A review by azahller
Redwall by Brian Jacques

adventurous mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

*I read this book as an adult. Since it is middle grade, I'm rating it as if I read it when I was in the target age range*

When the Redwall Abbey is threatened by the dreaded rat, Cluny the Scourge, and unlikely hero steps up. Matthias is a meek and bumbling mouse, but a riddle takes him on a grand quest to recover a sword of legend. The mice prepare to defend the Abbey with the help of the woodland creatures that neighbor their peaceful home.

I thought this book was really cute. I think that when I was first starting to read fantasy novels, this would've really been a hit for me. It has a wide cast of characters, a smidgeon of court politics, multiple riddles/prophesies, and a grand final battle. If your child seems to like this genre but is perhaps too young for the mature complicated epic fantasy classics, I feel like this is a fantastic intro book.

From time to time this book does get repetitive and I think I mostly felt that way because I'm quite older than the target demographic, so take that with a grain of salt. The characters are also a bit too clear cut for my liking - the good characters are just good and don't do bad things and the bad characters are just bad. Nobody exists in the in-between, which is okay but not my personal preference.

Overall I would recommend this book to young fantasy readers yearning for an epic adventure.