Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
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Redwall
May 5, 2012 20:05:57 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 5, 2012 20:05:57 GMT -8
The end of Mattimeo did mention that Elmtail was pretty much "adopted" by Sam's family....
Speaking of that, anyone else a bit disappointed that his father never got a first name and was pretty much nonexistant in Mattimeo?
(Found a few old notes on the sugar glider character earlier. His name is Feltwin.)
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 5, 2012 23:32:42 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 5, 2012 23:32:42 GMT -8
That's true, and the epilogue explicitly stated that Elmtail started the Patrol with Sam. So even if I wasn't interested in the idea of him being adopted and adapting to Redwall life, which I am, I would still be obligated to at the very least stick him in at the end. Fortunately I AM interested in the concept, and it's likely he'll be some sort of supporting character. I thought about having him searching for Sam with the rest of the party, but there isn't much he could do that Jess couldn't.
No you are not the only one to be disappointed. >.< While I can forgive him not having a first name (neither did Foremole or Logalog), why was he not at least mentioned in Mattimeo? There's only three ways this could go:
A) He's dead. Possible, and with Mossflower's mortality rate, maybe even probable. It could explain why they don't bring him up, not wanting to upset Jess or Sam. It also explains why, upon realizing Sam was kidnapped, they don't go "Oh what will we tell his parents?" they go "Oh what will we tell Jess?".
B) He and Jess split up for some reason. Potential, though unlikely. When last we saw, Jess was perfectly into him, and he got all excited over every noteworthy thing she did. He also risked getting hurt or killed by the mob for her when he yelled at them to leave her alone, even though he was holding Sam.
C) He was there, we didn't see or hear anything about him, and the Redwallers simply don't care what he thinks about his son being kidnapped. Not likely, but it's a possibility for those of us who haven't lost our optimism yet.
Personally I'm not sure which I'll go with for the fic, but I'm leaning towards B.
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Post by kaynobi on May 6, 2012 5:01:20 GMT -8
I think it's time we clarify what we have and haven't read here. This is the list of 22 books available and what I own and have read.
Lord Brocktree - Read, Own Martin the Warrior - Read Mossflower - Read, Own The Legend of Luke - Read, Own Outcast of Redwall - Read, Own Mariel of Redwall - Read The Bellmaker - Read Salamandastron - Read, Own Redwall - Read, Own Mattimeo - Read, Own The Pearls of Lutra - Read The Long Patrol - Read, Own Marlfox - Read The Taggerung - Read, Own Triss - Read, Own Loamhedge - Read, Own Rakkety Tam - Own, Half read (I hardly ever stop half way through but I couldn't get into this one) High Rhulain Eulalia! Doomwyte The Sable Quean The Rogue Crew
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
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Post by Madaraki on May 6, 2012 6:35:09 GMT -8
Probably a good idea...I've been spoiler-tagging some stuff that relates to book endings out of consideration from the outset, so this'll probably help.
Lord Brocktree - Read it, used to own it (stupid flood...), need to repurchase it. Martin the Warrior - Read it, own it, have it autographed. Mossflower - Read it, own it (reacquired post-flood as a gift). The Legend of Luke - Read it, own it (reacquired post-flood as a gift). Outcast of Redwall - Read it, own it (reacquired post-flood as a gift). Mariel of Redwall - Read it, own it (reacquired post-flood as a gift). The Bellmaker - Read it, used to own it (stupid flood), need to repurchase it. Salamandastron - Read it, sister owns it and I don't, I want my own copy now. Redwall - Read it, own it (repurchase). Mattimeo - Read it, own it (repurchase). Pearls of Lutra - Read it, own it (repurchase). The Long Patrol - Read it, own it (repurchase). Marlfox - Read it, own it (repurchase). Taggerung - Read it, own it. Triss - Read it, own it. Loamhedge - Read it, own it. Rakkety Tam - Read it, own it. High Rhulain - Read it, own it. Eulalia! - Reading it now, own it. Doomwyte - Next on my reading list, own it. The Sable Quean The Rogue Crew
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blenderbender
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Post by blenderbender on May 6, 2012 7:03:41 GMT -8
Oh dear. I'm horrifically outmatched here.
