Mattimeo (book)

Mattimeo takes place exactly 8 seasons after the events of Redwall.

Book Divisions (English)

 * Book 1: Slagar the Cruel
 * Book 2: General Ironbeak
 * Book 3: Malkariss

Summary
Matthias and Cornflower have a son named Mattimeo, who has been spoiled by all the Redwall residents since he was born, and is finally being punished so that he may learn his responsibilities. Meanwhile, the masked fox Slagar the Cruel and his gang of slavers are planning to sneak into the Abbey during the Midsummer Feast. Unbeknownst to the Abbey dwellers, Slagar uses a young rat named Vitch as a spy in order to obtain important information about the activities of the feast. Slagar and his gang thus manage to gain entrance to the Abbey by pretending to be a travelling circus. During their performance, they slip a sleeping draught into the drinks and asks for everybody to drink a toast.

After drugging the Abbey residents, Slagar kidnaps Mattimeo, Tim and Tess Churchmouse, Cynthia Bankvole, and Sam Squirrel. The only witnesses to the event are Friar Hugo, Lettie Bankvole and John Churchmouse. Lettie and Hugo are murdered by Slagar's gang. John is only wounded but in critical condition.

The next morning, pouring rain awakens the Redwallers as they slowly recover from the effect of the drug. Upon discovering the missing Dibbuns, Matthias, Basil Stag Hare and Jess Squirrel leave the Abbey to hunt down Slagar and return the young creatures back to their parents. They follow a fake trail, intentionally left by Slagar's gang and, in the process, meet a young otter called Cheek.

The kidnapped young ones find out that they are at Saint Ninian's Church and they have been chained. They meet Auma, (a young badger maid, who has been captured earlier. The slave gang and the slaves start their long journey towards underground kingdom of Malkariss, though the slaves don't know their destination.

During their journey, Basil, Matthias and Jess join up in their search with Orlando the Axe, the father of Auma and Jabez Stump, the father of Jube. Jabez, Orlando and the daughters of Jabez are fighting against one another, because the hedgehogs think that Orlando kidnapped Jube before they realize that Slagar had captured their children. As they journey, they team up with the Guerilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower who agree to assist them on their quest.

The Father Abbot of Redwall Abbot Mordalfus has a dream, during which Martin the Warrior says the mysterious words: "Where the Little Folk Go". In the morning, Redwallers starts to solve the riddle together and eventually it leads them under the Abbey, to the abandoned chamber, where the grave of Abbess Germaine is located. There, they found a green plate, which contains Loamscript, which only John Churchmouse can translate. The message of the riddle is found on the roof of Redwall and it contains information, which important for questors. Redwallers send Queen Warbeak and her warriors carry the message for Matthias, Jess and Basil.

The slaves meet Jube, who has been recently kidnapped by Slagar. Jube seems to be confident that his father is coming to rescue him soon. As the slave gang travel onwards and onwards, Mattimeo and this friends try to escape, but they fail and are recaptured again.

Meanwhile, back in Redwall, an army of rooks, crows, magpies and ravens, led by the raven General Ironbeak, have taken the Abbey under siege, conquering it from the top down and killing all the sparrows who have not left to assist Matthias. The Abbey dwellers seal themselves in the large dining room (called Cavern Hole), and harras the birds by making them think the Abbey is haunted. Their plot is quite successful and the army of Ironbeak really think that there is a ghost in the Abbey. As the siege drags on, a large, badly injured redkite, named Stryk, manages to fly to the Abbey, and is rescued from the rooks by Constance. Eventually, Ironbeak does mangage to infiltrate Cavern Hole, but is attacked by the now healed Stryke and killed.

After a long journey climbing up cliffs, fighting a horde of archer rats, and crossing a desert, Matthias's gang finally arrive at the Kingdom of Malkariss, where Slagar has been trading his slaves and Vitch. There, the heroes fight the massive army of rats and Matthias challenges a Wearet. During the duel, Matthias falls in the abyss and meets Malkariss by accident. Malkariss is killed by the slaves and Matthias frees them and is reunited with his son. Having destroyed the kingdom, the now liberated army of slaves starts to leave the area when suddenly Slagar appears, striking Matthias in the head, then disapearing into a secret exit. Vitch has also survived from the destruction of Malkariss, but Slagar kills him with his weapon. Matthias and Orlando give chase and Slagar runs from them, but then falls into an old well and dies.

The party returns triumphantly to the Abbey and there is peace once again in Mossflower. Mattimeo becomes Abbey Warrior and marries Tess Churchmouse. They had a son and called him Martin ll.

Characters in Mattimeo

Awards
Winner:


 * Western Australian Young Readers' Award

Nominated:


 * Carnegie Medal

Release details

 * 1989, UK, Hutchinson Children's Books Ltd., ISBN 0091738989, Pub. Date: October 1989, Hardcover
 * 1990, US, Philomel, ISBN 039921741X, Pub. Date: May 1990, Hardcover
 * 1990, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 0099675404, Pub. Date: July 1990, Paperback
 * 1998, US, Avon Books, ISBN 0380715309, Pub. Date: June 1998, Paperback
 * 1999, US, Ace, ISBN 0441006108, Pub. Date: February 1999, Paperback
 * 2003, US, Puffin, ISBN 0142302406, Pub. Date: March 2003, Paperback
 * 2006, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 1862301409, Pub. Date: August 2006, Paperback
 * 2006, US, Red Fox, ISBN 1862301409, Pub. Date: September 2006, Paperback