Mattimeo
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

Gr. 4-6. In Redwall [BKL Je 1 87], the bumbling mouse, Matthias, became a great warrior; the prequel, Mossflower [BKL N 1 86], told of his heroic ancestor, Martin. Here, Jacques follows Matthias' son, Mattimeo, as he overcomes the evil machinations of wicked Slager, the fox. When Mattimeo and other young ones of the abbey--Tess Squirrel, Tim Churchmouse, Cynthia Vole--are marched away as slaves by Slager and his henchmen, Matthias leads a band of creatures to rescue them. Meanwhile, Constance the Badger and Cornflower, Mattimeo's mother, fight another battle at home. The story shifts between the three groups, with numerous obstacles, many near-defeats, and several small triumphs before the inhabitants of Redwall are eventually reunited and back in their beloved abbey. Jacques' writing continues to be smooth, spirited, and brimming with evocative scenes; the length, unfortunately, will deter many who would enjoy the fast-paced action--a factor that could have been avoided with some skillful cutting. The short chapters balance the problem somewhat, and readers intrigued with the whole Redwall milieu will again be enchanted. --Barbara Elleman

Redwall fans can get a double dose of the fantasy series: Mattimeo is the sequel to the original novel Redwall, while Long Patrol is the 10th in the sequence. Ages 10-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In this sequel to the animal fantasy Redwall (1987), and its prequel, Mossflower , (1988, both Philomel), Slagar the Cruel, the fox with a twisted mind, repays the hospitality of his hosts, the goodhearted animals of Redwall Abbey, by kidnapping their children. Led by the young mouse Mattimeo (son of the warrior Matthias, hero of Redwall ), the children befriend their fellow captives Auma Badger and Jube Hedgehog as they march toward slavery in the underground rat kingdom of Malkarris. Meanwhile, Matthias leads a rescue mission that joins forces with the fathers of Auma and Jube, and despite brushes with defeat, their camaraderie and good humor never fail. ln a third strand of action, the animals left at Redwall Abbey are besieged by villainous crows. While the book is long and its cast large, the twists of plot and quick changes of scene sweep readers along a swift narrative current. Some readers, however, will question the unabashed celebration of a warrior code, the sentimental acceptance of battle deaths, and the predictable scoundrels. The characters, compared with those in Wind in the Willows , Watership Down , and the picture books of Beatrix Potter, are bland, remaining far too human to become that mythic hybrid of human and animal. Nevertheless, libraries with an audience for the previous books will want this one, too. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The final volume of the Redwall trilogy is a reprise of the other two books. Cruel villains, indomitable heroes, hearty adventures, and endless cozy talk of food do not quite compensate for the fact that it is far too long. For Redwall enthusiasts only. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A third action-packed adventure about the forest creatures of Mossflower (1988)--a sequel to Redwall(1986). Again, Jacques groups his characters by species: peace-loving squirrels, otters, and mice led by doughty badger ConStance and warrior mouse Matthias; evil weasels and rats, whose wicked genius here is a fox, Slagar the Cruel. As before, Jacques also cleverly juggles vignettes from several concurrent narratives: the young of Redwall, kidnapped by Slagar, travel toward a dread kingdom where he plans to sell them as slaves; Matthias and his companions follow on a rescue mission; the animals left at Redwall defeat a hostile takeover attempt by ravens. And, again, Jacques tells a story full of not-too-graphic violence, humor, and beguiling domestic detail--especially the scrumptious food concocted for feast days. But while Jacques' writing flows more easily with each book and there are fewer logical glitches here, there is no more depth to this story than to its predecessors. For all its surface charm, it is wholly simplistic: not only characters but species are totally good or bad. A mixed message also persists: the creatures of Mossflower may say that ""Violence is never the answer,"" but the plot revolves around the need for it: ""Sometimes violence can be fair."" And though the good creatures value each other, they live in a class society in which the moles are quaintly servile and the loyal but unruly sparrows speak a sort of pidgin English. Still, a treat for Redwall's fans. Gary Chalk provides 55 agreeable miniature drawings as chapter heads. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The cruel fox Slagar steals a group of young woodland animals from Redwall Abbey--and among them is the great warrior mouse Matthias's son, Mattimeo. Slagar's motive is revenge, but as Matthias and a band of Woodlanders pursue their children's captors far across the desert to a horrible slave kingdom, Slagar attempts to destroy the champion Matthias to make his victory even sweeter. This final book in the Redwall trilogy is a truly thrilling conclusion to a swashbuckling, heroic adventure. Jacques's realistically drawn characters are full of personality, from the most humble bankvole to the foppish, lop-eared rabbit and the vicious, back-stabbing fox. The fierceness with which the Redwallers fight back to save their young lends the story credibility within the realm of the animal kingdom, while at the same time taking wonderful liberties with the imagination. Ages 10-14. (May) Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information.

In this sequel to the animal fantasy Redwall (1987), and its prequel, Mossflower , (1988, both Philomel), Slagar the Cruel, the fox with a twisted mind, repays the hospitality of his hosts, the goodhearted animals of Redwall Abbey, by kidnapping their children. Led by the young mouse Mattimeo (son of the warrior Matthias, hero of Redwall ), the children befriend their fellow captives Auma Badger and Jube Hedgehog as they march toward slavery in the underground rat kingdom of Malkarris. Meanwhile, Matthias leads a rescue mission that joins forces with the fathers of Auma and Jube, and despite brushes with defeat, their camaraderie and good humor never fail. ln a third strand of action, the animals left at Redwall Abbey are besieged by villainous crows. While the book is long and its cast large, the twists of plot and quick changes of scene sweep readers along a swift narrative current. Some readers, however, will question the unabashed celebration of a warrior code, the sentimental acceptance of battle deaths, and the predictable scoundrels. The characters, compared with those in Wind in the Willows , Watership Down , and the picture books of Beatrix Potter, are bland, remaining far too human to become that mythic hybrid of human and animal. Nevertheless, libraries with an audience for the previous books will want this one, too. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MA Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information.