Customer Reviews

Salamandastron (Redwall, Book 5)

5 star:		(111)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yet another accomplishment for the great Brian Jacques! This was indeed, another thrilling epic tale of the inhabatents of both Redwall and the great badger mountain. The villans were really, in a lack of words at the present, "Hateable." I started reading the Redwall series at age 8, and each book gets "absoballylutely" better each time I read them! Three years of reading and I realize that each new book that comes out becomes the highlight of my year. In all my reading, Brian Jacques has slowly become my favorite author! In any case this book is a must-read for every fantasy reader, as it captured my heart, I'm sure it will do the same to yours.

Ferahgo the Assassin, the cold hearted, blue-eyed Weasel makes an attack on Salamandastron in order to come accross the badger treasure he has heard of. Meanwhile two of his horde members escaped the ranks and find themselves at Redwall Abby. One night they steal away from the Abbey with the sword of Martin the Warrior. The next morning Samkim adn Arula set after them to retrieve the sword. While they were gone, the deadly Ditcheye Fever spreads over the Abbey. So Thrugg and baby Dumble set out to find the flowers of Icetor, the only thing known to cure it. This book is packed with excitement, tragedy, laughs, and is written in the most creative way If you have a good imagination you will love this book, if you don't have an imagination it will give you one.

Salamandastron is the story of a fever spreading through Redwall Abbey. Two Redwallers, Thrugg and Dumble, must go north to the mountains to find the flowers of Icetor to make the medicine to stop it. At the mountain fortess of Salamandastron the badger lord, Uthstripe the strong, and his warrior rabbits called the Long Patrol fight off the villianous weasel, Ferhago the Assassin, and his evil horde. Meanwhile, Samkin and Arula of Redwall look for the sword of Martin the Warrior as Mara and Pikkle try to make it back to Salamandastron and the four strangely join. I liked this book because it makes me not want to stop reading and anxious for the next book in the series. Something exciting happened on every page. Salamandastron would be the perfect book for someone who likes action or adventure books. It would also be great for someone who has a good imagination. If you like this book you would like all the other books in the Redwall series.

The fifth Redwall novel, Salamandastron is the story of a badger maid, a blue-eyed ferret, and a plague at Redwall. Mara is a young badger maid who escapes her home, Salamandastron, and her overbearing adoptive father. As Mara begins her quest throughout Mossflower country, meeting up with Guosssom shrews and members from Redwall, Salamandastron falls under attack by a disarming, ruthless blue-eyed ferret. Meanwhile, a young squirrel named Samkim leaves Redwall in pursuit of the sword of Martin the Warrior. Giving us our first clear look at Salamandastron and the Long Patrol, Salamandastron expands the world of the Redwall novels yet again. The adventures and battles manage to be both realistic and exciting, and the strong-willed characters are compelling and show a lot of growth within the course of the book. While not particularly outstanding, this is one of the better and perhaps more famous Redwall novels and I recommend it and enjoy rereading it.

Salamandastron features some of my favorite characters and one of my favorite battle sequences. Mara and Samkim are both young and immature when the story begins. When they leave their homes on quests, both mature, learn, and eventually prove themselves to themselves, others, and even to Martin the Warrior, who's guiding influence is still felt in Mossflower. As a result, this book makes for a unique yet realistic coming of age story, with interest characters that the reader can identify with and aspire toward. The battle at the end of the book is one of Jacques' best: both terrifying and exciting, both horrible and exultant, he captures the dual nature of war, battle, death, and what it is that drives creatures to fight. Jacques also refuses to shy away from character death, a decision that I applaud. It makes for a darker, more difficult and mature novel, but it also makes the story more meaningful and realistic.

The actual events of Mara and Samkim's journeys don't stand out to me, and as a whole this isn't the most memorable Redwall novel. Unlike Mossflower, compelling secondary characters are lacking (although the hares of the Long Patrol are wonderful); the journeys aren't particularly vast or exciting. The majority of the exciting chases and perilous climbs are delegated to the Redwall side story and are thus less interesting or heart-stopping than they could be. The Guosssom shrews made good companions, but beyond that the bulk of this book doesn't stand out as either amusing, exciting, or compelling. Only near the end, when the pieces come together and Mara and Samkim meet, does the book really start to get good.

It is, however, by no means bad. Jacques is still a solid writer, and while some of his constant themes (adventurers, food, riddles, new peoples) are a bit toned down here, his characters are interesting and he writes a strong plot and brings it to a well-rounded, attention-grabbing conclusion. The book also serves to peek our interest in Salamandastron itself, providing enough insight to interest the reader and enough story to make him want to know more. I do recommend this boo, although there are other Redwall novels that I enjoy more, and I like coming back to and rereading this one.

There isn't anything that can be said about this book that hasn't already been said. It's touching. Splendid. Stunning. Exhilarating. Beautiful. Ethereal. Lifelike. Engaging. Riveting. Suspenseful. Swashbuckling. Lovely. Brawny. A good yarn...

You see what I mean? There simply isn't anything left to say. I cried over this book - and I *never* cry at books. Or movies. Simply is not an option.