Lord Brocktree Martin the Warrior - own it, partially read it Mossflower - own it The Legend of Luke Outcast of Redwall - own it, half read it Mariel of Redwall The Bellmaker - own it Salamandastron Redwall - own it, read it Mattimeo - own it, read it Pearls of Lutra The Long Patrol Marlfox Taggerung Triss - own it Loamhedge Rakkety Tam High Rhulain Eulalia! Doomwyte The Sable Quean The Rogue Crew
About Martin and Outcast, I keep meaning to read them, but then I get distracted and forget about them, and when I remember to read them I forget where I was. >.< Then I want to reread Redwall and Mattimeo for the umpteenth time.
Also am I the only one who has to have a snack with her to read Redwall? Otherwise the books make me hungry.
On the note of Sam's dad, I think I've decided on "Michael" as his name for my fic.
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
Posts: 217
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Redwall
May 6, 2012 16:11:27 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 6, 2012 16:11:27 GMT -8
Given where you are in reading now, I'd suggest reading Pearls of Lutra next. Auma's in it, and Rollo plays a rather large role himself.
After that, finish up Martin the Warrior. Outcast of Redwall is probably worth finishing at this point, but I think reading Mossflower first helps set a few things up.
Legend of Luke actually slots rather nicely between the two (and ties back to Martin the Warrior) and it is nice to see some of Martin at Redwall, but I don't think I'd quite call it absolutely essential (even though it is one of my favorites).
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 6, 2012 16:56:16 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 6, 2012 16:56:16 GMT -8
I'll probably finish the ones I have first, but if I can find POL or LOL I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!
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Post by kaynobi on May 7, 2012 2:28:29 GMT -8
The great thing about Legend of Luke is that you can read the middle part as a story all on its own.
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
Posts: 217
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Redwall
May 7, 2012 12:14:36 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 7, 2012 12:14:36 GMT -8
The great thing about Legend of Luke is that you can read the middle part as a story all on its own. I remember when I first read it how I was expecting it to be more like the usual "flashback story" books where one chapter apiece starts the story and rounds out the end. The fact that it goes present-past-present was a fun change.
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Redwall
May 8, 2012 12:44:40 GMT -8
Post by kaynobi on May 8, 2012 12:44:40 GMT -8
I found my plans for my own rip-off Redwall world yesterday. It was called Greatoak Abbey and instead of mice the founding warrior was a squirrel called Aaron the warrior. The first story I came up with was about his great-grand daughter coming back to the abbey looking to avenge her murdered family and she brought the famous sword back with her. Her husband ends up being the great-grandson of Aaron the warrior's best friend too.
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
Posts: 217
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Redwall
May 8, 2012 15:04:30 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 8, 2012 15:04:30 GMT -8
Well, on The Sable Quean now. Just grabbed it and Rogue Crew earlier this afternoon.
Eulalia was okay. Not bad, but...not the best.
Doomwyte was great. After Otters (Taggerung), Squirrels (Triss, Rakkety Tam), and miscellaneous (Loamhedge) it was really nice to see a mouse at the center of things again.
Oh, and Bisky's a descendant of Gonff's too. Gonff actually plays a rather large role in the book. (Shan't say more to avoid spoilers.)
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blenderbender
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May 8, 2012 15:47:04 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 8, 2012 15:47:04 GMT -8
Hmmm well LoL sounds pretty cool. I'm looking forward to it. kaynobi - Your Redwall idea sounds entertaining. I remember mine was Brownstone Abbey, which is an Abbey up in the North. Being the war-torn, vermin fighting area it is, the inhabitants of Sandrock Desert (the equivalent of Mossflower Woods) tend to be much rougher than the Redwall lot. Rather than farmers, a lot of them are weapon masters, some sort of assassin, or run shops/services that could help with that. In my fics that's where Bellona and the wolf are from. @norn - Let us know what you think of them! I'm intensly curious!
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
Posts: 217
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Redwall
May 8, 2012 19:12:03 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 8, 2012 19:12:03 GMT -8
Sable Quean's interesting (only a couple chapters in). Main hero seems to be a hare...who doesn't act like a hare. There's not been a single "old chap" or "wot wot" out of his mouth.
In fact Lord Brang Forgefire's a little curious as to why he doesn't "act like a proper hare".
Also, once I get through these two, I want to go back and reread Salamandastron, and then I'll see about doing a short ranking on the series (between * and ***** ).
