Redwall

It is the Summer of the Late Rose. But a sinister shadow has fallen across the ancient stone abbey of Redwall, even as the gentle mice of Mossflower Wood gather there to celebrate a year of peace and abundance. For it is rumored that Cluny is coming -- Cluny, the terrible one-eyed rat and his battle-seasoned horde -- Cluny, whose vow is to conquer Redwall Abbey! The woodland creatures rush to a desperate defense. But what can an abbey of peace loving mice do against Cluny the Scourge and his army of rats? If only they had the sword of Martin the Warrior, they might have a chance of saving their beloved abbey. But the hiding place of the sword has long been forgotten, even by the wisest of mice. It is bumbling young Matthias who sets out show more to find the sword and who becomes a most unlikely hero. This book is fairly remarkable. It is engaging with rich characters and language but with streaks of realism. A wonderful book that is fun for the child and adult. show less

Brian Jacques’ Redwall is a timeless young adult fantasy novel that blends classic heroism with medieval charm, anthropomorphic characters, and surprisingly deep themes of courage, growth, and self-belief. Though it’s written for a younger audience, this first entry in the sprawling Redwall series has earned its place in the hearts of readers of all ages—including mine.
Set in a richly imagined world where woodland creatures live in abbeys and battle for justice, Redwall follows the story of Matthias, a young, unassuming mouse living in the peaceful Redwall Abbey. When a ruthless rat named Cluny the Scourge threatens their home, Matthias embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior and show more protect those he loves. At its heart, Redwall is a story about finding strength and potential even when the world—and sometimes even you—doesn’t believe it exists.
One of the most enduring qualities of the book is how re-readable it is. Whether it’s your first time visiting Redwall or your tenth, the story never loses its charm. The medieval setting—complete with ancient abbey halls, brave warriors, hidden clues, and cryptic poems—feels vivid and alive. Jacques’ writing style, with its rich descriptions and immersive worldbuilding, is both comforting and exciting.
The poem woven throughout the book is particularly memorable. What begins as a mysterious riddle transforms into a guiding thread for the entire plot, giving the story a sense of destiny and layered depth. It adds a touch of magical realism to the tale while reinforcing one of the story’s key messages: greatness is often hidden in plain sight.
And let’s not forget the standout characters. While Matthias’s transformation into a hero is inspiring, Mrs. Badger (Constance) is an unforgettable figure—strong, loyal, fiercely protective, and a true force of nature. She embodies wisdom and bravery and offers a grounded, steady presence amidst the chaos of the unfolding battle.
If Redwall captured your heart, the rest of the series promises to expand that world in satisfying and meaningful ways.
Redwall is more than just a fantasy novel with talking animals—it’s a coming-of-age tale, a battle between good and evil, and a reminder that belief in oneself can be the spark that lights the path to greatness. Despite being aimed at younger readers, the emotional weight, charm, and timelessness of the story make it a favorite worth returning to again and again. show less

It’s the rare book that my sons have recommended to me...the rare book whose author I have actually met and heard speak and adored...the rare book that is on hundreds of Must-Read lists...the rare book that has all these things going for it and yet remains on my TBR heap.

I was finally motivated to pull it out of the pile and give it a thorough read when my 1001 Children’s Books list chose it for a group read in February.

Why, why, why, I thought as I finished the last page, why didn’t I read this one with my sons? And is it too late to propose a readaloud with them at ages 27 and 30?

Don’t make the same mistake I did. It’s a story that will be fabulous as a readaloud with your children, even if they are too old to actually sit show more in your lap. Do it now. I urge you. You will not regret it. show less

This is the first book in the Redwall series. Although it was a DNF for me, it was beautifully written and I can understand how it is a beloved classic for many people...which is why I gave it 4 stars despite not finishing it. I read the first 100 pages of the book and just could not get into the story.

I’ll state right off the bat that I am not a huge fan of animals as humans (anthropomorphism) types of fantasy novels. While this book is beautifully written, I just didn’t enjoy the fact that all the characters are animals of different types.

This book also moves very slowly; it is written in an old school fantasy style and creeps along. The story itself is also a very typical fantasy story: peaceful society gets attacked by an evil show more person and one unlikely person/animal stands up to help the situation. Given the pace and the typical plot I had trouble staying engaged and kept finding a million other things to do rather than read this book...which is how I knew it just wasn’t for me.

As I said this story does have its good points. The world is beautifully created and the writing is very lyrical. Many of the characters are incredibly lovable and cute.

