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This is one of my favourite books in the canon, partly because the different storylines (Grath's revenge, rescuing the abbot and the riddles) fit together so neatly. This avoids the widely diverging storylines that plague some of the other books in the series.
There is a lot to like in this book. The first thing is that most of the heroes (Martin, Clecky, Grath and the shrews) are not young warriors setting out for the first time but seasoned veterans. This gave the book a stable feel and also made a nice change from young warriors trying to overcome lots of difficulties. Martin in particular was very confidence inspiring; at no point did you feel that Abbot Durrel would not be rescued.
Clecky also was a slight surprise. At first, I thought he would turn out to be a typical Redwall hare, garrulous with a huge appetite. Although this is true, this is not so exaggerated that it renders him annoying and his panache (he dresses up especially for the final battle) and his reckless bravery (even for a hare) make him extremely likeable. It is also interesting that, despite being a mountain hare, Jacques resisted the temptation to have him talk in a Scottish accent.
To offset the contingent of older warriors, Jacques includes younger characters but, with the exception of Viola (who stows away), they are limited to solving the riddles rather than fighting foebeasts. For once, the riddles do have a serious purpose to the overall storyline as they help find the pearls which are needed (if the rescue attempt fails) to ransom the Abbot.
In terms of villains, the story is a mixed bag. The monitor lizards, particularly the Monitor General, are excellent; big, flesh eating and not overburdened with brains. The hatred gradually growing between Romsca and Lask Frildur made entertaining reading, particularly when Romsca begins protecting Abbot Durrel. The conflict between the corsairs and Ublaz back on Sampetra is less entertaining but it is neccessary to the storyline. Ublaz himself is a middle ranking Redwall villain. His ability to hypnotize is a nice touch, as is his general craftiness. Unlike some villains in the series, his death is also a dramatic, dueling with Martin before being bitten by his own pet snake. My only complaint really is that he's a pine marten; what was a pine marten doing on a tropical island that had no trees?
There are very few things to dislike about this book. Perhaps there is a slight lack of tension in the latter stages. Whilst the captured abbot is still in Mossflower, it feels like anything can happen; when the corsairs put to sea, you know that a showdown on the island is guaranteed. However, this is compensated by the battle once they reach the island, which is an absolute cracker.
The only other complaint I have is Piknim's death, or rather the reaction to it. The initial reaction, that of stunned, almost hysterical, shock, feels genuine. However, the characters recover remarkably quickly; their 'Oh come on, let's get on with solving these riddles' attitude is very laudable, but it doesn't feel particularly genuine. A longer grieving process would have felt more natural, but then again, would also have messed the timeline of events up as well as creating a longer book.
Considered overall, this is a very good children's book; well written and dealing very capably with difficult subjects like death, grief and revenge.
There is a lot to like in this book. The first thing is that most of the heroes (Martin, Clecky, Grath and the shrews) are not young warriors setting out for the first time but seasoned veterans. This gave the book a stable feel and also made a nice change from young warriors trying to overcome lots of difficulties. Martin in particular was very confidence inspiring; at no point did you feel that Abbot Durrel would not be rescued.
Clecky also was a slight surprise. At first, I thought he would turn out to be a typical Redwall hare, garrulous with a huge appetite. Although this is true, this is not so exaggerated that it renders him annoying and his panache (he dresses up especially for the final battle) and his reckless bravery (even for a hare) make him extremely likeable. It is also interesting that, despite being a mountain hare, Jacques resisted the temptation to have him talk in a Scottish accent.
To offset the contingent of older warriors, Jacques includes younger characters but, with the exception of Viola (who stows away), they are limited to solving the riddles rather than fighting foebeasts. For once, the riddles do have a serious purpose to the overall storyline as they help find the pearls which are needed (if the rescue attempt fails) to ransom the Abbot.
In terms of villains, the story is a mixed bag. The monitor lizards, particularly the Monitor General, are excellent; big, flesh eating and not overburdened with brains. The hatred gradually growing between Romsca and Lask Frildur made entertaining reading, particularly when Romsca begins protecting Abbot Durrel. The conflict between the corsairs and Ublaz back on Sampetra is less entertaining but it is neccessary to the storyline. Ublaz himself is a middle ranking Redwall villain. His ability to hypnotize is a nice touch, as is his general craftiness. Unlike some villains in the series, his death is also a dramatic, dueling with Martin before being bitten by his own pet snake. My only complaint really is that he's a pine marten; what was a pine marten doing on a tropical island that had no trees?
There are very few things to dislike about this book. Perhaps there is a slight lack of tension in the latter stages. Whilst the captured abbot is still in Mossflower, it feels like anything can happen; when the corsairs put to sea, you know that a showdown on the island is guaranteed. However, this is compensated by the battle once they reach the island, which is an absolute cracker.
The only other complaint I have is Piknim's death, or rather the reaction to it. The initial reaction, that of stunned, almost hysterical, shock, feels genuine. However, the characters recover remarkably quickly; their 'Oh come on, let's get on with solving these riddles' attitude is very laudable, but it doesn't feel particularly genuine. A longer grieving process would have felt more natural, but then again, would also have messed the timeline of events up as well as creating a longer book.
Considered overall, this is a very good children's book; well written and dealing very capably with difficult subjects like death, grief and revenge.