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 11, 2012 12:46:12 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 11, 2012 12:46:12 GMT -8
Really? A hare like that?! I'm calling imposter. Basil would be ashamed. Hmmm, this could be a plot point then. I'll withhold my suspicion for now. Sounds like a plan! I look forward to it! After these two you'll have read the whole thing won't you? Also, am I the only one who must have a snack with them when she reads these books? The food descriptions make me hungry.
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Madaraki
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Redwall
May 11, 2012 14:14:50 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 11, 2012 14:14:50 GMT -8
Really? A hare like that?! I'm calling imposter. Basil would be ashamed. Actually the ending for that book was...interesting. I honestly didn't expect it to go the way that it did.
Also, there's a Badger Lady that uses a sling as her weapon. Obviously, the stones/sling are much larger than the ones used by say, shrews or even otters. In fact, one of the stones she pitches flies so hard/fast that it tears an enemy's lower jaw off completely (aaaah Jacques, you know how to write a "kids'" book.)
AYE.
Depends on what the food is.I'm always curious about the watershrimp'n'hotroot soup because I do enjoy spicy things, but I don't care for shrimp
I remember when I was younger I loved the sound of the "Deeper'n'ever Pie" because I assumed it was this massive chocolate concoction...
Oh holy balls...
Razzid Wearat just sailed a goddamn wheeled ship across the flatlands, over the friggin' ditch, and smashed the entire thing through Redwall's gates...
The guy's got for'ard mounted crossbows that shoot arrows the size of small trees too...
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 11, 2012 22:10:16 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 11, 2012 22:10:16 GMT -8
Oh? Sounds interesting.
The bdger sounds incredibly awesome, and I can only imagine how big the stones would need to be for a Badger to use them. Oh of course he does, what potential nightmare fuel?
Awesome. I believe you are the only one I knwo who has done so. My hat's off to you.
I just need to read the massive amount of food and then I get hungry.
Okay, thatis pretty damn cool.
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Madaraki
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Redwall
May 14, 2012 18:43:00 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 14, 2012 18:43:00 GMT -8
HERE WE GO THEN...
This'll be updated as I work on it. Posting it like this now because I just know that if I do it all in one go I'll somehow loose it.
Redwall ****
The first, the one that began it all, but as a novel, it seems somewhat out of place with its own universe; the presence of a horse drawing a full-size cart, the clear mention of "districts", and Methuselah mentioning a "village dog". At first it almost seemed like Redwall was set in a human world. Mossflower *****
This is where IMO, the legend and setting really cemented themselves. The story introduced several oft-returned to areas like Salamandastron, Brockhall, and the Bats' mountain, and despite introducing a lot more than Redwall did, it maintains a solid and well constructed story. Mattimeo ****
The villains were good, the quest was well done, and the at-Redwall events were interesting (they don't usually have a riddle and an attack going at the same time like that), and it's certainly the most continuity laden of the sequels with the majority of Redwall's cast still being there (except Mr. Squirrel dammit). Certainly Redwall's equal, though IMO not on par with Mossflower or Mariel of Redwall. Mariel of Redwall *****
Redwall was Redwall. Mossflower was a prequel specifically detailing Martin the Warrior's rise. Mattimeo was a direct sequel to Redwall. Along came Mariel then, largely unanchored with an entirely new cast unconnected save Dandin being a distant descendant of Gonff. Additionally I don't think there was a single character I actively disliked.
Also I totally feel like I should ship Graypatch/Gabool. >.> Salamandastron ***
This gets credit in a few areas. First off; the at-Redwall plot. Disease has never been used as a plot device like this before or after. Second, Ferahgo at this point was the only villain to actually kill his enemy. Yes, I know he died as well, but I attribute that more to the tumble down the mountain and being death-hugged by a Badger Lord. Against it are the following; Urthstripe didn't exactly seem like the best Badger ever to run Salamandastron (admittedly an opinion) and the fact that despite the introduction, the Guosssom are never mentioned again; despite other books covering southland excursions.
