MARIEL OF REDWALL: a Tale of Redwall [Import] [Paperback]

Brian Jacques (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Red Fox / Random House; reprint edition (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099929600
• ISBN-13: 978-0099929604
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,898,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Love 'Mariel of Redwall', October 28, 2001

By 

Priscilla Stafford (Yokohama, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mariel of Redwall (Redwall, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

Mariel and her father, Joseph the Bellmaker, are on a ship headed towards Salamandastron to offer a magnificent bell to the Lord Badger of Salamandastron, Lord Rawnblade. But they are attacked by the pirates of Gabool the Wild, a searat who is a terror on the seas, leader of all the searats. Everyone on board are either killed or taken to Gabool's fortress Bladegirt on the isle of Terramort to be made as oarslaves. Joseph is kept alive to be made to tell what the symbols on the great bell mean, but he remains silent. Mariel though is thrown off the cliffs of Terramort for attacking Gabool and making a fool of him before his followers.

She is carried by the tide towards the coast near the swamp lands. She remembers nothing so she calls herself Storm Gullwhacker, Storm because she remembers the terrible storm she was in and Gullwhacker, because of a rope she found which is knotted and used as a weapon. She meets three hares from the Long Patrol, Colonel Clary Meadowcleary, Brigadier Thyme, and Honorable Rosemary (called Hon Rosie). They take her to an odd old squirrel named Pakatugg who will lead her to safety, to Redwall. Instead, Storm (Mariel)gets so frustrated with him that she leaves him. Fortunately, he meets up with Tarquin L. Woodsorrel, a hare from the Long Patrol who was sent by Lord Rawnblade to stay at Redwall (he is also very much in love with Hon Rosie!) He takes her to Redwall Abbey.

There Storm (Mariel) makes friends with two mice, Dandin and Saxtus. Mariel regains her memory though when Saxtus recites an old prophecy which includes her father and her. She is determined to go to Terramort to free her father and to kill Gabool. The only clues to the direction of Terramort is an old poem and she sets out with her friends Dandin, Tarquin, and Durry Quill, a friendly porcupine. But before they had left, in a dream, Dandin was visited by the legendary Martin the Warrior and when he woke up, Martin's sword was next to him. The group knows that the spirit of Martin is with them.

But they are not the only ones who are heading towards danger. One of Gabool's captains has deserted with his crew. Their plans, to take over Redwall...

This is a really fun book, exciting with plenty of action and suspense. My favorite characters in this book are probably all the hares, Dandin, and Durry Quill. I love the way the hares talk, in a very British way. For example, "Y'don't suppose they've bally well gone to bed, wot?" "Hardly, old chap." And so on.

The next book to read after this is definitely "The Bellmaker", with almost all the same main characters as this book. But I strongly suggest you read as many Redwall books as you can because they're ALL great!!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Put yourself in Mariel's place:, January 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mariel of Redwall (Redwall, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

You wake up on a desolate shore with no memory and only a small length of rope to your name. There is also a swarm of seagulls circling above you to die. This is one of the first scenes in the book "Mariel of Redwall" the fourth chapter in Brian Jacques's epic Redwall series.

In the book Mariel and her father, Joseph the Bellmaker, are sailing to deliver a bell to Lord Rawnblade, ruler of the great fortress Salamandastrom. On the way, their precious cargo is hijacked by the evil ruler of the searats, Gabool the wild. Gabool holds Mariel and Joseph as captives until he grows tired of them and throws them out to sea to die. With the fate of her father unknown, Mariel ends up in the hands of the peaceful Redwall Abbey where she joins up with Durry the hedgehog, Dandin the mouse, and Tarquin the hare as they set out to destroy the ruthless Gabool.

The minute you open up a Redwall book you are thrust into an adventorus and sometimes dangerous animal civilization. The books all focus on the land of Mossflower, where animals live in harmony. As you travel to the center of Mossflower you come upon the glorious Redwall Abbey. This animal world is much like our midevil times. The entirely animal cast adds a hue like none other to the plot.

My favorite charactor was Tarquin Woodsorrel, a hare that was once a member of the long patrol of Salamandastrom. He then was sent by Lord Rawnblade to protect the Abbey from attack. His only faults were that he had an odd sense of humor and dressed funny, but he was totally honest and a fearless fighter. When Mariel leaves to slay Gabool he goes along and gives the book great adventure scenes and some comic relief. I think every good book needs a lively charactor like Tarquin.

Like all of Brian Jacques's books it is very deeply themed, but the main theme is that you must stand, and maybe even give your life for something that is right. Some examples of the theme at work include when Colonel Clary and Brigadier Thyme give their lives battling searats in order to free a group of slaves, and when a small group of ex-slaves and a handful of warriors stand up to Gabool's tremendous hoard without fear.

I think the Redwall saga is the finest fantasy series ever written. It's only fault is the somewhat repetative plot in all the books. An example of this plot is: a great evil is done to the main charactor by a ruthless villian and somehow the creature ends up in the hands of Redwall Abbey where the hero gets help and travels a trecherous journey to end up in a spectacular fight to the finsh against the villian. Although it is always said you can't read a good plot too many times. I would recommend this book to anybody with a love for reading.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I WISH I COULD GIVE A BILLION STARS!, July 20, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Mariel of Redwall (Redwall, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I absolutely LOVE this book! It is sooo suspenseful, and a genuine page turner! Every one of Jacques' books I've read so far are truly amazing, and I praise him for his hard work!