, when I was still a very inexperienced reader, and even then I couldn't stand the annoying characters, predictable point-A-to-point-B plot, and draggy story. All the villains are EEEEVIL, or mean, or stupid; all the heroes good and brave (and unintentionally annoying). I think I was about 40 pages from the end when I gave up! And that was the time when DNFing books felt like the Cardinal Sin of Reading to me. Bleh. Skip it.
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This book helps to explain a couple of things about the world of Redwall, including the Long Patrol, but personally, I don't think this was one of the author's best books. Some of the scenes could get repetitive, but then it could be because I've read so many of these books. Heh.
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Spoiler alert!
Beautifully told. When Fleetscut and Jukka died together I literally cried, two enemies united in the end. Perfect. -
This book is a beast to read aloud. But it’s a great story.
My 13-year-old son has been reading the Redwall books for several years. He’s listened to some on audiobook, so I knew there were a lot of interesting accents and brogues involved. But I had no idea, when he asked me to read one before bed, that I was in for this: “Ho urr, an’ dancin’, too, oi loiks t’darnce.”
That’s Gurth, a mole. He’s the worst. I could only make out about two-thirds of what I was saying he said. Everyone else I could understand, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t challenging: “She an’ ‘er pals ain’t ‘appy if they can’t ‘ave a good blubber. Lissen, matey, you get back t’the cave an’ tell ‘em to whomp up vittles for victors…”
But I don’t want to scare you away from Jacques’ world – it’s a beautiful, lifelike, engaging place where the badgers and hares and squirrels battle wildcats and rats and a fox named Groddil, who takes a well-deserved place among the literary characters I will never forget.
It’s epic good and evil, with feasts and weapons and battle plans and young warriors jockeying for a maid’s favor. But the characters also are deeply emotional, with sharp senses of humor, hurt feelings and bursts of bravery that let them transcend self for the good of the company.
And the words are every bit as good as the story. “To describe the haremaid’s voice as being akin to a frog trapped beneath a hot stone would have been a great injustice, to both frog and stone.”
You’re wrapped thick in the Redwall world by Jacques’ flawless care to keep out even the slightest reference to humanity. The characters ask if “anybeast” will join the cause, not anyone, or refer to a “good beast” instead of a “good man.”
Some of the expressions might be lifted right from the streets of Liverpool, for all I know, but for me they were fresh and so, so funny, from “jolly” and “bally” to “biff me sideways, he’s brought us a rope!”
One leader’s speech to his troops rivals anything I’ve read like it.
“I thought I had enough warriors at my back to face any army, but I was not prepared for anything like Trunn’s Hordes. … I could give the signal right now to continue the battle. I’m certain that my friends, brave friends like you, would hurl themselves on the foe, with no question or quarter given. Most of you would die, and that’s no guess, it’s a fact. Hear me. I refuse to sacrifice the lives of good and gallant creatures!”
Ridiculous, but I choked up just now, writing that. I cried real tears at the death of one noble squirrel. And something inside me swelled when an evil leader came to an end that was absolute perfection.
I may never be foolish enough to read another Jacques aloud. But I’d be a fool to not go back to a world so rich and fine. -
Lord Brocktree, I felt, was one of the blander books in the series. Jacques’ books have been formulaic and I’ve had my niggles about many of them, but they’ve had a certain magic to them that you always expect to be there. This book, however, didn’t seem to include any of that. It was mostly filled with awkward battle situations and confrontations that were drawn out for no reason, combined with tragedy that had no impact because you didn’t really get to know or like the characters that well. In fact, most of the book drew dangerously close to a holding pattern, with a villain that remained stationary, several groups that really took their time moving toward him, and situations that didn’t even need to happen if the characters had simply opened their mouths and had a discussion (aka bigbones’ competition).
Also, and maybe this was just me, but Fleetscut incessantly screaming about food was pretty ridiculous and annoying, even for a hare. Now that I think about it, the entire story had a strange infatuation with starvation and lack of food, or gluttony. Many characters went on and on about not eating, or went on to eat so much food that its impossible even in an imaginary story (You drank half a barrel of ale and went on to eat how many pies now?). Food was nearly mentioned on every page, I swear.
Several of the characters also had pretty miserable accents that forced me to sit and decipher what they said (and this is coming from someone who reads Mole-speech pretty well). Skittles in particular was exceptionally annoying, as his character was an absurd addition that did nothing but ruin parts of the plot with his antics. Being forced to figure out what he said just kinda sucked. -
It's always a joy when a childhood favourite can be reread and still hold up without the help of nostalgia. This book is a tried and true hero's journey that just left me feeling warm and happy upon finishing it, just like it did when I was young.
There's not a single part of this book that I didn't like, but the best part was the characters. Brock, a stoic, gallant warrior on a quest to reclaim his home from an oppressive tyrant who also happens to have a soft spot for kids and makes the best babysitter ever. Dotti, an unflappable young wanderer whose quick wit and good manners (and great wrestling skill) have gotten her out of a few scrapes- oh, and she also has the worst voice but a love for musical performance. Bucko, an exalted king of wayfarers from the highlands, chasing down the person who killed his family and scarred his back to exact revenge, and did I mention he also loves playing in the ocean and hopping waves? These characters are so great, so lovable, so well-rounded, that they make the book an absolute joy to read.
Let it be said, though - would this be a middle grade/children's book if the characters were people instead of animals? Debatable! Jacques pulls no punches describing the horrors of war and the cruelty of the tyrant, Trunn. It's definitely violent, which, in moderation(as used here) can be a good thing: it raises the stakes and makes the adventure more gripping!
