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Redwall #4
Mariel of Redwall
In the fourth volume of the epic Redwall saga, a mouse-ship is attacked by the pirate rat Gabool and his heinous band of cut-throats. Hapless voyagers Mariel and her father Joseph the Bellmaker are mercilessly thrown into the sea by the pirates. Mariel washes ashore, starved and near death, and is taken in by the hospitable inhabitants of Redwall Abbey. Sure that her poor father is dead, Mariel swears an oath of vengeance against the filthy pirates who killed her father. With he help of a motley band of animals, Mariel leads the charge to recover a bell and avenge her father.
About the Author:
Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England, in 1939. Growing up on the docks of Liverpool, he attended St. John's School. He went on to work as a radio show host, playwright, longshoreman, lorry driver, folk singer and comedian prior to his career as a writer. The father of two sons, Jacques enjoys walking his West Highland Terrier, Teddy and spends most of his time writing. A new Redwall book is introduced once every year.
370 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
373 people are currently reading
7709 people want to read
About the author
Brian Jacques
260 books4,306 followers Brian Jacques (pronounced 'jakes') was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact.
Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.
Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).
Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.
When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.
Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.
Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.
Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).
Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.
When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.
Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 580 reviews
March 17, 2020
This was a fun read that was a buddy read with @Leila over there on the other side of the pond in England. This is one of the beautiful things about Goodreads. To have a friend to relate and learn from. Without Leila's suggestion to read this I would have never picked it up on my own so THANK YOU so much.
This was an adventurous story of a land called Redwall. The protagonist is a young, heroic mouse called Mariel. On losing her memory she meets wonderful critters at the Abbey that help her and her memories come back. She must save Redwall from the Searats. She is fierce and energetic and strong. She does not take crap from any living creature.
The searats are miserable, nasty pirates that kill for the thrill and power over the small and innocent. They have machismo and try to outsmart one another.
While I was reading this I imagined the movie cartoon version where Johnny Depth plays Gabool, the worst villain the sea has ever met. It was critter 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Very fun YA. So full of imagination and friendship and revenge.
This was an adventurous story of a land called Redwall. The protagonist is a young, heroic mouse called Mariel. On losing her memory she meets wonderful critters at the Abbey that help her and her memories come back. She must save Redwall from the Searats. She is fierce and energetic and strong. She does not take crap from any living creature.
The searats are miserable, nasty pirates that kill for the thrill and power over the small and innocent. They have machismo and try to outsmart one another.
While I was reading this I imagined the movie cartoon version where Johnny Depth plays Gabool, the worst villain the sea has ever met. It was critter 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Very fun YA. So full of imagination and friendship and revenge.
August 19, 2022
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Redwall Abbey is always a wonderfully cozy place to revisit, no matter the plight facing its inhabitants. However, I have to confess that those plights are beginning to blur together in my mind, because each book is so formulaic. Almost without fail, the Abbey will be under some sort of siege by unsavory characters looking to enslave those within its walls and steal their home and resources. As this occurs, those most warrior-like from the Abbey are off on a quest far from home to defeat someone or win back an item that in some way correlates to the happenings back home in Mossflower forest and Redwall. And this tends to be under the guidance of the spirit of Martin the Warrior. Do I have any problem with this plot line? Not at all. But I have to admit that it’s becoming a tad redundant this many volumes into the series.
One thing I did really appreciate about this book as compared to those preceding it was the fact that the titular hero was a female. Mariel is brave and fierce and feisty and determined and terrifically skilled with a weapon for one untrained. I found her journey an interesting and intense one to witness. But there were a couple of things about this installment in particular that bugged me. First of all, I found the central villain fairly unbelievable. His level of obsession with this bell, to the point of no longer sleeping and then falling prey to madness, made no sense to me. He went from sly to completely mental over the course of a scant few chapters, and it simply didn’t feel believable to me. Even in a story about anthropomorphic animals running an Abbey and waging wars, this bell-induced insanity was where my skepticism couldn’t be kept at bay. There’s also a place near the end of the book where a couple of creatures fight over who has the right to kill another character. This is such a stupid discussion to me, whenever I happen to see it in media. Who cares who can claim the kill, as long as the beast in question is put down in the end? It’s utterly nonsensical and baffles me any time I come across it.
