The Rogue Crew

April 15, 2011

Animal warriors band together against innovative corsairs in this 22nd novel set in the richly detailed world of Redwall.

Scarred and psychotic Razzid Wearat and his mutinous crew wreak havoc along the coast, but when they head inland and overland on the Greenshroud—having equipped the ship with wheels—the Long Patrol hares, the ruthless Rogue Crew otters and the Guosim shrews must race to save Redwall Abbey. Grim warriors outnumber peaceful Abbey beasts, and there is far more fighting than feasting. The many battle scenes and deaths—of disposable pirates and high-spirited heroes—are graphic but not gratuitous, and the action sequences are carefully choreographed. In contrast to earlier books, the villain faces an ensemble rather than a strong protagonist, which might account for the narrative's rapid scene changes. Despite their species-typical behavior, the characters are distinctive; the squabbling shrew Queen Dukwina and her lizard husband Empraking Dibby, well-shod Dandy Clogs and the gluttonous Wiltuds are particularly memorable. Though the plot, characters and setting resembles those of the previous 21 books, the multi-stranded plot demands attentive reading. The mouthwatering descriptions of food, the various dialects and the detailed settings also make for an immersive experience.

Familiar, perhaps formulaic, but a nonetheless rousing read from the late Jacques. (Animal fantasy. 9-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 Cries of Eulalia or Logalogalog will be ringing out through the library as fans of the long-running Redwall series queue up for what is, sadly, the last installment. In peaceful Redwall, Abbey, a greedy young hedgehog, has a dream foretelling an attack by the horrifying villain Razzid Wearat. While on the north coast, the Long Patrol and creatures of Salamandastron also find signs that Wearat has somehow survived the fiery burning of his ship and is back seeking revenge. When Wearat and his treacherous crew turn their murderous gaze on Redwall, the fighting hares of the Long Patrol, fierce sea otters of the Rogue Crew, and even the Guosim Shrews race across the country to defend the Abbey. All of the late Jacques signature elements are here: brave furry creatures, fierce battles, humor, and those mouth-watering feasts. Readers will savor this last, wonderful adventure, in which, once again, justice and Redwall prevail. It is with great sadness that we all raise a mug of Nut Brown Ale to a master storyteller who has left us too soon.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)