If you have been a long-time reader of Brian Jacques and the Redwall books, this should be a welcome addition to your library. For me, this was not the best installment in the series, but other people will doubtlessly like this book more (or less) than I do, since the author does different things within each book. It's not perfect, but this book is still good. Keep up the good work, Mr. Jacques.

I had a bit of a hard time keeping track of all the details, but I truly enjoyed it!!

tThe Bellmaker, written by Brian Jacques, is part of the Redwall series. This book is about Joseph the Bellmaker trying to find his daughter and her companion. The protagonists are Joseph the Bellmaker, Mariel, Joseph’s daughter and Warriormaid of Redwall, and Dandin, Mariel’s companion. The antagonists are Urgan Nagru, the Foxwolf, and Silvamord, his mate.
tJoseph doesn’t know where Mariel and Dandin are, and it’s been four seasons since they left. Abbot Saxtus and the Redwallers have no clue either. Then, one night, Joseph gets a dream from Martin the Warrior, who is the Warrior and founder of Redwall. This dream tells Joseph that Mariel and Dandin are in trouble. With no time to lose, Joseph sets off with five companions and the Guosim, which stands for Guerrilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower, to find the two. Meanwhile, Urgan Nagru and Silvamord have captured Castle Floret in Southsward, which is south of Redwall and Mossflower. Urgan Nagru had also captured Gael Squirrelking and Queen Serena, rulers of Southsward. Rab Streambattle, the Squirrelking’s friend, plans an escape, but only Queen Serena and a few others escaped, while the Squirrelking remained captive, and Rab and Muta, a blind badger, were killed………or were thought to be.
In Mossflower, Abbot Saxtus tries to ask the Guosim’s leader, Log-a-Log, to help Joseph and the companions, but Log-a-Log says that their shrew logboats can’t handle the rough seas. Thus, Log-a-Log and Joseph consult Finnbarr Galedeep, a sea otter that helps them find and steal a ship. With the ship, named the Pearl Queen, Joseph, the Redwallers, the Guosim, and Finnbarr set off for Southsward. In Southsward, Mariel and Dandin, along with a hedgehog named Bowly Pintips, find a hare named Meldrum the Magnificent. As Queen Serena and the others escape, Mariel, Dandin, and Meldrum defend them against Urgan Nagru and his horde of rats, but end up being captured. In prison, they find Gael Squirrelking and a shrike named Glokkpod. With the otters’ help from Southsward, Mariel, Dandin, Meldrum, Glokkpod, and Gael escape the castle, but Mariel gets separated from the group while escaping. In the castle, she finds Muta and Rab alive. At sea, the Pearl Queen finally reaches Southsward. With help from otters, the crew of the Pearl Queen set off for Castle Floret. Meanwhile, Dandin, Meldrum, Bowly, and Gael build an army to battle the rat hordes. Inside the castle, Mariel, with the help of Muta and Rab, captures the drawbridge. The crew of the Pearl Queen, Dandin, and Meldrum arrive and help Mariel fight the rats. Outside, the war starts between the Southsward creatures and the Foxwolf’s rat hordes. Who will win the war? What happened next? Will Mariel, Joseph, Dandin, and Finnbarr Galedeep be able to stop Urgan Nagru and Silvamord? If you want to find out, then you should read the book!
The theme of this story is to always trust and help others. In the book, all the characters help each other to overcome all challenges. Even the antagonists, Urgan Nagru and Silvamord, work together to battle and capture Castle Floret. Mariel, Dandin, and Bowly Pintips all help each other to battle the rats. Joseph and his five companions, along with the Guosim and Finnbarr, help each other sail the Pearl Queen to reach Southsward. This theme greatly affects the protagonists, and it actually keeps them alive! Without trusting each other, Mariel and Dandin would have never been able to fight the rat hordes. I would rate this book, on a scale of one to five, four and a half stars. The book was great, very compelling, and it makes you keep reading on and on. You won’t want to stop! The book is not as interesting as some of the previous Redwall books, but it’s pretty good anyway! I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of adventure, action, and a bit of war. This would be a good book for ages ten to thirteen.

This was my first Redwall book. As an eager 5th grader, I gobbled it up in just under twelve days. I've been hooked to the series ever since. I read it again not long ago, and it was just as good as I remember.