171 reviews for:

Mariel of Redwall

Brian Jacques

3.91 AVERAGE

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes

It is a Redwall book :)

I especially like to revisit this one because it's got a really good balance of classic Redwall elements- evil rats, Abbey mice, badger lord, Long Patrol, mysterious riddle, random other scary animals. Mariel is actually one of my favorite characters in the series; I love how straightforward she is and how that works as both her main strength as well as her main weakness which is actually punished in the events of the story (though maybe not as much as I would have liked). I also like her relationship with her father (I think it's cute to see a strong bond between a parent and their grown child in a Redwall book) and with both Dandin and Tarquin on their quest. Unfortunately, Durry is sort of the odd one out in that group. I like him, but he needs just a bit more to really make him stand out in my opinion.

Durry isn't the only character who needs something more, though. Redwall books don't normally have more than one or two (or a handful, on rare occasions) of really unique characters; most fit the pretty generic molds: wise mentor, troublemaking children, young Abbeymouse with a bond to Martin, cheerful hare, etc. In this book, that especially feels like a problem for the sections at the Abbey itself. Even the main characters present during the Graypatch vs Redwall conflict are all pretty generic "peaceful and wise creatures who are somehow good at fighting" mold, and the strategies used by the attacking rats as well as the conflicts/infighting withing that group and within the Abbey group have nearly all been seen before. The rescue mission near the end of the book was really the only addition to that formula that stood out to me.

However, I enjoyed the way this book had its multiple conflicts intertwining and affecting each other. Mariel's group is the one I would consider the "main" story, but Gabool's POVs are super useful in establishing his character and the sort of world the searats come from. This is helped by the POVs of the other captains which I always found fun despite how interchangeable the captains and crews are. And then there's the chapters at the Abbey, the ones within Graypatch's band, the ones from Thyme's group, Pakkatug's little bits, and the few from Rawnblade... I love a book that gives lots of POVs, and it's neat to see where choices from one group end up affecting another group even if the two never directly interact.

i liked it

A good and early Redwall adventure. The lore was still a bit skimpy and Jacques was still working out some kinks in his storytelling, but there was a lot to love here He's already repeating tropes, but he's allowed. Our brave Abbey Mice (and others) must defeat the pirate vermin and preserve their way of life all the while singing songs and whipping up vegan feasts.

Redwall

Next: 'Salamandastron'

Previous: 'Mattimeo'

Not my favourite Redwall book, but still fun. Listening to these as an adult after having read them 20-is years ago is a special experience. The voice acting is enthusiastic and varied, which is great with all these characters and dialects. Some actors or characters seemed to do a LOT of yelling, and it was hard to hear Marc Jacques as anyone but Martin or Matthias. This story has a wide scope and sometimes going from one scene to another was a bit jarring due to a lack of any pause or music to break up the narration and indicate to listeners that there been a change.

I feel so bad giving this book only 2 stars because I LOVED Redwall books as a kid (until I'd read about 10 of them, then they all kind of were the same). However, it was hard to stay engaged with the point of view changing and the story moving so slowly. I love all the description of food; food descriptions always make me like a book more :).

This book is definitely written for children. Many juvenile fiction books have aspects that also appeal to older readers, but this one was very noncomplex, with simple themes and a straightforward plot.


As all Redwall books are, this was a charming tale. It seemed a bit more predicable than the last few but set out the origins of several Redwall quirks.

The best ever Redwall book!!!

[b:Mariel of Redwall|7993|Mariel of Redwall (Redwall, #4)|Brian Jacques|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1299761476l/7993._SY75_.jpg|1177243] takes place between [b:Mossflower|201341|Mossflower (Redwall, #2)|Brian Jacques|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1281811805l/201341._SY75_.jpg|2984402] and [b:Redwall|7996|Redwall (Redwall, #1)|Brian Jacques|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327877368l/7996._SY75_.jpg|486980] and once again splits the story, this time between Mariel, daughter of Joseph the Bellmaker on a quest for vengence and a(nother) sea rat attack on Mossflower Abbey.

In a lot of ways, these stories are rather formulaic. There always seem to be two plots: one threatening the abbey, and the other a quest guided by mysterious verse, with Martin's sword along for the ride. That being said, they're still wonderfully fun and whimsical stories and the repetitiveness is actually really nice when I'm primarily listening to them while walking/running/driving various places. Deep, attention seeking books these are not. Light fun tales of various woodland animals killing one another in the name of peace... :D

The more we jump around in the timeline, the more I wonder when (if ever) we'll get to see some of these same characters again. I really like Mariel and the gang, but if we time jump again, will we ever see them again? She wasn't even mentioned in the 'future' of [b:Redwall|7996|Redwall (Redwall, #1)|Brian Jacques|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327877368l/7996._SY75_.jpg|486980], that I recall. We shall have to see.

Kick-butt ACTION girl!!