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Redwall #18
High Rhulain
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A thrilling Redwall adventure from beloved author Brian Jacques.
Tiria Wildlough, a young ottermaid touched by the paw of destiny, embarks on a journey to the mysterious Green Isle, where she joins a band of outlaw otters to rid the land of the villainous Wildcat chieftain Riggu Fellis and his catguard slave masters…
A thrilling Redwall adventure from beloved author Brian Jacques.
Tiria Wildlough, a young ottermaid touched by the paw of destiny, embarks on a journey to the mysterious Green Isle, where she joins a band of outlaw otters to rid the land of the villainous Wildcat chieftain Riggu Fellis and his catguard slave masters…
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
104 people are currently reading
7070 people want to read
About the author
Brian Jacques
260 books4,300 followers Brian Jacques (pronounced 'jakes') was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact.
Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.
Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).
Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.
When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.
Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.
Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.
Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).
Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.
When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.
Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
June 9, 2020
This book used to be one of my favorite Redwalls, and it honestly still is. It may also be the source of my love of "young person has nobility unexpectedly thrust upon them; must figure out How Does One Royal?" plotlines. Or, one of the many sources for that. Whatever. The point is: I like this book, and yes, in many ways, Rakkety Tam is objectively better — they were my two favorites ages ago, and I still like them nearly the same amount now — but I just really like this. I don't know. It's like that meme with the cars. Part of the thing may be that I've never met an otter I didn't like, plus I always love the nautical Redwall books, so . . . yeah. That's what I've got.
January 8, 2024
I had mixed feelings when reading this book. Portions of it did not feel as polished or as Redwall as other books in the series while other parts were very much Redwall. This book was very touching and I enjoyed it very much, especially the one hare who kept changing his identity. But it didn't strike me as much as other of the books did, hence why it's not 5 stars.
March 23, 2021
The good beasts at Redwall rescue an injured bird, and it sets them on a quest to discover all they can about the legend of the ancient Queen Rhulain. Meanwhile, on an island far away, otter clans are enslaved to a ferocious wildcat society, and only the clever outlaw, Shellhound, can outwit their evil wildcat leader. Caught in the middle of these adventures is the young Redwall ottermaid, Tiria. She dreams of Martin the Warrior, who guides her to find her true destiny.
What an absolute delight! This book has everything that I love about Redwall books. Ravenous hares, wise old scribes, adorable moles, silly shrews, and of course brave warriors ready to defend all good beasts.
As with all Redwall books, I made sure to have a stash of snacks on hand since the characters are constantly eating the most delicious food. They have massive feasts and parties, but even a simple breakfast will make your mouth water with all the descriptions of pastries and fruit pies and cordials.
I really loved Tiria's character. She is fiercely loyal and kind. She is always learning and figuring things out. She tends to sit back and see what other characters are going to do, and then she makes her own decision and takes action in her own way.
There are so many good supporting characters in this book. They kind of steal the show! Shellhound has such great development and depth. I just adored him.
I was laughing and giggling at the hares and all the banter between the otters. It's just wonderful, and gives so much depth to each culture that we encounter.
The action and pacing in this book are really excellent. The plot is always moving forward, but there are also scenes that take the time to show our characters grieving or resting or laughing together. It builds up the emotional components of the story, so that when you get to the big battles, we really care about what happens to the characters.
What an absolute delight! This book has everything that I love about Redwall books. Ravenous hares, wise old scribes, adorable moles, silly shrews, and of course brave warriors ready to defend all good beasts.
As with all Redwall books, I made sure to have a stash of snacks on hand since the characters are constantly eating the most delicious food. They have massive feasts and parties, but even a simple breakfast will make your mouth water with all the descriptions of pastries and fruit pies and cordials.
I really loved Tiria's character. She is fiercely loyal and kind. She is always learning and figuring things out. She tends to sit back and see what other characters are going to do, and then she makes her own decision and takes action in her own way.
There are so many good supporting characters in this book. They kind of steal the show! Shellhound has such great development and depth. I just adored him.
I was laughing and giggling at the hares and all the banter between the otters. It's just wonderful, and gives so much depth to each culture that we encounter.
The action and pacing in this book are really excellent. The plot is always moving forward, but there are also scenes that take the time to show our characters grieving or resting or laughing together. It builds up the emotional components of the story, so that when you get to the big battles, we really care about what happens to the characters.
April 27, 2025
Picked this up at the FPPL book sale- I LOVED this series as a kid. Read all the books and fantasized about being a member of the long patrol, feasting at Redwall Abbey, and exploring Mossflower wood. Doesn’t hold up quite as well coming back to it- I was a bit put off by how casually it seemed to breeze past topics that I think would merit a deeper treatment (death, slavery, etc) but all in all a great series.
December 27, 2024
5+ stars (6/10 hearts). Man, I did not expect to love this as much as I did! First off, I am totally a sucker for brave outlaws fighting tyrants *squints at William Wallace, Robin Hood, Wilhelm Tell, and many other childhood heroes* so, ya know… I fell hard for this novel. (Actually, the beginning reminded me of the scene in
The Little Duke
where Richard rescues the falcon from Lothaire. So extra bonus points there, because TLD was one of my childhood staples.)
Also, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT OTTERS!! I LOVE THE OTTERS!!!
So I liked Tiria from the beginning—she was a great otter, warrior, friend, and daughter. And of course Skipper is a darling father. ;) I wasn’t as huge a fan of the hint of feminism, but Tiria was a great Queen, and I did really like how everything worked out to make her fulfill the old legends. ;D Also I loved Leatho (of course) and all the other otters, and their struggles against the cats (the constant swinging between striking for freedom and then having to figure out how to rescue or save families and friends… it was definitely a gripping read). The addition of the birds (they’re hilarious), and the Guosim, and the hares… yeah, I loved them all and they all played their parts so well. But really, I loved the plot even more than the characters. It gave me all the Saxon-England-fighting-the-Danes-or-Normans feels!!!
And the ending is E P I C. Really. So cool. So well done.
Also the cat family dynamic was verrrry interesting.
So yeah. Bad review, but I really loved this and I can’t wait to reread (and re-review) it!