Martin the Warrior ****
One of the more fascinating books in concept. We'd gotten to see Martin the Warrior in his prime certainly, but we'd never seen him actually develop into the mouse he became. This one's a good look at how he grew from just being a reckless young one into...actually even in the end he's still a rather reckless young one. He has moments where he's more serious than hot-headed, but he doesn't seem to PROPERLY sober up until it's too late for Rose. The Bellmaker ***
Because Jacques saw how well Mattimeo worked as a follow-up to Redwall that he did it again here with The Bellmaker being a follow-up to Mariel of Redwall. It works and does a LOT for new locations (all of Southsward). Also, the at-Redwall storyline is one of the funnier ones (Slipp and Blaggut's "The Crew of the Rusty Chain" gets me every time). At the same time though, the fact that Southsward is NEVER mentioned again bugs me a bit, and Rufe Brush is...almost mangled in personality. Name aside you wouldn't know him as the tough-but-silent squirrel from Mariel of Redwall. Outcast of Redwall ***
Sunflash and Skarlath carry this book. IMO, Veil's is easily the weaker of the two plots with Bryony's questionable "wisdom" at the end, and the fact that Veil's character and influence didn't even come into play until into the second book (at least Luke's influence hangs over everything in "The Legend of Luke). Both of the two travelers are well handled, and I love how it ended up meshing with that epilogue in Mossflower. Pearls of Lutra ****
Normally the travel/quest overshadows the at-the-abbey-riddle, and ideally the two balance. In this case, the riddle is vastly more interesting than the quest. While it was nice to see Martin III in action, he didn't receive much of any character work. The real meat of the story was on Tansy, Rollo, and her friends Craklyn and Piknim (the shipper in me totally considers them a couple ). As it goes however; this is easily the saddest of all the Redwall books. PS: My headcanon dictates that Sampetra is a re-settled Terramort. The Long Patrol *****
Oh man. This had it all. The historical nods to Mossflower and Kotir were nice (loved the lake-pond continuity) and that final battle...In the past it was always either "Salamandastron has a final fight", "Redwall has a huge fight" or "There's a siege at the vermin stronghold of wherever". Not this time. This time the ground was neutral, and it was the three most prominent factions (Redwall + Salamandastron + Obligatory Vermin Horde) slamming into each other full force. Also; Perigord's Long Patrol: Best Long Patrol or Best Long Patrol? Marlfox ***
The villains were a refreshing switch from the typical "vermin horde led by one bigger-than-the-rest-beast, the questing portion of the travelers was good, and Florian is probably the funniest Redwall hare since Basil. Props for a nod to Salamandanstron. At the same time though, the "finale promotions" for champion and abbess were incredibly forced and Burble was more annoying than anything. The Legend of Luke *****
Martin as the spirit of Redwall has been referenced so many times, but until this book, we never really saw him at Redwall. This was a nice glimpse into his time there. The added characters like Folgrim and Ranguvar are a huge plus as well. Lord Brocktree *****
The only book in which Martin the Warrior and Redwall are NEVER mentioned...and yet it's undeniably a Redwall book in atmosphere. Despite lacking almost all of the typical Redwallisms, it maintains the style/feel of the other books. Plus it's about time we got a backstory after seeing Brocktree's skeleton show up so many times in other books.
Taggerung ****
First (but not the last) time that an otter takes center stage as the focal character. The ONLY thing keeping this from a five-star rating is that the riddle scenario at Redwall is rather weak and that Tagg doesn't...really question his place among the vermin. He just sort of knows he doesn't belong. Still, his story's interesting, the quest is well done AND NIMBALO THE SLAYER NEEDS A HUG. Triss **
Trisscar was interesting. I liked Sagax. Plugg was hilarious, and I did find it amusing that the "pure weasels" that went on about themselves being a master race searching for ancestral relics...happened to speak with german accents. But at the same time, the final battle felt rushed, and the entire ending of the book was heavily crunched. Could've easily been made a duology and then it might've racked up more points. A further issue; I hated Scarum. I get that hares are talkative comedic gluttons, but Scarum had practically no charm to him and half the time I found myself wishing that the adders would get him in the end. Loamhedge *
It's not...bad, but previous discussions in this thread speak for themselves, and there seem to be several inconsitencies between this and Mattimeo as to the state of Loamhedge itself. Rakkety Tam **
When your main characters spend half the book being lost and frustrated and wandering seemingly without aim, you know something's wrong. The book gets credit for originality in characters (SCOTTISH SQUIRRELS AGAINST A GODDAMN WOLVERINE) and for having one of the few actual romances since Matthias/Cornflower.
