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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
You can never go wrong with a Redwall story. I have been reading them for years and no matter how old you are, it's always a warm, wholesome tale that will take you on an adventure that will keep your attention and stir your imagination.
Though never read a Redwall novel on an empty stomach -- the descriptions of food are one of the best parts of the book and you will be dreaming of October ale, meadowcream-topped pasties and hotroot soup for years to come.
Though never read a Redwall novel on an empty stomach -- the descriptions of food are one of the best parts of the book and you will be dreaming of October ale, meadowcream-topped pasties and hotroot soup for years to come.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although this is part of the Redwall series, this story focuses mainly on, as the title tells, the mountain of Salamandastron. There is a little going on at the Abbey, the inhabitants are dealing with their own situation. I always enjoy the mix of cozy vibes and adventure that Brian Jacques weaves into his stories. My favorite characters in this particular book were the birds with the Scottish accents. I hope they make more appearances. Also, I wouldn’t mind being invited to a Redwall picnic….
*What I have expressed are entirely my own thoughts. I was not compensated in any monetary way.*
Parental Guidance for- Mention of Badger parents being killed, An ear gets cut off, A tail gets pulled off, Murders, Battle Scenes
*What I have expressed are entirely my own thoughts. I was not compensated in any monetary way.*
Parental Guidance for- Mention of Badger parents being killed, An ear gets cut off, A tail gets pulled off, Murders, Battle Scenes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a little slower paced than the other Redwall books I’ve read so far, but still just as good!! It just took me a little longer to get through
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nothing can beat a good Redwall story, and Salamandastron may be one of the very best in the whole series. It's full of action, adventure, heartache, and warmth.
What makes this particular entry into the series so special, though, is its central theme about relationships between generations. Two parallel journeys are reflected through the book, centered on Urthstripe, Badger Lord of Salamandastron, and Mara, his ward, as well as the villainous Ferahgo the Assassin and his son, Klitch. The loving father-daughter dynamic of Urthstripe and Mara is juxtaposed beautifully with the hateful father-son dynamic of Ferahgo and Klitch. All the action of the book thus revolves around these characters, which turns into a fascinating tale of power and evil, with incredible action, adventure, and lovable characters to round out secondary themes and adventures all in their own right.
In all, Salamandastron feels like a proper epic all its own, a worthy successor to books as dynamic and enthralling as Mossflower and Mattimeo. It is very much its own story, while still neatly fitting into the existing lore and setting of the series, a near-perfect encapsulation of what Redwall is and what Redwall can be.
Of the first 5 novels of Redwall, this may even be the best one, depending on your personal taste for adventure. Although bloody and violent, the book has a rock-solid emotional core, with powerful storytelling capable of joy and sorrow. It's simply delectable.
What makes this particular entry into the series so special, though, is its central theme about relationships between generations. Two parallel journeys are reflected through the book, centered on Urthstripe, Badger Lord of Salamandastron, and Mara, his ward, as well as the villainous Ferahgo the Assassin and his son, Klitch. The loving father-daughter dynamic of Urthstripe and Mara is juxtaposed beautifully with the hateful father-son dynamic of Ferahgo and Klitch. All the action of the book thus revolves around these characters, which turns into a fascinating tale of power and evil, with incredible action, adventure, and lovable characters to round out secondary themes and adventures all in their own right.
In all, Salamandastron feels like a proper epic all its own, a worthy successor to books as dynamic and enthralling as Mossflower and Mattimeo. It is very much its own story, while still neatly fitting into the existing lore and setting of the series, a near-perfect encapsulation of what Redwall is and what Redwall can be.
Of the first 5 novels of Redwall, this may even be the best one, depending on your personal taste for adventure. Although bloody and violent, the book has a rock-solid emotional core, with powerful storytelling capable of joy and sorrow. It's simply delectable.
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
4 Stars
The books in this series continue to be wonderful, even if they are very formulaic. I think spacing out reading the next book in the series has been helping keep the books feeling magical and not being burnt out on the similar patterns between them.
As always, I loved the story and the characters. The only thing keeping this from being 5 stars is the lack of the emotional connection to characters. With some of the earlier books, we got several good chapters on each character's normal life before the major events of the book began. This book sort of skipped over that, so we went right into the action. While I love the action, I missed getting to see the characters just be themselves and living their lives a little bit before they were sent on life changing quests.
The books in this series continue to be wonderful, even if they are very formulaic. I think spacing out reading the next book in the series has been helping keep the books feeling magical and not being burnt out on the similar patterns between them.
As always, I loved the story and the characters. The only thing keeping this from being 5 stars is the lack of the emotional connection to characters. With some of the earlier books, we got several good chapters on each character's normal life before the major events of the book began. This book sort of skipped over that, so we went right into the action. While I love the action, I missed getting to see the characters just be themselves and living their lives a little bit before they were sent on life changing quests.
Oh, yeah! We're goin' down to badger town! We're gonna lose our dang minds in badger rage and give them weasels what for! Along the way, some hares are gonna eat their faces off, and Redwall Abbey's gonna be super peaceful and then absolutely rocked by scandal. Our hero's gonna ride on a shrew boat, and our bad guy is going to be pretty bad at battle strategy. If we're lucky, Martin the Warrior is going to possess a nun and give us some riddles to solve!
Look, if you're this far into the series and looking for nuance, you're going to have to keep looking. These are children's books, and they've got a winning formula. There's no need to push the boundaries. Sure, "Mossflower" had some cool things to say about PTSD, and "Mattimeo" truly examined the dynamic between famous parents and their children. Yeah, there have been more exciting characters and more emotional moments and even more clever set pieces. It doesn't matter. I had almost as much fun reading this as any of the others. Yes, I'm badger-biased, but let's face it: these books can survive on their idea alone--for the most part. It's vermin fighting woodlanders. They've got weird accents and delicious food and a really shiny, really strong sword.
Would I like them to try to say more? Meh. They're a pretty good palate cleanser between "In Flanders Field" and "Beloved", and they seem to have enough morality to them. Treat the people around you like crap, and you're going to eat your just desert. Good enough for me.
Look, if you're this far into the series and looking for nuance, you're going to have to keep looking. These are children's books, and they've got a winning formula. There's no need to push the boundaries. Sure, "Mossflower" had some cool things to say about PTSD, and "Mattimeo" truly examined the dynamic between famous parents and their children. Yeah, there have been more exciting characters and more emotional moments and even more clever set pieces. It doesn't matter. I had almost as much fun reading this as any of the others. Yes, I'm badger-biased, but let's face it: these books can survive on their idea alone--for the most part. It's vermin fighting woodlanders. They've got weird accents and delicious food and a really shiny, really strong sword.
Would I like them to try to say more? Meh. They're a pretty good palate cleanser between "In Flanders Field" and "Beloved", and they seem to have enough morality to them. Treat the people around you like crap, and you're going to eat your just desert. Good enough for me.