I might’ve had qualms with this volume, but I still enjoyed the story and the setting. And, of course, the food. Jacques wrote food descriptions like no one else I’ve ever read, and they never fail to make me hungry for things I’m pretty sure would actually be vile in real life. I also love knowing that everything is going to work out all right in the end, which makes this series perfect for children just getting into fantasy and adults looking for something cozy and nostalgic to provide a brief escape from the darker world of most adult fantasy fiction. Even if this wasn’t a perfect book, it was a fun one, and I’ll definitely be continuing on with the series.
Redwall Abbey is always a wonderfully cozy place to revisit, no matter the plight facing its inhabitants. However, I have to confess that those plights are beginning to blur together in my mind, because each book is so formulaic. Almost without fail, the Abbey will be under some sort of siege by unsavory characters looking to enslave those within its walls and steal their home and resources. As this occurs, those most warrior-like from the Abbey are off on a quest far from home to defeat someone or win back an item that in some way correlates to the happenings back home in Mossflower forest and Redwall. And this tends to be under the guidance of the spirit of Martin the Warrior. Do I have any problem with this plot line? Not at all. But I have to admit that it’s becoming a tad redundant this many volumes into the series.
One thing I did really appreciate about this book as compared to those preceding it was the fact that the titular hero was a female. Mariel is brave and fierce and feisty and determined and terrifically skilled with a weapon for one untrained. I found her journey an interesting and intense one to witness. But there were a couple of things about this installment in particular that bugged me. First of all, I found the central villain fairly unbelievable. His level of obsession with this bell, to the point of no longer sleeping and then falling prey to madness, made no sense to me. He went from sly to completely mental over the course of a scant few chapters, and it simply didn’t feel believable to me. Even in a story about anthropomorphic animals running an Abbey and waging wars, this bell-induced insanity was where my skepticism couldn’t be kept at bay. There’s also a place near the end of the book where a couple of creatures fight over who has the right to kill another character. This is such a stupid discussion to me, whenever I happen to see it in media. Who cares who can claim the kill, as long as the beast in question is put down in the end? It’s utterly nonsensical and baffles me any time I come across it.
I might’ve had qualms with this volume, but I still enjoyed the story and the setting. And, of course, the food. Jacques wrote food descriptions like no one else I’ve ever read, and they never fail to make me hungry for things I’m pretty sure would actually be vile in real life. I also love knowing that everything is going to work out all right in the end, which makes this series perfect for children just getting into fantasy and adults looking for something cozy and nostalgic to provide a brief escape from the darker world of most adult fantasy fiction. Even if this wasn’t a perfect book, it was a fun one, and I’ll definitely be continuing on with the series.
January 18, 2008
I have read this book before, but it still enchants me. This was the first Redwall book that I ever picked up. I had heard that it was about mice, and I didn't want to read it. Then one day, I was soooooo bored that I picked it up and was enthralled, but was reprimanded for reading this one first, and so I took Redwall out from the library. It got better and better. I love these books. :)This is about Mariel and how she hunts down Gabool the Wild, in return for his imprisoning her and her father. Brian Jaques comes up with the coolest riddles!
April 5, 2020
Brian Jacques is one of my favourite children's authors. He is sadly missed.
September 25, 2020
Notable for the sheer scope of action and swashbuckling adventure, plus the introduction of Mariel and her father Joseph the Bellmaker. Even separated, believing one another to be dead, their wills to survive and their resourcefulness and ambition to do as much as they can to fight back against evil made this book and its sequel, The Bellmaker, two of Redwall's best installments.
June 25, 2025
5 stars. Have I been binging Redwall? Why, yes. Have I wandered all over the chronological and published order? Well, rather. Am I still infatuated? Entirely.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the most similar books in the series are 1, 2, & 3—which still aren’t super similar to be honest. The rest are very different. This book, however, still had the traditional Redwall under attack angle, which I enjoyed. Our other setting was Terramort, the isle where Gabool the terrible has made his headquarters with his searats.
