Timeless fantasy & absolutely emotionally cathartic. Cried at least 5x reading this book and was full of the milk of human kindness afterwards.

As far as anthropomorphic fantasy goes, Redwall is simply the best series there is, and The Long Patrol might be among the best (and most important) in the series.

Shifting mostly away from Redwall proper, the book follows young Tammo, a hare who wishes desperately to live a life of adventure on the Long Patrol, the famed military group of hares from legendary Salamandastron. But aside from just being an adventure through Mossflower country, the book is really a bildungsroman of a young hare becoming a true warrior, along with a real contemplation of what it means to take up a cause and fight under a banner of good.

Like every other Redwall book, it contains a proliferation of violence that serves to build up the stakes of the book and secure a lot of its messaging regarding fantasy and adventure in distinction to stark reality. Some of the deaths in this book hit hard, and that is by intent. Of the ten books in the series up to this book, I don't think any one of them except Pearls of Lutra has been so intentional in its methodology around dealing in death, and that intentionality and focus brings incredible depth and beauty to what should be just another formulaic adventure.

But Jacques hides all kinds of wonderful philosophy in this book, whether it be through song and poetry or in the quietest moments of the book, when characters are given a breath to be their most soulful and reflective. Its discourse surrounding the place of violence, the impact it has, and the legacy of our lives and what we stand for is absolutely indelible, and thus the book is suffused with profundity and wonder even in its darkest, most emotionally-wrought moments.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I bawled three times in this book over various characters, over how Jacques still manages beauty in loss. This is not only one of the greatest books in the Redwall series, it's also just one of the greatest children's novels ever written, far ahead of its time and yet very much of its moment.

Jacques is truly one of the world's best storytellers, of any age, and I think The Long Patrol is just evidence of his mastery. He is so dearly missed.

Book is a solid 4; the audiobook is an undeniable 5.

Before Reading: The details of this book had leaked from my brain. All I could remember was that I had enjoyed The Long Patrol when I read it as a young'un.

During Reading: I really want to go to a Redwall feast. The food always sounds so good. There is a line in this book about how the Redwallers have no feasting rules so you can eat sweet or savoury as you wish. I love everything about the Redwall feasts.
There were several times during reading that I wasn't sure that Tammo would join The Long Patrol. Russa pointed out that he wasn't raised to be a military hare like the others. I was surprised at the end when he joined regardless.

After Reading: Thinking back the Jacques books must have been some of the first ones I encountered that killed characters off. While the main characters rarely die the support ones are never safe. RIP Rockjaw. I always come to the end of a Redwall book shocked by the death toll.
I found this novel well paced. Usually I drag through the first third of the book and around half way through the story picks up as the separate lines start to converge. Not the case with The Long Patrol. The flow of the story is steady and carries you along with Tammo, Abbess Tansy and Lady Cregga Rose Eyes.
This is a definite coming of age story. Tammo sets out from home full of ideals and dreams of heroic adventures. Throughout the story he learns the reality of being a "hero" and the cost of such a life. I only just realized that the commanding officer gave Tammo the chance to work with all parts of his unit so he could find where he fit. That is such an important lesson. To try different jobs and roles so you can figure out what works best for you. I now appreciate a whole other layer of this story.
Lady Cregga Rose Eyes is a bad leader. I can't remember any other badger leader being so obsessed that they would lead an army to their death. Many of the 500 lived through the story, they were only there because their leader was set on revenge. What's worse was the hare's realization that their leader wasn't in control of herself but still they followed her. Their loyalty made me uncomfortable. I was very happy in the end when Cregga was no longer in charge of The Long Patrol. It's important to have flawed characters though. It helps us make sense of the real world.
In retrospect I wonder how strong the influence of what I read as a child shaped who I am as an adult. I suspect quite a bit.

This book deserves one star simply because by this point in the series (and in fact, by some time before), the books in the Redwall saga may as well be factory produced. Whereas most books in the Redwall series at least attempt to pull a new twist on the Redwall world (travels in new directions, unique heroes and villains, etc) 'The Long Patrol' merely tells another story, with the same character types, the same quests, the same villain aspects, etc.

Having said that, it should be noted that, to a degree, that's exactly what a children's series should do. I don't criticize every single Hardy Boys book for being unoriginal because in a way, the goal of a series is to let you read the same book over and over again while telling yourself that it's 'different this time'. Still, any repetition weakens a good foundation, and even as a child, by the time I got to this book in the series, all the fun had been soaked out.

Finally! A Redwall series book that focused on a main character of a Hare! I have been wanting to read one like this for awhile now since picking the series back up! I am reading it way out of order, but I already recognize so many characters, it's all good! I enjoyed this one. It had the adventures of Redwallers and focused more on traveling than just being at the Abby itself. The ending felt very rushed and I couldn't help but be disappointed that it was already over. I am not sure about the length in terms of other stories, but this felt very short compared to some of the others I have read in the last couple of years.

I liked this one a bit more than some of the others in this series. All in all, what a fun way to start the summer by reading a favorite from when the kids were young.

His exciting tales of Redwall have been enjoyed by millions of chidren of all ages. I am now 60 years old and love all his characters from the warrior mice to the wonderfully gregarious hares. Sure! the heroes always win through in the end, but what they have to endure, en route to the final victory leaves you mentally exhausted and chewing your nails down to the elbows! The variety of animals who make up the 'goodies' (or Redwallers), means that their ability to deal with the diverse threats from the 'baddies', is unbeatable - in the end, anyway!
Brian Jacques books are quite simply fantastic escapism. So much more than all todays plethora of electronic gadgets put together. He will be sadly missed.

This book is a very exciting adventure novel with both suspense and drama. The book starts at Camp Tussock where a young hare named Tamello (Tam for short) is trying to ease his wandering mind by acting as if he is fighting for the famed Long patrol. Tam is too young in his father's eyes to join the Long Patrol but his mother has other ideas. She enlists the help of her friend named Russa to help Tam journey to the Long Patrol. On the shores of the Southern Coast beaches are filled with war loving vermin. With the death of their leader a fight to the death is created by his two sons in order to see who the new leader is. Gormad Tunn is the new leader of the horde after he slays his own brother. He decides instead of going back to see in damaged ships the horde will march north and conquer the lands they cross.
The pair of Russa and Tam soon hook up with a small scout unit of the Long Patrol on search for the horde. They soon go to Redwall Abbey and learn of the horde's fast approach. Fearing the impending horde the small group of Abbey dwellers and the scout unit of the Long Patrol must find a way to contact the main group of the Long Patrol. While help is being sent to the defenders they mount a headquarters on a hill halfway between the abbey and the horde. When the battle begins it seems that the small group of fighters will be destroyed by the horde but the quick arrival of the Long Patrol soon proves to be the deciding factor of the battle. With the horde completely killed the members of the Abbey mourn the loss of fallen comrades while they have a victory feast. Tam finally joins the Long Patrol and fulfills his dream while sadly his friend Russa is killed.
Throughout the book you see Tam's character develop very quickly. It seems throughout each chapter Tam discovers something new about himself he previously had no idea about. He develops a sense of bravery and courage that are second to no one else. He also develops a feeling of pride that he did not have while living at Camp Tussock.
This book is a very solid four star book. It is perfect for anyone who likes books involving a hero and a villain. This book is good for both genders and is good for grades eight through twelve. It is also good for anyone who enjoys an exciting plot with very diverse characters. It is an exciting book full of drama and adventure.

Another fantastic addition to the Redwall library, this book had everything I love about Mr. Jacques’ world. There was a dastardly villain, lots of sword fights, adventure aplenty and, of course, brilliant descriptions of the amazing food in Mossflower Wood! I also noticed a maturing of the various characters. There was a fair amount of sadness in this story, but lots of wisdom to balance it. I can’t recommend this series enough; any time of year and any kind of weather, losing yourself in these books is well worth the effort!

Since the library is still not open yet until June 6, I read another book that was not in The Dark Artifices series. But I have managed to reserve Lord of Shadows, Queen of Air and Darkness, and The Red Scrolls of Magic. I wish that I read this book when I was younger, because I would've definitely liked it more if I did, but I love the imagery and the beautiful words of this book. Overall, this was a great read!

Lady Cregga Rose Eyes could have been the best character ever. They kept talking her up, only for her to fall in a ditch twice.