by
4.03 of 5 stars
Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice is threatened by Cluny the Scourge - the evil-one-eyed rat warlord - and his battle-h read full description

reviews

Jan 19, 2012
Stephen rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Photobucket

2.0 stars. Now I admit upfront that YA fantasy is somewhat starting to lose its appeal to me, making me a harsher critic of what I think are weak efforts. At the same time, I still really enjoy the compelling, higher end stuff. Unfortunately, THIS A'INT IT!! YA is one thing, but I found this to be the “Y” est of YA fantasy books that I have read in quite a while. It was just too young.

Despite the fact that the book is fairly well written and decently paced, I found the plot itself to just be c More...
47 comments like (42 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Erin rated it: 5 of 5 stars
you know what was the best part of these books? and i say books as in plural because there were so fucking many of them i can't sit still long enough to check them all off. and i DID read every single one. what else was there to do in middle school?

anyway, the best part of these books was brian's description of food. it was magnificent. it didn't just make you hungry, it made you crave weird ass things that nobody would ever dream about eating in middle school. nutted cheeses and flan bread and More...
14 comments like (80 people liked it)
Jan 01, 2008
Ann rated it: 5 of 5 stars
FULL REVIEW
I managed to finish this just in time for count it "as read" in 2007! With (how appropriate) 7 minutes to spare lol:>
I really enjoyed this book!!:D I was amazed at how vibrant the characters were and how attached to them I felt. Had I known the plot going into the book, I think I would have been very hesitant as the story centers around an attack from Cluny the Scourge (an evil rat) and his horde on the peaceful and caring Abby of Redwall mice and other woodland creatures - for 35 More...
21 comments like (9 people liked it)
Oct 11, 2011
Ryan rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Now, for those of you who read this book and liked it, I have absolutely no problem with that. I actually thought it was an okay book myself. A heroic mouse by the name of Matthias lives peacefully in Redwall, an enclosed city within a fortress. The residents include mice, squirrels, badgers, otters, and all sorts of other small animals. However, an army of rats attack in envy of stealing the fortress. Matthias must become a warrior and obtain a sword to fight back at the army. Now, at this poin More...
8 comments like (7 people liked it)
May 29, 2011
Annette rated it: 1 of 5 stars
Can't remember when I've been so disappointed by a book that came so highly recommended and clearly has such a strong following. Seriously: I love a good yarn about talking animals as much as the next person, but I do expect some basic level of believability, maybe a good character or two... a plot...
One of the things that especially niggled at me was that I couldn't figure out the *scale* of the Redwall world. Are they mice and rats living clandestine in a human-built world? If so, where are t More...
2 comments like (10 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Jesse rated it: 1 of 5 stars
Ok, its regular sized animals living in a human sized world. Where are the humans? Why is there a human sized horse and wagon that the evil rats ride on? These are just some of the questions I pondered as I read through this snooze fest.

This book is quite literally a regular mouse picking up a tiny little sword, and fighting various things(snakes, rats, my will to live!). Now if the image of a little mouse holding a tiny sword doesn't want to make you retch at the absurd "oh how cute" nature of More...
15 comments like (7 people liked it)
Dec 03, 2008
This book Redwall is about a mouse named Matthias who is living in an abbey named Redwall. Then Cluny the Scourage comes along and ruins the peace as he declares war on the people (animals) of Redwall. Matthias finds himself looking for a sword of the great warrior Martin beliving that he can defeat Cluny and his horde. Matthias goes off with new hopes, finding allies and to save Redwall.

I can connect to text where in the book Comeback of the Home Run Kid by Matt Christopher a book I read a long More...
0 comments like (3 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Tim rated it: 3 of 5 stars
After I finished this book my overall impression wasn't very good. But in retrospect I think that was mostly due to the fact that it's written for a ten-year-old audience. There's nothing wrong with the book when viewed as a kid's book. The writing is competent, and the story is exciting and interesting enough to keep a ten-year-old engaged. I imagine there are a lot of adults who are fans of this book, just like there are plenty of adult Harry Potter fans (though I didn't enjoy this one as much More...
0 comments like (4 people liked it)
Jan 06, 2013
Matthias

Matthias. Gosh, I have such qualms with this character.

First of all, there's the fact that he goes from a tripping buffoon whom everyone says is young and foolish but has good potential. However, as soon as Cluny attacks, Matthias becomes a mighty warrior! Not only that, everyone looks at him for leadership. I would be fine with this if there was some sort of process for him, but there wasn't. It was just BAM. Warrior.

He also is a classic hero, except a little worse. He had no faults. Th More...
15 comments like (2 people liked it)
Apr 03, 2013
Amelia rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Aug 10, 2009
Nenia rated it: 1 of 5 stars
Everyone has always said to me, "Oh you like Lord of the Rings? Well then you'll LOVE the Redwall series!"