Mariel was honestly not my favourite character, either here or in other books. She doesn’t do much but whack stuff. She’s not super funny or sweet, like most other characters, and instead is a very serious, very dutiful, and very warring mousemaid. I felt she didn’t have much personality. However, she had an interesting storyline, so I didn’t care too much about how little I was interested in her. The rabbits—I beg their pardons, the hares—were a hoot and a half, as usual, but still varied! Tarquin was all fool (quite fun of course); and Rosie was an interesting mixture of warrior and dizzy haremaid; but Col. Clary and Brig. Thyme were absolute heroes and I am still not over their story!!! Rawnblade I remember nothing about; clearly he had no striking character marks to make him stand out here or among the other badgers. Dandin was also not a very original character but I liked him, and Durry was super cute (idk, he’s a hedgehog, ok?). I loved all the Dibbuns and other Redwall characters, even if I did get them a bit mixed up. Mother Mellus was delightful and Pakatugg was the crazy redneck paranoid guy that struck me as really comedic somehow. Simeon was a dear old soul, and Oak Tom is strangely fascinating?? Finally, the main searats had enough personality to stand apart and were the usual hilariously blundering but still scary villains, and Gabool was wild and quite terrifying—I know I say it every time about every villain, but it’s true.
I really loved the sea-bound atmosphere of the book! It was quite an enjoyable romp on the high seas, in my opinion. Mariel, Dandin, Durry, and Co.’s journey was reminiscent of other books as well, but still different enough. The underground revolution was an unexpected but really fun stroke; and also that Redwall siege was more anxiety-inducing to me than usual somehow… and amazing…
Overall, it’s been a bit too long since I read the book and I’m a jumbled mess of all the other Redwall stories right now, so forgive my helter-skelter and perhaps slightly inaccurate review, and just know that this was a great book and a lovely addition to the series and I highly enjoyed it.
*Content list & quotes to come*
I’ve come to the conclusion that the most similar books in the series are 1, 2, & 3—which still aren’t super similar to be honest. The rest are very different. This book, however, still had the traditional Redwall under attack angle, which I enjoyed. Our other setting was Terramort, the isle where Gabool the terrible has made his headquarters with his searats.
Mariel was honestly not my favourite character, either here or in other books. She doesn’t do much but whack stuff. She’s not super funny or sweet, like most other characters, and instead is a very serious, very dutiful, and very warring mousemaid. I felt she didn’t have much personality. However, she had an interesting storyline, so I didn’t care too much about how little I was interested in her. The rabbits—I beg their pardons, the hares—were a hoot and a half, as usual, but still varied! Tarquin was all fool (quite fun of course); and Rosie was an interesting mixture of warrior and dizzy haremaid; but Col. Clary and Brig. Thyme were absolute heroes and I am still not over their story!!! Rawnblade I remember nothing about; clearly he had no striking character marks to make him stand out here or among the other badgers. Dandin was also not a very original character but I liked him, and Durry was super cute (idk, he’s a hedgehog, ok?). I loved all the Dibbuns and other Redwall characters, even if I did get them a bit mixed up. Mother Mellus was delightful and Pakatugg was the crazy redneck paranoid guy that struck me as really comedic somehow. Simeon was a dear old soul, and Oak Tom is strangely fascinating?? Finally, the main searats had enough personality to stand apart and were the usual hilariously blundering but still scary villains, and Gabool was wild and quite terrifying—I know I say it every time about every villain, but it’s true.
I really loved the sea-bound atmosphere of the book! It was quite an enjoyable romp on the high seas, in my opinion. Mariel, Dandin, Durry, and Co.’s journey was reminiscent of other books as well, but still different enough. The underground revolution was an unexpected but really fun stroke; and also that Redwall siege was more anxiety-inducing to me than usual somehow… and amazing…
Overall, it’s been a bit too long since I read the book and I’m a jumbled mess of all the other Redwall stories right now, so forgive my helter-skelter and perhaps slightly inaccurate review, and just know that this was a great book and a lovely addition to the series and I highly enjoyed it.
*Content list & quotes to come*
September 3, 2022
This was another entertaining and endearing read from the Redwall series. Mariel of Redwall was one of the prequel stories to the first titular book of the series, and provided more history to the Redwall Abbey that we've come to known and love. Mariel as the eponymous character of the book was very easy to like, as was the case with most of the main characters of each title so far. There's really nothing new that I can say given that the stories are fairly formulaic (well, these are children's stories after all) but it's a formula that works and one which I really enjoy.
