Marlfox (Redwall, Book 11) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Brian Jacques (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1999 | Series: Redwall

The "New York Times" bestselling Redwall series continues with "Markfox", a spellbinding tale with brave new heroes, deliciously evil villains, and enchantment on every page.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For this enchanting novel Brian Jacques has brought to bear the experience of his eventful and adventuresome life, a life which has taken him all over the world and seen him variously described as folk singer, playwright, and broadcaster. No doubt his usual writing environment--garden in summer, conservatory in winter--provides him with the ideal theater for observing the wildlife on which the book's unusual central characters are based.

It is, perhaps, appropriate that the story line revolves around the theft of the famous Redwall Tapestry, for Marlfox is a richly woven tapestry, skillfully running together threads of the magical and mythical with the "natural world," to give its audience a heady blend of fairy tale and medieval adventure. The result is a tale of grand themes and conflicting human passions played out against a backdrop of humor and uncertainty; yet the author manages never to lose sight of the reality of life as experienced by the human and animal kingdoms alike.

Young readers will gorge themselves on this literary feast, a spread worthy of comparison to other classics in this vein such as The Hobbit, Duncton Wood, The Mythical Knights of the Round Table, and the stories of C.S. Lewis. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Marlfox! The name brings a chill to all of the good woodland creatures who hear it. From their silver white coats mottled with patches of black and bluish gray, to the axes they carry on their cloaked backs and their inexplicable ability to vanish into thin air, the Marlfoxes are creatures of superstition and legend. On a mission to procure treasure for their dangerously addled queen and mother, these crafty creatures lay siege to Redwall Abbey. Defended by a hodgepodge of creatures from old friends and proven fighters like Badgermum Cregga, to a traveling troupe of performers led by a flamboyant hare with delusions of grandeur, the abbey creatures hold their own-until the greatest treasure of all is stolen: the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. It is up to the next generation of warriors to "win their spurs" on an epic quest to recover the heart of the abbey. Guided by visions of the legendary Martin, the young squirrel Dann, hoping to live up to his brave father's expectations, leads his friends toward the castle fortress of the Marlfox queen. The four young heroes fight the good fight, and among the happy results are a new abbess, and a new champion for Redwall. Marlfox is a rollicking tale of bravery and honor and derring-do; much laughter, a few tears, lots of love, feasting, reunions, and self-discovery, all brought vividly to life with colorful detail and lively characterizations. "Redwall" fans and newcomers to the series alike will welcome this installment with a cheer.
Jennifer A. Fakolt, Denver Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Philomel; Abridged edition (January 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039914479X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399144790
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (169 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,164,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Books on Cassette > Children's Books > Animals

More About the Author

A well-known radio personality in his native Liverpool--as well as an actor, stand-up comic, and playwright--Brian Jacques (1939-2011) was the host of "Jakestown" on BBC Radio Merseyside. Ever the performer, Jacques was well-known for applying his acting and entertainment background to his lively presentations to legions of young fans at schools across the United States and England. Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact. He grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks. His interest in adventure stories began at an early age with reading the books of: Daniel Defoe, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Thomas Malory, Robert Michael Ballantyne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Kenneth Grahame. He attended St. John's School, an inner city school that had its playground on the roof. On his first day at St. John's, at the age of ten, he had an experience that marked his potential as a writer. When given an assignment of writing a story about animals, he wrote about the bird that cleaned a crocodile's teeth. The teacher could not, and would not, believe that a ten year old could write that well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then, that he realized that he had a talent for writing. "My favourite teacher was Mr. Austin Thomas. He looked like Lee Marvin. Big Man. A Captain in World War II. He came to school on a big bush bike with the haversack on back. He was a man's man. Always fair. I was fourteen at the time when Mr. Thomas introduced the class to poetry and Greek literature. (Because of him, I saved seven shillings and sixpence to buy The Iliad and The Odyssey at this dusty used book shop.)" This interest in poetry extended to Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Goldsmith. It was also at St. John's that Brian met a teacher, Alan Durband (who also taught two Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison), who, more than thirty years later would bring about a major change in his life. After Brian finished school at fifteen, he set out to find adventure as a merchant seaman. He travelled to many far away ports, including New York, Valparaiso, San Francisco, and Yokohama. Tiring of the lonely life of a sailor, he returned to Liverpool where he worked as a railway fireman, a longshoreman, a long-distance truck driver, a bus driver, a boxer, a bobby (Police Constable 216D), a postmaster, and a stand-up comic. Jacques passed away in February of 2011 at the age of 71.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend Marlfox to anyone who likes food and adventure., February 3, 1999

By 

Philip E. Nast (Manlius, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marlfox (Redwall, Book 11) (Hardcover)

Marlfox

When I first started reading Redwall (the first book in the Redwall series) it just didn't grab me. A year or two later I tried it again. I loved it. I read the other nine books in a year's time. Now I've read Marlfox, the eleventh book.

Written by Brian Jacques and illustrated by Fangorn this captivating story is full of excitement, suspense, emotion and drama. Sometimes you will laugh and sometimes you will cry. Also, sometimes you will be mad at the Marlfoxes.

The Marlfoxes are greedy, ruthless, and down right mean.They terrorize Mossflower and even kill each other! The mother Marlfox killed her husband so she could be queen, a daughter poisons the mother so she can be queen, and then a brother pushes her into a lake full of hungry pike so he can be king!

Because Queen Silth, the mother Marlfox, demands to be surrounded by beauty and calm, she sends her children to steal beautiful things. In their plundering, they take the Redwall Tapestry. The irony is that there is a beheaded fox on the tapestry.

When the Marlfoxes steal the Redwall Tapestry, the heroes Songbreeze and Dannflor, squirrels, and Dippler, a shrew, leave the Abbey to get it back. As they search, they meet Burble the water vole and make other friends and enemies.

I warn you. Do not read Brian Jacques on an empty stomach. As always, this book will send you to the kitchen drooling! In Marlfox, he describes cheeses, bread, flans, cakes, puddings, trifles, tarts, scones, crumbles, hot root soup, and deeper'n ever turip'n'tater'n'beetroot pie (made by the moles).

I recommend Marlfox to anyone who likes animals, food, and adventure.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Read by Brian Jaques, February 10, 2000

By 

Ryan Hill - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marlfox (Redwall, Book 11) (Mass Market Paperback)

Following in the tradition of his previous books Brian Jaques starts off this delightful adventure with a whole knew set of characters. The part that Brian readers will most enjoy is the connection between this book and the other books, allowing the reader to travel along with characters in their adventures. The apperance of the Marlfoxes brings in a mystery and gives the experianced Redwall reader a chance to quess to how they began. At the first introduction of these creatures I began to wish for a history on these fine characters. I sincerely hope thatt Jaques gives us a book compiling the Marlfox history. The one low point in the book was the carelessness of the abbey dwellers toward their children. They seem to be unconcerned with the younger ones(dibbuns), although this may be put in because of the days of peace that everyone at Redwall Abbey has experianced. Overall I recommend this to all Redwall fans as a way to explore farther into Mossflower. For those starting out on the series though I would suggest an earlier book that gives more background into the tale.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the best books in existance!, November 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Marlfox (Redwall, Book 11) (Hardcover)

Marlfox was a wonderful book. It was very creative. I love how he uses the rhymes to help the characters figure out how they are supposed to win or find something. I suggest that everyone read these series of books. It is very cool how he makes the characters voices. In this book, Florian is very crazy. Baby Dwopple is a horrible little brat if you ask me. This was much better than some of the other books (not all of them). So if you don't read these books I think you are really missing out on something.