Wish I could give half star ratings because this would be a 2.5. I enjoyed the first half of this book but the second half was such a disappointment for me.

Quick, cute read. Not much excitement though.

I remember really enjoying the first in this series so I figured this was worth picking up. Now let me be clear, the entire nautical bit was fantastic, there were pirates, privateers, mutiny, sharks and improbably navel maneuvers. Everything I would want in a nice straightforward adventure book. The later two thirds however took place on land and were much less entertaining. Perhaps it was the mildly irritating girl or the peril being sorted out consistently by divine or canine intervention. My memories of the first in this series are fairly dim but I still found this book a bit of a let down.

I didn't like this as much as the Flying Dutchman, it contains 2 different stories in a regular size book, so I don't think they were as well developed as they could have been, but it is still quite good!

I think the first half of this book should have been in the first novel instead of jumping all the way to the 1800s. But that aside, I enjoyed the seafaring portion and even the parts with Karay and Dominic. The Razan were a bit cheesy but that’s to be expected from a novel aimed at youth. But all in all a good piece of work from Brian Jacques!

This book was much more enjoyable than its prequel. It had more of what I was expecting from the first book - pirates, battles, adventures, and twists. Granted the twists were fairly easy to figure out, but it was fun to read this book. I wasn't sure if I'd make it through the whole trilogy after reading the first one, but if the third book is more in-step with this one, I'll enjoy it through the end.

What a rare find this happened to be. I've never read the Redwall series but I know they are well loved. This trilogy seems lesser known but it's so good. Ben used to be a cabin boy and something happened to Ben and a black labrador, named Ned. So they are "blessed" with long life. Meanwhile, a ghost seeks revenge on Ben and is always trying to draw him back to ships. Ben can also talk to Ned, and has the power to know when someone is in need of help. I don't think it matters what order you read the books in, they are all great.

This trilogy was one of my favourites as a kid, and even though it feels a bit patronising as an adult, I'm glad I found it again and like it enough to forgive its faults.

Loved it when i was in primary

Rating: 4.5 stars

This was a looooooong read, and accounts for my long reading drought!
Brian Jacques is really incredible at building worlds. You can picture the ocean and the islands he describes and even the night sky when the story continues into Spain and France.
There are some very uplifting themes in all of his books which I find inspiring. I started hearing the Redwall books when I was really little, as audiobooks, and it's very heartening to read the storytelling I grew up on.
The good vs. evil themes are great and I like underpinnings of religion that run through the book. I do not like when the good characters die. Raphael just died out of nowhere and it was somewhat upsetting to end part one with La Petite Marie sinking. Part Two was my favorite of the two. Loveeeee all the characters. The scriptwriting is a little bit predictable at times but the characters and the worlds themselves are great. Brian Jacques never disappoints :)

What ages would I recommend it too? – Twelve and up.

Length? – Several day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Fantasy, real world.

Written approximately? – 2003.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – So much dialect and regional speak that in several places I had no idea what was happening. It seriously slowed the plot and made comprehension difficult.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

Short storyline: This is again two stories in one that wrap themselves together in the final chapter. The plot is good, even if much of it is impossible to understand.

Notes for the reader: Too much dialect and regional misspellings to truly be enjoyable.