Also, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT OTTERS!! I LOVE THE OTTERS!!!
So I liked Tiria from the beginning—she was a great otter, warrior, friend, and daughter. And of course Skipper is a darling father. ;) I wasn’t as huge a fan of the hint of feminism, but Tiria was a great Queen, and I did really like how everything worked out to make her fulfill the old legends. ;D Also I loved Leatho (of course) and all the other otters, and their struggles against the cats (the constant swinging between striking for freedom and then having to figure out how to rescue or save families and friends… it was definitely a gripping read). The addition of the birds (they’re hilarious), and the Guosim, and the hares… yeah, I loved them all and they all played their parts so well. But really, I loved the plot even more than the characters. It gave me all the Saxon-England-fighting-the-Danes-or-Normans feels!!!
And the ending is E P I C. Really. So cool. So well done.
Also the cat family dynamic was verrrry interesting.
So yeah. Bad review, but I really loved this and I can’t wait to reread (and re-review) it!
May 21, 2023
I think this is my favorite Redwall book in quite a while! An epic plot, good characters, lots of action--and, of course, many beautiful descriptions of food.
December 1, 2025
I loved the goose!!
March 22, 2023
Was in the mood for a nostalgic read and going back to Mossflower was the perfect choice. This book holds up well to the series, is more of a quest one than battle driven, lots of fun.
July 29, 2010
One of the more generic Redwall books. The characters were even less developed than normal; I think this can be blamed on the fact that there was action taking place in as many as five different locations simultaneously (Redwall books usually have only three at once), so there were fewer scenes than normal dedicated to each set of characters.
Tiria annoyed me greatly. She was never really a part of the main story because she was just a very young Abbeymaid with no experience. In most scenes, she had nothing else to do but chat about her destiny with the characters who were actually driving the story. She was completely ignorant of everything to do with Green Isle and with warfare (except for the occasional use of the sling), so she just stood back and looked pretty while other characters got developed.
Banya, another ottermaid who was more of a secondary character, did a lot more for the story. I found her infinitely more interesting as a battle strategist and a cool, collected warrior fighting for her freedom, able to keep her calm even after her brother was slain. I wish the book had been about her instead. She certainly was much more capable of being queen.
But I guess that's the most realistic part of the whole book. Hereditary monarchies are one of the most absurd forms of government because they give one family the power to rule regardless of its members' abilities. If Redwall was real, Tiria's rule would be a failure. Foreign queens are inevitably resented.
Tiria annoyed me greatly. She was never really a part of the main story because she was just a very young Abbeymaid with no experience. In most scenes, she had nothing else to do but chat about her destiny with the characters who were actually driving the story. She was completely ignorant of everything to do with Green Isle and with warfare (except for the occasional use of the sling), so she just stood back and looked pretty while other characters got developed.
Banya, another ottermaid who was more of a secondary character, did a lot more for the story. I found her infinitely more interesting as a battle strategist and a cool, collected warrior fighting for her freedom, able to keep her calm even after her brother was slain. I wish the book had been about her instead. She certainly was much more capable of being queen.
But I guess that's the most realistic part of the whole book. Hereditary monarchies are one of the most absurd forms of government because they give one family the power to rule regardless of its members' abilities. If Redwall was real, Tiria's rule would be a failure. Foreign queens are inevitably resented.
June 23, 2009
Another grand Redwall adventure with new characters and lands, and some unexpected surprises. Redwall books may often follow a certain story "formula" but they always surprise me in some way, and this one was no exception. Great story!
October 17, 2022
One of the best Redwall books that I've read. The otters and hares have always been my favorites, and this book has tons of both.
July 15, 2016
"When autumn's day grows old,
sad orchard leaves do fall.
Dawn breaks o'er silent gardens,
bereft of sweet birdcall.
Stark winter's dirge then wails,
until the earth appears,
white clad 'neath drifted dunes,
whilst trees bear crystal spears.
My chamber is a refuge here,
against the snowbound night,
a flickering cave of crimson gold,
made warm by firelight,
where images are conjured,
of friends I used to know.
I battled and I marched with them,
one dusty long-ago.
I see them now arise again,
in memory that ne'er will fail.
Their legend is reborn anew,
and thus begins my tale."
—from High Rhulain
Brian Jacques continues introducing us to new corners of the Redwall universe. This time it's faraway Green Isle, ancestral home of the otter clans, a land of legend to the denizens of Redwall Abbey, who aren't sure the place exists. But exist it certainly does, and much of the action in High Rhulain is set there. Green Isle once was a destination of freedom and joyous community for otters, but that changed generations ago when a horde of cutthroat wildcats arrived, greedy to steal the peace-loving beasts' kingdom. The wildcats took a stranglehold on Green Isle, forcing the otters into slavery, where they continue to be oppressed to this day under the loathsome tyranny of Riggu Felis, a warrior cat without conscience. Cruel as he always was, Riggu Felis's rage is whipped into greater frenzy at the beginning of High Rhulain when a majestic osprey named Pandion Piketalon inflicts horrific wounds on Riggu after he captures and tortures Pandion. The bird's razor talons do irreparable damage to Riggu Felis's face, disfiguring him for life, but this only heightens the sadistic cat's savagery and desire to torment innocent creatures.
"Any weapon is the best weapon, as long as ye can use it skillfully and with honour".
—High Rhulain, P. 39
Fortunately for the downtrodden otter population, they have a champion whom Riggu Felis cannot ignore. Leatho Shellhound and his band of perilous "outlaw" otters are too smart to get caught, operating on the periphery of Riggu Felis's Green Isle fortress to slay wildcat guards and free otter slaves. Leatho's comrades are a boisterous bunch, loudly celebrating their small victories and thumbing their noses at the wildcat overlords who can't neutralize the threat they pose, but there's an underlying seriousness to their work. As long as hundreds of otters remain captive in Riggu Felis's palace, the enemy possesses all the leverage. But otter lore from a long ago era prophesied the delivery of the clans from their oppressors with the coming of a queen known as the High Rhulain, a military strategist and charismatic personality capable of confronting evil and leading her fellow otters to victory. Leatho Shellhound and his rogue followers await the emergence of that queen now, for at no time in the history of Green Isle has there been a worse threat to the existence of its otter inhabitants. How much longer do they have to wait for their High Rhulain?
