The story begins with an old badger, Bella of Brockhall, welcoming a young mouse into her home to tell a story of the time Mossflower was oppressed by evil rulers and saved by a mouse like her listener. Her story tells about the castle of Kotir which was located in the woodlands of Mossflower. Kotir was ruled by a wildcat named Tsarmina who had her father poisoned and brother imprisoned so she could become Queen of a Thousand Eyes. Tsarmina and her followers force the Woodlanders to be slaves, giving most all the food they grow to be stored in Tsarmina’s larder. On a cold winter day, a mouse, Martin the Warrior, was captured by the Kotir patrol, a group of weasels and stoats. Martin was thrown into the dungeon of Kotir with the sword, given to him by his father, broken and hung around his neck. Another woodland mouse, Gonff, who proclaims to be the Prince of Mousethieves and who has a song for every event, was captured the following spring and thrown into the cell with Martin. Together they plan their escape. With the help of the other Woodlanders, mice, badgers, squirrels, and a bird, the Warrier and Mousethief escape and go on a quest to find the former ruler of Mossflower. Upon the return of the heroes to Woodland the final battle takes place with good conquering evil.

This animal fantasy is full of action with the Woodlanders gathering together to battle their oppressor. The animals display camaraderie and support of each other regardless of their differences. Through out the story the young respect the older creatures for their wisdom and cherish their history. Gonff never ceases to bring a smile with his quick impromptu poems and up beat attitude. The story has action, heroes, villains, adventure, and romance. Brian Jacques, the author, wrote "Mossflower" as a prequel to "Redwall". These books are written for children. I have discovered they can also be enjoyed by an adult.

In the classroom the book could be used as an aid in a lesson on multi-culture. It can demonstrate how people of different cultures, race, and background can fellowship together and learn to appreciate their differences and history. The poetry recited by Gonff on every occasion and event can be used to encourage students to write a short poem about an experience they have had. This method would be an interesting introduction to poetry and a fun way to allow children to write and express their selves.

Pre09:

Well, it sure made Martin a badass didn't it? I mean, he beat the shit outta everyone and he was just a mouse.

The story is somewhat forgotten in my head, but I remember Brian squeezing in some silly puzzles still. ( )

Mossflower provides some interesting background to the events of Redwall and the same general tone, with an interesting reversal - this time it's the villains in the fortress, the woodlanders on the outside, and there's a quest to boot. Brian Jacques continues a compelling piece of work with this series, but I really shouldn't like it. The plot moves at far too headlong a pace, scene changes come without warning, new characters suddenly appear whenever convenient, the villains are always played for fools, and there is just way, way too much eating going on. Nonetheless. Despite the villains being buffoons, they do manage to get in a jab now and then. There's just enough undercurrent of suspense to keep things interesting despite the generally light tone, enough sense of raucous adventure to wonder what happens next, and more than enough camaraderie and world-building to bring this series alive. I've ceased to worry about details, like how all these animals could be of relatively similar size, and have simply given in to the fun. Consult www.redwall.org for the publication order of this series, since for some reason they don't number the volumes. ( )

I found the book Mossflower very interesting. This book takes place in a country called Mossflower during the rule of Kotir long ago. Martin the warrior mouse, a new comer to Mossflower and Gonff the mousethieve are the main characters. Martin is a strong mouse who is very kind and likeable. Gonff is a foolish mouse who often gets himself into trouble. Supporting characters include the cruel Tsarmina, queen of Kotir and all the woodlanders of Mossflower. The story tells a tale of Mossflower and how woodlanders defeated Kotir to regain freedom. The woodlanders of Mossflower are forced to pay many taxes and feed the creatures of Mossflower so they end up rebelling against Kotir. While woodlanders figure out ways to defeat Kotir Gonff and Martin get thrown in the prison of Kotir. My favorite character is Gonff because of his humor and sense of pride. By reading this book I learned to fight in what I believe in. I would recommend this book to any middle school student seeking a book filled with adventure. ( )

This is a great book! It is the first Redwall book I read, and I was hooked after I finished it! Highly recommended, especially if you are just starting into the series! ( )