The Legend of Luke (Redwall #12) Book

"It was a wondrous tale he had to tell...It was also very sad at times, but does not sadness mingle with joy, to make us grow fully into the creatures we are?"

'Abbess Germaine, The Legend of Luke, P. 373

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this book to read it. Would the plot be focused more on Luke the Warrior or his son Martin, who has become a legend to fans of the Redwall series all around the globe?

Ultimately, I believe The Legend of Luke is the best Redwall book since volume number eight, Outcast of Redwall. The tone of Luke's adventures carries the same bittersweet style and spirit as the first few odysseys that Brian Jacques put down on paper, leading us on an impossible to forget journey into a world of surprising new characters and dark, unexpected plot twists, a fantasy world that never delves so far into the surreal as to dull the emotional impact of its sharply poignant moments. At his best, Brian Jacques is a master of writing and creativity, and his books reflect a deep knowledge of the human experience and the kind of wisdom that can touch us all and transform our hearts.

For anyone who loved the land of Mossflower as Martin the Warrior knew it, The Legend of Luke is an essential read. Being taken back once again to the time of Martin the Warrior is a gift that no lover of literature should pass up, well worth the time commitment required for a three hundred seventy-four page tome. Since the beginning of the Redwall series we have heard whispers about the immortal Luke the Warrior, casting teasing shadows of who this powerful warrior was and how the events of his life worked to make Martin into the great champion he would become. The Legend of Luke answers many of these questions, completely respecting the history that had come before it while introducing new ideas and characters whose identities will forever be etched in Redwall lore.