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The Sons of Masguard #1
The Sons of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune, Part One
The first installment in a new series from Vivienne Mathews, this anthropomorphic tale is sure to strike a chord with fans of “Redwall,” “Watership Down,” and “Warriors.” Centered on a rivalry between two otter captains and the ancient threat that brings them together, it is an adventure-fantasy on the open sea, described by the author as “’Wind in the Willows’ with pirates.”
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A haunting mist has settled on the harbor beneath Secora Tor. Tasked with unlocking its mysteries is the stoic otter Captain Marshall, an accomplished military figure and heir to the greatest explorer in the kingdom’s history. As he sifts through myth and reality, his dangerous journey grows ever more complicated when he learns that McKinley the Marauder – pirate, nemesis, and general miscreant – has ambitions that could put his mission at risk.
Now, accompanied by a gypsy mercenary, a dishonored knight, and a family of thieves – and tailed by the evil wolf Baron Von Ulric, who has ambitions of his own – their paths converge in an uneasy alliance, becoming a race against time as they travel to the legendary island of Mosque Hill, each of them hoping to reach an ancient artifact before it is too late. Each of them desperate to stay ahead of the secrets that they keep.
What will they lose along the way?
And where will they turn when they realize that nothing is as it seems?
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A haunting mist has settled on the harbor beneath Secora Tor. Tasked with unlocking its mysteries is the stoic otter Captain Marshall, an accomplished military figure and heir to the greatest explorer in the kingdom’s history. As he sifts through myth and reality, his dangerous journey grows ever more complicated when he learns that McKinley the Marauder – pirate, nemesis, and general miscreant – has ambitions that could put his mission at risk.
Now, accompanied by a gypsy mercenary, a dishonored knight, and a family of thieves – and tailed by the evil wolf Baron Von Ulric, who has ambitions of his own – their paths converge in an uneasy alliance, becoming a race against time as they travel to the legendary island of Mosque Hill, each of them hoping to reach an ancient artifact before it is too late. Each of them desperate to stay ahead of the secrets that they keep.
What will they lose along the way?
And where will they turn when they realize that nothing is as it seems?
253 pages, ebook
First published April 13, 2013
82 people are currently reading
964 people want to read
About the author
Vivienne Mathews
12 books44 followersVivienne Mathews is a nerdy ice queen who talks with her hands and owns far too many hats. A beekeeper with a bee allergy, no one would ever accuse her of being sensible. She spends most of her days in Hermitville, just past Nowhere, with her loving husband, two dogs, and a child who won’t stop growing, no matter how desperately she tries to keep him young. More than anything, she hopes you enjoy her books as much as she enjoys writing them.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 10, 2022
Pirates of the Caribbean with animals. Absolutely brilliant.
Captain Marshall is the son of a great explorer and relic hunter. When he comes across a mysterious artifact that once belonged to his father, he gets catapulted in an epic swashbuckling adventure for the ages.
But he didn’t come across this artifact by accident. The most notorious pirate around - McKinley the Marauder - sent it to him and is now stalking him, biding his time and waiting to strike from the shadows when the secret of the artifact is revealed.
They aren’t the only ones in the race though. An evil baron looks to put himself on the throne. To do so, he needs to find an ancient scepter. And the artifact is the key to finding the scepter.
This story starts off a bit rocky for me because it did take me a chapter or two to get used to the style and really get sucked into the story. The plot is revealed slowly and organically, step by step and through multiple points of view. The benefit of this slow reveal is that the characters are all properly fleshed out and there’s also this constant level of suspense and mystery lingering around. The drawback is that there’s not much going on in terms of action and excitement in the beginning. There is also a lot of meat to the story itself, demanding you actively pay attention to all the little details to really appreciate all this story has to offer. Unfortunately, this also slows down the pace of the story a little bit. It’s worth it though. If you’re patient and pay attention, you’ll be rewarded with an extraordinary well-crafted pirate adventure that absolutely deserves your attention.
