One of my favorite books from my childhood. I have finally recollected this entire series! Something is so charming about these little mass paperbacks.

Joseph the Bellmaker has a dream where he is warned of his daughter’s misfortune and puts together a group to come to her aid. They set out from Redwall and meet with Finbarr Galedeep and Log a Log and head south to Southsward to help Mariel and Dandin and rid Southsward of the evil Urgan Nagru Joseph and his group are met with many adventures and troubles along the way but they make it out, despite many of their group dying. Thanks to their courage, Gael Squirrelking, his family, and his kingdom come to rights at the end.

I’m not sure why this book is called the Bellmaker, honestly. Joseph doesn’t feature much here. Also, Rosie’s “laugh” was mostly an irritant. Perhaps this book is better for younger audiences than myself. Just so much “happened” to happen just the way it should for things to come out just so and written in a somewhat juvenile manner. Also, the molespeak was a little difficult to decipher at times. It just lessened the flow of the book. It’s not a bad story, just not one I’ll read again.

I liked that many of the characters returned from previous book Mariel of Redwall. This book took them to a new setting which was really refreshing. I am reading these chronologically so it was cool to see the fox duo as the main villains for the first time. There are some new plot points not used in previous Redwall books too which I enjoyed. The only thing that put me off was the number of characters. We had three groups of good characters: Redwall, Mariel's party, and Joseph's rescue party plus the baddies. I found myself having to google characters sometimes to remember what species they were. Otherwise it was an enjoyable book.

Refreshing to revist one of this timeless series. An absolute gem. Pleasantly surprised by a little searat’s character arc, and some of the battle descriptions are poetic. There is not a more simultaneously adventure-rich and cozy series that I cherish so much.

This was very much enjoyable. All the tangled plot was very fun, as was the assorted dialects, naturally.

In the seventh book in the Redwall series by Jacques, the reader gets to revisit old friends on a new adventure. The focus of the story is on Mariel and Dandin, after they've left Redwall in search of new adventures themselves. Along the way they are swept up in the battle to free Southsward from the evil Urgan Nagru Foxwolf and his vixen mate, Silvamord, who overthrew Gael Squirrelking and his family and took over Castle Floret. Mariel's father, Joseph, and other old Redwall friends like Durry Quill, Foremole, Tarquin and Rufe Brush set out to find Mariel and Dandin and help them in their quest to take back Castle Floret and bring peace. Back at Redwall, Abbot Saxtus, Simeon, Mother Mellus and the rest of the Redwallers are caught off guard after welcoming strangers into the Abbey. Once again, Jacques creates a truly wonderful tale, with old characters and new. The Bellmaker is so far one of my favorites, because as much as I love being introduced to new characters, I really enjoyed continuing the storyline of old ones.

I have a hard time doing anything else once I pick up one of these books. Such good escapism for me and usually a fairly quick read.

Another action-packed adventure featuring the furry woodland creatures from Redwall Abbey, this one featuring Joseph the Bellmaker as the primary character, as he heads off on an adventure to locate his daughter Mariel. Always fun with a lively audio production that features the author himself as the main narrator with several others doing various animal voices. Also lots of fun music!

One of my favorite Redwall books. One of the best parts of the book, in my opinion, is Blaggut. It is nice to see that not all "vermin" are bad and that they can have good hearts if given the chance. It is a nice change from the usual "mouse is friend, rat is enemy".

“Give us dinner every eve, Or we’ll pack our bags and leave. Where we’ll go to we don’t know, Up the path a league or so. If we don’t find comfort there, Back to Redwall we’ll repair. We’ll eat pudden, pie, and cake, All the Abbey cooks can make!”

“Eat first; talk later. It will happen in good time. Is that a hot scone I see lying on your plate?” Joseph turned too late; the scone was claimed by the mousebabe sitting on Mellus’s lap. Joseph blinked. “You little scallywag! I suppose you’d like to guard the kitchen baking ovens tomorrow as a change from the strawberry patch.” The mousebabe shook his head and winked furtively. “No, but we guard the win’owsill, where cakes an’ pies be,” he said. Mellus tickled his ribs until he giggled and squirmed. “Oh no you won’t, bucko. My pies and cakes are quite safe cooling alone on the windowsills. Though I once recall a certain Abbot when he was a Dibbun, spent three days in sickbay after guarding those windowsills. The greedy little snip—do you remember him, Saxtus?” The Father Abbot of all Redwall applied himself to a plate of summercream pudding, pretending he had not heard.

Furrtil shook her head despairingly at this announcement. “O gurt seasons! You’m gotten uz lost, b’aint you?” Her companion fidgeted moodily with a dandelion. “Not lost, just don’ know a way back, s’all. They always come an’ find us, you see, always come an’ say, ‘Likkle rogues, worry us a death, very naughty!’” The molemaid giggled at the mousebabe’s imitation of Mother Mellus. “Hurr hurr, ee sounden same as owd badgermum.”

“Friend is a very small word, A little sound we make, For one who is true, one who will do, Great deeds for friendship’s sake. So while I grieve for you, my friends, Who gave all that you could give, You’ll be my friends in memory, For all the days I’ll live.”

“Don’t cost nothin’ t’ be nice to babes.” Blaggut shrugged. “May’ap if somebeast’d been nice to me when I was a liddle shrimp I wouldn’t ’ave growed up t’ be no searat, might’ve been good an’ respectable. Who c’n tell, Cap’n?”

A rollicking Redwall adventure

The power of dreams, food, and reputation merge as one in this wondrous fantasy novel. It's a tale that trades the convenience of magic for a menagerie of woodland creatures whose company remains wholesome, humourous, and adventurous throughout. This is my first time reading a Redwall novel and there was never a dull moment, though it was a bit hard to follow at times with a lot of characters to remember. Despite this, The Bellmaker is still a ton of fun and I'm looking forward to picking up another from this series very soon.