Rakkety Tam

Redwall is a series near and dear to my heart and though I haven’t managed to read them all yet, I read many in my younger days and plan to finish them all in time. This particular tale centers on the Highland squirrel warrior Rakkety Tam and his fight against the wolverine Gulo the Savage. I was once again drawn back into the world of Redwall and it greeted me like an old friend, with a warm hug and a delicious meal. The pacing was wonderful, the action suspenseful, the characters charming, and the descriptions of food mouth-watering. This was everything I want in a book from this series. Tam was a great lead and his best friend Wild Doogy Plumm the perfect companion. Sister Armel was both feminine and strong. The Long Patrol bares were courageous and fun. I also appreciated that one of the creatures you would have expected to be great in battle and ready to defend the Abbey ended up dealing with the post-battle horrors badly and vowing not to kill again. It was a realistic foil to the other warriors. Everyone should read this series.

I will shock many reviewers and readers of these books to state that I am over 50, and still enjoying the stories as much as ever. I am confused by several of the reviewers who find this "much the same" - of course. What would one expect to find in a "Redwall" series book than resourceful, brave, small peace-loving critters facing immense odds of evil beasts? This is exactly why one reads the Redwall books - to discover again how the master tale-teller Jacques has woven new characters around the perennial themes of good and evil, friendship and loyalty vs fear and slavery. While true none of the main characters is a casualty in this story, many good creatures die in the course of the tale, and we see several give their lives for their friends - the colonel and the corporal, in different battles. I started reading Redwall to my children 12 years ago, and have continued to collect all of the books by Brian Jacques, enjoying them mostly myself, although a strong advocate when asked for a reference. I would highly recommend them to "kids" of all ages - only cautioning that the language will stretch younger vocabularies (especially in the earlier books), and that these are not "gentle" books where no one dies. Rose and many others do not survive, and the realism presented in the stories adds greatly to the impact of the books. If one wants to read about other characters and stories, there are many out there. If you want strong characters, challenging reading, themes of bravery and self-sacrifice, and descriptions of feasting that makes me hungry to write about, these are the best around. Enjoy!

Have you ever read a book that you never want to finish? Well, I have. Brian Jacques masterpiece Rakkety Tam captured me with its suspense, adventure, and captivating description. Gulo the Savage wants to take over The Northern Sea, but first he has to find the Walking Stone which his cowardly brother stole. Meanwhile, Rakkety Tam and his companion, Doogy Plumm, are on a mission to find a flag for the squirrel queen. They end up at Redwall. Gulo and his crew hear about Redwall and are after its riches. Will the peaceful Redwall critters, with the help of Salamandastron hares, and Rakkety Tam, and Doogy, keep Redwall and defeat Gulo the Savage? They faced many problems throughout their journey to defeat Gulo. First, Rakkety Tam leads Gulo into the Pines where the blackbirds are. The blackbirds killed or injured many critters on each side. Then they went barreling down a fast-flowing river on a log and turned just before falling off a waterfall. Gulo couldn't stop so he went over with some of his band. Throughout the book Rakkety Tam learned how to be a better warrior, companion, and friend. In my opinion the author's message is that by helping others you'll help yourself, and accomplish many things. So, I rate this five stars because of its suspense, adventure, and amazing description. If you ever read this book you'll agree with me that this book is truly enthralling.

The Book Rakkety Tam is about the wolverine called Gulo the Savage. Gulo has come from the fridgid wastelands across the seas to slay his brother, Askor, and take back what he stloe, the Walking Stone. The squirrel mercenary, Rakkety Tam, and one hundred hares (not rabbits) from salamandastron come to the rescue of the Redwallers when Gulo and his albino army of ermines and foxes attack the peaceful Abbey. This book is suitable for no younger than middle school students because of violence and cannibalism. It also is about middle school reading level (I think). I think that Rakkety Tam was a very good book. It had plenty of action to keep you on your toes, but also had some peaceful Redwall feasts. THe book was a little more violent than other books, between Gulo and his troops being cannibals and the incresed number of larger battles. There was also a riddle for some foresight into later events.

I have been a Brian Jauqes devotee since I picked "Redwall" in fifth grade. Now,as a 21-year old college student, I still get excited when a new book in the series comes out. I agree that the last few books plots' have been formulaic, but "Rakkety Tam" breaks the mold and showcases the wonderful comraderie of Jaques' animal heros and villans in a fresh way. I partciularally enjoyed reading the good-natured banter between the squirrel Northerners Rakkety Tam and Doogy Plumm. They are interseting charcters and Jaques captures their accents down to a tee! "Rakkety Tam" features more violent battles than in previous books, but they mirror the more violent battles going on in the world today. All in all, this book was a wonderful! I recomend it to anyone who is looking for a story to chuckle and and cheer over, no matter if they need a "silent reading" text for grade-school or are seeking a study-break from Mid-terms!

This Redwall book surprised me. Brian Jacques last few book have been about minor skirmishes, with few people on each side. But this book breaks free from that, with over 100 foxes and ermine under the command of the crazed wolverine leader Gulo the Savage. This horde goes to battle against 100 hares of the Long Patrol. The hero of this story, Rakkety Tam Macburl, and his friend Doogy Plumm, are the first Northern creatures we have heard of that are not birds. There are several stories which wind together, making this book an excellent read and a must-have for redwall fans.