While this is marketed towards children, I might actually recommend this more to a young adult audience to be honest. What might scare off a more mature crowd at first is that all the characters are animals. Having animals as characters is often used in children’s stories to create some emotional distance and to add some silliness and fun, making it easier to tell a powerful or even a painful story. With children in particular this is a very useful tool to introduce them to important issues and teach them valuable life lessons. This book however reminds me that having animal characters opens up the story to a whole world of subtle opportunities which simply wouldn’t have been available with human characters. It really adds a new dimension to the story, most noticeably in the swashbuckling fight scenes but also cleverly used in another way entirely. This also helps create memorable and easy to visualize characters.
A whole army of interesting characters and an expertly crafted, gripping story with twists and turns aplenty. This a really fun read which I absolutely recommend. A very rewarding pirate adventure to those willing to pay attention.
Captain Marshall is the son of a great explorer and relic hunter. When he comes across a mysterious artifact that once belonged to his father, he gets catapulted in an epic swashbuckling adventure for the ages.
But he didn’t come across this artifact by accident. The most notorious pirate around - McKinley the Marauder - sent it to him and is now stalking him, biding his time and waiting to strike from the shadows when the secret of the artifact is revealed.
They aren’t the only ones in the race though. An evil baron looks to put himself on the throne. To do so, he needs to find an ancient scepter. And the artifact is the key to finding the scepter.
This story starts off a bit rocky for me because it did take me a chapter or two to get used to the style and really get sucked into the story. The plot is revealed slowly and organically, step by step and through multiple points of view. The benefit of this slow reveal is that the characters are all properly fleshed out and there’s also this constant level of suspense and mystery lingering around. The drawback is that there’s not much going on in terms of action and excitement in the beginning. There is also a lot of meat to the story itself, demanding you actively pay attention to all the little details to really appreciate all this story has to offer. Unfortunately, this also slows down the pace of the story a little bit. It’s worth it though. If you’re patient and pay attention, you’ll be rewarded with an extraordinary well-crafted pirate adventure that absolutely deserves your attention.
While this is marketed towards children, I might actually recommend this more to a young adult audience to be honest. What might scare off a more mature crowd at first is that all the characters are animals. Having animals as characters is often used in children’s stories to create some emotional distance and to add some silliness and fun, making it easier to tell a powerful or even a painful story. With children in particular this is a very useful tool to introduce them to important issues and teach them valuable life lessons. This book however reminds me that having animal characters opens up the story to a whole world of subtle opportunities which simply wouldn’t have been available with human characters. It really adds a new dimension to the story, most noticeably in the swashbuckling fight scenes but also cleverly used in another way entirely. This also helps create memorable and easy to visualize characters.
A whole army of interesting characters and an expertly crafted, gripping story with twists and turns aplenty. This a really fun read which I absolutely recommend. A very rewarding pirate adventure to those willing to pay attention.
August 30, 2013
He was surrounded by a sea of hostile faces.
“Oh come on!” he groaned. “I don’t want to have to kill all of you. Do you have any idea how much blood that would leave lying around? Who’s going to clean that up, huh? My crew? They’re pirates, not manservants. Honestly, the lot of you are so very thoughtless.”
Join a menagerie of cute, furry animals as they enact a thrilling, high-seas adventure.
No, no, this isn’t happening! She screamed internally as arrows rained over her head, drowning the ship in flames. Above her, able soldiers burst into movement, responding on instinct, their actions chaotic and rushed. Then Marshall’s voice rose up, bringing order, building a machine where only scattered cogs had been. The ship became a focused weapon, one she shuddered to be a part of, even unintentionally. Her former concerns seemed pointless as the anchor dropped to her right with a sudden rush of air, and she was thrown headlong over the end of the figurehead, scraping and clawing to catch herself just in time, with her feet dangling precariously over the sea. Then the cannons exploded, sending tremors through the wood. It shook with such violence that her tiny muscles cried out in desperation, proving no match. Her grip would fail her in seconds.
This exceptionally well-written book should be enjoyed by all ages. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
If the powers that be at Disney/Pixar had any brains, they'd be filming this adventure, instead of Cars, Planes, and , oh, I don't know...Dumptrucks?
