Mattimeo

[theradicalchild]

Mattimeo by Brian Jacques
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the first chronological sequel to the original Redwall, occurring in the Summer of the Golden Plain, the badger Orlando the Axe follows the fox Slagar the Cruel, who captured and enslaved his daughter Auma. Slagar seeks vengeance against Redwall for reasons that are spoilers and tie nicely into the series' first book, with one of his minions, the young rat Vitch, disguising himself as a mouse and serving as one of his spies and getting into a fight with Mattimeo, Matti for short, son of Redwall Warrior Matthias from the franchise's inaugural entry.

Matthias wants his son to succeed him as Warrior of Redwall, after which Slagar outfits his minions as performers, conspiring to kidnap the Abbey's children and transport them as slaves to the Kingdom of Malakriss, named after a deity that "speaks" from an ivory statue. The key to the vermin's capture of the children is drugging the food during one of Redwall's celebrations, Matti among them, who befriends Auma the badger. The Redwallers back at the Abbey begin their pursuit through Mossflower, with Slagar revealing to Matti his motivations for vengeance against Redwall.

Cheek the otter comes into the Redwall rescue party's ranks, with several poetic clues back at the Abbey clueing the rescuers on the best way to pursue the younglings, ultimately pointing them southward. Slagar's destination with his captives is the ruins of Loamhedge Abbey, with the Guerilla Union of Shews in Mossflower, Guosim, eventually aiding the Redwallers, albeit with a conflict of leadership. The raven General Ironbeak becomes a secondary antagonist in the second part of Mattimeo, leading his birds against Redwall Abbey, and driving its residents underground. At the same time, Matthias and company continue to seek to rescue the monastery's children.

Queen Warbeak of the Sparra assists the Redwallers against Ironbeak and his invaders, with the tactic of scaring the raven and his minions with faux ghosts, Matthias and the rescuers engaging in a final conflict with Slagar and his own forces in the Kingdom of Malakriss as well, the ending "completing" the cycle of the Redwall Warriors. All in all, Mattimeo is another enjoyable read in the Redwall series, given its endearing characters and plenty of action, although as with other books in the franchise, it depicts certain species as black and white, with minimal gray area. Regardless, I do not regret rereading it and recommend it to those who enjoyed other entries.

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