I liked a few of the characters but I had a lot of trouble following the story as it seems like there were too may storylines going on, too many characters, and it kept jumping between them.

My kingdom for half-stars, which would make tracking my feelings about this nostalgia re-read a lot easier - not all 3*s are alike here. Anyway, this one's a solid entry in the later Redwall books and also the most graphic: cannibalism! Shame about the villain here; Gulo the Savage is too stupid to be really frightening. With his size, I thought for sure we were going to get a wolverine vs. badger throwdown, but the Badger Lady in this book does jack. She appears twice and not at all in any warrior capacity. Where oh where is a worthy successor to Lady Cregga?!

Animals in the Redwall universe are omnivorous, but with few exceptions, they don't cross classes—everyone eats the unfortunate fish, vermin eat birds, but mammals do not generally eat other mammals—and except for the Fierce Cop Birds, talking animals don't tend to chow down on other talking animals. These are not books to ponder the implications of the actual diets of real-world weasels and badgers. And for all that you can depend on at least two or three Tragic Deaths of named characters, the deaths aren't all that graphic. So it was doubly shocking to read about the hares being RIPPED APART AND DEVOURED UNTIL ONLY THEIR HEADS WERE LEFT FOR THEIR FRIENDS TO STUMBLE ACROSS OH MY GOD BRIAN JACQUES WERE YOU OKAY WHEN YOU WROTE THIS

Decapitation happens a lot in this book, now that I think about it. Those swords must be really sharp. Even Martin the Warrior joins in on the, uh, fun from beyond the grave: it's his advice, after all, that leads Tam to sharpen his shield and therefore set things up to CUT GULO'S HEAD FROM HIS BODY OH MY GOD BRIAN JACQUES WHY!!!

I am 90% writing this review so I can make a joke about this book being Squirrel Outlander (Scottish warrior squirrel meets beautiful healer squirrel, they get whumped a lot on their journey to get married and have a baby who is interested in ~history, this is indeed the darkest timeline and the Worst Crossover Ever, you're welcome). Mission accomplished, wot wot.

Tam and Doogy's Scots Dialect in juxtaposition with the Long Patrol's RP English make for enough frenemy-chemistry to carry the plot's slower sections.
This is a much more character driven entry in the series and it's all the better for it. The welcome return of Log a Log and the Guosim shrews, alongside a comedically delightful main cast, make up for a rushed ending and lacklustre villain.
The scope of Rakkety Tam delivers the epic fantasy feel found in earlier entries in the series and expands the lore of Martin the Warrior's legacy. This works just as much as a stand alone story than as an expansion of the Redwall universe, as a result it's one of the strongest books in the series.

This was my favorite book as a kid, so I might be biased, but man, I do not care. This book is awesome. The villain is one of the rawest threats in the whole series upon also being distinct enough in his own right. The heroes are distinct not only to themselves, but also in their relationships. The plot is structured cleverly to allow for unique turns in the tale. Then, in the midst of all of that, there's this unique spice added to the story that never is added to any other book in the series. It all just feels different, and I love it for that. This is an adventure that I'd take again anytime.

the squirrel Rakkety Tam is so Scottish

“Because they’d all grow at once, and we’d have a wonderfully useless bumper harvest. No, Jem, ’tis better to plant vegetables at different times. Then, when we need some, they can be fresh-picked, leaving us room to grow more. Otherwise, our storerooms would be overfilled.” He waved a paw across the vegetable gardens. “See, beetroots, leeks, lettuce, carrot, onion and cress. But never too many growing at one time, that’s the trick.”


“Mudge, you should’ve gone to the stores in the first place. Our stuff isn’t ready t’be picked yet.”
Mudge gave him a cheerful grin. “Hurr, us’n’s bee’s only h’infants, zurr. Ow’m uz apposed to know that?”
Jem looked down at the velvety little head. “Didn’t the Friar tell you to get his supplies from the storerooms? I’ll wager he did.”
Mudge smote his brow with a tiny paw. “Moi gudderness, so he’m did, zurr! But oi aspeck uz furgot to amember thart. Us’n’s only got likkle brains, so uz h’offen furgets all kinds uv fings.”