“Oh come on!” he groaned. “I don’t want to have to kill all of you. Do you have any idea how much blood that would leave lying around? Who’s going to clean that up, huh? My crew? They’re pirates, not manservants. Honestly, the lot of you are so very thoughtless.”
Join a menagerie of cute, furry animals as they enact a thrilling, high-seas adventure.
No, no, this isn’t happening! She screamed internally as arrows rained over her head, drowning the ship in flames. Above her, able soldiers burst into movement, responding on instinct, their actions chaotic and rushed. Then Marshall’s voice rose up, bringing order, building a machine where only scattered cogs had been. The ship became a focused weapon, one she shuddered to be a part of, even unintentionally. Her former concerns seemed pointless as the anchor dropped to her right with a sudden rush of air, and she was thrown headlong over the end of the figurehead, scraping and clawing to catch herself just in time, with her feet dangling precariously over the sea. Then the cannons exploded, sending tremors through the wood. It shook with such violence that her tiny muscles cried out in desperation, proving no match. Her grip would fail her in seconds.
This exceptionally well-written book should be enjoyed by all ages. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
If the powers that be at Disney/Pixar had any brains, they'd be filming this adventure, instead of Cars, Planes, and , oh, I don't know...Dumptrucks?
February 8, 2025
I've always been a fan of animal-themed fiction starting with the late Brian Jacques' Redwall stories when I read the first few in junior high school and would move on to other ones in the future, some good (and most Redwall books were racist rehashes), and others bad (mostly the leftist political porn penned by the likes of Kyell Gold). I went into Vivienne Mathews' The Sons of Masguard series, starting with its first installment, The Mosque Hill Fortune, blind, with the author dedicating it to her husband, son, and friends she no longer knew, still in her heart and thoughts.
In the prologue, Masguard the otter captain writes about fate, knowing his son Marshall on the other side of the world yearns to see him again, with Fender the marmot quartermaster interrupting him, the captain himself holding a mysterious relic. He talks to Ustim, his vessel's avian lookout, yearning to meet Constance Prideaux at the capital and yearning to sail to a cove off the Bannered Shore. The main chapters open twenty-five years later, with hunters working and encountering a strange creature in a trap. Marshall despises McKinley the Marauder, who steals wood and eludes the Armada, Marshall himself seeking relics and confiding in his old badger friend Abner Frum, setting sail with his ringtail commander of the Albatross, Gray Calum.
Marshall and Calum arrive at Secora Tor, discussing the titular Mosque Hill Fortune, recalling that the former queen, Constance Prideaux, sought it. Putris the weasel whines about royal succession, with the wolf queen and Constance's daughter, Victorie, talking about politics to the otter captain, mentioning that her ancestors responsible for losing the royal Scepter. It's mentioned that the lupine Baron Von Ulric, committed a Massacre, with the queen wanting Marshall to find the Scepter before the wolf does. The queen's advisor, Eadric the bird, boards the Albatross, with Ryder the collie giving a clever poetic introduction to the vessel.
A female raccoon, Careful Steps Kal, or C.S., loots a trashcan, being unable to stealing a medallion and knowing that Marshall has heavy freight on his ship. C.S. talks to the young otter girl Maya, who has a daddy-daughter talk with her father McKinley, rambling about various matters. The beaver thief Barlos steals stuff, talking with the Marauder, whom he fears, McKinley sees a wisp, Baron continues to talk to Abner, Lady Sira the coyote interrupts, and Abner is arrested. Eadric is ostracized aboard the Albatross, with various things occurring onboard, a lighthouse exploding.
McKinley seeks a cure for his sick daughter, and it's discovered that the sea chart leading to Mosque Hill is incomplete. The Baron's forces storm the Albatross, and McKinley eventually finds himself aboard the ship, wanting the Mosque Hill Fortune for himself. The fishing town of Bryton is found to be in ruins, and C.S. plots to kill the Baron, meeting McKinley in the process. A ton of other stuff happens towards the end of the book, with Maya's life hanging in the balance, and a cliffhanger leading into the following entries.
