Reviews for Mossflower (Redwall #2)

The average rating for Mossflower (Redwall #2) based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-01-07 00:00:00 Mosalyn Parker I love the Redwall books written by the late and sadly missed Brian Jacques.'Mossflower' is a wonderful and magical book among the many he wrote about Redwall. The novel begins with Bella the Badger telling of the plight of the creatures of Mossflower Wood many years ago before Redwall Abbey was built. They were oppressed by the evil Tsarmina the wildcat and her father. The young mouse Martin strayed into the wildcat's territory and was imprisoned. Many twists and turns follow in the ensuing adventures and as always in Brian's beautifully written books; good always eventually triumphs over evil and Martin is named forever "Martin the Warrior" The Redwall books are written for teenagers but these enchanting stories can equally be read by adults who will surely enjoy them. I am not keen on too many spoilers but there are many bloodthirsty battles as well as the background of woodland life with the loyalties, friendships, bravery and love among the animals. Especially enchanting are the descriptions of the many recipes of the food made from the plants and their fruits in the woods around the creatures. Do give these books a try. Brian Jacques writes exciting novels with vivid plots and excellently drawn characters both good and evil. They can be read in order or as standalone books but I would recommend you read them in order as references are often made to previous characters in the later books.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-09-19 00:00:00 Louis Roberts If you asked me to pick a single favorite Redwall book, I'd probably splutter at you a lot and then mutter 'Mariel, if I have to pick just one'; but if you asked me for a list of my top 5, Mossflower would definitely be on it. Early on, before I'd read the rest of the series, it was far-and-away my favorite - for the interwoven quest and siege plots (two of my favorite fantasy structures, tropey as they can be, likely because of Redwall books), for the humor, and for the absolutely glorious takedown at the end. It's just a damn fun read. One of, if not the, most memorable objects in the Redwall series is Martin's sword, and one of the things I love most about the books is their consistent emphasis on what the sword is and what it means. Nowhere is that more clearly laid out than in this book, wherein the sword is reforged by Boar the Fighter with the warning that "a sword is a force for good only in the paws of an honest warrior". The Redwall series does an excellent job of balancing both the mystical aura it affords to the sword and the message that the sword itself isn't inherently special; and for a series which rests squarely in line with so many fantasy tropes, emphasizing the importance of personal morality above object-linked magic is really important. Last thing: as with all Redwall books, I strongly recommend the full-cast audio version of Mossflower. It's even more fun when you can hear it come to life.