Mossflower
Jacket cover of USA edition:
When the clever and greedy wildcat Tsarmina becomes Queen of a Thousand Eyes and ruler of all Mossflower, she is determined to govern the peaceful woodlanders with an iron claw, bringing every otter and hedgehog, every mouse and squirrel to its whimpering knees. But then the brave mouse Martin and quick-talking mousethief Gonff meet in the depths of Kotir Castle. With the aid of all the woodlanders, the two escape from Kotir's dank dungeon and resolve to end Tsarmina's tyrannical rule. Joined by Dinny the mole, Martin and Gonff set off on a dangerous quest for Salamandastron, mountain of the dragons, where they are convinced that their only hope, Boar the Fighter, still lives. Critically acclaimed author Brian Jacques is an unexcelled master of character and adventure. To create a memorable first book of fantasy is a feat enough; to create a second as memorable as the first is a rare moment in publishing. Containing passages alive with high drama, resonant language and humor, and an unforgettable cast of characters, Mossflower, the prequel to the award-winning Redwall, is truly a book for all ages and times.
My rating: *****/10 stars
Main hero: Martin the Warrior the mouse
Excerpt from Redwall Friend and Foe:
Martin is the embodiment of Redwall's spirit. Throughout his lifetime he fights for good against evil. Even after his death, he remains with the creatures of the Abbey, guarding their present and looking out for their future. Martin is a born warrior and the son of Luke, from whom he inherited his famous sword. Even those adversaries who cross his path are grudgingly forced to acknowledge the noble qualities that radiate from him. In Martin the Warrior, Martin fights the evil stoat Badrang the Tyrant, rallying an army against him and liberating the slaves of Marshank. It is not long before he is called again to battle on behalf of the innocent, as he takes on Tsarmina the Wildcat, oppressor of kind, honest creatures, in Mossflower. Once again, Martin triumphs and goes on to found Redwall Abbey.
Main villain: Tsarmina the Wildcat
Excerpt from Redwall Friend and Foe:
Tsarmina is the headstrong daughter of Lord Verdauga Greeneyes, but shows little regard for family ties when she plots to have her father killed and then frames her brother for the crime. Tsarmina assumes total control over the fortress, Kotir, and exerts her tyrannical will over the woodlanders of Mossflower. Despite her power, Tsarmina is haunted by nightmares of water, foreseeing her watery death as she flees for her life from the mighty Martin.
Badger hero/heroine: Boar the Fighter
Excerpt from The Tribes of Redwall: Badgers
Born and brought up in Brockhall, Boar the Fighter rules over a peaceful Mossflower until he is called to Salamandastron, where he puts his great strength and knowledge of weapons to good use in the mountain forge. When Martin the Warrior arrives at Salamandastron requesting the mighty badger's help against Tsarmina the Wildcat, Boar forges a new blade for Martin's sword out of metal from a falling star. But he never returns to Mossflower, instead fulfilling his destiny in a fight to the death with the searat Ripfang.
Otter Hero/Heroine: Riverwyte the Mask
Excerpt from The Tribes of Redwall: Otters
In his youth, Riverwyte was a great fighter. He left his holt to go roving, and rumors filtered back that his tail had been severed by foebeasts. Shorn of his rudder, Riverwyte became a woodland dweller and a master of disguise. Now known as Mask, he is the ideal choice to infiltrate Kotir, stronghold of Tsarmina the wildcat, and rescue two captured hogbabes. Disguised as a fox, Mask frees the babes, but he himself is killed in the retreat and is buried under a willow on the bank of his beloved River Moss.
Pages: 431
Covers:
Chapter by Chapter:
Chapter 1: A hedghog family, joined by Urthclaw the mole, are trying to escape into the woods, away from the wildcat fortress Kotir. Before they leave, they are stopped by a Kotir patrol and their bread is taken. Once the soldiers leave, Ben Stickle, the hedgehog father, urges his family to get ready quickly. They see a mouse fighting against the patrol and use the distraction to get away.
Chapter 2: Gonff, a portly mousethief, is sneaking through Kotir after stealing cheese and wine from the larder. He narrowly escapes being caught by two weasels. Meanwhile, the warrior mouse, Martin, is being dragged into the wildcat fortress by the patrol. The scene shifts to the room of old Verdauga Greeneyes, the current ruler of Kotir, who is being treated by Fortunata the healer vixen. Tsarmina, Verdauga's daughter, bids her brother Gingevere to give his father a concoction of Fortunata's.
Chapter 3: Ben Stickle and his family are surprised by Gonff as they are traveling through the woods. The mousethief takes them to a little cottage set up for woodlanders escaping from Kotir.
Chapter 4: Martin is taken into Verdauaga's chamber, where the wildcat and his gentler offspring make a judgement: the mouse will be thrown into the dungeons. Tsarmina is furious at not being able to kill him; she snaps Martin's sword in two and orders it hung around his neck. Martin warns the female wildcat, saying that she should have killed him when she had the chance. Later, outside in the hallway, Tsarmina confronts Fortunata and confirms that the healer fox has poisoned her father. Martin is thrown into a cell and he sleeps until he is awakened by the noise of the hordebeasts shouting that Verdauga has been slain. The mouse warrior watches as Gingevere is thrown into another cell and the mob leaves, rejoicing, for Tsarmina has proclaimed herself queen.
Chapter 5: Gonff is caught by two Kotir soldiers. He is thrown into the same cell as Martin, and a friendship is formed immediately. Gonff feeds Martin on cheese and wine he has stolen and Martin tells his life story to the fat mousethief. Likewise, Gonff relates the tale of the woodlanders' first resistance against Verdauga and the outcome of that battle.