{2024 Reread}

- BLAGGUT I LOVE YOU YOU’RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE

- This is supposed to be the same Rufe Brush as the one in the first book? Tell that to the one-eighty Jacques gave his characterization because I think not

- Hon. Rosemary Woodsorrel, the woman you are

- I love how Jacques insists on claiming that Mariel and Dandin are Friends™ in the sequel even though every time Mariel does literally anything Dandin is fully like “THAT’S MY WIFE” #otp

- Finnbar is low-key toxic, I don’t like his vibes

- one of the Dibbuns is literally named “Mousebabe” (???)

- I’m so Tired™ of Jacques’ species-based portrayal of inherent “good” v. “evil”; the implications are so troubling and also so stupid (like I’m glad he kept Blaggut as a good guy but there was no real reason why Slipp couldn’t have been one too and no real reason to kill off Mellus and DEFINITELY no real reason why Blaggut couldn’t have stayed at Redwall)

- I love Egbert and his little home under Floret so much (minus, again, the kind of weird implications of the whole “educated v. uneducated moles” thing)

- overall, though it’s not as good as Mariel of Redwall and it has some annoying elements, this is a worthy and entertaining sequel and I like it a lot :)

3.5 stars

This one, to me, is the most fun of the series. Not the best, but the most fun, definitely. It felt like a lighthearted swashbuckler with a little bit of high seas epic mixed in there. The story is unique and I loved all the otter characters involved. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.

4.5/5. Anytime I dive into a Redwall book it's a joyful experience and The Bellmaker is no exception. In this book I especially enjoyed going on another adventure with Mariel, Blaggut's redemption and Egbert confirming that moles can lose their accent if they work at it. Joseph himself surprisingly didn't do a ton other than be a steady presence throughout the adventure, but that also didn't detract from my enjoyment. On the whole this book affirmed that Brian Jacques was simply a great writer and I'm so grateful he created the world of Redwall.

Such a solid story. But, I mean, it's Redwall, so of course it is. As always, excellent writing, delicious food, adventurous happenings, and wonderfully amusing evil rat hordes.

Although The Bellmaker starts off a little bumpy, the whole of the book is much more consistent than its predecessor Mariel of Redwall, with a story that feels much more cohesive and a whole lot of fun. Its villain is perhaps one of the least interesting of any of the first seven books, but for what it might lack in villainy it more than makes up for with hilarious new characters, some brave and intrepid new adventurers, and some old friends familiar to readers of Mariel.

I'm not going to go in deep on what about the book didn't work for me, although there are definitely some strands left unfinished and some elements of the book I felt deserved a lot more development. Instead, I want to focus on what is surely the best part of the book: Blaggut and Finnbarr, the book's two standout new characters. In all of the series, only maybe a couple of characters are cooler than these two, one a kind-hearted former searat and the other a swashbuckling rogue always ready for a fight.

This book really marks Redwall's full ascendance into swashbuckler territory, with sea adventures aplenty to synchronize with another annal of war, though this time set in a completely different region of Jacques' world. Southsward is a neat territory, with Castle Floret at its center, and while I would have loved to read more of its own cultural history, the story of Joseph and his eventual contribution to Southsward's war for freedom from Urgan Nagru is great.

I will never let go of Redwall as a series and as an ideal, and The Bellmaker is just yet another stellar chapter in its histories.

This is one of my favourites from the redwall series. It is probably 20 plus years since I read this one and the nostalgia was amazing.

I love having the graphic audios and it just takes these stories to another level.

This is actually one of the best stories in the series and Urgan Nagru is a fantastic baddie !!

3.5/5 The titular character is relegated to a minor role. Joseph is just along for the ride with the rest of the (LARGE) ensemble. I had a similar issue with Mariel in her self-titled Redwall entry, but this book took it to the next level. The story was good, and it was cool to see a new kingdom/country outside of Mossflower populated by good guys. We also finally meet a searat who is genuinely good, breaking the long streak of “all vermin are evil”.

if there is a dissertation out there analyzing all the species character archetypes …. i would like to read it!!! i realize this is common in the fantasy genre - elves are high culture and intelligent, dwarves are gruff, orcs are universally evil - but it is interesting to mark whole species as generally one way or the other, even if there are small examples of breaking type (like Blaggut, or Egbert)

Redwall but based in new territory - Southsward. Good sea adventure (pirates, storms, maelstrom, sharks etc) & classic crescendo to evil vs good showdown. Finbarr best character but good reprises from Rosie/Mariel et al. Martin now becoming a sort of spirit

So....Rufe Brush and Durry Quill are together, right? That's the vibes? Rufe was wholly uninterested in Tree Rose (the prettiest squirrel in Redwall), then when Durry almost dies Rufe is literally like "I'll never let you out of my sight again, we'll be together forever", and THEN we find out HE WAS RIGHT because instead of adventuring, Rufe stayed with Durry at the abbey and they grew old together! LIKE????? They're in love, your honor!!

Also, honorable mention for Blaggut, the ONLY good vermin in this entire series. He's babygirl.

Such a great entry into the Redwall saga! I love Jacques' balance of whimsy and lighthearted adventure with the reality that not everyone will make it out in the end. Such a great tale for adults and children alike!

I was missing Redwall and Brian Jacques so much. It's been years since the Rogue Crew and I hadn't read one since. Reading The Bellmaker again was the perfect cure for my nostalgia.
This is classic Redwall fare. We have wandering warriors, hungry hares, cutthroat pirates, sea-faring adventurers, mysterious prophecies, evil tyrants, vermin hordes, guerrilla shrews, berzerker badgers, a convergence of heroes and villains and armies for battle, sumptuous feasts, the battle of good and evil, the power of faith and friendship. It's everything you want from a journey through Mossflower (or Southsward, as the case may be).
Plus, this is the book with Blaggut, the friendly sea-rat who overcomes the confines of his race and upbringing to become an honest tradesrat and friend of Dibbuns. If his isn't a story of hope and inspiration, I don't know whose is.