Overall, while I've enjoyed furry literature in the past, this was a major exception, and I feel that most books that feature casts of diverse species would really benefit from lists of dramatis personae so one could keep track of which character belongs to which race, and as the Kindle X-Ray feature doesn't note things like that, I had to keep notes of that so I didn't get confused. Furthermore, I didn't find the book to be remotely engaging and found myself constantly rereading passages, and there are frequent oddities like "Dolphin Regulators" and expressions such as "climbed into bed with a lawn." Thus, I won't be reading its sequels.
In the prologue, Masguard the otter captain writes about fate, knowing his son Marshall on the other side of the world yearns to see him again, with Fender the marmot quartermaster interrupting him, the captain himself holding a mysterious relic. He talks to Ustim, his vessel's avian lookout, yearning to meet Constance Prideaux at the capital and yearning to sail to a cove off the Bannered Shore. The main chapters open twenty-five years later, with hunters working and encountering a strange creature in a trap. Marshall despises McKinley the Marauder, who steals wood and eludes the Armada, Marshall himself seeking relics and confiding in his old badger friend Abner Frum, setting sail with his ringtail commander of the Albatross, Gray Calum.
Marshall and Calum arrive at Secora Tor, discussing the titular Mosque Hill Fortune, recalling that the former queen, Constance Prideaux, sought it. Putris the weasel whines about royal succession, with the wolf queen and Constance's daughter, Victorie, talking about politics to the otter captain, mentioning that her ancestors responsible for losing the royal Scepter. It's mentioned that the lupine Baron Von Ulric, committed a Massacre, with the queen wanting Marshall to find the Scepter before the wolf does. The queen's advisor, Eadric the bird, boards the Albatross, with Ryder the collie giving a clever poetic introduction to the vessel.
A female raccoon, Careful Steps Kal, or C.S., loots a trashcan, being unable to stealing a medallion and knowing that Marshall has heavy freight on his ship. C.S. talks to the young otter girl Maya, who has a daddy-daughter talk with her father McKinley, rambling about various matters. The beaver thief Barlos steals stuff, talking with the Marauder, whom he fears, McKinley sees a wisp, Baron continues to talk to Abner, Lady Sira the coyote interrupts, and Abner is arrested. Eadric is ostracized aboard the Albatross, with various things occurring onboard, a lighthouse exploding.
McKinley seeks a cure for his sick daughter, and it's discovered that the sea chart leading to Mosque Hill is incomplete. The Baron's forces storm the Albatross, and McKinley eventually finds himself aboard the ship, wanting the Mosque Hill Fortune for himself. The fishing town of Bryton is found to be in ruins, and C.S. plots to kill the Baron, meeting McKinley in the process. A ton of other stuff happens towards the end of the book, with Maya's life hanging in the balance, and a cliffhanger leading into the following entries.
Overall, while I've enjoyed furry literature in the past, this was a major exception, and I feel that most books that feature casts of diverse species would really benefit from lists of dramatis personae so one could keep track of which character belongs to which race, and as the Kindle X-Ray feature doesn't note things like that, I had to keep notes of that so I didn't get confused. Furthermore, I didn't find the book to be remotely engaging and found myself constantly rereading passages, and there are frequent oddities like "Dolphin Regulators" and expressions such as "climbed into bed with a lawn." Thus, I won't be reading its sequels.
January 23, 2022
Swashbuckling Adventure with intrigue
Imagine if you will a world where all people are Animals. Or Animals are people.. well in this word there are no humans. A high sea adventure with wonderful characters and interesting villians.. but who are the real villains ... you'll know by the end of the book. Now it does have a cliffhanger but the next book picks up minutes after this one ends. Since I started reading it right away... if we could become our furry persona this would be the book series for you.
Imagine if you will a world where all people are Animals. Or Animals are people.. well in this word there are no humans. A high sea adventure with wonderful characters and interesting villians.. but who are the real villains ... you'll know by the end of the book. Now it does have a cliffhanger but the next book picks up minutes after this one ends. Since I started reading it right away... if we could become our furry persona this would be the book series for you.