Within the peaceful walls of Redwall Abbey, a young ottermaid named Tiria Wildlough grows restless. She loves living with her friends in the abbey, but can't shake the feeling that she's destined for more. That instinct is confirmed when Redwall's storied champion of yesteryear, the mouse known as Martin the Warrior, appears to Tiria in a dream and offers a vague yet undeniable mandate for her future. The abbey residents put their heads together to discern the dream's meaning, for Martin the Warrior never speaks without urgent purpose. Digging through long-forgotten historical records in musty old corners of the abbey, the Redwallers are on the right track to discovering Tiria's special destiny, but fate will not allow Tiria to wait until all is revealed before taking her place where she is needed as the leader prophesied to the otters of Green Isle. Leaving her friends to solve the rest of the puzzle, Tiria embarks on a journey toward the island of her forefathers' birth, beyond the forbidding Western Sea.
"May fair winds attend thee always,
may thy days be bright and long,
may good weapons ever serve thee,
may thy limbs wax fleet and strong.
I will dream of thee by moonlight,
I will watch for thee by day,
until on thy returning,
I will come to thee and say,
'Drink ye the wine of victory,
now lay aside thy sword,
for home and hearth and friendship
are the warrior's reward!'"
—High Rhulain, P. 265
As Leatho Shellhound's gang does its best to thwart the encroaching brutality of Riggu Felis against his otter slaves, Tiria makes her way over land and sea, meeting spectacular and outrageous allies and foes. Stocking up on supplies at the mountain fortress Salamandastron, she departs with dozens of plucky hare warriors to aid her rescue mission, setting sail across the Western Sea in the direction of Green Isle. But the situation there is far different and more dire than Tiria anticipated. Civil war is broken out within Riggu Felis's kingdom, his wife and two sons feuding over positions of authority, and this political unrest has given Leatho Shellhound and his outlaws an opening to attack. Riggu Felis has not idly observed the otter offensive, however. Riggu has maneuvered the outlaw otters into a position that suits him fine, readying for the crushing blow against them just as Tiria makes her presence known. Now it's a battle to the death for control of Green Isle, which could once again become otterdom's peaceful home if they win this most crucial of wars. But any combat coup invariably means the loss of lives, even individuals we can't imagine our new free society without. Where will Tiria, her otter kingdom, and the stouthearted hares of the Salamandastron Long Patrol be when the dust settles and the death toll is confirmed?
Though Tiria finds many allies as she treks toward Green Isle to confront the enemies of her people, two stand out as memorable: Lord Mandoral, badger master of Salamandastron, and Major Cuthbert Cuthbert Frunk W. Bloodpaw (and assorted aliases), a renegade hare formerly of the Long Patrol. It seems no Redwall warrior is duly commissioned until he or she has been in the presence of a Salamandastron badger lord, a tradition dating back to at least Martin the Warrior and the origin story of his immortal sword. We know we're witnessing new legends being formed whenever a Redwall warrior visits Salamandastron, and Tiria's tenure with Lord Mandoral is a watershed moment of High Rhulain. Major Cuthbert, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is one of the strangest hares in any Redwall novel, but his is a sad and compelling tale of a goodnatured beast driven mad by a senseless murder, yet a hero through and through despite his extreme eccentricities. High Rhulain would not be the same book without Major Cuthbert and his almost supernaturally powerful contribution to Tiria's charge against the stronghold of Riggu Felis.
High Rhulain isn't the best Redwall book, but I'd consider giving it two and a half stars. Brian Jacques's writing is pearlescent, of course, the descriptive language lush and sensual, but that's expected by any longtime reader of the series. There's some good, unpredictable action in High Rhulain, characters with potential to be among the most memorable in all the annals of Redwall, and the story has its poignant moments. Though in my opinion the Redwall series reached its peak in the first eight installments, it is worth continuing to read even eighteen books in, and I wouldn't miss volume nineteen, Eulalia! There's no reading experience quite like Redwall.
sad orchard leaves do fall.
Dawn breaks o'er silent gardens,
bereft of sweet birdcall.
Stark winter's dirge then wails,
until the earth appears,
white clad 'neath drifted dunes,
whilst trees bear crystal spears.
My chamber is a refuge here,
against the snowbound night,
a flickering cave of crimson gold,
made warm by firelight,
where images are conjured,
of friends I used to know.
I battled and I marched with them,
one dusty long-ago.
I see them now arise again,
in memory that ne'er will fail.
Their legend is reborn anew,
and thus begins my tale."
—from High Rhulain
Brian Jacques continues introducing us to new corners of the Redwall universe. This time it's faraway Green Isle, ancestral home of the otter clans, a land of legend to the denizens of Redwall Abbey, who aren't sure the place exists. But exist it certainly does, and much of the action in High Rhulain is set there. Green Isle once was a destination of freedom and joyous community for otters, but that changed generations ago when a horde of cutthroat wildcats arrived, greedy to steal the peace-loving beasts' kingdom. The wildcats took a stranglehold on Green Isle, forcing the otters into slavery, where they continue to be oppressed to this day under the loathsome tyranny of Riggu Felis, a warrior cat without conscience. Cruel as he always was, Riggu Felis's rage is whipped into greater frenzy at the beginning of High Rhulain when a majestic osprey named Pandion Piketalon inflicts horrific wounds on Riggu after he captures and tortures Pandion. The bird's razor talons do irreparable damage to Riggu Felis's face, disfiguring him for life, but this only heightens the sadistic cat's savagery and desire to torment innocent creatures.
"Any weapon is the best weapon, as long as ye can use it skillfully and with honour".
