Another of my favorites. Love all these creature adventures with their gorgeous settings and delightful food descriptions.

3.5/5 I definitely enjoyed this one more than the previous installment, The Outcast of Redwall. Though it did take me quite a while to finish as I was distracted with other things.

The villains didn’t shine here like they do in some other stories but Ublazz Mad Eyes, Rasconza the Fox, and the evil monitor lizards were still fun.

The story is split into two main stories like usual one is the party of warriors going of to fight Ublazz and the other is Tansy the hedgehog searching for the Pearls of Lutra that have been hidden throughout Redwall. They weave together well but the adventuring party was still more interesting. The Hares are still probably my favorite and Clecky is an excellent addition to the Hare cast. We also get to see Seals this time around which is fun.

'The Pearls of Lutra' is (so far at least) undoubtedly the most epic-feeling amongst the tales of Redwall. Broad and sweeping in its scope, both in terms of location as well as character stories, the story does a fantastic job of pushing the boundaries of the world of Redwall to new horizons. After the moral absoluteness of 'Outcast of Redwall', 'Pears of Lutra' makes for a refreshing take on the notions of good and evil, right and wrong in the world of Redwall, along with reinforcing the lesson that even perhaps true treasure is not always what is obvious.

9/10

3.5

New opinion: this one and Mattimeo are tied for best Redwall book. I remember this used to be near the top of my favorites list too, and it's risen since then. I'd say it's my favorite of the treasure-hunt type plots, partially because I always like the Redwall seafaring stories and this has both that and the treasure hunt and yeah. It's a good time. There's riddles and some really sad bits that are done well and so on.

Also, I really like the fact that, in this particular "era" of Redwall books, we get to see the young characters from previous books grown up and being reasonably responsible adults. I'm pretty sure that ends after the next two books, sadly.

Pearls of Lutra might be the 9th book in the Redwall series, but it's undoubtedly one of my all-time favorites. It's got a grand quest, it has some great action, a tremendous cast of lovable characters and scandalous rogues, and it's just fantastic.

What makes this one so special is that it truly feels like a different direction for Redwall stories, a refreshing change of pace from the formula Jacques follows in the previous books. There's still some simple trope writing in here, some stock characters that don't add much to the canon, but the stuff that does stand out is truly wonderful. Martin II and Tansy lead the Redwallers in this volume, both of them being solid characters with Redwallers' hearts. Ublaz Mad Eyes is a good enough villain, but he is resolutely upstaged by Barranca and Rasconza, two of the series' best villains to date. And the Isle of Sampetra is an interesting setting for the story, even as we also get a deep tour of Redwall Abbey for the main plot.

I simply adore this volume when it comes to what it gives to the ongoing saga of Redwall, and I think this stands among the very best Jacques ever wrote.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I read this one with an actual hard copy - not being able to listen to any of it. I will say it took me longer to finish, but it also moved me more than when I am listening and distracted with other tasks. The last chapter had me in tears. These books are so sweet and pure. I can’t wait to share them with my kids.

This was a fun, feel-good, family-friendly fantasy that took me back to my childhood and gave me nice, warm-fuzzies upon finishing. It's not a hard or complex read, but it certainly is fun.

Brian Jacques will always live in my heart as the author that first inspired me to start writing. His book, Redwall (which begins the series in which Pearls of Lutra takes place), was a source of endless excitement and adventure for my middle school mind. Now, decades later, I have finally found my way back to Redwall Abbey, this time following a swash-buckling tale of wicked kings, fearsome pirates, confusing riddles, horrifying kidnappings, and a set of six stolen pearls. What's not to love?

The nice thing about the Redwall series is that each book stands alone plot-wise. You can pick up this book, which is technically #9 in the series, and not need to know much about the rest to still enjoy it. However, every book is connected as a sort of "history of Redwall", with each one encompassing a specific generation so that, as you move through the series, you're moving through time and the history of the area. It's a fabulous way to write a series! Even with having not read a single Redwall book for almost 20 years now, I still recognized references and recollections in this book that hearkened back to the ones I'd read as a kid. Matthias, the hero of book one, is now the legend of book nine, as is Mattimeo. It was fun to read about these characters many years later through the eyes of a Redwall Abbey that is also many generations removed from them. I would love to actually sit down and read the entire series some day and follow the full historical plot of the Redwall story. It reminds me of C. S . Lewis' autobiography where he talks of creating worlds and kingdoms and maps of a fantasy animal-world as a kid. Brian Jacques and he would have been bffs.
Indeed, you'll catch a whiff of Narnia as you explore the halls of Redwall.

This is not a hard read nor is it too involved. The writing style is beautiful but simple, as are the characters. There is little depth or development, and its simplicity is what loses it a star. However, that same simplicity makes it accessible to all ages. I enjoyed this book now as an adult just as much as I did as a kid. I'm also not a big fan of animalism, but that's just me. I envision the characters as people, even though they are all manner of animals. But that's just my preference.

What I remember most about Redwall when I read it as a kid is the food. And this book was no different. I have never read a book that describes food like this series does. I don't recommend reading it when hungry or fasting! Goodness, I want to just steal into the book just to eat wat they're serving! The setting is also wonderful. You will wish Redwall was real. I loved the way Martin the Warrior was written (both the legend and his namesake!). Strong but also full of emotion and grit. I loved the morals and the redemption theme. The nod to mysticism and miracle-working saints was a nice touch that I missed as a kid but appreciate better now as an adult. The one romance was so vague it is very hard to believe, and there are quite a few cliches, but it was still just a nice read. Some violence, but it's not overly grotesque. My only main complaint is the simplicity of the characters.

If you're looking for an easy adventure or a wholesome book to read to your kids together as a family, I heartily recommend the Redwall series. It's a good "beginner high fantasy", a step above Narnia but not quite into the realm of Sanderson or Eddings, and it will delight no matter your age. I thoroughly enjoyed coming back to it!

One of Brian Jacques better Redwall novels

Fantastic! I didn’t remember this one at all, but it’s one of the best! Every single plot is inventive, exciting, and tense—Tansy and quest for the pearls (several dark turns involved!), the rift between the Ublaz and the corsairs, and the attempts to rescue the Father Abbot of Redwall. They all tie together most satisfyingly at the resolution. Favorite gray character is Romsca, one of Jacques’ few antiheroes.

Ublaz Mad Eyes, the evil ruler of the island called Sampetra, is on a mission to find the Tears of All Oceans. Meanwhile, Grath Longfletch sets out on a journey to seek vengeance for the murder of her otter tribe and family, and joins forces with Martin (Mattimeo's son) and other friends of Redwall who are in search of Abbott Durral and a young bankvole maid who were captured by Ublaz's evil followers. Back at Redwall, Tansy and her friends follow clues to find the six rose colored pearls known as the Tears of All Oceans. As always, paths intertwine, new friends are made and the heroes win in the end. I found this to be one of the sadder novels in Jacques series, but just as exciting of a journey.

Just like just about any other Redwall book written that I have read, Pearls of Lutra is another fine example to the solidness of Brian Jacques' storytelling or the wonderful images and stories presented to us in the Redwall universe.

If you like otters, you should enjoy this book. You also get to learn some neat things about their culture, or even more about other cool stuff in the Redwall world.