But I did.

This is the very first book I have ever read about the great adventures of the gallant Redwall critters. In fact, it was quite a sudden discovery in a local college bookstore and now a whole new world dramatically opens up to a diehard fan of anthropomorphic animals like myself ever since the good old days of Pogo and Wind in the Willows.

Here this tale takes place about two badger brothers, one an albino and the other one a lord of the seaside Salamanderstron mountain taking revenge upon a blue-eyed weasel and his bloodthirsty gang for killing their parents when they were both helpless little newborns. And the humble inhabitants of the Redwall Abbey are suddenly drawn into the bold new epic that involves alot of warmaking, scheme-hatching, journeying into the perilous unknown, fighting an unexpected epidemic and a sea monster, and such courageous exploits that will send a shiver running down your backbone every time you come across those parts. And an inexperienced young squirrel and his mole buddy as well as a plucky young badger girl and her shrew allies very quickly gets caught in the skin-chilling whirlwind as the great badger fiercelly strikes out at his old enemies from the past. And I must warn you, you WILL get caught as well!

I read a real good book called Salamandastron, by Brian Jacques. It is a fantasy book about woodland creatures that fight wars with vermin like rats, weasels, stoats, etc......... This particular book is about the evil Ferrahgo the Assassin-an unmerciful ferret warlord that wants to take over the mountain fortress Salamanstron. But, Urthstripe the Strong has other plans. Mean while at Redwall Abbey, place of peace, the sword of their mighty hero has been stolen by two stoats that brought a disease and killed a man. See how they cure the sickness,recover the sword, and if Urthstripe can defeat Ferrahgo and the vermin in the action packed fantasy book, Salamandastron.

Wot a spiffin good book o' adventure! I wouldn't kid an' ol' chap, and anyone who reads this hunky dory review is no bally exception. It starts with an' ol' gel, a badgermaid, who leaves the good ol' mountain Salamandastron. (Under the supervision of a young ol' chap like me, righto!) But corks, she's got one bally heck of an adventure ta do if she wants to defeat...oh, corks...Ferahgo the assassin,wot,wot! Oh corks meself, all I can bally well say is that the only thing she can bally well do is enlist the help o' some jolly good eggs, the Redwallers, but I'm gonna be jolly well late for me lunch back at the good ol' mountain, so I might as well give ya a jolly good hint...this story's the absolutely bally spiffin hunky dory best! Euuuuulaliiiiiaaaaaa!

Like most of Jacques's books, you'll always find something new to read everyday. Around every corner is a new adventure and a new twist that hardly entered your mind before. You once again meet the same old friendly moles and their funny speech, brave creatures and you learn more about the rulers of the Mountain of the Fire Lizards, the Badger Lords!

True friendship and love shines through all obstilcals. once again you wonder just how Brain Jacques thinks up of all of these juicy books. the pick em up, never put em down book is back and this one will really have you pacing on your floor, wondering if she or he will make it through the hard difficulty. again saddness arrives but Joy comes also. Don't miss out on another wild ride of a Redwall Series books! I'm warning you, you'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll have your emotions hangin on by just a thin thread when reading these books. Soon you'll be cheering the battle cry of the wild badgers and hares of Salamandeston, " Eeulaliaaaaaaaaaa!"

here you'll feel as if you are watching them, the silent character in the back who knows what's going on and has the brains to figure it out. Get caught up in Jacques's world of talking animals and and funny characters. Made for all ages. But i think 6th graders and up are more able to read and understand these books better, but hey i started in 4th grade!

A Review by Steven
There were four plots in this book, but the main plot was about an assassin and his hoard of corpsmakers who were trying to take over lord Urthstripes Mountain, the badger lord. The assassin has a son who is always trying to take control of his dads hoard. So we have two conflicts here, the assassin trying to take the Mountain and the assassin and his son. Urthstripe adopted a baby girl badger named Mara who hates her life at the Mountain. She runs away like four times but she always came back, then one time she ran away with her best friend Pikkle and got into a lot of trouble.

I loved the characters, they were funny at times but when it came time to be serious they were all for that. The funniest character was Mara's best friend Pikkle, like once they had to go through some rapids and he was all attached to the bottom of the boat screaming," I'm going to die before the next mealtime," and also stuff like, "you water logs are crazy." I also liked the young warrior squirrel named Samkim because of his courage and determination, like his Abbeys sword got jacked and he went through hell to get it back. He went through rapids, villainous foes, dense woods, stinging wasps, a killer fox and his band, and a giant sea monster. In the end his friend got the sword from the monsters skull, which is how he killed it, and when they met up he got the sward back. I could read most all of the words but I am only 14 so some of the wards were weird, the hardest part was trying to decipher the mole and bird langue, like they had there own type of talking. If you read tow or three of the other books in the series you learn to get it right.

I would recommend this book to all readers because it was exciting, like the wars and battles, but it also had its soft side like the conflicts between the families. It was also funny with some warped characters. The beginning was all serious and explaining, and the end was all wars and battles. It hooked me so like I never wanted to put the book down. I think almost anybody would enjoy this book because it has something for every one.