The Rogue Crew

[theradicalchild]

The Rogue Crew by Brian Jacques
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the final Redwall book by Brian Jacques, published posthumously, and which he dedicated to his brother Jimmy, the warlord Razzid Wearat, said to be a mix of a weasel and a rat, and his minions, seek to seize Redwall Abbey. However, Abbot Thibb and the monastery’s residents protect their home with the assistance of the hares from the Long Patrol and the titular Rogue Crew of sea otters. Before the main text, divided into three books, is a poem relating to dreams, with plenty of enjoyable poetry throughout the story.

Razzid dwells on the Isle of Irgash in the warm southern seas and commands a ship with wheels to traverse sea and land known as the Greenshroud, razing villages on both sides of Mossflower Country in the aptly-named Winter of Slaughter. However, the Warchief Skor and his Rogue Crew oppose him, with the Redwallers ultimately tasked with defending their Abbey against the vermin. The Long Patrol and the Rogue Crew slowly travel to Redwall, the former dealing with sand lizards and pygmy shrews during their journey, the hedgehog Uggo Wiltud having his share of misadventures.

Overall, the concluding Redwall book is not the best swan song for the series, yet enjoyable in its own right, with plenty of endearing animal characters and action on the part of both sides of its various conflicts. However, those who have read previous entries of the series will undoubtedly be able to predict the conclusion. While the book effectively stands alone, and readers need not experience its predecessors before reading, it does rehash elements of the series, such as certain animals being naturally good or bad. How the franchise would have continued had Jacques lived longer remains a mystery.

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