The Legend of Luke: A Tale from Redwall

The Legend of Luke is the twelfth book in the Redwall series. This one takes us back to a time when the Abbey was still being built and its co-founder and protector, the legendary Martin the Warrior was still alive.At the time of this story, the Abbey in its original form has almost been completed. While Martin and his friends are absent on their journey to find out what happened to Martin’s father, the equally legendary Luke the Warrior, the final gable is completed and the weathervane is secured to its top.A hedgehog maid, Trimp the Rover, has arrived from the Northlands with part of a story – or more accurately part of a song – that mentions Luke and a promise he made to return to his son Martin. But it never happened while Martin was still living in the northlands. He longs to go north and find out if his father ever finally returned or, failing that, to discover what became of him. His close friend Gonff, Prince of Mousethieves, and Dinny the Foremole agree to go with him, and Trimp will be their guide.The best thing about the Redwall books is usually the Dibbuns – the baby animals from the Abbey and the trouble they are forever getting into. There are a few Dibbuns in this book, but very few compared to most of the books. However, the two main Dibbuns – Gonff’s son Gonflett and Chugger, a baby squirrel whom the travelers rescue from dangerous foes along the way – do their best to fill in the void. Also working valiantly to fill the need for comic relief are Beau, a seagoing rabbit that Luke and his band of avengers find on an island in their part of the adventure, and Folgrim, a mentally unbalanced otter that Martin’s party encounters and gradually brings back to relative sanity.After many adventures and much help from a band of GUOSIM shrews headed by Log a Log Furmo, several otter tribes, and a goshawk, Krar the Woodwatcher, Martin and his party reach the deserted North shore where Martin was a child. Traveling further, they encounter an area of tall rocks where they find the remains of half a ship where what is left of Luke’s crew is still living. They tell the travelers the story of Luke and how he managed to defeat the pirates who murdered his wife and many of his friends years before with the help of these crew members and the slaves aboard the red pirate ship Goreleech, including particularly a stout-hearted black squirrel, Ranguvar Foeseeker.

Redwall is an excellent series for children, teenagers, and adults! Brian Jacques was a master storyteller and wrote some of the best descriptions a writer could. You won't regret the time you spend in the Redwall universe.

My son loves the Redwall series.

Brian Jacques's Redwall series tells the adventurous tales of mice, badgers, hares, shrews and squirrels as they battle rats and stoats and live in Redwall Abbey, a place of peace and egalitarianism in the English countryside. Throughout the twelve books, the author has pinned his stories to the legendary exploits of a series of warrior mice, and this instalment finally tells us the story of Luke, who was the father of Martin, Redwall's legendary original protector.As usual, the tale is filled with colorful descriptions of the various animals and their speech and habits -- particularly the food they eat! (Also as usual, and what makes the series inappropriate for the youngest children, there is a lot of description of the criminal element and their vicious actions.)If you're a fan of this series, you will thoroughly enjoy learning about Luke. If you are new to the series, you can still enjoy this book, which I would recommend to t hose who enjoy fantasy novels.A great addition to the series.

Both enjoyed the book. I would say it’s more 12+ level really well written

This one took a while to get into, but once your in it's good, you can't put it down. a good book to read before turning in.

This is but yet another great book. I’ll be looking for the next in this wonderful series! And I can’t wait.

Great series. Good book.

A great book, feels like a continuation from the original Mossflower book. It was great to read about all the old characters, to see how they moved on and how they developed.

Can't put it down!

As good as ever

thanks