Redwall

Redwall was published in 1986.

It is first in publishing order, tenth in Chronological Order.

Illustrator: Gary Chalk

Page count (Hardcover): 351

ISBN 0399214240

Winner:


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

Nominated:


 * Carnegie Medal

Summary
The protagonist is Matthias, a mouse of Redwall Abbey. When Cluny the Scourge attacks Redwall with his horde, Matthias goes on a quest to retrieve the sword of Martin the Warrior. Methuselah the gatekeeper finds a rhyme behind a tapestry of Martin (which Cluny stole), which directs the two mice to the warrior's tomb, where the shield is located. Another rhyme instructs Matthias to place the shield above the Gatehouse, where it reflects the moonlight onto the weathervane. The mice enlist the help of Jess Squirrel to climb and retrieve it, however, she is attacked by the Sparra. The young Queen Warbeak is taken captive, and Methuselah tricks her into revealing that King Bull Sparra possessed the great sword. Matthias and Warbeak go to the loft, but the dangerous king refuses to let Matthias go when he learns the sword is possessed by Asmodeus, the adder. Matthias attempts to escape, but falls into the Abbey pond.

In the Abbey, things have not been going very well. The traitorous foxes Sela and her son, Chickenhound, were in Cluny's employ until he ordered them executed. Sela was killed, but Chickenhound survived to pillage the Abbey. When Methuselah bravely attempted to stop him, Chickenhound killed the old mouse and fled into Mossflower Woods, where he encountered Asmodeus. On the other hand, Jess and Basil Stag Hare were able to retrieve the tapestry and place it in its rightful location in Great Hall.

Matthias recovers and sets out to defeat Asmodeus. He is assisted by the Guosim, their current Log-a-Log, and the president of the "shrew union"; Guosim. They direct him to Squire Julian Gingevere, who is feuding with Captain Snow. Matthias meets the owl, using a token from Basil as his protection, and strikes a deal: if he can regain the sword, Snow will never eat another mouse or shrew, and he will make up with Julian. Matthias is ultimately successful, although Guosim is killed by Asmodeus.

He then returns to the Abbey, which has become captured by Cluny in his absence. With the help of the shrew union and Warbeak's Sparra, he's able to launch an attack and winds up fighting Cluny in the Bell Tower. Matthias slices the Joseph Bell from its rope, and it falls, killing Cluny. Abbot Mortimer dies shortly thereafter, as Cluny had recently lashed the mouse with his poisoned tail.

Matthias marries Cornflower the fieldmouse, and they have a son, Mattimeo, short for Matthias Methuselah Mortimer. Brother Mordalfus becomes Abbot.

Redwall was written before the remainder of the books in the series, and as such contains and mentions elements (such as a horse and cart, dogs, and towns) that make no future appearance.

Characters in Redwall