January 3, 2023
This felt very different in tone than the other Redwall books I've read so far, but I still enjoyed the adventures, especially the piratey-sea aspect. Getting to tie in parts of Mossflower to Redwall was very enjoyable. Tarquin reminded me so much of my own bunny. I loved him!
August 18, 2012
rip brian jacques. So tough to choose a favorite from the Brian Jacques vault. While I am delighted to discover that there are yet a few books in the Redwall series that I haven't read, it saddens me to know that I'll never get to be a child eagerly awaiting the newest release in an ongoing saga of Martin the warrior and the peace-loving woodland inhabitants of the abbey. I no longer have the letter Mr. Jacques wrote in response to a third grade assignment in which I had to write 5 fanmail letters to celebrities (the other most famous people I could think of at the time and admired were Jim Davis, author of Garfield, and Charles Schultz, who I was devastated to learn was already dead.), but now as I am reminded of Mr. Jacques passage I believe that a more tenderhearted man never existed. I really think this series helped to indoctrinate me in the beliefs that good will always win over evil, and that even the most diminutive creatures can be heroes/heroines. I think Mariel is my favorite, because she's tough as nails and basically embodies all of the qualities I admire in a heroine despite the fact that she's a mouse. It's been at least a decade since I read this book, but I suppose my purview in writing this review is really to pay homage to Mr. Brian Jacques for providing me with some of the most valuable literary experiences I had as a child. Thanks and RIP
October 27, 2022
Draw close, now, little woodlander.
Take this to sleep with you:
My tale of dusty, far-off times,
When warrior hearts were true.
brb sobbing over the way this audiobook impacted Baby Olivia's story sense and the sheer amount of love I have for it now and always
June 2, 2025
My favorite of the series so far!
May 21, 2011
Are there any good books about Mariels? I once found an e-book online (didn't read it. The excerpt was bad enough) about a woman with my whole name who sleeps with her boss. That doesn't count. She was pathetic. (I was googling myself. I shouldn't do that. Shit I posted at 17 is still around. I'm worried about e-books soiling my name?)
I wished I'd read this as a kid (it came out in 1990 or 1991? I was still young enough). I would have loved a heroine with my own name. (Instead I had to put up with Ariel from The Little Mermaid and no one would ever listen to me that it isn't pronounced the same. Tough times... Where was the sword wielding Mariel then, hmm? No wonder I pinched bullies with my Sebastian the lobster fingers claws. Disney is a bad influence.)
What is up with all of the eating? It's honeyed cakes this and spiced meads that. If they aren't eating, it is because they are cooking. Don't read these books if you are on a diet. Actually, the food didn't even sound that good. Like the Turkish Delight from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Yuck. (John Bellairs, on the other hand, was a recipe (chocolate chip cookie recipe) for disaster.) (Don't go grocery shopping or write book reviews while hungry.)
Anyway, as much as it pains me to say it, Mariel was pretty lame. She wasn't even a heroine. I think Jacques just wanted to have a female heroine to name after me and he stuck this little mouse in the place of a biter fighter (me!).
I've read a couple of others in the series. I couldn't get past the eating. It was like Hemingway and the wine flowing like wine on every page. My mom named me Mariel 'cause she admired the teen modelling career of Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter, Mariel. Aha! So we make wine flow like Jesus. (No wonder I'm the life of all parties.) (I'm not. I'm reviewing this on gr at home by myself so obviously I'm not.) (Ignore the sound of honeyed mead bottles corking in the background.)
I wished I'd read this as a kid (it came out in 1990 or 1991? I was still young enough). I would have loved a heroine with my own name. (Instead I had to put up with Ariel from The Little Mermaid and no one would ever listen to me that it isn't pronounced the same. Tough times... Where was the sword wielding Mariel then, hmm? No wonder I pinched bullies with my Sebastian the lobster fingers claws. Disney is a bad influence.)
