Scan barcode
A review by twilliamson
Mariel of Redwall by Brian Jacques
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Mariel of Redwall is a pretty frustrating entry in the Redwall series, with some of the coolest bits in any of the early books while simultaneously struggling with poor pacing and dull plot beats. It oscillates wildly from great action and tension to rote journeying and adventure.
Let's start with the bad: Gabool is a great character largely wasted in the background to the rest of the book's plot, which serves to cheapen some of the overall effect of the story. Whereas previous entries featured strong villains at the forefront of the story, Gabool is given some really interesting character traits while forgotten for a solid fifty percent of the narrative. Compounding the poor utilization of characters is the book's major mouse warrior from Redwall, Dandin, who is one of the most boring warrior archetypes in the series to date. The titular Mariel stands out as an interesting character in her own right, but she is quickly overshadowed by many other characters with richer interactions or stronger moments of action. Most damningly, the whole middle-third of the book is a slog of boring "adventure" as Mariel and friends make their way through the heart of Mossflower on their way to Gabool's Terramort Isle.
But for all the tedium of Mariel's journey, the book introduces a whole lot to love. The book's hook is a lot of fun, and the primary conflict between Gabool and Graypatch opens up a corsair plot that is a genuine delight. The high seas adventures of Graypatch and Gabool's fleet is great fun, leading into one of the coolest siege battles against Redwall in any of the first four books. Jacques also expands on the roles of Salamandastron and the Long Patrol in a way we haven't seen since Mossflower, and if the previous book was a promise, Mariel of Redwall is the delivery. The back third of the book is propulsive story telling, full of high seas adventure and a couple of heart-stopping action sequences that are some of the best in the whole series.
Even twenty years after I first read this book, I vividly remember the pulse-pounding excitement I felt at the storming of Fort Bladegirt or in the last stand of Colonel Clary's Long Patrol. Although I didn't remember these parts belonging specifically to this book, I definitely remembered the story beats--and that fills me with tremendous joy these twenty years later.
But for all that I love the final third of the book, it is still saddled with a dull roadtrip and stock characters that don't quite stand out from what came before. I think it's tragic that some of my favorite parts of the series came from this book, but I didn't remember that it was Mariel of Redwall that delivered the goods. I think that's because so much of the rest of the book was such a chore to read, leaving me conflicted on how I should really feel about this book.
My resulting evaluation of Mariel of Redwall is that it is a flawed adventure that occasionally manages to break out and deliver some deeply satisfying moments. Taken as a whole, the book feels clumsy and unrefined, but I also think I'm willing to accept its flaws on the strength of what it does best.
Let's start with the bad: Gabool is a great character largely wasted in the background to the rest of the book's plot, which serves to cheapen some of the overall effect of the story. Whereas previous entries featured strong villains at the forefront of the story, Gabool is given some really interesting character traits while forgotten for a solid fifty percent of the narrative. Compounding the poor utilization of characters is the book's major mouse warrior from Redwall, Dandin, who is one of the most boring warrior archetypes in the series to date. The titular Mariel stands out as an interesting character in her own right, but she is quickly overshadowed by many other characters with richer interactions or stronger moments of action. Most damningly, the whole middle-third of the book is a slog of boring "adventure" as Mariel and friends make their way through the heart of Mossflower on their way to Gabool's Terramort Isle.
But for all the tedium of Mariel's journey, the book introduces a whole lot to love. The book's hook is a lot of fun, and the primary conflict between Gabool and Graypatch opens up a corsair plot that is a genuine delight. The high seas adventures of Graypatch and Gabool's fleet is great fun, leading into one of the coolest siege battles against Redwall in any of the first four books. Jacques also expands on the roles of Salamandastron and the Long Patrol in a way we haven't seen since Mossflower, and if the previous book was a promise, Mariel of Redwall is the delivery. The back third of the book is propulsive story telling, full of high seas adventure and a couple of heart-stopping action sequences that are some of the best in the whole series.
Even twenty years after I first read this book, I vividly remember the pulse-pounding excitement I felt at the storming of Fort Bladegirt or in the last stand of Colonel Clary's Long Patrol. Although I didn't remember these parts belonging specifically to this book, I definitely remembered the story beats--and that fills me with tremendous joy these twenty years later.
But for all that I love the final third of the book, it is still saddled with a dull roadtrip and stock characters that don't quite stand out from what came before. I think it's tragic that some of my favorite parts of the series came from this book, but I didn't remember that it was Mariel of Redwall that delivered the goods. I think that's because so much of the rest of the book was such a chore to read, leaving me conflicted on how I should really feel about this book.
My resulting evaluation of Mariel of Redwall is that it is a flawed adventure that occasionally manages to break out and deliver some deeply satisfying moments. Taken as a whole, the book feels clumsy and unrefined, but I also think I'm willing to accept its flaws on the strength of what it does best.