Redwall #12

The Legend of Luke

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Joined by Trimp the Hedgehog, Dinny Foremole, and Gonff—the ever-mischievous Prince of Mousethieves—Martin embarks on a perilous journey to the northland shore, where Luke, his father, abandoned him as a child. There, within the carcass of a great red ship, he finally uncovers what he has been searching for: the story of the evil pirate stoat, Vilu Deskar, and the valiant warrior who pursued him relentlessly over the high seas, seeking to destroy Vilu at all costs, even if it meant deserting his only son. The legend of Luke and his son, Martin, is a glorious tale from Redwall's history.

374 pages, Paperback

First published January 10,1999

Series

About the author

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Brian Jacques (pronounced 'jakes') was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact.

Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.

Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).

Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.

When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.

Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.

Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
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100 reviews All reviews
April 26,2025
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"It was a wondrous tale he had to tell...It was also very sad at times, but does not sadness mingle with joy, to make us grow fully into the creatures we are?"

—Abbess Germaine, The Legend of Luke, P. 373

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this book to read it. Would the plot be focused more on Luke the Warrior or his son Martin, who has become a legend to fans of the Redwall series all around the globe?

Ultimately, I believe The Legend of Luke is the best Redwall book since volume number eight, Outcast of Redwall. The tone of Luke's adventures carries the same bittersweet style and spirit as the first few odysseys that Brian Jacques put down on paper, leading us on an impossible to forget journey into a world of surprising new characters and dark, unexpected plot twists, a fantasy world that never delves so far into the surreal as to dull the emotional impact of its sharply poignant moments. At his best, Brian Jacques is a master of writing and creativity, and his books reflect a deep knowledge of the human experience and the kind of wisdom that can touch us all and transform our hearts.

For anyone who loved the land of Mossflower as Martin the Warrior knew it, The Legend of Luke is an essential read. Being taken back once again to the time of Martin the Warrior is a gift that no lover of literature should pass up, well worth the time commitment required for a three hundred seventy-four page tome. Since the beginning of the Redwall series we have heard whispers about the immortal Luke the Warrior, casting teasing shadows of who this powerful warrior was and how the events of his life worked to make Martin into the great champion he would become. The Legend of Luke answers many of these questions, completely respecting the history that had come before it while introducing new ideas and characters whose identities will forever be etched in Redwall lore.
April 26,2025
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5+ stars (9/10 hearts). My first reaction on finishing this novel was OH MY HEART IT'S PERFECT AND EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE
April 26,2025
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As usual with his Redwall series, Brian Jaques does a wonderful job of weaving a story through the eyes of his animal characters. It makes me look forward to the others of his roughly 30 book series.
April 26,2025
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Really disappointed going back to Jacques in adulthood. The animals are adorable, of course, but I skimmed over the saccharine feasts and shenanigans, looking for actual plot.

Speciesism in spades, naturally. Jacques rarely takes a complex approach to good and evil.

Also? This is a *tragedy*, no matter how sweet or fulfilling the frame story tries to make it.

I don't find Luke's fate praiseworthy. He abandoned his son, as well as the women and children of his tribe to seek revenge. And he took many of the able-bodied fighters with him. (Who all die at sea.) Consequently, Martin is captured into slavery despite this whole nonsense of "ridding the world of the great evil red ship." Like, Luke, buddy, you chose your dead wife over your living son. That's not heroic. And the ending in which Martin is somehow satisfied by this story is completely contrived -- maybe a Viking warrior culture would be into it but I simply didn't believe it.

Blah.
April 26,2025
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Another great installment in the "Redwall" series! One of my favorites. Follow the adventures of Martin's father as he seeks to avenge the death of his clan members and rid the seas of a vicious tyrant. I highly recommend this book.
April 26,2025
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Always pleasing to read. I very much enjoy seeing how the animals of Redwall work together to help each to accomplish their dreams. This time, Martin the Warrior is searching for his past.
April 26,2025
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In short, as I am reading through the Redwall books in published order, "The Legend Of Luke" is the best of the series so far. I had been looking forward to reading it for a long time because obviously there is some backstory and character development left to be desired if left with "Mossflower" and "Martin The Warrior" alone. I loved being able to revisit Martin and finally dig deeper into his past and his lineage to learn more about the character. My favorite part was learning about Luke and, incidentally, some key character differences between him and Martin, notably Luke's vow of vengeance against Vilu Daskar and how he deals with Marrahagga before leaving Volcano Island. Furthermore, I like how the theme of reconnecting with your past and reuniting with family works its way into other characters like the Tungro and Folgrim as well as the other otters and the Guosim shrews. At this point I am comfortable wrapping up the character of Martin, although I wish "The Legend Of Luke" occurred earlier in the series, as there are some connections and references to "Redwall" and other prequels that were somewhat lost on me without using internet searches. All in all, a great addition to the Redwall series.
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