There are some parts in Triss that I can still remember reading for the first time late at night. There is some genuine fear and tension folded into the text that I always appreciate, and it all centers on something that the series never does again, which I'm thankful for, because it makes this one stand out all the more. Alongside that, the different parallel stories all have some unique airs to them that make their eventual crossing much more satisfying. Top it all off with an interesting villain/hero relationship played into almost a rivalry, and you've got a real page turner.

Another one of Redwall's 'fun' installments. Not nearly as dark as the other books, but just as adventurous and epic. The characters weren't my favorite out of the series, but still lovable and charismatic.

Pretty good read.

elibrary

Really good book!

When teaching middle school, all of Brian Jacques books were on my student bookshelf. This one was enjoyed by the girls especially since it had a "shero" instead of the hero. It has been years, so decided to read it again. Nice way to spend some time.

I read these as a child and am re-reading the series out of order (as usual it seems!). What I had forgotten was how formulaic they are. This was very similar to the others I have read - different gangs of animals, good vs. evil themes, lots of endless descriptions of food and eating, animals travelling from one place to another, a battle, fighting. It did get a bit tedious, and Scarum was intensely irritating. I honestly would have pushed him overboard and/or poisoned his food, but this book is intended for children after all.



Another thing I've always wondered is how Jacques actually imagined the physical size differences between the animals - they are depicted as fairly similarly sized - but in reality an otter jumping into a boat full of shrews will surely end with a result similar to a herd of lemmings charging off a cliff, ie. mass death, but maybe I'm over analyzing.

The cover of the book was a nice misty lavender affair and I love the illustrations, it all just felt a little repetitive and predictable. I've seen other reviewers felt the same. The other peculiar thing I found was that whilst the book is called 'Triss' after the squirrel 'swordmaid', she only plays a minor part and isn't central to the book. It seems more like a introduction or backstory and doesn't read well as a novel in itself.

I found this in a charity shop and bought it out of nostalgia as I loved the Redwall books when I was younger. I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I'm not sure if it's because I'm 'too old' for it now but I do think it isn't as good as some of the other books in the series.

Jacques writing is beautiful, especially the poems, songs and descriptions. He also doesn't shy away from tackling adult topics like death, love, loyalty, revenge etc. However the written versions of different accents I find distracting now whereas I think I used to find them interesting and challenging to read. I think the characters in this book just aren't as likeable as in some of the others. The ones I liked were good but don't have all that much depth, and there were definitely a few irritating ones!

Excellent book. Never heard of this guy before, but now I'll have to check out some of his other books.

Brian Jacques tells the story of some charaters that come a long way in life and trial and others that don't make it as far but are still lovable. Each one their own story that ties into deciding what will happen to the slaves, the bandits, the Long Patrol and those, of course, at Redwall Abby.

"Summer is here, joy and happiness to all!" p 108.
"Enjoy yoreself while ye can." p 290

I always love a good Redwall book. The world created by Jacques always reminds me of Lord of the Rings. It's so beautiful and sweeping and epic, it doesn't feel like a "talking animal book" or children's literature. They tend to feel long in the middle, but they are still worth a read, every time.