What is up with all of the eating? It's honeyed cakes this and spiced meads that. If they aren't eating, it is because they are cooking. Don't read these books if you are on a diet. Actually, the food didn't even sound that good. Like the Turkish Delight from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Yuck. (John Bellairs, on the other hand, was a recipe (chocolate chip cookie recipe) for disaster.) (Don't go grocery shopping or write book reviews while hungry.)
Anyway, as much as it pains me to say it, Mariel was pretty lame. She wasn't even a heroine. I think Jacques just wanted to have a female heroine to name after me and he stuck this little mouse in the place of a biter fighter (me!).
I've read a couple of others in the series. I couldn't get past the eating. It was like Hemingway and the wine flowing like wine on every page. My mom named me Mariel 'cause she admired the teen modelling career of Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter, Mariel. Aha! So we make wine flow like Jesus. (No wonder I'm the life of all parties.) (I'm not. I'm reviewing this on gr at home by myself so obviously I'm not.) (Ignore the sound of honeyed mead bottles corking in the background.)
May 31, 2018
=====================
Somewhat original review
=====================
This was frightfully enjoyable, old beans and beanesses. As of such, according to the logical nature of the good ol' world, I enjoyed it. Actually, I enjoyed it a great deal.
The humor, battles, characters, and adventures were all vigorously delightful. Nevertheless, my favourite part is almost definitely the different dialects of the assorted animals. British English is so much more enjoyable than American English.
Somewhat original review
=====================
This was frightfully enjoyable, old beans and beanesses. As of such, according to the logical nature of the good ol' world, I enjoyed it. Actually, I enjoyed it a great deal.
The humor, battles, characters, and adventures were all vigorously delightful. Nevertheless, my favo
February 7, 2017
I had reached for the Redwall series as a break from a lot of dark fiction I had been reading recently. I found the experience was like climbing into my old playroom. At first it's warm and homey and all of my friends are there. But then I realize that I've basically played out all my old games and things are more complicated than "hare, good; sea rat, bad". So I will rate it as my childhood self might have and move on to other things.
August 11, 2021
Note to self: If ever have daughter? Name her Mariel
November 14, 2024
I wasn’t completely all in starting this particular tale of redwall abbey, but Mariel is one of if not potentially my favorite of all the main protagonist’s thus far. I mean she comes from terrible hardship and loss, even without her memory she knows right and wrong, her bullwacker rope is just such a cool and badass weapon and punch for punch she shows that the female creatures of the world can be just as fearsome and formidable. Not to mention the wonderful addition of high seas, pirates and swashbuckling just gave the whole adventure tv at much more of a lovely flair. To top it off, without spoiling anything, the ending to this particular novel is genuinely so sweet and is probably my favorite closing of the series as well so far. Eulalia!
April 9, 2021
Such a fun, happy, good versus evil series.
January 17, 2016
I know they're really childrens' books... but when the news is full of awful stories and that helpless feeling starts creeping in around the edges, I have never yet found a heartier comfort read than the Redwall series. I've recently unearthed some of my old collection and have been rationing it out cautiously: a page or two each night, remembering how carefully I used to make these last when space was limited and books were precious... and heavy.
Mariel of Redwall was actually the first Redwall book I ever read: a kind librarian at the public library allowed me to dip into the Adult section (I guess the size of these was too intimidating for the Childrens' section?), and this was an enormous hardback with an exciting cover, and the pages were dusty and stained and dog-eared and well-loved. It follows the same basic formula as all the Redwall books, really -- feisty mousemaid escapes evil pirates, journeys to Redwall, regains her memories, makes new friends, journeys back to the coast, finds her father, defeats the pirates -- but it's hopeful and soothing and lighthearted, and I loved it instantly. I can't even guess how many times I read and reread this and Outcast of Redwall, but probably easily the double-digits for each.
I was a little worried, cracking it open again after such a long time... But no -- it was like reuniting with old friends again; just a few pages and there I was again, tiny and anxious for school to end and knowing that a summer bright and brimming with adventure was just around the corner. A perfect time capsule in paper form: There is still magic in this world.