—High Rhulain, P. 39
Fortunately for the downtrodden otter population, they have a champion whom Riggu Felis cannot ignore. Leatho Shellhound and his band of perilous "outlaw" otters are too smart to get caught, operating on the periphery of Riggu Felis's Green Isle fortress to slay wildcat guards and free otter slaves. Leatho's comrades are a boisterous bunch, loudly celebrating their small victories and thumbing their noses at the wildcat overlords who can't neutralize the threat they pose, but there's an underlying seriousness to their work. As long as hundreds of otters remain captive in Riggu Felis's palace, the enemy possesses all the leverage. But otter lore from a long ago era prophesied the delivery of the clans from their oppressors with the coming of a queen known as the High Rhulain, a military strategist and charismatic personality capable of confronting evil and leading her fellow otters to victory. Leatho Shellhound and his rogue followers await the emergence of that queen now, for at no time in the history of Green Isle has there been a worse threat to the existence of its otter inhabitants. How much longer do they have to wait for their High Rhulain?
Within the peaceful walls of Redwall Abbey, a young ottermaid named Tiria Wildlough grows restless. She loves living with her friends in the abbey, but can't shake the feeling that she's destined for more. That instinct is confirmed when Redwall's storied champion of yesteryear, the mouse known as Martin the Warrior, appears to Tiria in a dream and offers a vague yet undeniable mandate for her future. The abbey residents put their heads together to discern the dream's meaning, for Martin the Warrior never speaks without urgent purpose. Digging through long-forgotten historical records in musty old corners of the abbey, the Redwallers are on the right track to discovering Tiria's special destiny, but fate will not allow Tiria to wait until all is revealed before taking her place where she is needed as the leader prophesied to the otters of Green Isle. Leaving her friends to solve the rest of the puzzle, Tiria embarks on a journey toward the island of her forefathers' birth, beyond the forbidding Western Sea.
"May fair winds attend thee always,
may thy days be bright and long,
may good weapons ever serve thee,
may thy limbs wax fleet and strong.
I will dream of thee by moonlight,
I will watch for thee by day,
until on thy returning,
I will come to thee and say,
'Drink ye the wine of victory,
now lay aside thy sword,
for home and hearth and friendship
are the warrior's reward!'"
—High Rhulain, P. 265
As Leatho Shellhound's gang does its best to thwart the encroaching brutality of Riggu Felis against his otter slaves, Tiria makes her way over land and sea, meeting spectacular and outrageous allies and foes. Stocking up on supplies at the mountain fortress Salamandastron, she departs with dozens of plucky hare warriors to aid her rescue mission, setting sail across the Western Sea in the direction of Green Isle. But the situation there is far different and more dire than Tiria anticipated. Civil war is broken out within Riggu Felis's kingdom, his wife and two sons feuding over positions of authority, and this political unrest has given Leatho Shellhound and his outlaws an opening to attack. Riggu Felis has not idly observed the otter offensive, however. Riggu has maneuvered the outlaw otters into a position that suits him fine, readying for the crushing blow against them just as Tiria makes her presence known. Now it's a battle to the death for control of Green Isle, which could once again become otterdom's peaceful home if they win this most crucial of wars. But any combat coup invariably means the loss of lives, even individuals we can't imagine our new free society without. Where will Tiria, her otter kingdom, and the stouthearted hares of the Salamandastron Long Patrol be when the dust settles and the death toll is confirmed?
Though Tiria finds many allies as she treks toward Green Isle to confront the enemies of her people, two stand out as memorable: Lord Mandoral, badger master of Salamandastron, and Major Cuthbert Cuthbert Frunk W. Bloodpaw (and assorted aliases), a renegade hare formerly of the Long Patrol. It seems no Redwall warrior is duly commissioned until he or she has been in the presence of a Salamandastron badger lord, a tradition dating back to at least Martin the Warrior and the origin story of his immortal sword. We know we're witnessing new legends being formed whenever a Redwall warrior visits Salamandastron, and Tiria's tenure with Lord Mandoral is a watershed moment of High Rhulain. Major Cuthbert, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is one of the strangest hares in any Redwall novel, but his is a sad and compelling tale of a goodnatured beast driven mad by a senseless murder, yet a hero through and through despite his extreme eccentricities. High Rhulain would not be the same book without Major Cuthbert and his almost supernaturally powerful contribution to Tiria's charge against the stronghold of Riggu Felis.
High Rhulain isn't the best Redwall book, but I'd consider giving it two and a half stars. Brian Jacques's writing is pearlescent, of course, the descriptive language lush and sensual, but that's expected by any longtime reader of the series. There's some good, unpredictable action in High Rhulain, characters with potential to be among the most memorable in all the annals of Redwall, and the story has its poignant moments. Though in my opinion the Redwall series reached its peak in the first eight installments, it is worth continuing to read even eighteen books in, and I wouldn't miss volume nineteen, Eulalia! There's no reading experience quite like Redwall.
November 7, 2023
In lieu of reviewing the 18th book in a series of 22, primarily aimed at high-achieving children and medium-achieving young adults, here is a tiered ranking of the "good" species of characters in Redwall books, based on how cool they are.
S-Tier
Otter: Seadogs, brother. Hell yeah. They all enjoy a specific spicy soup. This is what we love.
Hares: Perilous beasts, chow down on anything in sight. The Long Patrol rules.
A-Tier:
Moles: Subterranean kings (gender neutral). Weird accents.
Badgers: Sick lineage, rule over a dormant volcano as lords, absolute tanks. Slight demerit for engaging in autocratic monarchy.
B-Tier
Mice: The manila envelope of heroes. Can't have the series without them, but vaguely bland-and-scoldy in a Captain America sort of way.
Squirrels: Nice tails. Slings are one of the most boring weapons imaginable. I see plenty of them in real life and none of them have ever been heroes.
S-Tier
Otter: Seadogs, brother. Hell yeah. They all enjoy a specific spicy soup. This is what we love.
Hares: Perilous beasts, chow down on anything in sight. The Long Patrol rules.
A-Tier:
Moles: Subterranean kings (gender neutral). Weird accents.
Badgers: Sick lineage, rule over a dormant volcano as lords, absolute tanks. Slight demerit for engaging in autocratic monarchy.
B-Tier
Mice: The manila envelope of heroes. Can't have the series without them, but vaguely bland-and-scoldy in a Captain America sort of way.
Squirrels: Nice tails. Slings are one of the most boring weapons imaginable. I see plenty of them in real life and none of them have ever been heroes.