I think the premise is cute, kind of reminiscent of Poppy or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh except not nearly as good. The aforementioned books were full of action, interesting dialogue, character development and suspense. This... well, wasn't. The plot is pretty much spelled out straight from the beginning, leaving no surprises. There were some good moments - like Silent Sam, who I found More...
7 comments like (5 people liked it)
Feb 09, 2009
Jorge rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Brian Jacques' "Redwall" is one of the best books I have read. Its filled with mystery, adventure, songs, love, death, and the rise of a warior.
Redwall Abbey. The home of a mouse named Matthias and many other unique creatures. A place that was founded by Martin the Warior mouse. For many years, Redwall Abbey has been a place of peace. But that will soon change when a rat with evil intent reaches Mossflower Woods. That rat...is Cluny the Scourge. Cluny, an infamous rat with a whip-like tail, ha More...
2 comments like (1 person liked it)
Feb 24, 2008
Becky rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I read Chris's copy. He brought it to the library and said, "Read the real thing and not that other garbage." I guess that's a step up from "read this or die." I really have readers looking out for me, eh?

It took me a good while to get through this, but I'm glad I did. I've now read a classic and I can agree with Chris that one should read the "real thing" as well as the graphic novel adaptation. What the graphic novel missed in distilling down 300-plus pages was the descriptions: Jacques writes More...
1 comment like (2 people liked it)
Oct 02, 2007
Jing rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This book is about animals consisting of mice,foxes, rats, squirrels and other animals you would probably find in the woodlands. THe good creatures are mice, badgers, rabbits and squirrels. The bad ones are rats, foxes and weasels. There are many more on each side but these are one of the primary ones.

The books starts out with a young mice named Matthais in a abbey called Redwall. He had no family, but was cared by the people of Redwall. Suddenley, the thing that popped this peaceful life was More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Jan 06, 2013


When Redwall Abbey is attacked by a rat known as Cluny the Scourge, the Redwallers rise up in defense. A young mouse known as Matthias embarks on a quest to recover the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior for Redwall and his friends, because he believes that the sword is necessary in defeating Cluny's horde. (wiki source)

List of Redwall characters

Matthias
Cluny the Scourge
Brother Methuselah
Redtooth
Fangburn
Constance the Badger
Jess Squirrel
Basil Stag Hare
Silent Sam
Killconey
Dunwing Spar More...
5 comments like (3 people liked it)
Jul 01, 2008
Marya rated it: 2 of 5 stars
A distinctly children's book, with a simplified children's plot, simplified children's characters, and a simplified children's theme. If you focus on the plot and don't think the word "nuance", it can be quite enjoyable.

But alas, I am an adult, and I couldn't help trying to figure out the scale of the book in a literal sense. Are the mice supposed to be mice sized in a largely human world, a la Disney animated movies? Or are they supposed to be human sized in a world without humans a la furries More...
2 comments like (5 people liked it)
Oct 31, 2008
Fiona rated it: 4 of 5 stars
As a child I love this book and the series, though I think I have grown out of them now. My favourites other then this one were Martin the Warrior and Mossflower. I do have an urge to read them all again, such a pity I gave most away to charity...

I love the whole woodland animals vs. vermin thing - though it is quite simplistic that way. I also love how amidst all the battles and fighting - of which there are many - there are the peace loving creatures of Redwall and all those yummy descriptions More...
2 comments like (1 person liked it)
Dec 21, 2012
Andrew rated it: 5 of 5 stars
One of my favorite books of all time. I read it when I was a kid and loved it. Read it again as an adult, still loved it. It's a wonderful book that both kids and adults can enjoy. Brian Jacques does such an amazing job with painting a picture in your head with this novel. He makes you connect with the characters so well to the point where you will feel emotions for them. This book will always have a place in my heart and is still one of the most vivid adventures I have gotten from a book, it is More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
May 25, 2007
Tortla rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This book was fairly amusing, but the whole Redwall series never really interested me. I'm sorry, but rodents and small creatures battling isn't exactly fascinating. Battling isn't really fascinating when it's people...or hobbits. Everyone was reading these when I was in elementary school, though, so I read a few. Only the first one held my interest. The rest were lame. I prefer The Hobbit (but not The Lord of the Rings). More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Oct 25, 2011
"Hace años, en una época neblinosa en la que la literatura juvenil se reducía a las prescripciones escolares, cuando Harry Potter apenas había llegado a las librerías como un completo desconocido, la editorial Montena apostó por unas colecciones que hoy han caído en el olvido y las librerías de saldo. Además de Humor, Terror o Misterio, una colección dedicada a Fantasy pretendía llenar ese espacio adolescente pre-tolkiniano que sólo hoy se vuelve a completar. Hablamos de la saga Redwall, de Bria More...
May 07, 2013
Steven rated it: 4 of 5 stars
My daughter Brandon had a favorite series growing up. So, years later, I decided to start it, to read the first book. I really enjoyed Brian Jacques' Redwall.