Mariel of Redwall was actually the first Redwall book I ever read: a kind librarian at the public library allowed me to dip into the Adult section (I guess the size of these was too intimidating for the Childrens' section?), and this was an enormous hardback with an exciting cover, and the pages were dusty and stained and dog-eared and well-loved. It follows the same basic formula as all the Redwall books, really -- feisty mousemaid escapes evil pirates, journeys to Redwall, regains her memories, makes new friends, journeys back to the coast, finds her father, defeats the pirates -- but it's hopeful and soothing and lighthearted, and I loved it instantly. I can't even guess how many times I read and reread this and Outcast of Redwall, but probably easily the double-digits for each.
I was a little worried, cracking it open again after such a long time... But no -- it was like reuniting with old friends again; just a few pages and there I was again, tiny and anxious for school to end and knowing that a summer bright and brimming with adventure was just around the corner. A perfect time capsule in paper form: There is still magic in this world.
August 11, 2014
I've discovered that I tend to go to Brian Jacques books after I read something that I find really dumb (*cough* Divergent series *cough*). Brian Jacques was just an incredibly masterful story teller and his characters are always interesting and you can't help but care about them. I particularly liked the relationship between Dandin and Mariel how they are partners in crime without being romantically linked. I do also admire the fact that Jacques always manages to make the point that violence is not something to be relished and shows that showing mercy does mean weakness. He has a variety of interesting characters in a variety of ages, species and genders and a pleasant combination of old and new. This was another fun swashbuckling tale and once again I can't praise this audiobook series enough for Brian Jacques' narration and a full cast.
July 28, 2007
I'm giving all these books a 4, because they basically GOT me hooked on fantasy I think. I read all of these in elementary school, and still have fond memories floating around. The rad legendary weapons, (with the channels etched in for blood flow, which i found super hardcore). The foods, the booze, honey mead and apple wine or whatever. Come to think of it, these books might also be a little responsible for my alcoholism, too.
December 28, 2020
The more that I read of these series, the more that I enjoy them. While this one had some storyline jumping that I found rather annoying, I really liked following the adventures of the fierce little mousemaid, Mariel. Martin the Warrior also continues his influence - I really like that tie to the rest of the series.
RW Ratings:
Language: 5 stars
Abuse: 5 stars
Lust: 5 stars
RW Ratings:
Language: 5 stars
Abuse: 5 stars
Lust: 5 stars
March 12, 2017
I absolutely loved Grub. He was a hilarious little scamp! He made the entire book for me.
Mariel was also quite a pleasing character with plenty of growth and sass.
Mariel was also quite a pleasing character with plenty of growth and sass.
July 15, 2022
3 stars, mainly because these are rereads, and the other two I've reread, I remembered quite a lot of. This one, I apprently only remembered one of the plotlines, and it wasn't Mariel's. (Mainly I remembered Redwall Abbey under siege and the hares.) The rest of it came back to me as I went, and I enjoyed it, but not a favourite in the series.
March 15, 2019
Meh. Started out great but then it came to a slow grinding halt about halfway through. I fear that I lack the imagination needed for this book, which is pretty sad after all.
DNF for me.
DNF for me.
October 12, 2021
"This was a good one, four stars easily."
October 11, 2024
A solid tale of Redwall.
November 11, 2024
3.5/5 rounded down
This series is cute but as an adult reading (listening) to them the plots are repetitive.
This series is cute but as an adult reading (listening) to them the plots are repetitive.
January 25, 2022
4.5 Stars
August 22, 2022
3.5 Stars
November 19, 2024
Despite the main protagonist being my favourite character in the Redwall universe, which is enough for me to maintain a five-star rating for Mariel of Redwall, I don't agree with how the book is titled.
Simply put, it's a misnomer.
Mariel is as much a creature of Redwall as the Long Patrol hares were. She spent all of a month or so at the abbey for the duration of the novel, both to start with and after her great adventure. She never truly resided nor originated from there. So the title tying her roots to the abbey is a bit baffling, nevermind her own declarations of affiliation in the story itself.
Granted, in defence of the author, it was the fourth book written in the series and the first to introduce a truly new cast of characters. Perhaps the connection, at least in the title, was meant to tie it together for younger audiences in a series still finding its footing.
