User blog comment:SaynaSLuke/Stolen Tears/@comment-2142396-20160104121303

I’I'm finally reading this! *celebrates* I admit I was both excited and worried to read this – ‘Pearls of Lutra’ is one of my most favourite Redwall books, and I was worried that some good stuff would inevitably be lost in the rewrite. So I warn that I’m going to be a severe reader there! ;) I just finished chapter 4, by the way.

Seeing little Romsca on Sampetra made me really sad for some reason. I mean, she is twelve, but already can’t wait to go out at raids and spend her days raiding and pillaging. :O Curse you, culture that makes children dream of being robbers and killers! Maybe that's why I cannot exactly relate to her at this point of the story... On the other hand, that is very close to Romsca’s canon personality, and she never was a hero in the full sense of the word. Conva is an awesome dad, though, and Barranca is a great uncle. I wonder if Romsca’s grandfather is going to play a role in the story… For some reason, I have a feeling he is not really dead. Xzaris is such a nice guy. I love how his calm and easy personality balances up Romsca’s temper. And even though his family life is not the best, with his father leaving and his mother happy to get rid of him, I still get a sense that Conva is acting like a father figure to Xzaris, which feels so right. Another thing I need to compliment you on is the masterful way you handle nautical terminology and all the shipsailing-related stuff. I always struggle with it, so maybe that’s why I was so impressed by how easy you managed to portray that side of the story.

I’m so curious about how Rasconza’s friendship with Romsca and Xzaris would turn out… On the one hand, Rasconza rebelled against Ublaz, so I’d expect him to be a ‘good’ vermin, but I remember you once mentioned that this character is based on a person you don’t like, so… Val never fails to amuse me, but I’m worried for her, too: one as enthusiastic, outgoing and talkative as her is sure to get in trouble in such place as Sempetra under Ublaz’s rule. Seriously, girl, at least don’t be so open about your hate toward Ublaz! Somehow, I have a feeling that for all his words about honor, Rasconza’s father isn’t above using Val to get to Ublaz. I’ve got to say I don’t agree with that ‘better than you’ view that Kastaa and Sampetra vermin hold, about them having ideals despite being pirates and not being the rabble woodlanders think them to be, etc. They kill and raid for the living. That says it all. How they are different from Ublaz after that?

Speaking about Ublaz, if Empress Meili was ruling the corsairs, punishing all those who dared to sail on their own, taking taxes from the corsairs and planning conquest of Southsward, then Ublaz is not so different from her… I always viewed pirates and corsairs as very free-minded folk that is almost impossible to be ruled over – but in the light of your worldbuilding, Ublaz is not actually so bad. In fact, I cheered for Ublaz when he took over! While all what Ublaz did was cruel, it was very practical, like killing off all Meili's relatives. Also, it's amazing how in just one chapter you managed to establish Ublaz as such a menacing and formidable threat! Just look at him taming the monitors – it's an amazing feat on its own. So far, Ublaz is my favourite of all the villains you wrote. Needless to say, I love his crystal ball camera! :D

I always viewed Greylunk as a grey character, so seeing him and Flairnose portrayed as villains was unexpected, though come to think on it, we knew nothing about Greylunk before he went to the Abbey, and they were pirates after all. But still, I don’t think they were much worse than Conva and Barranca… And I’m a bit puzzled as to why after their mutiny plotting the weasels were kept prisoner if the punishment would be death anyway. Why not kill them at once and not waste food, water and guards on them?

It was good and at the same time heartbreaking to see Grath’s full family and all her siblings. The more I see of them, the more I like Lutran and Coral and Aqua and Marine! So, Grath is very small and sickly in your interpretation? That’s a very interesting approach, though I admit that seeing her like this messes up with my perception of her character. I love the history of war and bloodshed you created for the pearls, and I always liked the idea that it was the greed and the jealousy of others that made them so desired, not their own ‘magic’ or anything. I imagine how much Grath would probably blame herself after her holt’s destruction, since she was the one who brought the pearls there… Or how ironic it would’ve been if the pirates attacked the holt only to discover that the pearls aren’t there… though ‘ironic’ isn’t a good word for this situation, I’d rather call it ‘tragic’.

So Sayna is still looking for successor? That’s surprising, because I always thought that Matthias would be her successor, as the first beast to be officially called Redwall Warrior. I’m not sure how I feel about younger Martin II, but I definitely like older Mattimeo and Tess. I’ve always wanted to see them as adults and maybe read about their further adventures.