Scan barcode
ailsaod's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
When I was younger I quite liked this series - I very much enjoyed what I read but only read a few of the books and did so out of order. I reread Redwall this year hoping it would hold up as an adult and sadly it really didn't. I think part of it is its age - I had no idea it was so old, though it definitely doesn't read like most modern children's books. The writing is dense and is the main reason this book took me THREE months to read. I don't think this is a bad book and if I magically became eight years old again I would probably still love it but nothing about this book appeals to me now which I found very sad.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent
shieldbearer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved this book so much as a kid. the nuanced characters and complex plot are an absolute plus in this book and it absolutely is one of the strongest entries in the series. The characters (particularly matthias) change over the course of the book. I particularly appreciate the way the arguments are handled- they feel natural. Beautifully written with a balance of humor and sobriety.
However, it must be said that this book does have racist parallels I completely missed as a child. The use of the slur for Romani peoples, namely, and the explicit comparison of/conflation of said slur with the foxes Sela and Chickenhound is a harmful anti-Romani stereotype. They are explicitly described as Romani and their behaviour and characterizations are harmful anti-Romani stereotypes.
There's also the matter of the Sparra, which are more ambiguous, though the author explicitly refers to Sparra warriors as "braves" and continually refers to the race as a whole as "savages" and their portrayal does very much bring to mind typical indigenous stereotypes.
While I would still recommend this book, I firmly believe we should not ignore these harmful portrayals and if you share the novel with your children, these issues should be discussed.
However, it must be said that this book does have racist parallels I completely missed as a child. The use of the slur for Romani peoples, namely, and the explicit comparison of/conflation of said slur with the foxes Sela and Chickenhound is a harmful anti-Romani stereotype. They are explicitly described as Romani and their behaviour and characterizations are harmful anti-Romani stereotypes.
There's also the matter of the Sparra, which are more ambiguous, though the author explicitly refers to Sparra warriors as "braves" and continually refers to the race as a whole as "savages" and their portrayal does very much bring to mind typical indigenous stereotypes.
While I would still recommend this book, I firmly believe we should not ignore these harmful portrayals and if you share the novel with your children, these issues should be discussed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Racial slurs, Murder, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Violence, War, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Confinement, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Minor: Slavery
More...