April 14, 2018
This book was so good! I really liked the adventure and all the twists and turns thrown in! I loved the sense of adventure it had as well. It started off a little slow and I found myself struggling to get into it, but it got better as I kept reading.
I really liked the characters and their stories and slowly watching everything unfold. There's so much mystery tied up with everyone that you are constantly wondering and guessing what's going to happen next. This was a very enjoyable read. :)
I really liked the characters and their stories and slowly watching everything unfold. There's so much mystery tied up with everyone that you are constantly wondering and guessing what's going to happen next. This was a very enjoyable read. :)
May 21, 2021
If you have the opportunity, listen to the audio book. The narrator does an incredible job!
May 27, 2015
This is the tale of two otters, both sea captains, both strong and self-assured, both masters of their own crew. Marshall, son of the famous (and missing) relic hunter, is the darling of the Secoran navy, master of weaponry, loyal, honest, and stalwart. McKinley the Marauder, infamous pirate, quick on his feet, adaptable, brash, and droll. No two “men” have ever been more a different…or more equally matched. For both are pursuing the same end—the fabled Mosque Hill Fortune. There Marshall hopes to seize the Scepter, the ancient symbol of Secoran power, before the evil Baron Von Ulrich usurps power. McKinley seeks only treasure, and hopes it will be enough to save the life of his young daughter.
This is a tremendously engaging epic adventure with swashbuckling pirates, naval battles, a treasure hunt, and a host of wonderful characters, both good and evil. Ms. Matthews’ mastery of language is a beautiful thing. Each word is weighted and well-chosen, each sentence efficient and skillfully constructed. Lovely. The characterization and world building are also outstanding. Because the characters are all animals, it’s reminiscent of a Disney movie, but it contains a violent element with blood, injuries, and death that Disney usually sugar coats. It also reminds me a bit of the Warrior series by Erin Hunter, as well as Peter and the Starchachers, by Ridley Pierson and Dave Barry.
Because of the violence, vocab, and degree of difficulty, I’d recommend this one for age 11.
This is a tremendously engaging epic adventure with swashbuckling pirates, naval battles, a treasure hunt, and a host of wonderful characters, both good and evil. Ms. Matthews’ mastery of language is a beautiful thing. Each word is weighted and well-chosen, each sentence efficient and skillfully constructed. Lovely. The characterization and world building are also outstanding. Because the characters are all animals, it’s reminiscent of a Disney movie, but it contains a violent element with blood, injuries, and death that Disney usually sugar coats. It also reminds me a bit of the Warrior series by Erin Hunter, as well as Peter and the Starchachers, by Ridley Pierson and Dave Barry.
Because of the violence, vocab, and degree of difficulty, I’d recommend this one for age 11.
March 23, 2016
Ok, I'm going to go on record right now and say that I didn't actually finish this book, so take that into account when reading this review. I just had a hard time getting into this for whatever reason. There was actually nothing wrong with this story. I got about half way through, and loved every chapter. The chapters just felt like they took forever to get through. While I was engaged, I was also kind of bored, which is odd. I think it was 100% just me not being in the mood. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this story. Vivienne Mathews is a fantastic writer who tells a fantastic story. It's a bit reminiscent of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques but a little more action packed with a more modern feel. It's just a great story. I just don't think I'm in the mood. I'll most likely return for it one day, but as of now, I couldn't finish. I still wanted to leave a review in case I don't make it back in the foreseeable future.
If you like anthropomorphic fantasy, read this book. You won't regret it.
If you like anthropomorphic fantasy, read this book. You won't regret it.
April 17, 2014
Welcome to the world of pirates and sailors and soldiers and royal scheming on a wold that is not ours, created within this fast moving story.
I started this book without a hint of where its pages would lead. I finished it with a smile and a feeling of having just completed the first leg of a grand adventure. The author has laid down an unusual tale, replete with heroes, villains, good-hearted and black-hearted characters and all shades of in-between: characters with the ability to reach out and take you with them long before you realize you've been captured. Ms. Mathews is a talented writer with the skill to steal you from your chair and pull you into the pages where belief in the world she created comes easily. This first book of an epic fantasy series is a wonderful read for anyone from a teenager to an octogenarian and beyond.