“Now the sunny glades are silent, where our fallen warriors lay. As in memory we treasure all the brave who marched away. Through the dusty seasons rolling, o’er our passing out parade, how we laughed and sang together, Oh your face ’twill never fade.”

“Does h’Abbots bee’s naughty, too, Sitter H’Armil?”
“Certainly not, Mimsie. You have to be good if you want to be Abbot. Isn’t that right, Father?”
“It certainly is, Sister Armel. I was a good little Dibbun.”
“Hurr, no you’m wurrn’t, zurr. Wunderin’ Walt sayed you’m wurr a likkle villyun.”
“Oh, did he indeed? I’ll have to have a word with Wandering Walt!”
“Oi’m goin’ t’be naughty when oi’m h’Abbot!”
“Hmph, when you grow up we’ll probably make you Abbey villain!”
“Hurrhurr, h’Abbey villyun. Oi loikes that gurtly, marm!”

Onward!

This one lacks the emotional gut punches of other books, but for sheer exciting action it’s hard to beat. And the artwork is arguably the best—who doesn’t love a highland squirrel poised to attack a savage monster?

I freaking loved these books as a kid. I read every single one of them multiple times and stayed up to date with the series until I graduated high school. Then for some reason, even though 5 more books were published in the series, I felt myself reluctant to pick them up. What if I didn’t like them as much? What if I was too old for Redwall?? What if the characters referenced a character I didn’t remember because it has been so long and I had to go back and reread them all to get the full experience??? Well, thankfully I finally decided to stop freaking out about all the things and took the plunge into my first Redwall book in 13 years: Rakkety Tam.

And you know what? I LOVED it. The storytelling was every bit as special as it was when I was a kid and my biggest takeaway was a newfound admiration for an author who produced 20+ books in a series and still took the same care to create amazing characters, fun situations, and compelling quests in book 16 as he did with book 1. You can truly see how much passion Jacques had for his stories (and how much creativity!).

Rakkety Tam offered a dashing hero, sufficiently wicked foebeasts, brilliant acts of courage, and a good lesson against greed and avarice. I especially liked the many scuffles and battles throughout and was actively cheering for the good guys by the end. And the bird!! This is the first book I can remember where a bird has a role in the story. They’re super funny in their mannerisms and I think I like them almost as much as the moles. Overall, this was a nice addition to the series.

I tried something new with this book: I listened to the audio while following along in the book. Normally I would’ve just breezed through the audio, but I felt the need to really take my time with this series. And after a few chapters, I decided to try both. I admit the decision wasn’t made totally out of nostalgia. The audiobooks contains a full cast of actors for the characters, with Jacques himself reading the narration. People, I couldn’t understand a freaking word he was saying at first (imagine Sean Connery reading to you… without enunciation). I’m used to his dialect now, but I would’ve missed so much had I not changed what I was doing.

It worked out though, because while listening I discovered how much unbridled FUN it was listening to a cast of voices, especially when they start singing the adorable songs & ditties Jacques loved to include throughout his books. It turned the entire story into an experience, and one I’m beyond happy to have had. Overall, I love that I’m finally continuing, and that I’m having as much fun (if not more) than I did as a kid.

Recommendations: these books aren’t like Watership Down or the Fire Bringer where the reader is thrust into the unassuming lives of woodland creatures (snore), but robust, well-spun adventures where the heroes brandish swords and the villains come for blood! It’s brilliant because it has everything you’d expect from a adult fantasy novel, but it’s use of mice, otters, etc. make it accessible to kids. It’s a series with so much fun and adventure that I’d recommend it highly to any middle grade kid looking to discover books she/he could love.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

"Rakkety Rakkety Rakkety Tam,
the drums are beatin' braw.
Rakkety Rakkety Rakkety Tam,
Are ye marchin' off tae war?

That savage from the lands of ice,
he's no' like any other.
He's sworn tae get the Walkin' Stone,
an' murder his own brother!

'Tis braw tae woo a bonny maid
for love is aye sae sweet.
Yet who'll be left tae tell the tale,
when steel an' fang must meet?"

—Rakkety Tam, P. 264

Another new batch of Abbey dwellers comes to the forefront in this seventeenth novel of Brian Jacques's unparalleled Redwall saga. Legendary warriors of Mossflower Wood have led full lives and then passed on for generations, from Luke to Martin the Warrior to Matthias to Mattimeo to Triss. Yet despite the veneration of warriors that have kept Redwall from falling to the wicked schemes and brazen might of every scourge to happen upon the sandstone building and believe it theirs to claim, Redwall remains primarily a place of peace, home to woodland creatures who aspire to live in harmony with one another and the earth, trading their hard agricultural labor for the bountiful reward of yearly harvest. In the same way, the Long Patrol hares of the mountain stronghold Salamandastron have maintained their focus generation after generation, patrolling the adjoining region in service to their badger lord to prevent vermin from ever taking hold of it. The right warriors seem to come to Redwall and Salamandastron when needed and not a season before, often at the protective behest of Martin the Warrior, who continues to guard the Abbey residents long after his passage into the next life. In Rakkety Tam, that ideal new warrior comes from without, as fierce Highland squirrels Rakkety Tam MacBurl and Wild Doogy Plumm seek to extricate themselves from indentured servitude to independently proclaimed sciurine royalty and reestablish their own reputation as freelance warriors with whom to be reckoned.

With life in Redwall Abbey and surrounding Mossflower Wood proceeding as usual, its creatures aren't aware of the power struggle ensuing up north in the icy lands beyond the sea. A wolverine kingdom there starts coming to pieces when the patriarch is murdered and his blood-lusting sons, Gulo the Savage and Askor, lock wills in a battle over family preeminence. When Askor steals their father's prized Walking Stone and sails south with it, Gulo piles a ship full of vermin and takes off after him, toward unsuspecting Mossflower. It is but a matter of time before Gulo and his crew stumble onto Redwall and figure that's where Askor would go for sanctuary with the Walking Stone, and once Gulo decides he will have entry into Redwall if it's the last thing he ever does, the future of the Abbey is in serious jeopardy.

Sent on an errand by the faux king and queen of squirrels to earn their own freedom, Rakkety Tam and Doogy Plumm walk unwittingly into the midst of the tense standoff between Gulo and the Redwallers. Tam is drawn into the drama by the watchful spirit of Martin the Warrior, who appears to have selected him as the one to challenge Gulo in a fight to the death. Not since the days of Tsarmina the wildcat has Mossflower been plagued by an enemy as lethal as Gulo, of sufficient size and temper to battle a full-grown badger and win. Tam's responsibility for the peace-loving Redwallers is mitigated by the arrival of the Long Patrol from Salamandastron, bearing a special gift for the Abbey, but Gulo's unpredictable rage soon leads Tam, Doogy, and a company of hares on reconnaissance duty to split up and try thinning the ranks of the wolverine's vermin troops through a strategy of attrition. Fewer foxes, ermine, and rats to contend with on the periphery will give Tam a better chance in a face-off against Gulo. Fate has selected the brave Highland squirrel and the flesh-eating wolverine to duel it out for the safety and liberty of this land and its long tradition of preserving and furthering the rights of the defenseless, and Tam and Gulo ultimately will clash with all of that at stake as Mossflower's future once more depends on the capability and perseverance of a great warrior. Will Rakkety Tam MacBurl save Redwall and his own life, or might the vanquishing of a foebeast as strong as Gulo the Savage require an equal sacrifice of bodies, a noble fighter in exchange for a conscienceless one? Can Redwall Abbey endure the losses it must absorb defending against its ruthless adversaries?

Rakkety Tam doesn't lack for variety of adventures. The Abbey is abuzz with action through most of the novel, after entering lockdown to prevent Gulo and his cannibalistic followers from attacking those who live within. Tactical guile isn't Gulo's strength, but he has crafty vulpine advisers to devise plans to outwit the opposition, provided Gulo doesn't slay them all out of anger over the delay in sacking Redwall. The war on the home front wages all book long, so there's plenty of opportunity for suspense. Tam has adventures of his own, diverting a portion of Gulo's horde to chase him and lead the war away from the vulnerable Abbey, but there are enemies besides the maniacal wolverine for Tam to worry about the further he strays into unknown corners of Mossflower. Doogy has isolated escapades, as well, tracking down a volethief and trying to find the way back to Redwall through unfamiliar lands. Mossflower is home to folks generous and reprehensible, and there is always question of why some won't leave well enough alone, content to develop the quality of their own lot in life without harming innocents to do it. And what makes one goodbeast lean toward a warrior's lifestyle, cutting down evil vermin without a twinge to his or her conscience, while another is haunted by the prospect of killing a single vile fiend even in self-defense? I believe I agree with Tam's words on this matter: "We all choose our different paths. Some are born gentle, whilst others are destined to be warriors." There's valid reason to resist amoral marauders even to the regrettable point of taking their lives, as Brother Demple of Redwall explains: "Because there's always good and bad in the land, and goodbeasts have to protect their friends an' families from evil ones who want nothing but to conquer an' destroy." From Lord Brocktree and Luke, who both predated even Martin the Warrior, down through the ages to Rakkety Tam MacBurl of modern Redwall, warriors in Mossflower have stood resolutely in Brother Demple's philosophy of righteous assertiveness. I pray they continue their unflagging defense of the innocent and downtrodden for all seasons yet to come.

"Now the sunny glades are silent,
where our fallen warriors lay.
As in memory we treasure
all the brave who marched away.
Through the dusty seasons rolling,
o'er our passing out parade,
how we laughed and sang together,
Oh your face 'twill never fade."

—Rakkety Tam, PP. 172-173

I can't say Rakkety Tam packs the emotional punch of the first eight Redwall novels, or even later entries such as The Legend of Luke and Lord Brocktree, but it's a solid story with moments that engage deeper feeling, particularly surrounding the deaths of a few courageous beasts who lose their lives resisting Gulo the Savage's hawkish overtures. The book wraps up meaningfully, too, and in light of these points in its favor, there's a chance I would give Rakkety Tam two and a half stars. The introduction of some animals new and rare to Mossflower should also be noted, as well as a slight increase in graphic description of the story's violence. It's a mild spike, however, doubtful to make many reconsider the series' appropriateness for kids. I plan on visiting Redwall often in the future, for I always find welcome and comfort within its walls. If you, reader, seek the same, I recommend Rakkety Tam or any of the Redwall books for your reading pleasure. There's no other series like it.

"When the sun slips o'er the treetops,
then small birds fly off to nest.
Feel the peace lie on the meadows,
'tis a time that I love best.

Slumber on, little one,
I am ever near.
Drowsily, lean on me,
dream small dreams, my dear.

All the jewelled stars a-twinkle,
Watch the clouds drift through the night.
Sail upon thy boats of dreaming,
to the rays of dawning's light.

Slumber on, day is gone,
by thy side I'll lay.
Fear no harm, rest in calm,
'til the golden day."

—Rakkety Tam, P. 198

Really enjoy the Northern accent of the two heroes in this story! :) and fascinated by the fact that 'gulo' is wolverine's original Latin name!

I loved this book and series as a kid. Fond memories of getting the next Redwall book from the library.


Still holds up.


Also Redwall books makes me hungry lol.


Love this particular story. A fierce warrior takes on an unbeatable foe.