Mariel of Redwall - 4.5 stars

     Mariel of Redwall, by Brian Jacques, is one of the Redwall novels. It's a story of a mouse called Mariel who escapes from a tryannical sea-rat king called Gabool the Wild and finds her way to the Abbey of Redwall. But her father is still a prisoner of the evil sea-rat, and Mariel is determined to rescue him. With three companions: Tarquin, Dandin, and Durry Quill, she sets out to return to Bladegirt, Gabool's fortress on the isle of Terramort. But it's a long voyage, and Gabool the Wild has hordes of other sea-rats at his command. Welcome to a riveting novel by Brian Jacques.

     In Mariel of Redwall, Mariel has an adventure which takes her from the great forest of Mossflower on a hair-raising voyage in a sea-rat ship. She meets the gentle abbeydwellers of Redwall Abbey, the fighting hares of Salamandastron, and the villainous sea-rats who serve Gabool the Wild. Only a young mousemaid, Mariel is a mouse with a thirst for revenge. Armed only a knotted rope called Gullwhacker, and her three trusty companions, she sets out to rescue her father: Joseph the Bellmaker. Guided by a vision from the founder of Redwall Abbey, Martin the Warrior, she seeks to find a way back to Terramort so that she can slay the sea-rat who made her a slave.

     Mariel isn't the only one who intends to kill Gabool, however. Rawnblade, the great badger lord of Salamandastron, the mountain fortress filled with fighting hares, is having visions of Gabool. His destiny is driving him toward Terramort. But one badger and one mousemaid may not be enough to slay Gabool and his rat horde. And Joseph the Bellmaker has escaped from Gabool, and he too seeks revenge. 

     This thick little book by Brian Jacques is quite a thriller. It may take guts to stick with it, since it starts a little slowly, but you'll be pleased with what you find later on in the story. The animals that people the world of the Redwall novels are creatures I have come to know and love. The gentle Redwallers in particular are very endearing, but the courageous hares of Salamandastron are my very favorite. Brian Jacques also sprinkles in plenty of marvelous riddles and songs into his stories - now that's something you won't see in many books! This story is well worth the read, and I advise you to give it a try.

Link to Redwall website: http://www.redwallabbey.com/