num_pages: 370
description: An aging but heroic badger known as Lord Stonepaw is the leader of the other creatures living on the island mountain of Salamandastron. They have lived in peace for many generations, but all that is about to change. Acting on a dream in which he saw a ferocious badger warrior, the evil Ungatt Trunn and his minions are waging an invasion of Salamandastron. The residents put up a good fight to defend their island, but in the end Ungatt and his warriors prove too strong. Lord Stonepaw and a few survivors retreat to the basement caves in the island, where they hide and plan what to do next.Some distance away, a spunky young maiden hare named Dotti is traveling on her own when she meets up with another badger, Lord Brocktree. The warrior badger is traveling to Salamandstron, driven there by a dream he had, a dream of death, destruction, and a powerful enemy. After Lord Brocktree rescues the headstrong Dotti from a band of traveling marauders, the young hare decides to accompany him to Salamandastron. Thus is a long-lasting and strong friendship born.Along the way, Brocktree and Dotti meet a number of other creatures -- big and small, fierce and gentle, friends and foes. There is an old hare named Fleetscut, who teams up with a group of rabble-rousing squirrels, nearly being killed several times and then almost starving to death. At the other end of the age spectrum is Skittles, a young hedgehog with lots of energy but little restraint. There is Udara Groundslay, a wise old owl who cannot fly but who rules over a small kingdom nonetheless. And then there is the shrew encampment led by Log a Log Grenn.As this traveling band of anthropomorphic vagabonds heads for Salamandastron, they try to build camaraderie and hone their fighting skills. Their numbers are increased tenfold when they reach the lands governed by King Bucko Bigbones, one of the biggest and strongest hares to ever live. When Bucko is bested in a test of strength and will by the plucky Dotti, he prepares to hand her his crown. Instead, she convinces him and his followers to join in on the march to Salamandastron.By the time this traveling band of warriors closes in on Trunn, the wildcat's ranks have been weakened through attrition and treason -- Trunn's wicked ways and cruel treatment haven't won him any friends. Trunn puts up a good fight and almost defeats the rescuers, but in the end Lord Brocktree and his little band of fighters prevail, restoring Salamandastron to the peaceful community it once was. With this latest installment in his epic adventure, Jacques will no doubt continue to enthrall his readers, both young and old. While the vocabulary in the Redwall series tends to limit the stories to readers over the age of nine or so, Lord Brocktree has less of the dialect and hundred-dollar words that tend to trip up younger readers. There is bloodshed and violence, but also an overriding theme of good triumphing over evil (and Jacques doesn't dabble much in shades of gray -- his evil characters are clearly and deliciously evil.) And the ever escalating sense of adventure makes each book in this series an exercise in non-stop fun and excitement.
language: English
title: Lord Brocktree
titlecomplete: Lord Brocktree (Redwall, #13)
genres: Adventure, Animal Fiction, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Science Fiction Fantasy, Animals, Fiction
ratings_count: 50582
series: Redwall, Redwall (chronological order)
publisher: Philomel Books