Brian Jacques
Redwall (1986)
Author: Brian Jacques
Genre: Fantasy (Light In Tone)
Plot Summary:
The hero of the story, Matthias the mouse, lives in Redwall Abbey, a fortress-like structure in The Mossflower Countryside. Matthias longs for a life of excitement and adventure, but managed to live an uneventful life until the infamous Cluny the Scourge arrives in Mossflower with his army of marauding rats. Cluny sets his sights on Redwall, and it is up to Matthias and his companions to defend their home from the invaders. One of the keys to defeating the army lies in The Sword of Martin, a legendary weapon that only Matthias can recover. In his quest to acquire the sword, Matthias has many adventures and forges alliances with other creatures in the valley who are threatened by Cluny's arrival. SPOILER: Matthias is able to recover the sword and he and his allies manage to defeat Cluny and his army. Everyone who lives, lives happily ever after.
Geographical Setting: The Mossflower Countryside
Time Period: Summer of the Late Rose
Series: First Book of the Redwall Series
Appeal Characteristics:
Jacques does a good job of building a convincing fantasy setting in a short amount of space. All of the locales are described in detail, but not to the point that the descriptions take precedent over the narrative. By the middle of the novel, most readers will have a strong mental image of Mossflower to work with. Jacques also does a good job of creating very likeable and engaging characters. Matthias and Cluny get the most attention, but the novel also features a large cast of secondary characters that readers are likely to find equally enjoyable to read about. Most of the characters are fairly archetypal and one- dimensional, but that's not to say that they aren't well-developed. Redwall can be enjoyed by older readers, but was probably written with younger audiences in mind. Young readers are likely to easily identify with Matthias and older readers will probably enjoy some of the quirks of the secondary characters. The book has a fairly compelling pace. This is partly due to the fact that the chapters are usually no longer than ten pages. Another reason is that most of the narrative is told using three simultaneous storylines: Matthias's adventure, Cluny's scheming, and the efforts of Matthias's friends to defend Redwall. Breaking up the narrative into three parts helps to build up suspense and to continually entice the reader to read just one more chapter. The book is written in a detail-oriented style that is very easy to read. Jacques strikes a good balance between action and dialogue, which also helps to keep the narrative flowing. Although there is some violence and death, the tone of the novel is mostly light because good triumphs over evil while suffering only minor setbacks and losses.
Read-alikes: Mossflower, also by Brian Jaques, would appeal to readers who enjoyed the setting, writing style and characterization found in Redwall. Mossflower is a prequel to Redwall that features the exploits of Martin the Mouse, his partner Gonff, and the woodland creatures they encounter as they attempt to save Mossflower Woods from the clutches of the evil wildcat Tsarmina. Reviewers have praised Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents for its compelling pace and fun characters, so it would also probably be a good suggestion for Redwall fans. This 2001 Carnegie Medal award winner tells the story of a group of talking rats who team up with a boy named Keith to extort money from towns using a scam based on the Pied Piper myth. Their plan, of course, goes wrong, and they must use all of their resources and faculties to avoid disaster. Prachett's book is written in a humorous light tone similar to Redwall and also features fun characters that would appeal to young and old readers. The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo, tells the stories of four intertwined characters and their attempts to realize their dreams and ambitions. One is a mouse who is banished for his love of a human princess, another is a rat who becomes infatuated with the idea of escaping the darkness of his surroundings, another is a simple serving girl who wants to be noticed, and the fourth is the princess who is trying to come to terms with the loss of her mother. This book comes highly recommened by reviewers and is similar to Redwall in terms of its likeable characters, compelling pace, and parallel narrative structure. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman tells the story of Lyra, a young girl who embarks on a journey to save a group of kidnapped children and return the magical atheliometer to her father who has been taken prisoner. Lyra must outwit many enemies and forge new alliances to complete her quest. Fans of Redwall would like this book because of its balance between dialogue and action, compelling pace, and large cast of well-developed characters. Fans of Redwall who were interested in a more mature fantasy series would probably enjoy George R.R. Martin's book, A Game of Thrones, the first book of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Ned Stark lives in the Seven Kingdoms, a well-developed fantasy world where seasons can last for years that is ruled by a mad king. Ned is asked to serve as the King's Hand and finds himself engulfed by political intrigue and danger at every turn. A Game of Thrones is a significantly more difficult read than Redwall but shares a number of appeal characteristics including a large cast of well-developed characters and a vibrant and detailed fantasy setting. It would also be good for readers who enjoy the idea of diving into another multi-part series.
Red Flags: Violence, Murder, Death (None Particularly Graphic)
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