bravesirtoaster's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
amberfinnegan's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this one more than the first. Maybe because of Martin. Good book if you want a quick and simple read. The hardest part for me was reading the mole-speak. I will probably pick up the next one sometime.
cthuwu's review
4.0
08/17 update: i don't know if i'm ever going to be able to write a real review of any of the redwall books. it's mostly because of nostalgia reasons but, like, i genuinely love these books. they're gruesome at times and i question the wisdom of marketing them to children, but since i'm an adult now that doesn't fucking matter at all. anyways, love the writing and the stories and mossflower is a strong followup to redwall and i fully intend to re-read the entire series. so, onto the next.
mitchellvolk's review against another edition
3.0
Charming. Wholesome. Exciting. Exactly what you want from Jacques and nothing more. Redwall books will end how you want them to, but there are a few twists and turns here and there. Good always defeats evil.
addy1991's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Another enjoyable read in this series. The details and characters really draw you in! I wish I had discovered these when I was younger.
Another enjoyable read in this series. The details and characters really draw you in! I wish I had discovered these when I was younger.
bookish_b's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sepulchral's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
stinkycheeseboy's review against another edition
5.0
In the spirit of #TBT, I decided to review MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques. Why? Probably because this series is the reason I'm a writer. During my formative years, I read and re-read the Redwall books more than Mr. Jacques' editor did, and then some... And if you didn't partake of this wonderful, creature-filled world, then you are seriously missing out.
Of all the countless stories Brian Jacques told, MOSSFLOWER is my favorite. Most likely because it predates REDWALL, and I'm a super sucker for good world-building. You see, in REDWALL, there's this awesome sword that the mouse protagonist must find to defeat Cluny the Scourge, who is as evil as his name suggests. It's the sword of an ancient, honored warrior... and MOSSFLOWER is the story (well, part of it) of that warrior! Martin is his name, and kicking vermin butts is his game.
This novel is a conflation of probably the two best tropes in fantasy: the "quest" and the "siege". The quest is about finding a warrior fit enough to take down Tsarmina--the wildcat patricide who lords over Mossflower woods. And the siege, well, there's actually two of them, are both pretty rocking. Oh, and there's a ship named *Bloodwake* and food is called 'vittles'. Epic stuff.
But those aren't the reasons I love MOSSFLOWER. I love it because of its themes.
Martin has a sword. It's reforged from the shard of a meteorite. But that just makes it a better tool. The sword is neither good nor bad, though it can be *used* for good or for bad. The first REDWALL book made a pretty clear distinction between the good guys and the bad guys. Good guys = friendly, cute creatures. Bad guys = rats and gross creatures (adders, ferrets and the like). But MOSSFLOWER deals with morality in a more evenhanded fashion. Martin could choose to use the sword to rule over Mossflower like his enemy does, but he elects to help others instead. On the other hand, there are a few 'villianous' creatures who end up being decent people, like Tsarmina's wildcat brother. All in all, it's a much more realistic look at storytelling (as realistic as talking animals can be, that is...)
So if you haven't been paying attention, this book is great. Read it.
Of all the countless stories Brian Jacques told, MOSSFLOWER is my favorite. Most likely because it predates REDWALL, and I'm a super sucker for good world-building. You see, in REDWALL, there's this awesome sword that the mouse protagonist must find to defeat Cluny the Scourge, who is as evil as his name suggests. It's the sword of an ancient, honored warrior... and MOSSFLOWER is the story (well, part of it) of that warrior! Martin is his name, and kicking vermin butts is his game.
This novel is a conflation of probably the two best tropes in fantasy: the "quest" and the "siege". The quest is about finding a warrior fit enough to take down Tsarmina--the wildcat patricide who lords over Mossflower woods. And the siege, well, there's actually two of them, are both pretty rocking. Oh, and there's a ship named *Bloodwake* and food is called 'vittles'. Epic stuff.
But those aren't the reasons I love MOSSFLOWER. I love it because of its themes.
Martin has a sword. It's reforged from the shard of a meteorite. But that just makes it a better tool. The sword is neither good nor bad, though it can be *used* for good or for bad. The first REDWALL book made a pretty clear distinction between the good guys and the bad guys. Good guys = friendly, cute creatures. Bad guys = rats and gross creatures (adders, ferrets and the like). But MOSSFLOWER deals with morality in a more evenhanded fashion. Martin could choose to use the sword to rule over Mossflower like his enemy does, but he elects to help others instead. On the other hand, there are a few 'villianous' creatures who end up being decent people, like Tsarmina's wildcat brother. All in all, it's a much more realistic look at storytelling (as realistic as talking animals can be, that is...)
So if you haven't been paying attention, this book is great. Read it.