  redwall is a fantasy novel by brian jacques. originally published in 1986, it is the first book of the redwall series. the book was illustrated by gary chalk, with the british cover illustration by pete lyon and the american cover by troy howell. it is also one of the three redwall books to be made into a tv show. ==plot introduction== when redwall abbey is attacked by a rat known as cluny the scourge, the redwallers rise up in defense. a young mouse known as matthias embarks on a quest to recover the legendary sword of martin the warrior for redwall and his friends, because he believes that the sword is necessary in defeating cluny's horde. ==plot summary== a young mouse named matthias dreams of times of adventure rather than a life of quiet servitude, but he is counseled to patience by his elders. redwall is a fixture in the local community, set in the heart of mossflower woods, and was designed to be a place of refuge for the beasts of the forest in times of trouble. trouble arrives in the form of cluny the scourge in the summer of the late rose. cluny is an evil, infamous rat, owning an extra-long tail with a poisoned barb on the end, and commander of a horde of vermin. he has only one eye, having lost the other in a battle with a pike, which he killed. the foebeasts arrive at the beginning of the book and make their headquarters at the church of st. ninian, to the south of redwall, with the intention of taking the abbey for themselves. the abbey inhabitants, who refuse to back down, make ready to defend themselves if necessary; most of the inhabitants of the surrounding area are now within redwall. none of them are particularly martial, but redwall folk, and indeed much of the mossflower population, are generally slow to anger but fierce fighters when roused; they are able to make an effective defense. matthias, fearing that cluny will still overrun them, begins a quest to find the legendary sword of martin the warrior, which is supposedly hidden somewhere within the abbey. he is helped part
1986_novels British_children\'s_novels British_fantasy_novels Children\'s_fantasy_novels Hutchinson_(publisher)_books Redwall_books