May 1, 2017
This book was highly enjoyable. It had a different plot from the other books (always nice) and the Long Patrol, so it was bound to be so.
July 16, 2020
It gets better every time!
May 30, 2023
This book has a solid premise, however it is muddled by having far too much stuff in it. It seems like Brian thought to himself, "oh I'll take everything that people think is unique about Redwall and amp it up." Now there are three large birds, and three main enemy groups (none of who are very dangerous), and four different plot lines, and Martin visions featured in many chapters, and 34 total poems and songs (in 34 chapters). It's far too much for any element to actually shine through, and several plot elements are almost forgotten, to the point that they almost serve no purpose at all. Even the feasting throughout the book is packed in ad nauseum, but showcases next to no food, aside from shrimp and hot root soup, and skilly and duff, which he's taken to tacking on to rabbits and otters as if it is their only meals outside Redwall.
There is, of course, a quest to find the queen's tiara, but it was shoehorned into the story, and didn't fit with anything in particular. It featured anagrams in particular, to the extent where it became bizarrely obsessed with them, yet also instantly solved each one, and ended it's hunt in a forgotten attic of Redwall that was apparently the size of a grand ballroom, and no one ever managed to go up there or mention it before. Also, I found it incredibly strange how a person's broken spear had a tiara smashed flat and somehow stuffed inside it. As far as hiding a valuable headpiece with a giant gemstone goes, that's a weird one. I can't think of a less respectable way of treating of royal crown than literally smashing it...
During the first "book," almost nothing gets accomplished at all, and by the end of it, the Reader has been beaten over the head repetitively with the concept that Tiria, the main character, is destined to be a ruler reborn for the otters. In fact, the readers are constantly reminded of different details, as if we've never heard of them before. The main character, who suffers from a horribly disfigured face, is described prominently throughout the book, yet within a few chapters of the end, the book still managed to remind me that his face was damaged by a bird, as if it was a new concept. Yeah, I picked up on that, thank you.
Unfortunately, due to the massive number of plot elements and characters, Tiria doesn't accomplish much of anything except doubt herself through the other two parts of the novel. She doesn't seem to serve any purpose at all, aside from a couple good sling shots, and people telling her that she's been a morale boost. She even goes out of the way to mention she doesn't do anything except stand there, and another character says, well you do it very well. I guess she must have, because everyone won the battle in the end...
I liked the concept of this lowly otter being reborn as a ruler to come back and rescue her people from slavery, but it just didn't come to fruition. Unfortunately, there are far worse books in the redwall universe than this one.
There is, of course, a quest to find the queen's tiara, but it was shoehorned into the story, and didn't fit with anything in particular. It featured anagrams in particular, to the extent where it became bizarrely obsessed with them, yet also instantly solved each one, and ended it's hunt in a forgotten attic of Redwall that was apparently the size of a grand ballroom, and no one ever managed to go up there or mention it before. Also, I found it incredibly strange how a person's broken spear had a tiara smashed flat and somehow stuffed inside it. As far as hiding a valuable headpiece with a giant gemstone goes, that's a weird one. I can't think of a less respectable way of treating of royal crown than literally smashing it...
During the first "book," almost nothing gets accomplished at all, and by the end of it, the Reader has been beaten over the head repetitively with the concept that Tiria, the main character, is destined to be a ruler reborn for the otters. In fact, the readers are constantly reminded of different details, as if we've never heard of them before. The main character, who suffers from a horribly disfigured face, is described prominently throughout the book, yet within a few chapters of the end, the book still managed to remind me that his face was damaged by a bird, as if it was a new concept. Yeah, I picked up on that, thank you.
Unfortunately, due to the massive number of plot elements and characters, Tiria doesn't accomplish much of anything except doubt herself through the other two parts of the novel. She doesn't seem to serve any purpose at all, aside from a couple good sling shots, and people telling her that she's been a morale boost. She even goes out of the way to mention she doesn't do anything except stand there, and another character says, well you do it very well. I guess she must have, because everyone won the battle in the end...
I liked the concept of this lowly otter being reborn as a ruler to come back and rescue her people from slavery, but it just didn't come to fruition. Unfortunately, there are far worse books in the redwall universe than this one.
July 2, 2023
on a brief break from my audiobook austen venture (only northanger abbey and mansfield park left!!) and in the meantime i've been taking it back to my childhood by listening to some of my favorite redwall books on audiobook. each one is narrated by brian jacques and a full cast, and let me tell you, they are an absolute DELIGHT to experience!! my only disappointment is that i can't seem to find the audio recording of marlfox anywhere (it seems to only have survived in select physical copies at various libraries, but none near me, unfortunately). however, high rhulain was nevertheless an excellent one to have in the background during work, chores, and hours of playing tears of the kingdom. despite being written for kids, it's well-written and gripping enough to hook readers of any age who enjoy a good epic fantasy. there's heroes, there's villains, there's horrific acts of war, there's feasts and songs (played and sung in-book), there's prophetic dreams, there's a map in the beginning...this is pure fantasy goodness at it's best. i would also highly recommend searching up the in-book illustrations for the characters, because oh my god they have so much personality. i love it. a solid story, and definitely up there in my personal ranking of the series! (although it's beaten by my favorites: Marlfox, Outcast of Redwall, Pearls of Lutra, and Triss.)
January 1, 2024
I didn't remember a lot about this one going in, but it was amazing. It takes some of the previous storylines of freeing a group of slaves from an evil ruler, but takes it up to eleven. Whole sections had me on the edge of my seat. Shellhound was a very Robin Hood-esque character, and I loved him for it. Although if I had to change anything about this book, it would be removing most of the Redwall parts. They just weren't that important to the overall story.
October 12, 2021
Getting close to finishing the series.
July 6, 2022
This was one of my favorite Redwall books as a dibbun. Reading it again, I chuckle at how obsessed the animals (and author?) are with food.
May 29, 2024
One of my favorites in the series when I was younger (definitely had a preference for the otters lol)!
