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wyrmbergmalcolm 's review for:
Salamandastron
by Brian Jacques
This is a story full of adventure, camaraderie, cute fluffy creatures and significant character deaths. The cutesy 'children book' illustrations topping each chapter heading are massively offset by the beheadings, impalements and other violent deaths found in the text. This is chock-full of likable characters with rambunctious attitudes, true villains to boo and hiss at and so many descriptions of mouth-watering food. When they're not adventuring or killing each other, these critters spend the rest of their time eating. As with all the Redwall books, there's a richness to this world where every species has its own distinctive voice and strength.
The story is the most complex and fulfilling out of the five I have read (reading in publication order) featuring: The Dryditch Fever and the quest to go and retrieve the remedy; The theft of Martin the Warrior's sword and the quest to go and bring it back; The siege of Salamandastron.
There was so much packed into this story with its multiple threads that gradually saw all the (surviving) heroes and villains bring about a satisfying conclusion.
The highs are exhilarating worthy of punching the air, and the lows very nearly brought me to tears on one occasion.
My only niggle is of the series as a whole: The scale. I know it shouldn't be important but I have a tremendous trouble fathoming how big all these creatures are in regards to their environment and each other. In one scene boats built by and for shews carry, as well as two tribes of shrews, three badgers (big and strong enough to roll boulders about), a squirrel, a mole, and a hare - all dwarfed by an immense water serpent (okay, I'll can justify a giant serpent as it is a mainstay of fantasy). In another, an otter meets a great eagle whose legs are the same size as the otter's body. Yet the whole lot (apart from the serpent) sit round the same table for a feast.
The story is the most complex and fulfilling out of the five I have read (reading in publication order) featuring: The Dryditch Fever and the quest to go and retrieve the remedy; The theft of Martin the Warrior's sword and the quest to go and bring it back; The siege of Salamandastron.
There was so much packed into this story with its multiple threads that gradually saw all the (surviving) heroes and villains bring about a satisfying conclusion.
The highs are exhilarating worthy of punching the air, and the lows very nearly brought me to tears on one occasion.
My only niggle is of the series as a whole: The scale. I know it shouldn't be important but I have a tremendous trouble fathoming how big all these creatures are in regards to their environment and each other. In one scene boats built by and for shews carry, as well as two tribes of shrews, three badgers (big and strong enough to roll boulders about), a squirrel, a mole, and a hare - all dwarfed by an immense water serpent (okay, I'll can justify a giant serpent as it is a mainstay of fantasy). In another, an otter meets a great eagle whose legs are the same size as the otter's body. Yet the whole lot (apart from the serpent) sit round the same table for a feast.