Mattimeo
Jacket cover of USA edition:
Slagar the fox contemplated Redwall Abbey, his twisted face hidden beneath a sinister harlequin hood. How he hated the peaceable Abbey creatures; how he hated the fearless mouse warrior Matthias, whom he held responsible for his injuries. Gathering his mercenary band of rats, stoats and weasels about him, he prepared for his hour of vengeance. But there would be no heroics for Slagar the cruel, no courageous battle plans. He knew too well that the power of the legendary Redwall sword had vanquished more terrible enemies than himself. His scheme was much more cunning and would strike at the very heart of all the Abbey held dear. Above everything Redwallers loved and cherished their young. Slagar would steal them from under their very noses, and Mattimeo, Matthias’s headstrong young son, would be the biggest prize of them all. With robust humor and a fiercely romantic spirit, Brian Jacques once again brings to life the brave and adventuresome creatures of Mossflower Woods in this final epic of the classic Redwall trilogy. (Or not…)
My rating: *******/10 stars
Main hero: Mattimeo the mouse
Excerpt from Redwall Friend and Foe:
Mattimeo, like his father, Matthias, takes on the spirit of a warrior when the survival of those around him depends on his doing so. Before his experiences at the paw of Slagar the Cruel, Mattimeo is spoiled and headstrong. By the time he comes to fight side by side with his father in the Kingdom of Malkariss, however, he has become a full-fledged warrior, able to take over for Matthias as Abbey Champion.
Main villain: Slagar the Cruel the fox
Excerpt from Redwall Friend and Foe:
Following an attack by the adder Asmodeus (for which he falsely holds the Redwallers responsible), Slagar the fox is forced to wear a hood to disguise his injuries. Driven by a desire for revenge upon the Redwallers, he kidnaps five of their young, including Mattimeo, and takes them to be used as slaves in the underground kingdom of Malkariss. Greedy and ambitious, Slagar plans to control the kingdom himself one day. But, trying to escape from Matthias and Orlando the Axe, he falls into an old well (the secret exit from the kingdom) and plummets to his death.
Badger hero/heroine: Orlando the Axe
Excerpt from The Tribes of Redwall: Badgers
Orlando the Axe, warrior of the western plain, is seeking the fox slaver, Slagar the Cruel, who has taken his daughter Auma. At first he is content to follow the lead of Matthias the Champion of Redwall and his friends as they, too, track the slaveline ever south, but in the end, rage finally fueling his great fighting spirit, Orlando battles side by side with the warrior mouse to free the slaves--and Auma.
Otter Hero/Heroine: Cheek
Excerpt from The Tribes of Redwall: Otters
Matthias the Warrior, Jess Squirrel and Basil Stag Hare are on the trail of Slagar the fox when they come across a new recruit. Cheek by name and cheeky by nature, the young otter is taken in paw by Basil and is soon shaping up nicely--until they reach the river, when it takes a swipe from an ax handle to teach him where an otter truly belongs. Returning triumphantly to Redwall, Basil adopts the impudent orphan. After all, who else could imitate not only the hare's every mannerism, but his appetite too!
Pages: 446
Covers:
