I loved these books as a kid and now I’m rereading them with my daughter. She’s loving them as much as I did.

Something I remember as a kid, tho, was my frustration with Jacques’ refusal to let any of the vermin in the stories be morally good, or any of the forest dwellers be evil (though sometimes they were selfish, or rude to one another). It felt like he was preaching a story of irredeemability - that some folks will always be “evil“ and others will always be “good.”

I’m finding that, on my second readthrough with my daughter, this stands out to me just as much as it did when I was 10 years old. My daughter hasn’t commented on it yet – but I think I’m going to bring it up when I see it again. It’s a good conversation to have with an 8 year old, I think.

4.5

This book makes clear to me just how good of a writer Brian Jacques was. This book juggled five and a half moving storylines and in the middle I found myself feeling as though it were jumping around too much. And yet, everytime, he wraps all the storylines and the whole book together in a way that is so unbelievably satisfying. I've enjoyed the books where there are only 2-3 moving storylines more as I feel like I can get more deeply familiar with the characters, but I've enjoyed all the Redwall books I've read.

I think the Redwall series as a whole would be best enjoyed not reading them one after another immediately, but rather picking one up every few months and slowly making your way through the world. They're simply delightful to read.

Pre-reading:
I read the Redwall books when I was younger. They started me on the path to high fantasy novels.
Also, it is impossible to read Brian Jacques without desperately wanting to eat the food that is described.
I am reading the books in chronological order of the stories not by publication date

Note:
I always manage to forget how brutal these books can be. It really struck me in the battle of Salamandastron when Jacques wrote that the dead were standing because there was no room for them fall.

The book:
I honestly had forgotten that Martin doesn't always choose a mouse to wield his sword. I enjoyed the change when Samkin the squirrel was given the sword. Though, I do wish that the "vermin" mold would be broken every now and then (there was that one good polecat). I'm sure that not all weasels, stoats, etc are evil.
This will sound weird, but I appreciate that Redwall isn't besieged again, that the conflict within the Abbey was an illness and not just something to be fought and conquered. It was more about Abbey life and challenges then about the outside forces of evil.
As in common in the Redwall books there are several quests/stories happening at once that eventually come together in the third section of the book. Here we had; Mara and Pikkle, two young creatures who are on a coming of age adventure, Thrugg who does to find the cure for the fever raging in the Abbey, Samkin and Arula who set out to recover Martin's sword, and Lord Urthstripe the ruler of Salamandastron who is besieged by a vermin hoard. I always enjoy how the stories come together. How the heroes often end up working together to overcome their various challenges. It shows that people from different places can come together to do good.
I found the pacing of this book was well done and I didn't feel like it was lagging. The parts flowed together well and there wasn't a lot of wasted space.
All in all this a strong installment in the series.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Salamandastron

Ferhago the Assassin has set his eyes on Salamandastron. He is convinced treasure lies within the mountain’s depths. His son tricks Mara and her friend Pikkle into leaving the safety of Salamandastron to use as leverage. But Ferhago will find that the young badger and hare are not so easily kept captive. Meanwhile, across Mossflower Woods, Martin the Warrior’s sword is stolen from Redwall Abbey by members of Ferhago’s crew. Samkin the squirrel and Arula the molemaid set off to retrieve the Abbey sword, inevitably crossing paths with Mara and Pikkle. Together they must find a way to aid Salamandastron.

It was refreshing to see a squirrel wielding the sword of Martin the Warrior. The heroes of Redwall have all been mice up until Salamandastron. As each woodland creature has its own way of approaching situations, having a squirrel's perspective was a welcome change. Samkin is a skilled marksman but does not put his talent to good use. He and Arula are often found shooting arrows as pranks and landing themselves in trouble. But when Martin's sword is stolen, he and Arula do not hesitate to track down the thieves. And in doing so, they will overcome their mischievous ways and find themselves on their paths to becoming heroes.

While Redwall Abbey is an integral part of Salamandastron, the focus stays rooted in the characters tied to the mountain. Ferhago is a devious foe, willing to play the long game to win. He has many tricks up his sleeve and could care less if he is dishonorable in his victories. The solidarity and determination of the Salamandastron squad will encourage readers to cheer them on and weep alongside those who lose companions. The battle of good versus evil ensues as heroes young and old rise up against their vermin foes.

And while this time around no one is seeking to capture Redwall Abbey, a new unexpected threat lies in wait for the peaceful creatures. A sickness begins to spread, one that Brother Hollyberry has nothing to cure. And while it seems as if another plot would overtax the storyline, it gives readers a respite from the battles taking place at the mountain. Building a new form of tension as creatures succumb to the sickness awaiting the discovery of a cure.

Salamandastron breaks the mold of the previous Redwall books and yet still immerses readers in a wonderful tale filled with heroes, quests, and found family. The fifth book of the Redwall series provides a healthy dose of Redwall lore, wholesome adventure, and great characters. Readers will be sure to enjoy this fast-paced installment of the Redwall series.

After having enjoyed several other books in this series, Salamandastron certainly did not disappoint.

This was certainly an interesting book to read during COVID, considering the Dryditch Fever outbreak, but even beyond that there's so much to enjoy in this. Arguably one of the most epic hero/villain confrontations in the series (which spans most of the book in one form or another), Mara and Samkim both getting to be heroic before the end, some genuine humour (it's not credible that a dormouse could frighten a golden eagle, but it's too funny a moment to not appreciate), and a genuinely heartwarming ending.

Brian Jacques does a great job of getting us to view our world through his world of critters. I have read a couple other books in this series so when I stumbled upon Salamandastron, I grabbed it! Not disappointed in any way. Jacques is a wonderful writer with a vivid imagination which he delivers in such a way that we simply float along with him.

Brian Jacques does a great job of combining the fates of four different creature to solve one gigantic problem. Mara is the son of Urthstripe, the strongest badger in the land, but is not satisfied with her fate, so she runs away with her best friend Pikkle, an energetic hare. They are then swept in a quest to find and kill the white badger, who is said to haunt creatures in their sleep. Arula and Samkin have been inseparable friends since birth, and when they find the sword of Martin the Warrior, they believe that their realm is saved. However, the sword gets stolen, and Samkin and Arula take the responsibility in their hands to track the sword and bring the thief to justice. The quests of all four of these animals are intertwined, and they find themselves facing Ferahgo the assassin and his nasty horde, who have trapped Urthstripe and his crew. It is up to them to get rid of Ferahgo and save all the beasts.

Named my first cat after a character in here

All I can say is five stars.

I can't properly review Redwall titles because when I read one I'm seven years old again. And I don't think anyone wants to read the inane burblings of my seven-year-old self. I'm bad enough at sixty-mumble.

Just read 'em...

This one suffers a little bit from being too complicated. It felt like there were too many characters, separated into different travelling groups, some containing similar animals. I had a hard time keeping track at times. Also, I kind of expect a book called 'Salamandastron' to maybe contain the origin story of the mountain? Call me crazy. That being said, it still delivers on what you expect from a Redwall story.

I loved exploring outside of redwall and this is once again an absolute classic. I didnt own this one growing up so this was a first time read.

You just can't beat the world building and the imagination of these stories. The graphic audios with the singing, ditties and crazy noises , can't help but make me smile