Lord Brocktree
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| Lord Brocktree | |
 UK 1st Edition Cover |
|
| Author | Brian Jacques |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Chris Baker |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Redwall |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Hutchinson (UK) & Philomel (US) |
| Publication date | 1 September 2000 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 388 (UK hardback) & 370 (US Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-09-176877-2 (UK hardback) & ISBN 0-399-23590-6 (US Hardback) |
| Preceded by | The Legend of Luke |
| Followed by | The Taggerung |
Lord Brocktree is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2000. It is the thirteenth book in the Redwall series to be published. It is also the earliest chronological installment in the Redwall series.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The book focuses on a badger, Lord Brocktree, and haremaid Dotti as they journey towards Salamandastron, the mountain fortress of badger lords, to recapture it from the wildcat Ungatt Trunn. With Brocktree's help, the army is able to save the fortress from being held by the vermin hordes.
[edit] Plot summary
This book revolves around the badger Lord Brocktree, father of Boar the Fighter, grandfather of Bella of Brockhall, and great-grandfather of Sunflash the Mace. He sets out to find the ancient badger mountain stronghold of Salamandastron, aided by the quick talking haremaid Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy and otter Ruffgar Brookback.
Meanwhile, in Salamandastron, trouble comes for Brocktree's father, Lord Stonepaw. Years of peace have left the mountain stronghold with few fighters, and those that remain are long past their prime, including Stonepaw himself. The wildcat Ungatt Trunn, son of Mortspear, Highland King of the North, lays siege to the fortress with his Blue Hordes. Eventually the mountain is overrun, leading to the deaths of many hares and even of Stonepaw himself, who dies valiantly defending his hares, taking many vermin with him as he does. The wildcat takes at least sixty hares as prisoners, but through the efforts of warrior Stiffener Medick and his otter friend Brogalaw, they escape.
Lord Brocktree gets an army from Bucko Bigbones, after Dotti defeats him in a contest.
Thanks to the Bark Crew, the group of guerillas formed by Stiffener and Brogalaw to harass Trunn, the Blue Hordes are slowly starved, their supplies cut off. Ungatt Trunn tricks the Bark Crew into putting up a last stand in battle, but Lord Brocktree joins forces with the hares and saves the day.
The book culminates in a massive final battle, with many memorable characters killed, such as Jukka the Sling, a female squirrel chieftain, and Fleetscut the hare. Eventually, when the battle ends up a near-stalemate, Trunn and Brocktree face off in a duel. After a failed assassination attempt on Brocktree by the searat Doomeye and the corsair fleet captain Karangool ( Trunn's second in command) the badger eventually paralyzes Trunn. Trunn is thrown into the water but survives, only to be drowned by Groddil, one of his former advisors.
[edit] Characters in "Lord Brocktree"
- Lord Brocktree
- Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy (Dotti)
- Ruffgar Brookback (Ruff)
- Lord Stonepaw
- Stiffener Medick
- Torleep
- Sailears
- Ungatt Trunn
- Mortspear, father of Ungatt Trunn
- Brogalaw (Brog)
- Jukka the Sling
- Fleetscut
- Groddil
- The Grand Fragorl, advisor of Ungatt Trunn
- Bucko Bigbones, march hare of the North Mountains
- Karangool, Captain of Trunn's fleet
- Skittles, a precocious baby hedgehog
- Ripfang & Doomeye, searat brothers
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- The Blue Hordes of Ungatt Trunn appears to be the largest of the vermin hordes in the Redwall novels; Mattimeo is the only other novel in which a horde of unspecified but vast numbers is seen, and the Blue Hordes are repeatedly emphasized for their size, something the blackrobe horde in Mattimeo did not share. The Rapscallions have the largest specified horde to date, at one thousand vermin soldiers.
- In Lord Brocktree the confusing Redwall/Salamandastron chronology was made clearer. The earliest Redwall books published made it clear there were many lords of Salamandastron before Brocktree, but in later books he was credited as the first lord to lead the Long Patrol and occasionally credited as the very first Badger Lord. Both are explained as true in this book, as Brocktree was the one who founded the Patrol.
- The chronology is also expanded to make clear that the events described take place approximately one generation before book two of The Legend of Luke, because in Legend of Luke it is stated that Luke’s clan fled Mossflower to the north after Lord Verdauga Greeneyes invaded Mossflower and that Martin was an infant or not yet born at this time. However, in Lord Brocktree it is made clear that Ungatt Trunn left home to conquer Salamandastron before his brother Verdauga left for Mossflower. Also, at the time Lord Brocktree leaves his home in Mossflower, Mossflower is still safe, and in the book Mossflower it is made clear that it remains so until after Brocktree's son Boar leaves and travels to Salamandastron, which does not happen in the book and is implied to occur much later.
[edit] Book Divisions (English)
- Book 1: The Days of Ungatt Trunn (also entitled: "Dorothea Leaves Home")
- Book 2: At the Court of King Bucko (also entitled: "The Tribulations of a Haremaid")
- Book 3: Comes a Badger Lord (also entitled: "A Shawl for Aunt Blench")
[edit] Translations
- (French) Rougemuraille : La Forteresse en péril
[edit] External links
| Preceded by none |
Redwall Series (chronological order) |
Succeeded by Martin the Warrior |
| Preceded by The Legend of Luke |
Redwall Series (publication order) |
Succeeded by The Taggerung |
