ANNOTATION

Mattimeo, the son of the warrior mouse Matthias, learns to take up the sword and joins the other animal inhabitants of Redwall Abbey in resisting Slagar the fox and his band of marauders.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The third addition to the beloved Redwall series takes place during the summer of the Golden Plain. Preparation for a great feat are underway at Redwall Abbey, and the young mouse Mattimeo is contributing his share of the labors. But Mattimeo is the son of Mathius, the guardian of Redwall Abbey, and it is this fact that makes him the target of a fiendish kidnapping plot contrived by the vicious fox, Slagar the Cruel. When Mathias and his brave followers abandon heir homes and face enslavement for the return of their children, the captive Mattimeo stands to prove his worth--and an unexpected hero is born.

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.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

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)

Publishers Weekly

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.)

School Library Journal

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