High Rhulain *****
Don't often get a female lead in these books, but I have to say; Tiria Wildlough's probably my favorite, nudging Mariel off by a bit. The story's solid, the villain is nightmare fuel (wildcat with the skin on his face missing, exposing muscle and bone) and I LOVED seeing the Bellmaker nods with the Streambattle and Galedeep clans mentioned. Also, one of Olav Skyfurrow's (from Mariel of Redwall) descendants shows up. Eulalia ***
The villains felt...rather blegh, and the entire final battle seemed off somehow. The good guys don't win because of BADASS FIGHTING SPIRIT, but rather because the Abbott raised an alarm and recruited all of Mossflower to overwhelm the vermin. What really saves this book is that Gorath the Flame is the most interesting "Young Badger on a Quest" since Sunflash the Mace. Doomwyte ****
The hero was good, the villains were good (haven't seen a major bird villain since Ironbeak), I loved the ties to Mossflower and presence of Gonff, and the presence of an adder that actually creeps you out (Zassaliss, Harssacss, and Sesstra can suck it) was welcome. The only thing keeping it back is that the "at Redwall quest" portion of it reminds me eerily of Pearls of Lutra. I must also add that since the Gonfelin and Bisky are desdendants of Gonff without really being "related", it is my belief that Dandin and Mariel made babies like crazy after The Bellmaker and proceeded to raise a family of warriors The Sable Quean **
It's got some things going for it, but....the villains felt incredibly half-assed (some sort of icky mess between Slagar and the Marlfoxes with about none of the cunning. Seriously, if you imprison energetic young beasts in a chamber made entirely of dirt and soil, you have no right to feel any outrage when they dig themselves out). The heroes were okay, but the villains...just...augh. It's saved from one star because there's a Warrior Mole who suffers from the Bloodwrath.
Yes, you read that right. A Mole. With the Bloodwrath. And his name is Axtel Sturnclaw. He uses a warhammer. The Rogue Crew ***
Predictability holds this one back. I know the good guys always win in these books, but by the 22nd, it's so inevitable that it takes some edge off the book. Also, the "main hero"...really doesn't feel like a main hero. He doesn't do much more than bumble into problems, doesn't seem to grow, and doesn't even kill the villain. Hell, the ABBOTT in this is more badass than the "main hero". Thankfully it's got a rather fun set of villains.
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 15, 2012 12:28:57 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 15, 2012 12:28:57 GMT -8
I can see the last two books not being quite that exciting. I admit I am not entirely certain how to feel about Vialya yet. Though that Mole sounds kickass.
And, of course, I also want to know just what the screaming blue heck happened to Mr.Squirrel.
I'm a lot more excited now for The Bellmaker and Mossflower. I can't wait.
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Redwall
May 15, 2012 14:17:33 GMT -8
Post by kaynobi on May 15, 2012 14:17:33 GMT -8
Norm, love your little rating for each book. I haven't read them all, although I'm really into the idea of finishing the series now, but I think I might put my ratings for the ones I've read up soon.
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
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Redwall
May 15, 2012 16:23:01 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 15, 2012 16:23:01 GMT -8
I can see the last two books not being quite that exciting. I admit I am not entirely certain how to feel about Vialya yet. Though that Mole sounds kickass.
Despite mentioned complaints, The Rogue Crew does have some stuff going for it. The villain's plan of attack is just so grandiose that it almost feels like Jacques knew it might be his last so he wanted to give us one of the craziest villain gimmicks ever.
And yes, Axtel is awesome.
I'm a lot more excited now for The Bellmaker and Mossflower. I can't wait. Mossflower; yes. The Bellmaker, be prepared for a few tweaks in a couple characters. All the same, it was nice to see another Mariel and Dandin adventure.
Norm, love your little rating for each book. I haven't read them all, although I'm really into the idea of finishing the series now, but I think I might put my ratings for the ones I've read up soon. Thankies, and another perspective on some of those books would be welcome
Oh, and for anyone moving to read the whole series, I've just got them in published order on my list. For chronological order, look back to the posts where we ran through what we'd owned/read.