Mariel of Redwall introduces its universe's first mousemaid warrior at its centre, after a string of female mice mostly playing damsels in distress to the male warrior protagonist. So the gender bend was a refreshing change of pace for this girl who just wanted a female character that can legitimately kick ass. That her weapon was a knotted rope whereas Dandin wielded Martin the Warrior's sword sort of undermined her position as the fighter, but one can give space to it still being early days to Brian Jacques' anthropomorphic creation and the early 1990s to boot.
I think the thing that really drew me to Mariel though was how sassy, fierce and confident she was portrayed, both in her amnesiac state as Storm and when she was just the bellmaker's daughter. It was everything I wanted to be and more, but struggled with while in that awkward teen phase. And perhaps this is what leant both the attachment to her as well as the love of her story as a whole.
From Mariel and Dandin to Gabool the Wild, the characters in this story were some of the most memorable for me. Gabool in particular made for a memorable antagonist, especially with his descent into madness, haunted by the bell he had purloined. The villain's name was well composed also.
Overall, I enjoyed this story immensely, certainly more than Salamandastron as it lacked much of the petulance that weighed that book's characters down. That isn't to say the story is particularly ground-breaking or original. For a long time still, all any Redwall book was was a continued rehash of the hero's journey Jacques leaned heavily on to keep the abbey from constantly being the setting for a standoff.
That said, even Mariel of Redwall couldn't avoid a semi-proper seige of the building, even as our main heroes popped off for a bit of exploration and then liberation.
But for me, all its shortcomings aren't deterents. Books and your interpretation of it is different depending on when and how you are consuming it.
The point of this reread was to revisit what was once a favourite literary haunt. And to also recapture the magic that made me purchase every Redwall text I could afford.
I wanted to find comfort in a place that takes me back to my childhood, however awkward that space was for me. That nostalgia is what brought me back to visit with old friends. And to grasp at a happier and simpler time when a knotted rope was viewed as a competent weapon.
Simply put, it's a misnomer.
Mariel is as much a creature of Redwall as the Long Patrol hares were. She spent all of a month or so at the abbey for the duration of the novel, both to start with and after her great adventure. She never truly resided nor originated from there. So the title tying her roots to the abbey is a bit baffling, nevermind her own declarations of affiliation in the story itself.
Granted, in defence of the author, it was the fourth book written in the series and the first to introduce a truly new cast of characters. Perhaps the connection, at least in the title, was meant to tie it together for younger audiences in a series still finding its footing.
Mariel of Redwall introduces its universe's first mousemaid warrior at its centre, after a string of female mice mostly playing damsels in distress to the male warrior protagonist. So the gender bend was a refreshing change of pace for this girl who just wanted a female character that can legitimately kick ass. That her weapon was a knotted rope whereas Dandin wielded Martin the Warrior's sword sort of undermined her position as the fighter, but one can give space to it still being early days to Brian Jacques' anthropomorphic creation and the early 1990s to boot.
I think the thing that really drew me to Mariel though was how sassy, fierce and confident she was portrayed, both in her amnesiac state as Storm and when she was just the bellmaker's daughter. It was everything I wanted to be and more, but struggled with while in that awkward teen phase. And perhaps this is what leant both the attachment to her as well as the love of her story as a whole.
From Mariel and Dandin to Gabool the Wild, the characters in this story were some of the most memorable for me. Gabool in particular made for a memorable antagonist, especially with his descent into madness, haunted by the bell he had purloined. The villain's name was well composed also.
Overall, I enjoyed this story immensely, certainly more than Salamandastron as it lacked much of the petulance that weighed that book's characters down. That isn't to say the story is particularly ground-breaking or original. For a long time still, all any Redwall book was was a continued rehash of the hero's journey Jacques leaned heavily on to keep the abbey from constantly being the setting for a standoff.
That said, even Mariel of Redwall couldn't avoid a semi-proper seige of the building, even as our main heroes popped off for a bit of exploration and then liberation.
But for me, all its shortcomings aren't deterents. Books and your interpretation of it is different depending on when and how you are consuming it.
The point of this reread was to revisit what was once a favourite literary haunt. And to also recapture the magic that made me purchase every Redwall text I could afford.
I wanted to find comfort in a place that takes me back to my childhood, however awkward that space was for me. That nostalgia is what brought me back to visit with old friends. And to grasp at a happier and simpler time when a knotted rope was viewed as a competent weapon.
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