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A review by victoriousmariner
Mattimeo by Brian Jacques
5.0
Jacques' endings, y'all. They feel like a foretaste of eternity.
I didn't used to like this one because it disturbed me for personal reasons (watching the animated show as a little kid didn't help), but reading it again, wow, it's fabulous.
There's the importance of community and sacrifice, of bravery and love. And, as all of the Redwall books, there's darkness and the fight against it, but joy and goodness has the same weight. I feel like many writers who want to write darkness don't place enough emphasis on light as well, and a lot can be learned from Jacques on the compelling balance. Granted, it's an idealized darkness instead of a gritty one, but it's still darkness, and showing the goodness and the harmony of the creates gives a purpose to the fight against evil, instead of the fighting being for its own sake.
Anyway. Characters are all fantastic; wonderful, diverse personalities, even if some of the leading characters were a bit flat. Ends tie together beautifully. My new favorite Redwall book.
I didn't used to like this one because it disturbed me for personal reasons (watching the animated show as a little kid didn't help), but reading it again, wow, it's fabulous.
There's the importance of community and sacrifice, of bravery and love. And, as all of the Redwall books, there's darkness and the fight against it, but joy and goodness has the same weight. I feel like many writers who want to write darkness don't place enough emphasis on light as well, and a lot can be learned from Jacques on the compelling balance. Granted, it's an idealized darkness instead of a gritty one, but it's still darkness, and showing the goodness and the harmony of the creates gives a purpose to the fight against evil, instead of the fighting being for its own sake.
Anyway. Characters are all fantastic; wonderful, diverse personalities, even if some of the leading characters were a bit flat. Ends tie together beautifully. My new favorite Redwall book.