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 15, 2012 16:54:43 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 15, 2012 16:54:43 GMT -8
Well yes. Everything has it's good and bad points. Even Twitlight provides snarking value. Oooh, well I loves me some good villains so this is definitely a good thing.
Yeah, he sure sounds it.
I need to read more of the books before I give my opinions, but I will at some point. I eagerly await yours kaynobi!
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Madaraki
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Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
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Redwall
May 17, 2012 18:54:37 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 17, 2012 18:54:37 GMT -8
Well, after catching up on the post-Marlfox chronology...
I'm going back and doing something I've been itching to do.
Re-reading the entire series.
Chronological order.
Start to finish.
"Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy"...
Man I'd forgotten how short Basil Stag Hare seemed by comparison...
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 22, 2012 7:53:12 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 22, 2012 7:53:12 GMT -8
O.O Dang, that'll be a lot of fun. Possibly a bit of work, seeing how some books overlap (Outcast and Mossflower, etc.). Still, let us know how that works out and wether or not it leads you to any theories/connections.
....That poor maid.
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Madaraki
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Redwall
May 22, 2012 17:32:11 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on May 22, 2012 17:32:11 GMT -8
O.O Dang, that'll be a lot of fun. Possibly a bit of work, seeing how some books overlap (Outcast and Mossflower, etc.). Still, let us know how that works out and wether or not it leads you to any theories/connections. Eh, I figure I'll just read Outcast about where it fits in; after Legend of Luke. Yes, Mossflower has the epilogue with Sunflash, but technically that doesn't take place for quite a while.
Cleckstarr Lepus Montisle, Tammelo DeFformelo Tussock, and of course, Wilthurio Longbarrow Sackfirth Toxophola Fedlric Fritillary Wilfrand Hurdleframe Longarrow Leawelt Pugnacio Cinnabar Hillwether Jodrellio...
Yeah, hares tend to get long names after a while.
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blenderbender
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Redwall
May 23, 2012 13:07:28 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on May 23, 2012 13:07:28 GMT -8
Sounds like a good plan!
O.O .......Basil is an incredibly lucky hare.
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Redwall
Jun 4, 2012 13:47:11 GMT -8
Post by kaynobi on Jun 4, 2012 13:47:11 GMT -8
I FINALLY GOT MY REVIEWS DONE! Some are quite long so I'm going to post them in chunks. In this post is everything chronologically from Lord Brocktree to Outcast Of Redwall. Lord Brocktree - 5 stars I didn’t expect much from this book since it didn’t feature Redwall at all and seemed a bit of an odd choice to write but it came off really well. Ungatt Trunn was a great bad guy (I always like the wildcats) and Lord Stonepaw and Lord Brocktree were great heroes. I think it being set before the abbey was made actually gave Jacques more freedom since he didn’t feel that he had to connect it to the abbey somehow and it worked out really well. Martin the Warrior - 4 stars I don’t own this book so it’s been a long time since I read it but I do remember it standing out. It was really nice seeing Martin since he’s talked about in so many other books and whilst he is noble and brave, he’s still believable. The tragic ending is particularly effective and I do like books where the good animals are already beaten and have to rebel. It just makes the stakes that bit higher. Mossflower - 5 stars I love this one! It has everything – Great heroes; Martin, Gonff, Lady Amber, Bella, Boar the fighter, Abbess Germaine – a great villain in Tsarmina, who is one of the few female villains we see and who is already successful – a quest, a bad guy who turns good, the forging of Martin’s sword. It just has it all. I think it’s universal opinion amongst fans that this is one of the best and one of my favourite things about it is that the villains had already won, they were in control and the heroes had to fight to get their freedom back. The Legend of Luke - 3 stars This one is only 3 stars because it’s essentially two books in one. The actual legend of Luke was a good self-contained story and my favourite part of the book but the stuff about Martin was a little lacklustre. It was interesting to see him again and see the Abbey being built but there was no villain for him to defeat and the last part was just about him travelling back home. I would have preferred more time spent on Luke’s story than Martin going walkabout in the woods. Outcast of Redwall - 4.5 stars Outcast is one of my favourites and I’ve re-read it so many times. It’s also the only one I’ll give a half star to and the only reason for that is the way Bryony decides Veil was evil all along right after he saves her. I’ve wracked my brains but can’t work out what Jacques intended with that happening. Otherwise, it is an amazing story. I love Bryony and her dedication to Veil but mostly I love that most of the book is dedicated to the feud between Swartt Sixclaw and Sunflash the Mace. Their whole world ends up boiling down to their obsession with each other and it’s so well written that it just fuels the entire story. I could read about these two hating each other forever.
