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juushikaTitle: Rakkety Tam
Author: Brian Jacques
Published: New York: Philomel Books (Penguin), 2004
Page Count: 372
Total Page Count: 21,297
Text Number: 61
Read For: my own enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: One of the more recent books in the long Redwall series (book 17), Rakkety Tam is the story of a highlander warrior squirrel from the North and a flesh-eating wolverine from the icy lands across the sea. Rakkety Tam McBurl is a fierce fighter, garbed in a kilt and carrying a claymore. He goes after Gulo the Savage when he and his army of 100 vermin attack and slaughter a group of squirrels. Along the way, Tam joins forces with the Long Patrol and is given the Sword of Martin. Battles are waged throughout Mossflower, culminating in a one on one battle between Rakkety Tam and Gulo outside the gates of Redwall. Rakkety Tam is merely average as far as the Redwall series goes: the characters are enjoyable, the storytelling fast-paced and gripping, but the plot largely unmemorable. I recommend it if you like and read the Redwall books, but if the series is new to you I suggest you pick up some of the classics (Redwall, Mossflower, Salamandastron) instead.
I am a long-time fan and collector of the Redwall series, but I've missed the last few books due to college and decreased spending money. I'm now trying to catch up on the texts I've missed, and I'm rereading some of my favorites at the same time. Rakkety Tam is a pretty minor episode in the long Redwall saga: engrossing but not particularly memorable. I very much enjoyed the characters, although the villains in particular weren't as well developed as they are in other Redwall books. Tam makes for a unique protagonist, the first highland squirrel we've seen (to my knowledge) and Gulo is also the first wolverine we've seen. Tam's no-nonsense warrior attitude makes him admirable and fun to read; his plan to stage guerrilla warfare against Gulo's horde is unusual for Jacques, who usually prefers large battles and all-out action. The change of pace in both characters and battle style is a welcome one, making up for the fact that the plot isn't very memorable and doesn't seem to have a significant place in the larger Redwall timeline.
I enjoyed this book, but I don't see it as one that I would reread (at least not often or with enthusiasm) or remember in much detail. I enjoyed Tam and the homage to my own Scotland roots, I liked the battle style, but I wish the plot had been more significant and the story a bit more memorable. One of my favorite things about this series is how intertwined all of the stories are—each book introduces something of the past and opens up a road to the future allowing the next book to explain it or build upon it, creating complex lineages, histories, stories, and characters. Rakkety Tam doesn't have the same impact or place in the timeline, and so it doesn't stand out as much or prove as memorable. Nonetheless, Jacques is a skilled writer with fun characters, a complex world, and the ability to keep the reader interested and moving quickly through the battles, suspense, joys of Redwall life, and love of the characters. While not the best in the series, this book is by no means bad, and I enjoyed reading it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Brian Jacques
Published: New York: Philomel Books (Penguin), 2004
Page Count: 372
Total Page Count: 21,297
Text Number: 61
Read For: my own enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: One of the more recent books in the long Redwall series (book 17), Rakkety Tam is the story of a highlander warrior squirrel from the North and a flesh-eating wolverine from the icy lands across the sea. Rakkety Tam McBurl is a fierce fighter, garbed in a kilt and carrying a claymore. He goes after Gulo the Savage when he and his army of 100 vermin attack and slaughter a group of squirrels. Along the way, Tam joins forces with the Long Patrol and is given the Sword of Martin. Battles are waged throughout Mossflower, culminating in a one on one battle between Rakkety Tam and Gulo outside the gates of Redwall. Rakkety Tam is merely average as far as the Redwall series goes: the characters are enjoyable, the storytelling fast-paced and gripping, but the plot largely unmemorable. I recommend it if you like and read the Redwall books, but if the series is new to you I suggest you pick up some of the classics (Redwall, Mossflower, Salamandastron) instead.
I am a long-time fan and collector of the Redwall series, but I've missed the last few books due to college and decreased spending money. I'm now trying to catch up on the texts I've missed, and I'm rereading some of my favorites at the same time. Rakkety Tam is a pretty minor episode in the long Redwall saga: engrossing but not particularly memorable. I very much enjoyed the characters, although the villains in particular weren't as well developed as they are in other Redwall books. Tam makes for a unique protagonist, the first highland squirrel we've seen (to my knowledge) and Gulo is also the first wolverine we've seen. Tam's no-nonsense warrior attitude makes him admirable and fun to read; his plan to stage guerrilla warfare against Gulo's horde is unusual for Jacques, who usually prefers large battles and all-out action. The change of pace in both characters and battle style is a welcome one, making up for the fact that the plot isn't very memorable and doesn't seem to have a significant place in the larger Redwall timeline.
I enjoyed this book, but I don't see it as one that I would reread (at least not often or with enthusiasm) or remember in much detail. I enjoyed Tam and the homage to my own Scotland roots, I liked the battle style, but I wish the plot had been more significant and the story a bit more memorable. One of my favorite things about this series is how intertwined all of the stories are—each book introduces something of the past and opens up a road to the future allowing the next book to explain it or build upon it, creating complex lineages, histories, stories, and characters. Rakkety Tam doesn't have the same impact or place in the timeline, and so it doesn't stand out as much or prove as memorable. Nonetheless, Jacques is a skilled writer with fun characters, a complex world, and the ability to keep the reader interested and moving quickly through the battles, suspense, joys of Redwall life, and love of the characters. While not the best in the series, this book is by no means bad, and I enjoyed reading it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
