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brittney_tyler's review against another edition
5.0
Star Rating: 5 stars
If you are looking for a traditional fantasy story about a young hero going on an epic quest to find a legendary weapon to while away a few hours, then Redwall by Brian Jacques is the book for you, although it must be stated that the previously mentioned young hero is an adolescent mouse. In this world, there are no humans, although there is some evidence that they may exist within the confines of this world, but the story does not focus on them at all. Instead, it focuses on a complex, interdependent society of woodland animals that includes hares, mice, squirrels, beavers, badgers, hedgehogs, shrews, owls, cats, and otters amongst others. These animals have created a human-like society around a monastery run by a group of peace-loving Good Samaritan mice monks, but their idyllic world is shattered when a barbarian horde controlled by a massive rat named Cluny the Scourge sets its sights on the abbey and the plentiful area around it. A young mouse named Matthias decides to take up the mantle of the founder of their monastic order and his personal hero, Martin the Warrior and show Cluny that the “defenseless do-gooder” mice are not as inexperienced or incapable as he initially thought. In order to do this, he has to find out where Martin’s legendary sword was hidden at that time of Martin’s death, and this leads to him going on an epic quest to discover his true calling in life.
The thing I love about this book was how developed the world was. All the animals had interconnected but separate lives that revolved around Redwall abbey, in fact, they even had different dialects and ways of speaking that were really fun to read, especially the moles and the sparrows. I also loved that Jacques put a lot of female animals in power positions, such as Jess Squirrel, Constance Badger, and Warbeak Sparrow. I loved the journey that Matthias goes on as it was interesting and exciting to read about as he tried to figure out the puzzles that Martin had left behind for the next worthy wielder of the sword to follow. I especially liked Basil Stag Hare, Captain Snow, and Squire Julian Gingivere, 3 veterans who enjoy ordering people around, eating and drinking lots of food and ale, and regaling everyone within hearing distance with their campaign stories. I thought their scenes were incredibly endearing as my great-grandfather and his war buddies used to do that all the time when I was growing up. Finally, there was a tiny baby squirrel named Silent Sam that was constantly sucking at his paw and getting into mischief that kept popping up and making me giggle. In retrospect, this wasn’t a ground-breaking, life-altering piece of literature, but it was incredibly fun and entertaining to read and a good story. When it comes down to it, isn’t that the point?
All in all, I just loved this world, the creatures in it, and the stories that are told about it. I can’t wait to read on in this series, especially since it is a completed series and it is the forerunner to more modern series that I love like Guardians of Ga’Hoole, Warriors/Bravelands/Survivors/Seekers, and Wings of Fire. Great classic series with all the traditional fantasy elements that we love! Totally worth 5 stars for enjoyment only!
If you are looking for a traditional fantasy story about a young hero going on an epic quest to find a legendary weapon to while away a few hours, then Redwall by Brian Jacques is the book for you, although it must be stated that the previously mentioned young hero is an adolescent mouse. In this world, there are no humans, although there is some evidence that they may exist within the confines of this world, but the story does not focus on them at all. Instead, it focuses on a complex, interdependent society of woodland animals that includes hares, mice, squirrels, beavers, badgers, hedgehogs, shrews, owls, cats, and otters amongst others. These animals have created a human-like society around a monastery run by a group of peace-loving Good Samaritan mice monks, but their idyllic world is shattered when a barbarian horde controlled by a massive rat named Cluny the Scourge sets its sights on the abbey and the plentiful area around it. A young mouse named Matthias decides to take up the mantle of the founder of their monastic order and his personal hero, Martin the Warrior and show Cluny that the “defenseless do-gooder” mice are not as inexperienced or incapable as he initially thought. In order to do this, he has to find out where Martin’s legendary sword was hidden at that time of Martin’s death, and this leads to him going on an epic quest to discover his true calling in life.
The thing I love about this book was how developed the world was. All the animals had interconnected but separate lives that revolved around Redwall abbey, in fact, they even had different dialects and ways of speaking that were really fun to read, especially the moles and the sparrows. I also loved that Jacques put a lot of female animals in power positions, such as Jess Squirrel, Constance Badger, and Warbeak Sparrow. I loved the journey that Matthias goes on as it was interesting and exciting to read about as he tried to figure out the puzzles that Martin had left behind for the next worthy wielder of the sword to follow. I especially liked Basil Stag Hare, Captain Snow, and Squire Julian Gingivere, 3 veterans who enjoy ordering people around, eating and drinking lots of food and ale, and regaling everyone within hearing distance with their campaign stories. I thought their scenes were incredibly endearing as my great-grandfather and his war buddies used to do that all the time when I was growing up. Finally, there was a tiny baby squirrel named Silent Sam that was constantly sucking at his paw and getting into mischief that kept popping up and making me giggle. In retrospect, this wasn’t a ground-breaking, life-altering piece of literature, but it was incredibly fun and entertaining to read and a good story. When it comes down to it, isn’t that the point?
All in all, I just loved this world, the creatures in it, and the stories that are told about it. I can’t wait to read on in this series, especially since it is a completed series and it is the forerunner to more modern series that I love like Guardians of Ga’Hoole, Warriors/Bravelands/Survivors/Seekers, and Wings of Fire. Great classic series with all the traditional fantasy elements that we love! Totally worth 5 stars for enjoyment only!
pardum's review against another edition
Had to return the book to the library and didn't feel like trying to renew it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
thomas454's review against another edition
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
4.0
debrabrinckley's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book and have since bought three more in the series. Wonderful imagery, adorable characters, and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Mathias is one of my favorite heroes in children's literature and this one will have a permanent spot on my shelves!
tstreets's review against another edition
5.0
Re-read. Loved it just as much as I did 18 years ago. Still got emotionally involved in the story, though not as much as the first time - there were no actual tears for Methuselah this time.
stupidendous_giraffe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
caoimhemia's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
monkeyfeet2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hauke808's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
slow-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
4.25