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Redwall
Jun 4, 2012 13:49:02 GMT -8
Post by kaynobi on Jun 4, 2012 13:49:02 GMT -8
Mariel of Redwall - 5 stars This is another favourite but I wasn’t into it that much the first time I read it. Luckily I re-read it and realised how great it is. Mariel is one of my favourite Redwall characters and the relationship between her and Dandin is one of my favourites too, if not my all time favourite. Mariel is so tough, such a survivor and her relationship with Dandin is one between complete equals. I also loved Gabool being slowly driven mad in a way that none of the other villains were. They were crazy perhaps, especially when things didn’t go their way in the end, but he actually became paranoid, thinking he was hearing things. The long patrol hares sacrificing themselves was very powerful too. That’s what makes these books so good, the fact that Jacques doesn’t shy away from death and painful scenes. The Bellmaker - 3 stars First time I read it I absolutely loved it but the second time I just couldn’t get into it. I don’t know what happened. I loved seeing Mariel and Dandin again and exploring Southsward (Why was it not shown again? Did nothing happen down there?) but something was just missing. Urgan Nagru was again a successful villain for the good guys to fight against but not a lot of it sticks in my mind. I’ve given it three stars because I can’t remember enough of it to make a real judgement either way. This might change if/when I re-read it. Salamandastron - 3 stars I went through phases of loving this one but I think I’ve settled into a place where it’s just a good, solid Redwall book. It does have anything special enough about it to be a 4 or 5 but nothing bad enough to push it down to 1 or 2. I did love the villains though. Ferahgo and Klitch had such an interesting father/son dynamic. On the one hand, Ferahgo was proud of his son and training him to be the next leader of the horde, but on the other all this training meant that he feared his son killing him in order to take control. In the same way Klitch respected his father and followed his orders but had a desire for control and power that he had learnt from his father. It was a really interesting situation which wasn’t seen much with other characters, especially villains. Urthstripe and Urthwyte were decent and I loved seeing so much of Salamandastron and the Long Patrol but the best things about the good guys was how tragic it was that the two brothers never got to meet. That stayed with me but not as strongly as some other books in the series. Redwall - 2 stars I know a lot of people rate this as the best but I don’t see why. It always felt separate to me from the others. I mean, they mention a village dog, there’s a horse, they talk about cattle and the proportions of the animals in comparison to each other always seemed a little inconsistent with other books. Matthias was never my favourite hero and Cornflower was sweet but dull. Some of the side characters were interesting and I especially liked the sparrows but it all felt a bit simple and undeveloped to me. He really nailed everything and started flowing after this book, so I can’t rate it too highly. It’s enjoyable enough to read though. Mattimeo - 5 stars The first Redwall book I ever read, so it holds a special place for me. The heroes are great, even the child characters who don’t come across all whiney and pathetic, a successful and memorable villain in Slagar (and Malkariss) and a story that keeps you engrossed right until the end. I even liked the story going on at Redwall, even though it felt a bit pointless, with General Ironbeak. Seeing the non-warriors who were left behind actually kicking some ass was great, especially after some of them were a bit useless in Redwall. Pearls of Lutra - 3 stars Like The Bellmaker, I loved this upon first reading but not so much later on. The riddles were interesting when you didn’t know the answer but a bit more boring once you do and the lizard villains were a new choice but didn’t overwhelm me with awesomeness. I think my favourite thing in this book was some of the individual characters. Martin II was pretty bland but I really liked Tansy and little Arven. In fact, I liked Arven even more seeing everything he became afterwards. Besides them, and the actual concept of the pearls which was new, the story felt a bit too basic to be great.