October 1, 2010
High Rhulain
Author: Brian Jacques Pages: 341
High Rhulain is another book of the Redwall series, written by Brian Jacques. The setting is consisted of two places: Redwall Abbey and Green Isle. The protagonists are Tiria Wildlough, an ottermaid, and Cuthbert Frunk, a hare with many roles. The antagonist is Riggu Felis, a wildcat ruling on Green Isle.
Tiria Wildlough has peacefully live in Redwall Abbey with her friends for many seasons, but all that changes with the arrival of an osprey, captured by vermin. After saving the huge bird and helping it recover, Tiria receives a vision from Martin the Warrior, the founder and protector of Redwall Abbey. Little by little, Tiria and the others realize that she must go to Green Isle on a quest to save the otters from the rule of Riggu Felis and the wildcats. With the Guosim’s help, which is the Guerilla Union Of Shrews In Mossflower, Tiria meets with Cuthbert Frunk W. Bloodpaw, Terror of the High Seas. Cuthbert is a strange hare with many costumes: he’s a shrew, sea otter pirate, a Major in the Long Patrol, a band of warrior hares in Salamandastron, and a Badger Lord. Tiria later learns, while in her visit of Salamandastron, a large mountain, that Cuthbert became crazy because his daughter was killed by sea raiders. Cuthbert killed all the sea raiders, but was almost killed. He recovered from his wounds, but his mind never did. Cuthbert’s ship was named after his daughter-the Purloined Petunia. With Cuthbert’s help, Tiria and Pandion, the osprey saved by her, set out for Salmandastron, then Green Isle.
The Badger Lord, Lord Mandoral Highpeak, tells Tiria about the High Queen Rhulain, including the Queen’s tragic death and her clothing. Mandoral gives Tiria the armor. The only thing Mandoral couldn’t make was the coronet. They search where the High Queen Rhulain died, near the mountain. With no luck, Tiria decides to go to Green Isle anyway. Back at Redwall Abbey, Abbess Lycian and the other Redwallers work on the question about the High Queen Rhulain, from a journal about the Rhulain’s brother’s wife, to riddles leading to the discovery of Corriam (Rhulain’s brother)’s lance and the coronet. Meanwhile, Tiria, Pandion, and Cuthbert, along with about three score Long Patrol hares, sail on the Purloined Petunia for Green Isle. When they arrive, Brantalis, another bird Tiria helped at Redwall, delivers the coronet the Redwallers found. With her full regalia, Tiria, Cuthbert, Pandion, Brantalis, and the Long Patrol join with the otters on the island to free the slaves Riggu Felis still has captured. Who will win this war? What will become of both sides? Read the book to find out!
The theme in this story is dualities. Good is against evil-the otters and hares against the wildcats. The wildcats, led by Riggu Felis, battles for Green Isle against the otters and Long Patrol hares, led by the High Queen Rhulain (Tiria) and Cuthbert Frunk. This theme shows how the good must save their kind against the evil, and it always pays off. I rate this book, on a scale of one to five stars, four stars, because it was a great book, with intriguing mysteries and compelling adventure. It was missing a little bit of action, but otherwise, it was great to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and action, with some good fiction in it.
Author: Brian Jacques Pages: 341
High Rhulain is another book of the Redwall series, written by Brian Jacques. The setting is consisted of two places: Redwall Abbey and Green Isle. The protagonists are Tiria Wildlough, an ottermaid, and Cuthbert Frunk, a hare with many roles. The antagonist is Riggu Felis, a wildcat ruling on Green Isle.
Tiria Wildlough has peacefully live in Redwall Abbey with her friends for many seasons, but all that changes with the arrival of an osprey, captured by vermin. After saving the huge bird and helping it recover, Tiria receives a vision from Martin the Warrior, the founder and protector of Redwall Abbey. Little by little, Tiria and the others realize that she must go to Green Isle on a quest to save the otters from the rule of Riggu Felis and the wildcats. With the Guosim’s help, which is the Guerilla Union Of Shrews In Mossflower, Tiria meets with Cuthbert Frunk W. Bloodpaw, Terror of the High Seas. Cuthbert is a strange hare with many costumes: he’s a shrew, sea otter pirate, a Major in the Long Patrol, a band of warrior hares in Salamandastron, and a Badger Lord. Tiria later learns, while in her visit of Salamandastron, a large mountain, that Cuthbert became crazy because his daughter was killed by sea raiders. Cuthbert killed all the sea raiders, but was almost killed. He recovered from his wounds, but his mind never did. Cuthbert’s ship was named after his daughter-the Purloined Petunia. With Cuthbert’s help, Tiria and Pandion, the osprey saved by her, set out for Salmandastron, then Green Isle.
The Badger Lord, Lord Mandoral Highpeak, tells Tiria about the High Queen Rhulain, including the Queen’s tragic death and her clothing. Mandoral gives Tiria the armor. The only thing Mandoral couldn’t make was the coronet. They search where the High Queen Rhulain died, near the mountain. With no luck, Tiria decides to go to Green Isle anyway. Back at Redwall Abbey, Abbess Lycian and the other Redwallers work on the question about the High Queen Rhulain, from a journal about the Rhulain’s brother’s wife, to riddles leading to the discovery of Corriam (Rhulain’s brother)’s lance and the coronet. Meanwhile, Tiria, Pandion, and Cuthbert, along with about three score Long Patrol hares, sail on the Purloined Petunia for Green Isle. When they arrive, Brantalis, another bird Tiria helped at Redwall, delivers the coronet the Redwallers found. With her full regalia, Tiria, Cuthbert, Pandion, Brantalis, and the Long Patrol join with the otters on the island to free the slaves Riggu Felis still has captured. Who will win this war? What will become of both sides? Read the book to find out!
The theme in this story is dualities. Good is against evil-the otters and hares against the wildcats. The wildcats, led by Riggu Felis, battles for Green Isle against the otters and Long Patrol hares, led by the High Queen Rhulain (Tiria) and Cuthbert Frunk. This theme shows how the good must save their kind against the evil, and it always pays off. I rate this book, on a scale of one to five stars, four stars, because it was a great book, with intriguing mysteries and compelling adventure. It was missing a little bit of action, but otherwise, it was great to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and action, with some good fiction in it.