There are many good things to say about it. The writing is perfect for its target audience. It is a coming of age story as we watch Matthias mature. It is a story of bridging gaps between different factions, seeing the good in each other. Evil is clearly defined in Cluny the Scourge (even the name is perfect). It is certainly not sexist wa More...
Mar 28, 2013
Sam rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Do You enjoy great stories of fiction between odd characters? Well if you like to add in woodland creatures then Red Wall is for you. This book is about the simple creatures of Red Wall all living together in this ecosystem everything was peaceful. They have a large castle with a small militia which guards the kingdom. Then Clunny The Scourge came and began reeking havoc upon the land. The creatures of Red Wall must unite to try to defeat such a menacing foe. The main characters name is Matthias More...
Feb 08, 2013
Joshua rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This book has a sort of bias in my mind because it is one of the first that I ever read for the fun of it and for the story. It contains such vivid imagry that I fealt each and every word as though it were a thousand pictures. The story itself is a creative and entrancing one which has kept itself in my mind for the almost thirteen and a half years since I read it as though it were yesterday. Now that you know the good and great about this book I will tell you why I only gave it four stars. This More...
Jan 09, 2013
Lev rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I decided upon reading this book after viewing nearly ubiquitous posters advertising its reading. The story is, for the most part, set in the fictional world of mossflower, inhabited by sentient speaking animals. The main conflict of this book occurs when redwall, an abbey which affords protection over the surrounding country side, comes under siege a hoard of barbarian rats. The main character of this book is matthias, who in order to repel the invading army, must recover the legendary sword of More...
Jan 07, 2013
Tristan rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Despite the opinions of many in my 5th grade class, I really liked this book. The basic gist is that a mouse named Matthias wants to be a warrior but everything is peaceful. Therefore, he just goes about his business until a rat named Cluny the Scourge decides to attack Redwall, the place where Matthias and friends live. Matthias has to rise up to the challenge, fulfill the prophecy, and rescue the kingdom. I liked this book for several reasons, first being that the language was likable and flow More...
Dec 27, 2012
I read this book and the rest of what I read of the series in 5th grade, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is one of the few series that I still (about 7 years later) remember as being magical.

I would highly recommend it for anyone who is in the elementary-middle school range.

Although I see a lot of people writing that it is dry, I did not find that to be the case.

To me, the strongest characteristic was the immersion that the book created. The atmosphere seemed strong. The characters were a bit More...
Nov 12, 2012
Redwall is one of the greatest children's books ever, but it's also a good read for teens and adults. I didn't start reading Redwall till I was in my late teens after my younger brother brought home a copy. I'd heard about it, and it was even more popular when I was younger. I was not disappointed. I understand that Redwall's detractors cite the violence in these books, but violence happens. Some might not feel that this is appropriate for young ones, but these books are very good, and fighting More...
Oct 08, 2012
Laura rated it: 5 of 5 stars
I found this book on the clearance shelf at Half Price Books. It was published while I was still in college and there was no way I'd read a children's book while I was in college! I missed out--big-time.

The imagery is lush. I discovered that the tales were actually stories told to blind children. The characters remind me of Peter Pan and The Black Cauldron where heroism is pure and action-oriented. The vivid descriptions reminded me of the Robin McKinley's Spindle's End and Beauty. Most of all, More...
Sep 25, 2012
Dylan rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Redwall Review


This success of literature by Brian Jacques known as Redwall was intriguing and exciting with infrequent "dull moments" but was overall a good read. This piece of writing should be considered a good book, but not a classic. I enjoyed the riveting premise even though it had a dull and predictable ending. In the book a battle between good (Matthais and the Redwall abbey) versus bad (Cluny and his horde of vermin) begin when Cluny encroaches on the peaceful Redwall territory. There More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Sep 25, 2012
Charles rated it: 2 of 5 stars

If you enjoy boring fantasy, then Redwall might be for you. I came in to Redwall with an open mind, having already endured fantasy that ended up being pretty good. Redwall, however was different. Redwall takes place in an imaginary world that contains talking, animals, in in a place called Redwall abbey. The mice from Redwall were always known to be caring animals. They never fought, only taking in weary travelers and caring for by-passers. Unfortunately, Redwall's days of peace are over. Cluny More...
2 comments like (1 person liked it)