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Redwall
Jun 4, 2012 13:51:32 GMT -8
Post by kaynobi on Jun 4, 2012 13:51:32 GMT -8
The Long Patrol - 5 stars Originally I wouldn’t have thought I liked this book so much but now that I think about it I have nothing but good feelings towards it. I love the Long Patrol and getting to live inside a regular day-to-day patrol was really interesting. Tammo was a good, though not great, hero but I loved his relationship with Pasque Valerian – another of my favourite couples. I also loved Lady Cregga Rose Eyes and how sort of crazy she was. She was quite reckless at times but that just made her more interesting. The final battle was huge and I definitely loved that the hares and Redwallers took the fight to the villains instead of letting it come to them. There should have been much more of that. Marlfox - 3 stars I’m interested in reading this one again because it’s another I don’t own. I’ve played it safe by giving it 3 stars since there are some things I remember liking about it but nothing I remember loving. I thought it was interesting getting not only a new breed of villains but a family of them and seeing how each would be disposed of and how they’d fight each other. I also like that the marlfoxes manage to succeed in stealing the tapestry. It was a bit different to events in other books. I also liked the characters, particularly Song, who went after the marlfoxes. Saying that, nothing stood out as being amazing, hence only 3 stars. Taggerung - 5 stars I really liked this one. We had seen a few vermin who weren’t so bad but we’d never had a good creature growing up with the vermin and being raised to be like them. Tagg was interesting as a creature who was trying to find his place in the world and as a Redwaller with more of a dark side. I was involved with him and his story from start to finish and loved seeing more of the vermin side of things. Also, it was a bit different from the expected abbey under siege/free the oppressed animals storyline that appears in a lot of the books. Triss - 1 star So little of this book was memorable to me and I was really interested in seeing the Abbey’s first female warrior. Triss was a let-down though. I just couldn’t make myself care about her or the bad guys or the runaways from Salamandastron. I really have very little to say about this book since it felt like it was just treading water and not telling us anything important or interesting. Loamhedge - 3 stars In some ways this was a really good Redwall book. It had some great characters like Lonna Bowstripe, Sarabando and Bragoon and the three young Redwallers, Horty, Springald and Fenna. Everything that went on with them was great but back at Redwall things were pretty dull. I found Martha’s character actually quite irritating for some reason and her miraculous recovery felt so cheap and seemed to nullify the entire quest the others had been on and the deaths that happened because of it. The villain was pretty un-memorable too when compared with other Redwall villains and seeing the Abbey under siege again? Yawn. It gets three stars for being solid and mostly interesting though. I wish Bragoon and Sarobando had been given a book their own though. One that shows their adventures from when they were younger. I don’t know why Jacques stopped overlapping characters in his later books, even much loved ones. Rakkety Tam - 1 star The only Redwall book I’ve never finished. I got half way through and got bored. I didn’t make an intentional decision to stop there; I just put the book down one day and didn’t pick it up again. At the time I thought I had just outgrown this type of story but now I’m thinking I just wasn’t interested in this particular story. I’m always a bit irritated by a large number of characters having their accents written phonetically. It’s jarring to read and takes me out of the story because it comes across more as an accent than an individual character’s voice. I can’t get it to flow in my head and it sounds disjointed when I read it. Throw in an, ‘Och,’ here and there and I’ll remember they sound Scottish, just don’t overdo it. Other than that I just didn’t connect to any of the characters and got bored of them trailing around after Gulo.
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Madaraki
Member
Three years, still plundering.[Mo0:1]
Posts: 217
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Redwall
Jun 7, 2012 18:50:28 GMT -8
Post by Madaraki on Jun 7, 2012 18:50:28 GMT -8
Yeah, Mr. Macburl does take some getting used to...
And the lack of overlap bugged me a bit too. Taggerung was the last direct one with Cregga being around and Tragglo Spearback's grandson appearing, and then in Triss, Skipper's mentioned as being a "distant descendant of the the legendary Taggerung".
Female warrior wise...Triss was bleh. Mariel and Tiria will always be the superior female warriors.
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blenderbender
Persistent Member
I'm back for the party.[mu:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuNeV0fMflw][Mo0:10]
Posts: 1,131
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Redwall
Jun 7, 2012 19:11:40 GMT -8
Post by blenderbender on Jun 7, 2012 19:11:40 GMT -8
^Oh hell yeah they were! And as for female squirrels, I'll take Jess over Triss any day of the week.
I kinda did enjoy Redwall but A) It was my first, I'm biased, and B) I haven't read most of them yet.
Cregga sounds badass though! I want to see her now!
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