July 4, 2009
As a teenager, I read every Redwall book I could get and bought the new ones as they came out. I stopped fairly recently - after Lord Brocktree - but recently checked out the newest book, Eulalia, from a library. I was so disappointed by it that I hardly dared try any of the others, but I did want to determine whether an author I used to love had plummeted downhill recently or had just written one bad book. When I read the also-recent High Rhulain, I was happy to conclude the latter.
This is possibly not as good as some of the earlier Redwall books, but it has little or none of the awful cheesiness of Eulalia and contains much more of the good stuff: accurate references to earlier books, villains who are actually threatening, etc. I found the riddles a little annoying, and the band of rats hanging around Redwall seemed both convenient and unnecessary, but the cats were really pretty good, especially Pitru. A lot of fun to be had. (Also, for what it's worth: this looked like the same edition as the copy of Eulalia I read, but had MUCH better copy editing. Eulalia was absolutely painful.)
I do have to wonder: at what point did Jacques run out of names? I've noticed that in several of the more recent books. The early Redwall books have mostly British or Biblical-sounding names for the good guys and names like "Grubgut" and "Hangnose" for the bad guys, which was nice just because one can pronounce and remember them. A lot of the bad guys retained their name style in more recent books, but the good guys switched to names that Jacques seems to have made up, and even besides what this does to continuity of the world, they just don't seem . . . namey. This book had important characters with names like Girry and Brinty. I wasn't feelin' it.
This is possibly not as good as some of the earlier Redwall books, but it has little or none of the awful cheesiness of Eulalia and contains much more of the good stuff: accurate references to earlier books, villains who are actually threatening, etc. I found the riddles a little annoying, and the band of rats hanging around Redwall seemed both convenient and unnecessary, but the cats were really pretty good, especially Pitru. A lot of fun to be had. (Also, for what it's worth: this looked like the same edition as the copy of Eulalia I read, but had MUCH better copy editing. Eulalia was absolutely painful.)
I do have to wonder: at what point did Jacques run out of names? I've noticed that in several of the more recent books. The early Redwall books have mostly British or Biblical-sounding names for the good guys and names like "Grubgut" and "Hangnose" for the bad guys, which was nice just because one can pronounce and remember them. A lot of the bad guys retained their name style in more recent books, but the good guys switched to names that Jacques seems to have made up, and even besides what this does to continuity of the world, they just don't seem . . . namey. This book had important characters with names like Girry and Brinty. I wasn't feelin' it.
August 8, 2023
The late Brian Jacques dedicated this entry of his Redwall series to his friend Alan Ingram, whom he terms the guardian at the gate of the eponymous Abbey. A poem about autumn follows, with plenty of poetry, as always, throughout the book. Its action opens on Green Isle, where the Warlord of the Green Isle Cats reigns. Riggu Felis, the mentioned monarch, has a pine marten aide named Atunra and children Jeefra and Pitru. Meanwhile, back at Redwall Abbey, the young Lycian the mouse is Mother Abbess, with another of the primary protagonists, Tiria the young otter, daughter of the Skipper of otters, introduced, being skilled with a sling.
Outside Redwall, water rats patrol, capturing an eagle whom Tiria emancipates. Jacques eventually reveals the backstory of Green Isle, where the otterclan Wildlough reigned until the cats came into power. Fights occasionally erupt between the vermin and the “good” creatures, with the riddle of the Geminya Tome perplexing Redwallers. Tiria further receives a visit from Martin the Warrior, a trend in prior installments. The ottermaid eventually begins a trip to Green Isle with the help of friends, the Long Patrol, and their Badger Lord, coming into play as well.
Overall, this is another enjoyable Redwall book, even if it recycles elements from its predecessors, including the predisposition of specific animals as good or evil and the visitations from Martin the Warrior. There’s also the issue of the lack of clarity at times as to the species of various characters, with little reminders throughout the text, and the Amazon Kindle’s X-Ray function doesn't work for the book. Furthermore, within each chapter, the action constantly shifts between sets of characters when the author could have segregated them in each of the book’s subsections.
Outside Redwall, water rats patrol, capturing an eagle whom Tiria emancipates. Jacques eventually reveals the backstory of Green Isle, where the otterclan Wildlough reigned until the cats came into power. Fights occasionally erupt between the vermin and the “good” creatures, with the riddle of the Geminya Tome perplexing Redwallers. Tiria further receives a visit from Martin the Warrior, a trend in prior installments. The ottermaid eventually begins a trip to Green Isle with the help of friends, the Long Patrol, and their Badger Lord, coming into play as well.
Overall, this is another enjoyable Redwall book, even if it recycles elements from its predecessors, including the predisposition of specific animals as good or evil and the visitations from Martin the Warrior. There’s also the issue of the lack of clarity at times as to the species of various characters, with little reminders throughout the text, and the Amazon Kindle’s X-Ray function doesn't work for the book. Furthermore, within each chapter, the action constantly shifts between sets of characters when the author could have segregated them in each of the book’s subsections.
April 7, 2011
Sigh. Back in the day, the Redwall series was one of the reasons I started writing, particularly things with plot. I probably should have just let that sleeping dog slumber, especially since Jacques recently passed away, but in my quest to read all the books I own that I haven't yet, I had to pick up "High Rhulain." Wow. Character development? Nonexistent. Plot? Rushed and haphazard. Emotional content? Suffice to say that a few important characters get killed, and when they do, everyone takes maybe five minutes to grieve. I still think back with fond memories on many of Jacques's books, and I think if I were to read them again I might rediscover why I loved this series so much. But the newer entries continue to disappoint me, and I'm not looking forward to reading "Eulalia!".
May 27, 2015
This series of books continues to be a bug a boo for me. They are predictable, they are boring, the character development is flat, and each book remains a testament to the ongoing financial grab for a writer committed to a series. What I mean to say is the author's persistence in writing a series that long should have been shuttered, proves that the author's financial needs outweigh the world's literary once, therefore you have a book that is right, and supremely boring. I really could read 3 to 5 pages without falling asleep cause knew what would be said what would happen, and what the final ending would be. This is the slowest of all the books thus far and certainly one of the worst written.
