Tsarmina, the cruel wildcat, has subjugated the peaceful inhabitants of Mossflower Woods, but Martin the Warrior, the mouse thief, Gonff, and a host of otters, squirrels, moles and other good beasts rebel against the tyrant. Outnumbered and seemingly out armed by Tsarmina and her vermin hoard, victory seems hopeless for the rebels. So they send Martin, Gonff and Dinny the Mole to find Salamandastron and the massive badger, Boar the Fighter, to convince him to return to Mossflower and free the oppressed woodlanders. Meanwhile, Bella, Skipper and Lady Amber are hard pressed to protect the remaining woodlanders.
Mossflower, prequel to Bryan Jaques’ Redwall, is a good place for the middle grade reader to begin this powerful 22 book series. The author creates anthropomorphic animals with fascinating characters that represent both genders well with classic conflicts between good and evil. The series centers around Redwall Abbey, founded by the mouse, Abbess Germaine, and its history. Similar to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, a theistic worldview is implied. Great humor and descriptions with nice plotting will entertain the boys in particular, even if the vocabulary stretches the capacities of the middle grade readers.
Age Range: 8-12
Genre: Fantasy, Medieval
Series: Prequel to the Tale of Redwall Series (22 books)
Firebird, 2002
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