I started this book without a hint of where its pages would lead. I finished it with a smile and a feeling of having just completed the first leg of a grand adventure. The author has laid down an unusual tale, replete with heroes, villains, good-hearted and black-hearted characters and all shades of in-between: characters with the ability to reach out and take you with them long before you realize you've been captured. Ms. Mathews is a talented writer with the skill to steal you from your chair and pull you into the pages where belief in the world she created comes easily. This first book of an epic fantasy series is a wonderful read for anyone from a teenager to an octogenarian and beyond.
July 24, 2016
Top Marks for Creativity
Quirky and different. I can visualize the various anthropomorphized animals and birds. They all talk, and they all have hands...they have animal characteristics as well. There are excellent word pictures of ships under sail, and of seafaring battles. This is suitable for all ages. I enjoyed the action and adventure. It's interesting how the magic appears, and changes, just at the right moments, but that's how magic should be, isn't it? It works. It's a little annoying that so many stories have to be told in several installments to make us buy the series. I prefer a self-contained tale that has a conclusion. I'd love to see this on-screen.
Quirky and different. I can visualize the various anthropomorphized animals and birds. They all talk, and they all have hands...they have animal characteristics as well. There are excellent word pictures of ships under sail, and of seafaring battles. This is suitable for all ages. I enjoyed the action and adventure. It's interesting how the magic appears, and changes, just at the right moments, but that's how magic should be, isn't it? It works. It's a little annoying that so many stories have to be told in several installments to make us buy the series. I prefer a self-contained tale that has a conclusion. I'd love to see this on-screen.
August 10, 2015
Really enjoyable read similar to the Redwall series. My only critique is that it mentions (several times) things that happened previous to this story which leads you to believe you have missed something. Since this is actually the first book that is a little confusing. Well-written and fun with the animals taking on human aspects. Will be reading the 2nd one.
January 21, 2024
3.5 stars. Starts out kinda slow, but once it gets going, it really doesn't stop. I don't really get Wind in the Willows from it, though. It's more Redwall than WITW. Can't believe it's a free book, though; it's a seriously good read. Solid. A bit too violent for younger readers. (For more, see my review on book 2.)
November 29, 2015
*4.5*
I really enjoyed this! It made me laugh, made me cry & had me on the edge of my seat.
Mathews writing is lovely and engaging and I really liked it :)
To me this was like a Redwall/Pirates of the Caribbean mash-up and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Can't wait to continue with the next in the series!
I really enjoyed this! It made me laugh, made me cry & had me on the edge of my seat.
Mathews writing is lovely and engaging and I really liked it :)
To me this was like a Redwall/Pirates of the Caribbean mash-up and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Can't wait to continue with the next in the series!
September 15, 2022
This is one of my favorite animal fantasy books of all time. ( I have read a lot of animal fiction and fantasy) Very few books manage to add such complexity and depth to their main heroes in a relatively short amount of time. If they lack some amount of depth (Captain Marshall) they still manage to make the story more interesting.
April 15, 2014
This is a series that I definitely want to follow. The writing is well done, with excellent characters, and lots of action. I've definitely found a new author to follow. Well done!
I was given a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
I was given a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
July 2, 2015
The Mosque Hill Fortune
Ah another great series begins, the Sons of Masguard will become an instant classic! Join in the adventure as Captain and crew seek to find a mysterious island beyond the mists.
Ah another great series begins, the Sons of Masguard will become an instant classic! Join in the adventure as Captain and crew seek to find a mysterious island beyond the mists.
September 22, 2013
I downloaded this book with the author's permission, the book is well written and I enjoyed reading it.
August 7, 2013
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Great characters and a fantastic story. A must read for people of all ages!
March 10, 2016
A bit overwrought.
December 14, 2016
I'm giving this high marks, although I never really believed any of the characters were animals. The story was great.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews