Mossflower

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Mossflower

UK 1st Edition Cover
Author Brian Jacques
Illustrator Gary Chalk
Cover artist Pete Lyon
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Redwall
Genre(s) Fantasy novel
Publisher Hutchinson (UK) & Philomel (US)
Publication date 1988
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 420 (UK Hardback) & 431 (US Hardback)
ISBN ISBN 0-09-172160-1 (UK Hardback) & ISBN 0-399-21549-2 (US Hardback)
Preceded by Redwall
Followed by Mattimeo

Mossflower is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1988. It is the second book in the Redwall series.

Contents

[edit] Plot introduction

Mossflower tells the story of Martin the Warrior, who finds himself trespassing on the land of Verdauga Greeneyes as Verdauga lies sick and near death. With his last strength, Verdauga struggles to make a decision on who should replace him as ruler of Mossflower Woods. Tsarmina has a fox healer named Fortunata give her brother Gingivere herbs to unwittingly poison Verdauga; when Verdauga dies her brother is framed. As Martin and his fellow prisoner Gonff become embroiled in the battle against Verdauga's ruthless daughter, Tsarmina, a bloody fight between good and evil ensues.

[edit] Plot summary

US cover of Mossflower
US cover of Mossflower

The story begins in the Mossflower Wood, where a community of animals suffers under the tyranny of a ruling wildcat. When a mouse from the north, Martin the Warrior, comes to Mossflower Woods, he is captured and brought to the castle Kotir, where Martin's Sword is broken by Verdauga's daughter, Tsarmina. Martin is imprisoned within the Kotir Dungeons. As he is taken away to the dungeons, he says, "You should have killed me when you had the chance, cat, because I swear I will kill you someday!" Tsarmina poisons Verdauga with the help of the vixen Fortunata and blames it on her brother Gingevere. She places her brother in prison, and takes the throne for herself, while Martin realizes that with this, he will be staying there for the whole winter. However, the end of winter is when he meets Gonff the Mousethief. Meanwhile, Abbess Germaine and the surviving members of Loamhedge, an abbey stricken with the Great Sickness, arrive and join the woodlanders. Martin and Gonff escape with help from the Corim (Committee Of Resistance In Mossflower) and join with Dinny the mole and Log-a-Log Bigclub of the Guosim, on a quest to find Boar the Fighter, Badger Lord of Salamandastron. Bella, Boar's daughter, believed only her father could defeat Tsarmina.

After a journey through Bat Mountpit and the Toadlands, the companions reach Salamandastron and meet with Boar the Fighter. Boar then reforges Martin's broken sword with metal from a meteorite, but is killed while fighting his mortal enemy Ripfang the searat who had attacked Salamandastron. Ripfang's former oarslaves (including Martin's childhood friend Timballisto, and several members of Log a Log's former tribe) take over the searat ship, Bloodwake, with the help from Martin and his allies and return to Mossflower Woods, where Martin kills Tsarmina and destroys Kotir by flooding it. In the final battle with her, Martin is left near death. However, with the help of the woodlanders, he eventually recovers, but his memory is never the same thereafter, as shown in The Legend of Luke. From the ruins of Kotir would eventually rise what would later become Redwall Abbey. The flooded Kotir becomes the lake near Redwall Abbey.

[edit] Characters in "Mossflower"

[edit] Continuity Errors

Scragg, one of the officers in Kotir, alternates throughout the story between a weasel, a stoat, and a ferret, although his rank stays the same.

[edit] Book divisions (English)

  • Book 1: Kotir
  • Book 2: Salamandastron
  • Book 3: Of Water and Warriors

[edit] Translations

  • (Dutch) Het Moswoud
    • Het Moswoud: De Koningin van Duizend Ogen
    • Het Mouswoud: De Weg Naar de Vuurberg
    • Het Mouswoud: De Afrekening
  • (Finnish) Sammalkukkametsän Sota
  • (French) Rougemuraille : Martin le guerrier
    • Tome 1 : La Reine aux yeux multiples
    • Tome 2 : La Montagne de feu
    • Tome 3 : Le Retour triomphal
  • (German)
    • In den Fängen der Wildkatze
    • Mossflower
    • Kotir: die Burg des Schreckens
  • (Italian) Fior Muschiato
  • (Norwegian) Moslblom
  • (Swedish) Mossblomma
  • (Russian) Котир: Воина є ДккпиКошкои

[edit] Publication history

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Martin the Warrior		 Redwall Series
(chronological order)		 Succeeded by
The Legend of Luke
Preceded by
Redwall		 Redwall Series
(publication order)		 Succeeded by
Mattimeo
v • d • e
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Novels:
Animation:
Characters:
Species in Redwall • Abbots and Abbesses • Badger Lords • Badger Mothers • Birds • Foremoles • Log-a-Logs • Otters • Redwall Champions • Shrews • Skippers • Arula • Asmodeus • Badrang the Tyrant • Blaggut • Bragoon and Saro • Brother Hal • Rufe Brush • Tramun Clogg • Cluny the Scourge • Columbine • Cornflower • Damug Warfang • Vilu Daskar • Dingeye • Riggu Felis • Felldoh • Ferahgo the Assassin • Ranguvar Foeseeker • Fortunata • Gabool the Wild • Gonff the Mousethief • Mariel Gullwhacker • Gulo the Savage • Basil Stag Hare • Joseph the Bellmaker • Klitch • Luke the Warrior • Ublaz Mad-Eyes • Martin the Warrior • Methuselah • Midge Manycoats • Urgan Nagru • Nimbalo the Slayer • Russa Nodrey • Piknim • Wild Doogy Plumm • Durry Quill • Raga Bol • Ruro • Samkim • Shang Damsontongue • Swartt Sixclaw • Slagar • Squire Gingivere • Jess Squirrel • Thura • Ungatt Trunn • Tsarmina • Verdauga Greeneyes • Wearet
Locations:
Related works:
Languages