Product Description

What secrets lie in the ruins of Loamhedge? When young haremaid Martha Braebuck arrived at Redwall Abbey, she was unable to walk - and no beast knows why. The answer lies far away - at the ancient, ruined abbey of Loamhedge. And two old Redwall warriors, Bragoon and Sarobando, are determined to help. But as they leave, a murderous band of Searats is heading for Redwall Abbey - and their leader, Raga Bol, is a mighty vicious beast. One brave badger, Lonna Bowstripe, wants revenge on Bol and his crew - and the fate of Redwall, and young Martha Braebuck, will depend on him.

Product Details

• Published on: 2004-10-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Amazon.com Review
Number sixteen in the esteemed Redwall animal fantasy series, young readers will find Loamhedge just as wild and woolly as its predecessors. In this chapter of the seemingly endless history of the woodland abbey, adventure is sparked by the sad plight of the haremaid, Martha Braebuck. Due to a terrible event that befell her when she was just an abbey Dibbun, Martha has lost the ability to walk. But when legendary mouse Martin the Warrior comes to her in a dream and explains that the secret to winning back her legs lies within the cursed walls of the ancient abbey Loamhedge, Martha hopes for a hero who will travel to the ruins on her behalf. Enter world-class adventurers Braggon the otter and Sarobando the squirrel. The best friends have come for a visit, and decide to undertake Martha’s quest. Yet, just as soon as the two tricksters leave, the peaceful abbey folk fervently wish them back, as Redwall is suddenly under siege from the dread searat Raga Bol and his motley crew of vermin. But even as he endeavors to force the Redwall folk from their cozy nest, Raga Bol is plagued by nightmares of the massive badger archer Lonna Bowstripe, who is coming to end his reign of terror. But will Lonna get to Redwall in time to save the forest folk? And will Martha ever walk again? The only thing that’s certain is that the fur will fly and numerous feasts will be noisily consumed in yet another fur-tastic tale from beloved British storyteller Brian Jacques. (Ages 10 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–Loamhedge(Philomel, 2003), Book 16 in Brian Jacques Redwall series, is populated with the usual cast of furry friends and foes. Adventuring otter Braggon and his companion, Sarobando, return to Redwall Abbey briefly before heading off on a quest to help young hare, Martha Braebuck, regain the use of her legs. At the same time, Lonna Bowstripe, an archer/badger has set out to avenge a friend's death, and two bands of rats, stoats, foxes, and other vermin have laid siege to the Abbey. There's even an eerie pack of nighttime worshippers who remind listeners that Loamhedge sounds a lot like Stonehedge. Jacques narrates the story with a versatile and enthusiastic cast of 14 actors whose authentic accents are occasionally hard to understand. Lively songs throughout add to the recording, but it's mildly disconcerting that their instrumental accompaniment is rarely based on the text. The popularity of the Redwall series makes this a logical purchase for all school and public libraries.–Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Fans of the Redwall series will be mightily pleased by Jacques' new action-packed adventure featuring the stalwart creatures of Mossflower country. The peace of the abbey is shattered when a trio of rebellious young Redwallers, lead by Horty Braebuck, an audacious hare, run off to join the seasoned adventurers Bragoon and Sarobando on a hazardous quest to the long-abandoned Loamhedge Abbey, seeking a cure for Horty's wheelchair-bound sister, Martha. The abbey comes under siege by the vicious searat Raga Bol, but in true Redwall fashion, heroes emerge: an immense badger seeking revenge against Raga Bol becomes a powerful ally, Martha helps save the abbey, and Bragoon and Sarobando ably guide Horty and his pals on their first adventures away from the abbey and toward adulthood. The action never lets up, the bad guys are satisfyingly evil, and the Abbeybeasts seem like old friends. The story is laced with humor, the feasts are mouth-watering, and the language is rich. Yep, it's another good yarn. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

The Best Redwall Book Ever!
I've read every Redwall book ever written, and I own almost all of them. And this is by FAR the best book Brian Jacques has written! It starts out with a young hare named Martha Braebuck, who has been wheel chair bound since infancy. Then one night she receives a dream from Martin the Warrior! Martin tells her to look for two creatures returning to the abbey after years of adventuring. When they show up, they set out questing to find the lost abbey of Loamhedge, where the cure to Martha's sickness can be found!
While our heroes are on their trip, Raga Bol and a crew of vermin lay siege to Redwall! Along with the help of the badger, Lonna Bowstripe, the good abbey creatures fight to take back their abbey!
This book is filled with songs, battles, riddles, new friends, and everything else Jacques is famous for! The BEST REDWALL BOOK YET!!!

An Adventure Packed Tale
"Loamhedge" is another epic Redwall tale jam-packed with adventure and intrigue. The 16th book of the Redwall series is exciting from the very beginning. I have read all of the other Redwall books and every new book has been a little better than the last.

There are two main characters whose lives are portrayed in the story. Lonna Bowstripe is a badger who has always been a wandering warrior. The other main character is Martha Braebuck, who is a young haremaid always searching for knowledge. Both Martha and Lonna have friends that help them in their adventures. Horty Braebuck (Martha's brother), Abbot Carrul (head of Redwall Abbey), Bragoon and Saro (two of Redwall's best warriors), and Toran (the otter cook) all guide and advise Martha throughout her life at Redwall. Lonna's friends are the Abruc Sea Otter Clan (who healed him from a terrible vermin attack), Garfo Trok (a river otter who gave him passage up the Mossflower River), and Figalok Twigbenda (who hid Lonna from a horde of Sea Rats).

Brian Jacques incorporates two separate plot lines into his story. He begins his novel by introducing Lonna Bowstripe through a tragic experience. The Abruc Otter Clan find Lonna near the Sea Coast with a gashed face, lying on the ground next to a dead older badger. After being brought in and healed by the Clan, Lonna begins his adventures to avenge his close friend's death. The Clan tells Lonna that Raga Bol and his Sea Rat crew have come inland from the coast for the winter and he then vows to kill every last vermin including Raga Bol himself. Lonna sets off on his quest with the aid of the river otter, Garfo Trok.

The foundation of Brian Jacques' second plot line is the life of Martha, the young haremaid. The reader is informed that Redwall Abbey is a peaceful fortress in Mossflower County that houses and protects all sorts of working woodland creatures. This Abbey is where Martha leads her life, bound to a wheelchair. Handicapped from birth, Martha often finds free time for reading and gaining knowledge. When Martha discovers that another abbey beast from ancient times, who shared the same condition as Martha, had figured out how to walk, the plot line is revealed. Horty, Fenna, Bragoon, and Saro all set out to find the lost abbey of Loamhedge where the cure for Martha has been supposedly recorded. This begins the adventure to Loamhedge.

A main theme that appears often throughout the story is good triumphing over evil. Bragoon and Saro left Redwall as Dibbuns (young babes) to search for adventure. They become great warriors and fight vermin in Mossflower for a living. Whenever Bragoon and Saro fight they rarely shed blood. The reader sees them trick a fox and his filthy vermin crew out of their lunch and later save woodland creatures from ten score nasty vermin without a scratch. This theme is also evident in the actions of Lonna Bowstripe. Lonna saves Figalok and her squirrels from a terrible vermin threat that had been harassing the squirrel colony for their entire life. This theme is emphasized throughout the book.

I encourage any Redwall enthusiasts to read this book and if one has not read a Redwall book yet, do it! You will not be sorry.

Almost a 5
I was really hoping when I had heard that this book was called "Loamhedge" that it was more about the long-lost abbey. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed that it was merely about a journey to the ruins and not a story about it. I had been hoping for some more history of the beginnings of Redwall. Still, the book, like all of Jacques works, is filled with adventure and intrigue, happiness and sadness, danger and more. I proudly add this book to my collection!