Martin the Warrior (Redwall, Book 6) (original 1993; edition 1995)

Mattias is a mouse in a city called RedWall. On day Cluny the scourge attacks RedWall. But luckily they have the huge red walls keeping them safe. What will happen. I reccomend this book to people who like war and mice. ( )

I remembered seeing the cartoon as a kid, and thought that this might be interesting to read. Oddly enough is was engaging even if I couldn't understand what the characters where saying half the time. I haven't seen anyone manage to write such accents into their characters speech so successfully!
Slavery, Rescue, Death, Pirates, Tyrants, Food, Seer, and Adventure. Not bad for a quick pick! ( )

This is the first Redwall book I read, and I think the best.

After I grew out of Go, Dog Go! and the like in those inbetween years, I couldn't find anything worth reading. After not just a few tantrums with mom over forced "reading time" and those evil sweet valley high books, I came to the decision that reading was a horrible thing to have to do.

This book, Martin, is what brought me back to reading and made me an irrevocable bibliophile. Not only is Jacques a talented and engaging story-teller, this is the first book that showed me a depth of emotion and underlying philosophy. Before Martin I didn't know stories could be about ideas, could make you feel those ideas and touch your soul with them. Jacques doesn't candycoat things like death, a desperate struggle for freedom, gleeful cruelty, and the joy of being alive for his child audience. He shows those things by example in a simple way that treats those kids like the thinking people they are. ( )

When I was about at the in-be'tween'y stage, I devoured all eleven Redwall books available to me at the local library. If you’ve read any the series, you don’t need to be reminded of Jacques’s world of sumptuous feasts and heroic quests and colorful protagonists and evil vermin and accents (!).

Since, I've occasionally reread the original novel, but not any of the others, until now. Although I don’t quite as much enjoy the slight wish-fulfillment qualities in this immersive world as much (Has anyone ever not daydreamed about the abbey’s feast creations?), on this reread I found myself admiring Jacques’s storytelling capabilities- particularly, the portrayal of the path of the warrior.

*Spoilers abound* Being born to Luke, another 'the Warrior', Martin is born into the role of the warrior and is always referred to as such. It's an important role in his world of primarily chaos. This world is chock full of creatures with natures that run that gamut from selfish and anarchic tendencies (the squirrels, lizards, shrews) to outright tyrannous ones (warlords and pirates), that are only reluctantly checked by guidance and law and heroism.

Even as a slave, he cannot escape from his role- not even when the promise of freedom and peace is right before him, in the form of his love Rose and Noonvale, her idyllic home. He's mirrored in that regard by the squirrel Felldoh (his fellow warrior-slave), who shows the price of not being able to let go of hate and violence: death.

They win- Martin wins, but it is at a heavy price. This price is somewhat glossed over in the end but carries thematically into notably Mossflower and The Legend of Luke. Martin will learn to become the peacemaker, a founder of the peaceful place to come- and learning of his father's fate definitely helps the healing process, I'm guessing. But Redwall is the true follow-up, in that Matthias has the life not afforded Martin. Matthias can pick up the mantle of warrior (pick up Martin's sword of legend as his spiritual successor), but he can also put it down. Matthias can settle down, have kids- because a haven has been created. (Which, if I'm remembering correctly, sort of thematically leads right into Mattimeo, a story of leaving the haven and seeing the world outside.)

This installment is notably simpler than most of the other Redwall novels- containing relatively few (only two and a half by my count) and simple simultaneous plots. But it works in its favor, anchoring an origin story about the most recognizable character from the series- and allowing it to be one of the most emotionally affecting installments. ( )

Martin the mouse was rescued from enslavement, and sets off on a journey to raise an army to rescue the other slaves held in the fort Marshank by Badrang the Tyrant. This tale is a legend in the other Redwall books, and is here revealed in its entirety by travelers stopping by the abbey. The world of these small human-like animals is given rich detail in setting. Songs and odd accents abound, making for reading that can be at turns interesting and frustrating. The fact that chapters consist of many small sections of about three to four paragraphs each may help those with shorter attention spans, but may also cause those looking for a deeper experience to drift away. Readers may also want a dictionary close at hand, as many words that are not everyday speech make appearances. Also, I don't think I've ever encountered a piece of fiction that mentions food so much; it seems like every few pages someone is eating something that is described in loving detail. The plot felt very thin and predictable right up to the conclusion, where suddenly things coalesced into an exciting, emotional climax. Seekers of action will feel very at home here. ( )