September 30, 2015
As always, this is a Redwall book so naturally I enjoyed it. Once again, I love how Jacques features characters at every stage of life and girls are in leadership or warrior roles as often as the guys are. That being said, this wasn't my favorite book in the series. the characters were a bit bland, usually there are a few that really stand out for me and I didn't really get it for this one. Still a good adventure and a fun read.
July 28, 2015
One of my favourites. Tiria is a fallible character, Riggu and his family are villains that have some depth, and the supporting cast is strong.
August 8, 2025
Not first time, first time read to daughter etc etc per other Redwall reviews. Look, this book had a bunch of the usual Redwall quaint charm, with the accents as ever being super fun to pronounce when reading aloud. But. I dunno. I just don’t think it worked super well as a story, mostly like it was coasting along on the charm of its predecessors. Possibly it’s that Redwall never felt in danger (with the cursory danger of the rat gang whose name I’ve already forgotten treated pretty lamely).
As such, actions mainly happening on green isle which? Never felt like an actual place, feeling like it expanded or shrank in seeming size, as plot demanded. And the cats never really felt like a threat either. Or, never felt like the scale of threat they should have been. I also - I feel like I don’t super love Martin the warrior appearing in the dreams of people wholly unconnected to Redwall? It’s like he becomes almost god over all, instead of just this spirit of protection over the place he loved.
Also also, there was this weird ‘feminist’ undertone streak in this book, with Tiria told she can’t be a skipper cause she’s a girl, or laughed at for daring to join a slinging competition cause she’s a girl, only to prove those stupid boys wrong. And. Like. That’s cool. Often here for that. Except the vibe I’ve previously felt with Redwall as a series hasn’t seemed to need that kind of thing before, with girls just naturally able to do what boys can as a matter of course. It kinda felt like that Simpsons scene, where Lisa makes a big show of asking to join the new football team ‘that’s right, a girl who wants to play football,’ only to have Ned say ‘that’s super-duper Lisa, we’ve already got four girls on the team.’
So. I guess I found myself not super into this one I guess is what I’m saying. It was fine. Daughter enjoyed it though. So I’m probably wrong. Usually am.
As such, actions mainly happening on green isle which? Never felt like an actual place, feeling like it expanded or shrank in seeming size, as plot demanded. And the cats never really felt like a threat either. Or, never felt like the scale of threat they should have been. I also - I feel like I don’t super love Martin the warrior appearing in the dreams of people wholly unconnected to Redwall? It’s like he becomes almost god over all, instead of just this spirit of protection over the place he loved.
Also also, there was this weird ‘feminist’ undertone streak in this book, with Tiria told she can’t be a skipper cause she’s a girl, or laughed at for daring to join a slinging competition cause she’s a girl, only to prove those stupid boys wrong. And. Like. That’s cool. Often here for that. Except the vibe I’ve previously felt with Redwall as a series hasn’t seemed to need that kind of thing before, with girls just naturally able to do what boys can as a matter of course. It kinda felt like that Simpsons scene, where Lisa makes a big show of asking to join the new football team ‘that’s right, a girl who wants to play football,’ only to have Ned say ‘that’s super-duper Lisa, we’ve already got four girls on the team.’
So. I guess I found myself not super into this one I guess is what I’m saying. It was fine. Daughter enjoyed it though. So I’m probably wrong. Usually am.
September 18, 2023
Tribsy commandeered another sandwich. “Oi’ll just finish off ee vittles whoile us’ns bee’s waitin’. Ho joy, this ’un’s gotten cheese on it, moi fayverite!” Brinty looked at his molefriend in amazement. “Is there any sandwich that isn’t your favourite?” Tribsy shook his head solemnly. “Oi b’aint found one as yet, zurr.”
Little ’uns will repeat wot they’ve heard to anybeast, an’ old ’uns can’t resist gossipin’.
Little ’uns will repeat wot they’ve heard to anybeast, an’ old ’uns can’t resist gossipin’.
“There are many places a spirit may rest when life’s long march has ended. Every creature returns to its home, exactly as nature intended. The cowards and traitors, the liars and cheats, each in their turn is awarded, someplace that they deserved to go, as their actions in life accorded. Those who proved untrue to their friends lie thick in the dust of the earth, trodden on forever by all to show what treachery’s worth. In the mud of swamps, in rotting weeds, they lie imprisoned by evil misdeeds. But the warriors true, the brave of heart, who valiantly upheld the right, they are raised on high, to the velvet sky, bringing light to the darkness of night. They’ll stand there as long as the sky will, their honour in brightness will glow, a lesson to see, for eternity, of where the real warriors go! So ere my eyelids close in sleep, these are the words I will say, may I have the courage and faithfulness, that my spirit should join them one day.”
“Thy memory stays midst friends, ’neath water thy body lies, thy spirit lives, a warrior star, set high in darkened skies. I’ll look for thee when day is done, thou jewel in night’s crown, a fearless legend, burning brave, forever shining down.”
Little ’uns will repeat wot they’ve heard to anybeast, an’ old ’uns can’t resist gossipin’.
Little ’uns will repeat wot they’ve heard to anybeast, an’ old ’uns can’t resist gossipin’.
“There are many places a spirit may rest when life’s long march has ended. Every creature returns to its home, exactly as nature intended. The cowards and traitors, the liars and cheats, each in their turn is awarded, someplace that they deserved to go, as their actions in life accorded. Those who proved untrue to their friends lie thick in the dust of the earth, trodden on forever by all to show what treachery’s worth. In the mud of swamps, in rotting weeds, they lie imprisoned by evil misdeeds. But the warriors true, the brave of heart, who valiantly upheld the right, they are raised on high, to the velvet sky, bringing light to the darkness of night. They’ll stand there as long as the sky will, their honour in brightness will glow, a lesson to see, for eternity, of where the real warriors go! So ere my eyelids close in sleep, these are the words I will say, may I have the courage and faithfulness, that my spirit should join them one day.”
“Thy memory stays midst friends, ’neath water thy body lies, thy spirit lives, a warrior star, set high in darkened skies. I’ll look for thee when day is done, thou jewel in night’s crown, a fearless legend, burning brave, forever shining down.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews