Mossflower





Winner:


 * Lancashire Libraries Children's Book of the Year Award
 * Western Australian Young Readers' Award

Nominated:


 * Carnegie Medal

Book Divisions (English)

 * Book 1: Kotir
 * Book 2: Salamandastron
 * Book 3: Of Water and Warriors

Summary
The protagonist is Martin the Warrior, who comes to Mossflower Woods having recently escaped from Fort Marshank. He discovers that Mossflower is being ruled by a tyrant wildcat, Verdauga Greeneyes, who resides in the castle Kotir. After getting into a fight with one of Verdauga's troops, Martin is imprisoned, where he meets Gonff the Mousethief. Verdauga's daughter, Tsarmina, poisons the tyrant, thrusts her brother Gingevere into prison, takes over the throne for herself, and breaks Martin's sword.

Martin and Gonff escape with help from the Corim, and they are brought to Camp Willow by the otters. Tsarmina follows them with some of her soldiers to the edge of the river and she orders Brogg and Scratt to go back to Kotir to fetch a water rat called The Gloomer. They bring Gloomer with the aid of Fortunata to the river and the water rat fights with Stormfin, a big pike, who is sent by Skipper of the otters. Gloomer loses the battle and Stormfin kills him. In Brockhall, woodlanders including Gonff and Martin hold a discussion about Kotir. Bella of Brockhall suggests that they would use a spy and Gonff suggests that a robin Chibb would be their spy. This causes disagreement, but Bella and Foremole stand up for the suggestion of the mousethief and Corim enlists Chibb to spy Kotir. Later in the same evening woodlanders celebrate and two little hedgehogs, Ferdy and Coggs, sons of Ben Stickle and Goody Stickle leave Brockhall, wanting to overrun Kotir.

Scratt, Brogg and Fortunata and some other soldiers, who has been sent to search woodlanders in the woods by Tsarmina, bumped into the group led by Ashleg in the darkness. They fight against each other in the mistake before they recognize each other.

Early in next morning Chibb flies around Kotir and meets briefly Gingivere and he is frightened by the sight of the wildcat. Bella and Martin talk the situation of the woodlanders on their morning stroll in the woods and when they return to Brockhall, the mouse and the badger meet anxious Goody, who asks them, have they seen Ferdy and Coggs. Bella arranges the search of two little hedgehog.

Ferdy and Coggs are captured by the soldiers of Kotir. They are thrusted into the cells next to the cell of Gingivere and Ferdy and Coggs became friends of the kind wildcat. In the same time Bella tells Martin about the mountain of fire lizards, Salamandastron where many male badgers has wandered and she believes that her father Boar the Fighter only could defeat Tsarmina. Bella, Martin, Gonff and Dinny begin to search the clues of the route to Salamndastron and figure out them.

Martin, Gonff and Dinny begin their travel to Salamandastron and they go on the same route with Corim, which bring food to Ferdy and Coggs before their routes part each other. However three soldiers of Kotir, Splitnose, Scratch and Blacktooth pursue three traveller. In Kotir Corim are attacked by the soldiers of Tsarmina, but they escaped with the help of Foremole to Moledeep.

Ferdy and Coggs are hidden in the cell of Gingivere and a stoat guard tells to Tsarmina that the prisoners have escaped. The wildcat Queen orders to search the whole Kotir, but two little hedgehog aren't found. Three travellers arrived to the pond, but Martin warns his companions about swans and they move swiftly away. Skipper enlists the help of his brother Mask to free Gingivere, Ferdy and Coggs from Kotir.

Later the same day Blacktooth, Scratch and Splitnose arrive to the pond. They try to throw at the female swan with their spears, but the attempt fails and Scratch orders them to fetch some rocks while he try to steal the eggs of the swan, but Scratch is killed by the male swan. Blacktooth and Splitnose return with the stones and they run away frightened by the sight of the male swan.

Columbine one of mice from Loamhedge, sees Fortuna, who is sent by Tsarmina in the woods. She hurries to Brockhall and tells her notice to Corim.

While Martin, Gonff and Dinny are sleeping on the bank of the river, they are attacked by Splitnose and Blacktooth. The stoat and the ferret begins to fight each other and Blacktooth is killed by Splitnose. Splitnose sinks into pithole.

Mask has disguised a fox and he makes a contact with Fortunata. He shows her Brockhall and they take Spike and Posy (who has disguised Ferdy and Coggs) with them. They wander in the woods and Mask says they in the lost. He suggests that Fortunata would try another path and he another. Fortunata agrees and she follows her path and she is killed by Lady Amber and her archers.

Three travellers meet a newt Whipscale and a snake Deathcoil, but who threats them. They are driven off by Log-a-Log of the Guosim. Log-a-Log takes the travellers to his home and tells them his story. They continue their quest using the ship of Log-a-Log on Great South Stream, but the ship is wrecked by the waterfall. Gonff is lost from his friends and Martin, Dinny and Log-a-Log are rescued by the bats and taken to Bat Mountpit.

Dinny shows the bats how they rids of the owl, which harass the bats.

Ferdy, Coggs and Gingivere are rescued by Corim and Mask and during the operation, Mask is killed by Tsarmina, who is going to kill Gingivere.

After a journey through Bat Mountpit and the Toadlands, the companions reach the mountain to meet Boar. He then reforges Martin's broken sword with metal from a star, but he unfortunately dies in combat with his mortal enemy Ripfang, who was planning to siege Salamandastron. Ripfang's former slaves (including Martin's childhood friend Timballisto) take over his ship, Bloodwake with the help from Martin and Co., and return to Mossflower Woods, where Martin kills Tsarmina and destroys Kotir, bringing peace to Mossflower Woods once again. Later Gonff marries a young Loamhedge called Columbine.

The story of Mossflower was told by Bella of Brockhall to young Gonff, a grandson of Gonff the Mousethief and Columbine.

Characters in Mossflower

Collector's Edition
In 2004, Philomel re-released Mossflower in a new special collector's edition. The hardcover book is bound in leather with pictorial front board, gold gilt design, and sewn in ribbon page marker, with all new illustrations by David Elliot.

Release details

 * 1988, UK, Hutchinson Children's Books Ltd., ISBN 0091721601, Pub. Date: July 1988, Hardcover
 * 1988, US, Philomel Books, ISBN 9780399215490, Pub. Date: November 1988, Hardcover
 * 1989, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 0099554003, Pub. Date: July 1989, Paperback
 * 1994, UK, Arrow, ISBN 0099319217, Pub. Date: November 1994, Paperback
 * 1996, US, Avon Books, ISBN 0380708280, Pub. Date: August 1996, Paperback
 * 1998, US, Ace, ISBN 9780441005765, Pub. Date: November 1998, Paperback
 * 2002, US, Puffin, ISBN 9780142302385, Pub. Date: September 2002, Paperback
 * 2004, US, Philomel Books, ISBN 0399240314, Pub. Date: February 2004, Hardcover
 * 2006, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 1862301395, Pub. Date: August 2006, Paperback
 * 2006, US, Red Fox, ISBN 1862301395, Pub. Date: September 2006, Paperback