"Rakkety Rakkety Rakkety Tam, the drums are beatin' braw. Rakkety Rakkety Rakkety Tam, Are ye marchin' off tae war? That savage from the lands of ice, he's no' like any other. He's sworn tae get the Walkin' Stone, an' murder his own brother! 'Tis braw tae woo a bonny maid for love is aye sae sweet. Yet who'll be left tae tell the tale, when steel an' fang must meet?" —Rakkety Tam, P. 264 Another new batch of Abbey dwellers comes to the forefront in this seventeenth novel of Brian Jacques's unparalleled Redwall saga. Legendary warriors of Mossflower Wood have led full lives and then passed on for generations, from Luke to Martin the Warrior to Matthias to Mattimeo to Triss. Yet despite the veneration of warriors that have kept Redwall from falling to the wicked schemes and brazen might of every scourge to happen upon the sandstone building and believe it theirs to claim, Redwall remains primarily a place of peace, home to woodland creatures who aspire to live in harmony with one another and the earth, trading their hard agricultural labor for the bountiful reward of yearly harvest. In the same way, the Long Patrol hares of the mountain stronghold Salamandastron have maintained their focus generation after generation, patrolling the adjoining region in service to their badger lord to prevent vermin from ever taking hold of it. The right warriors seem to come to Redwall and Salamandastron when needed and not a season before, often at the protective behest of Martin the Warrior, who continues to guard the Abbey residents long after his passage into the next life. In Rakkety Tam, that ideal new warrior comes from without, as fierce Highland squirrels Rakkety Tam MacBurl and Wild Doogy Plumm seek to extricate themselves from indentured servitude to independently proclaimed sciurine royalty and reestablish their own reputation as freelance warriors with whom to be reckoned. With life in Redwall Abbey and surrounding Mossflower Wood proceeding as usual, its creatures aren't aware of the power struggle ensuing up north in the icy lands beyond the sea. A wolverine kingdom there starts coming to pieces when the patriarch is murdered and his blood-lusting sons, Gulo the Savage and Askor, lock wills in a battle over family preeminence. When Askor steals their father's prized Walking Stone and sails south with it, Gulo piles a ship full of vermin and takes off after him, toward unsuspecting Mossflower. It is but a matter of time before Gulo and his crew stumble onto Redwall and figure that's where Askor would go for sanctuary with the Walking Stone, and once Gulo decides he will have entry into Redwall if it's the last thing he ever does, the future of the Abbey is in serious jeopardy. Sent on an errand by the faux king and queen of squirrels to earn their own freedom, Rakkety Tam and Doogy Plumm walk unwittingly into the midst of the tense standoff between Gulo and the Redwallers. Tam is drawn into the drama by the watchful spirit of Martin the Warrior, who appears to have selected him as the one to challenge Gulo in a fight to the death. Not since the days of Tsarmina the wildcat has Mossflower been plagued by an enemy as lethal as Gulo, of sufficient size and temper to battle a full-grown badger and win. Tam's responsibility for the peace-loving Redwallers is mitigated by the arrival of the Long Patrol from Salamandastron, bearing a special gift for the Abbey, but Gulo's unpredictable rage soon leads Tam, Doogy, and a company of hares on reconnaissance duty to split up and try thinning the ranks of the wolverine's vermin troops through a strategy of attrition. Fewer foxes, ermine, and rats to contend with on the periphery will give Tam a better chance in a face-off against Gulo. Fate has selected the brave Highland squirrel and the flesh-eating wolverine to duel it out for the safety and liberty of this land and its long tradition of preserving and furthering the rights of the defenseless, and Tam and Gulo ultimately will clash with all of that at stake as Mossflower's future once more depends on the capability and perseverance of a great warrior. Will Rakkety Tam MacBurl save Redwall and his own life, or might the vanquishing of a foebeast as strong as Gulo the Savage require an equal sacrifice of bodies, a noble fighter in exchange for a conscienceless one? Can Redwall Abbey endure the losses it must absorb defending against its ruthless adversaries? Rakkety Tam doesn't lack for variety of adventures. The Abbey is abuzz with action through most of the novel, after entering lockdown to prevent Gulo and his cannibalistic followers from attacking those who live within. Tactical guile isn't Gulo's strength, but he has crafty vulpine advisers to devise plans to outwit the opposition, provided Gulo doesn't slay them all out of anger over the delay in sacking Redwall. The war on the home front wages all book long, so there's plenty of opportunity for suspense. Tam has adventures of his own, diverting a portion of Gulo's horde to chase him and lead the war away from the vulnerable Abbey, but there are enemies besides the maniacal wolverine for Tam to worry about the further he strays into unknown corners of Mossflower. Doogy has isolated escapades, as well, tracking down a volethief and trying to find the way back to Redwall through unfamiliar lands. Mossflower is home to folks generous and reprehensible, and there is always question of why some won't leave well enough alone, content to develop the quality of their own lot in life without harming innocents to do it. And what makes one goodbeast lean toward a warrior's lifestyle, cutting down evil vermin without a twinge to his or her conscience, while another is haunted by the prospect of killing a single vile fiend even in self-defense? I believe I agree with Tam's words on this matter: "We all choose our different paths. Some are born gentle, whilst others are destined to be warriors." There's valid reason to resist amoral marauders even to the regrettable point of taking their lives, as Brother Demple of Redwall explains: "Because there's always good and bad in the land, and goodbeasts have to protect their friends an' families from evil ones who want nothing but to conquer an' destroy." From Lord Brocktree and Luke, who both predated even Martin the Warrior, down through the ages to Rakkety Tam MacBurl of modern Redwall, warriors in Mossflower have stood resolutely in Brother Demple's philosophy of righteous assertiveness. I pray they continue