ALA Booklist

In a Booklist interview , Jacques indicated that his main interest in writing for young people is to tell a good yarn; here, he has once again succeeded. Though part of the Redwall saga, this tale centers mainly on the badgers and hares of the castle of Salamandastron in the mountains near the sea. The castle is under attack by Ferahgo the Assassin, who, like all of Jacques' villains, reeks of evil. There's a lot going on in the story, which also follows the exploits of the mischievous young squirrel Samkin (chosen by the spirit of Martin the Warrior to wield his sword) and Samkin's sidekick, the young mole Arula, who face untold danger as they pursue the thieving stoats who made off with the sword and left the Abbey infected with a deadly plague. The action switches back and forth between various adventures: those of Samkin and Arula; of the young badger Mara, who runs away from Salamandastron, and her ravenous hare companion, Pikkle; and of the otter Thrugg and Baby Dumble the dormouse, who brave the rigors of the Mountains of the North in search of the plague's only cure. But all the plot threads work well together, and the grand climax comes at Salamandastron when the great bloody battle is fought. Once more, Jacques charms readers with well-developed animal characters, all suited to the roles they play--whether heroic, villainous, or comical. And as usual the characteristic dialects contribute to the sense of character and place, and the setting is integral to the story. Another winner for the series' following. (Reviewed Mar. 15, 1993)

Horn Book

The fifth in the Redwall series, about the adventures of the animals who inhabit the lands around Redwall Abbey, tells of the struggle of the great badger warriors, especially Mara, the warrior maiden, to regain their land from evil invaders. As usual, the battles and perils are many and complicated; the bad guys are very bad; most of the heroes survive; and the food and feasting are glorious. Happy times for Redwall fans.

Kirkus Reviews

Here they come again, those fiercely determined animals of Mossflower wood and its environs: intrepid or villainous, buckling their swashes, smiling sly grins, declaiming their resolution, and, above all, eating (``scoffin' '') their way through hazelnuts, raspberries, cream, ale, and other bounty. It's easy to tell the good guys from the bad: mice, squirrels, otters, hedgehogs, moles, and especially badgers are heroes, while rats, stoats, foxes, and reptiles are scum. Salamandastron- -a volcanic shell honeycombed with caves, lair of the mysterious badger lords and the hares of the Long Patrol—is now under siege by Feragho, the singularly nasty leader of the weasels and stoats. Does Redwall Abbey come into the tale? Are there hare- raising adventures and dread perils, including plague and poison? After mighty struggles, betrayal, heroism, and pluck, does right triumph over evil? Of course. Fans will rejoice—the familiar scenes and faces are all here. Speech patterns, feasts, offended dignity, voices from afar, and mysterious swords are recycled from book to book; but then, that's half the charm. (Fiction. 9+)"

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The beastly names have changed but the epic struggle between good and evil rages on in this continuation of the acclaimed Redwall series. Leading the fight is the badger maid, Mara; a dashing hare named Pikkle; and Dumble, a baby vole all aptly named in the colorful tradition of Jacques's animal characterizations. At stake are the lives of all the good beasts of Redwall Abbey who are stricken with a terrible plague. A bittersweet relationship between Mara and her guardian, the Badger Lord of Salamandastron, provides an emotional thread that cleverly joins far-flung bands of swashbuckling beasts, on various quests and fighting sorties, in its moving ceremonial conclusion. Against the backdrop of a seemingly endless parade of heroes and villains, danger and daring rescues, Jacques has created over the years a loyalty between his readers and the creatures of Redwall Abbey: the reader feels included in the Abbey's history as it is being written, and Jacques encourages that empathy by creating animal characters that respond to extraordinary circumstances with compellingly human-like humility and strength. Chalk's black-and-white illustrations above each chapter number are small marvels of nuance and personality. Ages 10-14. (Mar.)