Publishers Weekly
A female protagonist, Mariel the mousemaid, lends a contemporary touch to the fourth installment in the Redwall series. Ages 10-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
A female protagonist, Mariel the mousemaid, lends a contemporary touch to the fourth installment in Jacques's Redwall series, which narrates epic events among the animals in the manner of Watership Down. (Mar.)
School Library Journal
Gr 4-8-- Redwall Abbey is once again the center of a multistranded adventure. Independent of its predecessors, Redwall (1987), Mossflower (1988), and Mattimeo (1990, all Philomel), it follows the mousemaid Mariel in her quest for vengeance against the searat Gabool the Wild and his Rodent Corsairs, who imprisoned her father and left her to drown during a storm at sea. Tough and resiliant, she makes her way to Redwall, where she finds stalwart companions who will accompany her through the Mossflower woods back to Gabool's stronghold, where he is descending into madness. Meanwhile, the good creatures of Redwall are besieged by a renegade band of searats. Intrepid readers willing to tackle a book this long will be further impeded by the sections of dialect used to delineate class structure. Since the writing style is cliched, much of the action contrived to be cute, the characters one-dimensional, and the villains predictable vermin, readers may wonder ``why bother?'' Nor will they find illumination of human-animal kinship. Clever substitutions like ``anybeast,'' ``foremole,'' and ``every ratjack of ye'' serve only to remind that these animals are almost entirely human surrogates. Even the frequent references to woodland cuisine are tedious enough to become unappetizing. A book that's somewhat pretentious, and one that will appeal mainly to fans of Jacques's earlier medieval fantasies. --Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
From the Publisher
Praise for the Redwall series
“Brian Jacques has the true fantasy writer’s ability to create a wholly new and believable world.” –School Library Journal
“The medieval world of Redwall Abbey—where gallant mouse warriors triumph over evil invaders—has truly become the stuff of legend.” –Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“A grand adventure story. Once the reader is hooked, there is no peace until the final page.” –Chicago Sun-Times
“Jacques’s effortless, fast-paced narrative gets its readers quickly hooked. He clearly loves this other world he has created—there’s a genius sense of involvement and care (lots of lovingly descriptive passages), as well as an overflowing, driving imagination.” –Birmingham Post
“Redwall is both an incredible and ingratiating place, one to which readers will doubtless cheerfully return.” –New York Times Book Review
“An excellent adventure with an enlightened conscience. Brilliantly complex. With vibrant and distinct animal characters, Jacques’s classically inspired plot-weaving achieves virtuosity.” –Publishers Weekly
“Only a churl would reject this morality play in fur.” –Kirkus Reviews
“Filled with the kind of vibrant storytelling that fans of Jacques have come to expect. His dialogue is lively and delightful to read aloud…so rich in detail that the sights and sounds and smells of the adventure pull the reader in.” –Grand Rapids Press (MI)
“A richly imagined world in which bloody battles vie for attention with copious feasting and tender romancing. Where males and females are hero's and warriors. Where the young triumph and the old endure. Where intelligence is as valued as strength and wit is frequently more important than size…[Jacques] continues to surprise and delight with intriguing plots and fresh faces.” –Cincinnati Enquirer
“The Knights of the Round Table with paws.” –The Sunday Times (London)