their unflagging defense of the innocent and downtrodden for all seasons yet to come. "Now the sunny glades are silent, where our fallen warriors lay. As in memory we treasure all the brave who marched away. Through the dusty seasons rolling, o'er our passing out parade, how we laughed and sang together, Oh your face 'twill never fade." —Rakkety Tam, PP. 172-173 I can't say Rakkety Tam packs the emotional punch of the first eight Redwall novels, or even later entries such as The Legend of Luke and Lord Brocktree, but it's a solid story with moments that engage deeper feeling, particularly surrounding the deaths of a few courageous beasts who lose their lives resisting Gulo the Savage's hawkish overtures. The book wraps up meaningfully, too, and in light of these points in its favor, there's a chance I would give Rakkety Tam two and a half stars. The introduction of some animals new and rare to Mossflower should also be noted, as well as a slight increase in graphic description of the story's violence. It's a mild spike, however, doubtful to make many reconsider the series' appropriateness for kids. I plan on visiting Redwall often in the future, for I always find welcome and comfort within its walls. If you, reader, seek the same, I recommend Rakkety Tam or any of the Redwall books for your reading pleasure. There's no other series like it. "When the sun slips o'er the treetops, then small birds fly off to nest. Feel the peace lie on the meadows, 'tis a time that I love best. Slumber on, little one, I am ever near. Drowsily, lean on me, dream small dreams, my dear. All the jewelled stars a-twinkle, Watch the clouds drift through the night. Sail upon thy boats of dreaming, to the rays of dawning's light. Slumber on, day is gone, by thy side I'll lay. Fear no harm, rest in calm, 'til the golden day." —Rakkety Tam, P. 198
tRakkety Tam, written by Brian Jacques. Rakkety Tam, the fiction novel, is a redwall adventure fiction story about a mouse and its followers that try to hunt down the kingdom’s evil foe, Gulo the Savage. Rakkety works for the Queen and King (who are fairly arrogant and only care about themselves.). Rakkety has to find the royal banner (that Gulo stole), and return it to its rightful place with his sidekick Doogy. While they’re doing this, Gulo’s brother has stolen the walking stone. Whoever possess the walking stone gains power. While the books main storyline is fun to read and keeps you reading, It has its downfalls. The main downfall that I saw was that the book is sometimes hard to focus on because of the fact that all the characters have a British accent. Also during half of the book, the writing is in British stereotypical words back in the medieval day and hard to fluently read (i.e. “Aye wherefore ain't it enow?”). Besides the language, the plot is thrilling and has enough “silent action” to keep it enjoyable. tI especially like the characters in this book because of the stealing and thief “work”. While Rakkety is a mercenary working for the arrogant King and Queen, he fights for good and seeks out to remove his loans that he owes. (i.e. “He sneaks around Gulo’s camp without a hint of noise while rescuing his trusty pal Doogy.”). He just seems so relative to me as a character. I like every detail about Rakkety which makes me love the book even more.tIf you need to relate to another book, Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson narrating a tale of "buccaneers and buried gold". It may not be the same personality or race, but it has a close plot of stealing and revenge for the better. tI read a lot of fiction because I like the creativity. If they ever make more of this great series, I will pick them to read in the future. I like everything about fiction, from sci-fi to adventure. They are good books that I enjoy reading. In the end, I give this book a 5 out of 5 of what I have read so far in my life. This book involves stealing and talking animals that are the characters. It has fine creativity throughout and is a great novel.
What do You think about Rakkety Tam (2006)?
On the surface, Rakkety Tam is yet another Redwall book that follows Brian Jacques' tried and true formula: Half the narrative follows the title character and his rag-tag band of adventurers, while the other half deals with Redwall Abbey facing another siege. As with most of the Redwall series, there are a couple of things that differentiate Rakkety Tam from the rest of the series. In this case, it's an expansion of the setting.Our hero is Rakkety Tam, a highland squirrel whose Scottish-style brogue is well-written without being intrusive and who keeps the reader's interest despite the familiarity of the plot. He faces off against a unique villain who represents a new creature brought to the Redwall setting: a wolverine (yes! finally!). These two changes seem minor, but the whole series is based off of these minor changes making new stories seem fresh. In this case, Jacques installs Tam and his foe with enough unique features to make for an entertaining tale.
—J.T.
There is one thing you need to know about my relationship with this series:Redwall NEVER gets old.EVER.I don't care how many times I've read the descriptions of feasts and battles and Mossflower and Dibbuns. I don't. Redwall will always have a special place in my heart, and on my shelf. The novels go next to the two picture books and the cookbook and the Map and Riddler and all the different tribe guides and someday, dammit, I'm going to buy that abbey model.If I ever have children, I am raising them on stories of talking woodland creatures.That is all.
—Anila
I've been reading Brian Jaques (pronounced Jakes) for many years. I use to read them outloud to our son, doin all the voices. We would listen to them on audio too - love them - fun adventure for the little woodland critters that live at Redwall Abbey in Mossflower Woods - always a villian comes to threaten them with their vermin crews. the Villians can be rats, fox, weasels, wolverine, many different animals. Of course one of the woodland critters will come forth as the warrior in each book. Martin the warrior was the first, with his famous sword, others are squirrels, otters, mole, mouse maids etc. I love that there is songs, riddles and poems throughout. I love how they describe the Abbey's feasts. I think I will read them all allowed again to my new babies, after they are about 5 years oldenjoy for yourself or youth :)my son enjoyed reading them too
—Carrie