Overall this just wasn’t for me. I think younger readers might enjoy it more. The plot was just too predictable, the pace too slow, and I struggled to stay engaged in the story and kept finding other things to do rather than read this story. I am not a big fan of anthropomorphism types of stories so that was part of the issue as well. show less

The Redwall series has been one of my favourites for about twenty years. I can't recall exactly how I first learned about the books, but I do remember clearly my mother getting me out of school one day so she could take me to meet Brian Jacques when he came to the area to do a book signing. That was a truly delightful treat.

Despite my love for the series, it had been years since I last read Redwall, and the last time I tried I discovered I wasn't in the mood for that particular book, so I set it aside. Since it had been years, however, I decided to give it another try. I borrowed the audiobook from my local library to listen to during my commute. The full cast audio is delightful, and I really enjoyed listening to this story.

Thing show more is...I realise now that Redwall is probably my least favourite entry in the series, and in listening to it I've been able to pinpoint a few of the reasons why this is. Redwall is the first book in the series, and on the world-building front it just doesn't mesh cleanly with the later books. The various groups and tribes of creatures are still largely undeveloped. There are mentions of large animals like horses, pigs, and stags, all of which are completely absent in later books. In Redwall there seems to be some implication that the Abbey mice and various woodland creatures are living alongside humans (see the aforementioned farm animals, plus mentions of towns), even though humans are never actually mentioned in the story. Reading Redwall after reading other books in the series winds up being jarring for me, simply because it's a literary step backward.

I still like the book, and I'm sure I'll read (or listen to) it again. Knowing why it isn't my favourite helps me appreciate it for what it is: the foundation and starting point for an amazing series of books that I absolutely love. show less

Redwall was one of the big novels of my youth. They were read to me in the early 90s and I picked up reading them myself shortly thereafter. I haven't returned to them in 25 or so years.

First thing that stood out to me was how snappy everything was. Most problems are introduced and solved in rapid succession. 1 or 2 chapters. In a lot of ways it feels like a collection of short stories all tied together by the overarching thread of Cluny threatening Redwall. There's an almost episodic feel to how contained each piece of the adventure is.

A good example is the riddle Methuselah discovers behind the Martin tapestry. In short order, Methuselah and Martin sit down, solve the first part, find the hidden passageway, and visit Martin's tomb. It show more all just flows out.

This gives very good stopping points throughout reading. A little bit of closure, but not too much. Given that Redwall was conceived by Jacques as he read books to children, that makes sense. The Brian Jacques audio book is 10.5 hours. You aren't reading that (out load) in one sitting.

Anyway, Redwall is a very good intro to novels for children. It isn't small, but neither is it hefty. Solid but simple story. The text isn't overly dense on the page. Plenty of action. Not over-complicating the good guys and bad guy. Though there are some characters, from Captain Snow to Sela and Chickenhound and even to Killconey, that aren't quite as simple to classify.

The story is simple. Cluny is an evil bad guy. He wants to take over the peaceful Redwall Abbey because he is evil. The residents of Redwall and the nearby forest creatures defend. Our main character Matthias goes on a quest to get the sword of Martin the Warrior to defeat Cluny. Upon completion of the quest, there is a big confrontation and Matthias defeats Cluny. Every step of the adventure is clearly laid as you approach. There's some unsubtle foreshadowing with Asmodeus wandering around in the early stages.

When it comes to introductory novels for children, keeping it simple is good. They have less literary background than a novel reading adult. There is a skill to following the basic structure of story, and it has to be learned. Redwall delivers simplicity and a solid story at the same time. Don't give kids slop just because they don't know any better.

That said, there are some silly aspects. Why does it take some crazy adventure to access the abbey attic? Why would anyone design a building that requires scaling walls to reach the attic? As Martin's sword is not magic or anything, why would it matter if they can get it our not? Ultimately, it was the power of friendship that brought GUOSSIM, the Sparrows, Squire Julian, and Captain Snow to the aid of Redwall that truly won the battle. It's not like the adventure to get the sword was useless.

But the question of magic is a weird one. The adventures that get the friendship happen because Martin foresaw what would occur. Everything was setup to address things exactly as they occurred. It would require foreknowledge. If everything didn't play out in a very particular way, none of it would have mattered. show less

I've read this book at least twenty times, if not more. The first time must have been around 1990 or so; I remember getting it from the library and starting to read it each night with my mom, and then getting too impatient and reading it on my own. Naturally I got obsessed with the series, and read many of them (most multiple times).

One of the scenes here was probably the first time a book ever made me cry (the death of my favorite character), and Jacques' characters here became just as real as anything to me as I read and reread his masterpieces. As I've gotten older, they've become a staple of my recommendations to parents looking for stories to read with their children.

Simply brilliant.