Triss (Redwall) by Brian Jacques, David Elliot (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Wot, Wot?! Could it be another epic Redwall tale (tail?) thick with high adventure, heavy accents, and leek-and-turnip pasty from the beloved beast master himself, Brian Jacques? It is indeed, happy readers. Triss, the 15th book in the distinguished and wildly popular animal fantasy series, chronicles the exploits of a brave squirrel maid who travels from the bonds of slavery to the meeting of her destiny as a warrior at Redwall Abbey. Triss the squirrel, Shogg the otter, and Welfo the hedgehog, all slaves to the bloodthirsty royal ferret family of Riftgard, filch a ferret boat and sail away from the murderous clutches of Princess Kurda and her malevolent father, King Agarnu. Swearing revenge, Kurda sets out to recapture her slaves, her evil Ratguard troops reinforced by the pirate fox Plugg Firetail and his band of criminal Freebooters. At the same time, the badger Sagaxus and his bosom friend Bescarum the hare also set sail from Salamanstrom, to seek adventure on the high seas.

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Meanwhile, back at the abbey, the Redwall inhabitants are being plagued by a mystery that involves a hidden door, a secret code, and three stinking, sinister snake siblings that are picking off the gentle forest folk one by one. Any ardent fan of Redwall knows that what comes next will include sword fights, feasting, raucous good humor, and a thrilling climax. Jacques's fervent followers are rewarded with the author's usual swashbuckling good storytelling, while the newly initiated will read with wide eyes, and quickly go back to hungrily devour the rest of the series. (Ages 10 and older)