Taggerung

[theradicalchild]

Taggerung by Brian Jacques
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this tale of Redwall, Sawney Rath the ferret awaits the coming of the book’s titular destined warrior, the Taggerung, believed to bring greatness to the vermin, with his vulpine seer Grissoul foreseeing his coming. However, the prophesized one proves to be an otter, eventually given the name Deyna, who doubts his destiny as he ages. The story begins proper, akin to its predecessors, with one of the Redwall Recorders, in this case, the Assistant one, Sister Rosabel the squirrel, commenting on the season, and suggesting that life as a scholar is more rewarding than that of a cook.

The action quickly moves outside the Abbey, with Sawney Rath optimistic at his seer’s predictions of the Taggerung, with one of hits stoats, Antigra, nursing her newborn child Zann, believing he will grow to be the chosen warrior. While camping by a river, Sawney finds an otterbabe named Deyna, who has a pink mark on one of his paws indicative of the prediction of the Taggerung, and treats him like a son, with the seasons passing. The otter has an independent streak, not to mention a vision of the long-dead Martin the Warrior, suggesting that perhaps leading the vermin clans isn’t his destiny.

Back at Redwall, Cregga the badgermaid is dying, while other residents of the Abbey attempt to make sense of a riddle that continues throughout the story. While away from the vermin, Deyna, alternatively known as Tagg, rescues a mouse named Nimbalo from snakes, the two traveling together. Eventually, they reach Redwall Abbey, with a climactic battle occurring towards the end, with a predictable resolution. Although this tale continues to depict specific animals in the Redwall universe as inherently good or evil, it’s still a good yarn for longtime series fans.

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