Book Review: Redwall

Are you looking for a good book, filled with adventure, fantasy and a tinge of romance? Then pick up Brian Jacques bestselling book, Redwall. This book is the beginning of Brian’s best selling Redwall series. And it is certainly the most classic book in the series. Redwall is a classic story done in a new way. One thing that makes this book different than most is that all the characters are animals whom act like humans. In fact the only reason that this makes these books so different from ones written about humans is that the characters have a very different diet and the differing size and abilities of the characters are very evident. Despite the classical air of this story, the message is still very clear and good. The main message of this book is this: that good always triumphs over evil, and that the underdogs can become the greatest people. The story begins with a clumsy little mouse, Matthias, dwelling in the great fortress of Redwall Abbey. He and all the other abbey dwellers are living a peaceful, laughing, loving life until a dreaded rat is sighted in the area: Cluny the Scourge. Cluny is a notorious conqueror who is undefeated, even at sea. The abbey then unites in preparation to defend itself while Matthias sets off to find the lost sword of the first warrior of Redwal, Martin. Matthias along with the help of his friends, goes through a series of adventures, ridden with riddles, to finally discover where Martin’s sword is. But it’s not that easy. While Redwall suffers unceasing attacks form Cluny, Matthias must fight another dreaded enemy to ensure that he gets the legendary sword. But does Matthias have the strength, and will the sword be enough? There are many turns and twists in the story with a final surprise at the end. All of which helps to make the message of the book that much better. Redwall was amazingly well written and extremely enjoyable. The book is actually split up into three smaller ‘books within a book’ which are split into easy to read chapters. The pacing of Redwall is nigh unto perfect, always keeping the reader intrigued. The ‘edge of your seat’ action is sometimes clumped but spread out enough that it keeps you excited but doesn’t give you a heart attack from too much ‘non-stop’ action. The book also is written in such a way that it appeals amazingly well to one’s emotions, in an almost simple and realistic way. The story line is also very well thought out. Its classical story redone feel adds to its intrigue. The new twists and turns make it feel almost like a completely new story idea. The animal characters help to make the story unique. They help to entertain and yet also impress the reader. Brian Jacques also has a good hand at riddles. The few that he throws in, which the characters must decipher to reach their goals, are well written and yet simple enough that they hold great sway over any reader who is even slightly interested in riddles. The way the riddles are answered are unique, though sometimes aggravating, as quite often you know the answer before the characters do. One item of note is the great detail which Brian puts into describing the food selections at Redwall. In fact he can sometimes fill up a whole page describing just one meal at Redwall. This makes for a good detailed story but can also have the downside of making one incredibly hungry. For me the book was incredibly and thoroughly enjoyable. The mix of adventure and true emotions of the characters was perfect. I would highly recommend this book for just about anyone, unless you hate animals in which case you shouldn’t even look at this book. Redwall shows Brian’s unique and well studied writing skills, making Redwall a bestseller for me.