It may be a touch disturbing to certain readers — no character is safe and many minor villains die abrupt deaths — but the Redwall series is a longtime favorite of mine with good old-fashioned themes.
The book that inspired a legend—the first novel in the beloved, bestselling Redwall saga.
Welcome to Mossflower Wood, where the gentle mice have gathered to celebrate a year of peace and abundance. All is well…until a sinister shadow falls across the ancient stone abbey of Redwall. It is rumored that Cluny is coming—Cluny, the terrible one-eyed rat and his savage horde—Cluny, who has vowed to conquer Redwall Abbey! The only hope for the besieged mice lies in the lost sword of the legendary Martin the Warrior. And so begins the epic quest of a bumbling young apprentice—a courageous mouse who would rise up, fight back…and become a legend himself.Amazon Blurb
While I read most, if not all of these, as a kid, I have still not reread the entire series now, so I can’t speak for them all. However, while fighting is often abundant, it’s never gory. Deaths are frequent and creative, but they often come to villains who deserved what they got. I don’t see it as gratuitous, but rather an illustration of the consequences of evil. That is one of the best things about these books. Good is good and evil is evil. You know who is on which side, and you know the good guys will always win. The heroes are always brave, with strong female characters and good masculine rolemodels. Justice, hospitality, valiance, chivalry — these books are rich with Christian themes. I would absolutely recommend this book for any middle grader, provided the violence won’t disturb them. The language can also be somewhat harsh, with Cluny especially. So far, of the villains I’ve read, his tongue has been the worst. It’s not cursing or swearing, but plenty of older insults and references to Hades. Nonetheless, the series is still uplifting and enjoyable, and I highly recommend.
Any Redwall fans out there? Favorite character? Skarlath is mine. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this series.
Have a great week, everyone.
Cheers!
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