Product Description

Abandoned as an infant by his father, the evil warlord Swartt Sixclaw, Veil is raised by the kindhearted Bryony. Despite concerns from everyone at Redwall, Bryony is convinced that Veil's goodness will prevail. But when he commits a crime that is unforgivable, he is banished from the abbey forever. Then Swartt and his hordes of searats and vermin attack Redwall, and Veil has to decide: Should he join Swartt in battle against the only creature who has ever loved him? Or should he turn his back on his true father?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74411 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142401422
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
When ferret Swartt Sixclaw and his arch enemy Sunflash the Mace swear a pledge of death upon each other, a young creature is cruelly banished from the safety of Redwall. As he grows, he seeks revenge on the people of Redwall and finds himself embroiled in a hostile battle with far-reaching consequences.

An epic tale of Redwall from the pen of master storyteller Brian Jacques, Outcast of Redwall is a kaleidoscope of color, range, and emotions that culminates in a bitter contest between good and evil. None of the passion of the earlier Redwall titles is lost, as some of the most cherished landscapes and best-loved characters from previous books are revisited, with a wisdom and clarity that has developed and endured.

On a basic level, this is a marvelous fantasy adventure story. Look deeper and you will find that Outcast of Redwall, along with the other titles in the series, has a divine, enduring quality that ranks it among he best in children's literature. --Susan Harrison

From Publishers Weekly
Dishing out neither surprises nor disappointments, Jacques's latest Redwall installment (after The Bellmaker) is likely to satisfy his considerable fans even if it doesn't win him any converts. This lengthy story rumbles into life when Sunflash, a badger, prisoner of the cruel ferret Swartt Sixclaw, escapes and swears revenge. Sunflash is destined to get not only his revenge but much else besides, for he is a Badger Lord, fated to rule the mountain Salamandastron. Drawn there by dreams, after an epic journey he takes command of the resident regiments of fighting hares and various serving beasts, and soon defends the mountain from a horde raised by Swartt. Though strongly plotted and spiced with a variety of secondary characters, Jacques's new concoction, like the vegetarian feasts he describes often and in detail, will not appeal to all tastes: the repasts are not the only parts of the story that go on too long, and the characteristics of all the animals in the story are fixed by their species. Moles, for example, are all rural bumpkins, with a "quaint mole dialect" that requires some study. Such ingredients, of course, may be just what makes the Redwall recipe so consistently popular. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up?Another surefire hit for "Redwall" fans. The bulk of this story concerns an orphan badger named Sunflash the Mace who, with his buddy Skarlath the kestrel, rights the wrongs of the world. He eventually becomes Badger Lord of Salamandastron, which is populated by very English Public School hares. The bad guys in this story are ferret Swartt Sixclaw and Nightshade the vixen. They spend most of the book poisoning other bad guys and looking for a chance to even an old score with Sunflash. One last ferret of note is Swartt's son Veil, who is raised at Redwall Abbey by Briony the mouse. He spends his time in the literary limelight being a sociopath only a (foster) mother could love. Briony's faith in him eventually doing good remains unshakable, even after he is caught thieving and murdering. Besides strong plotting and good writing, there are two constants in this series: food and distinct accents for each group of animals. This title is no different. Though faithful readers should have a good idea by now what deeper'n'ever pie, dandelion and burdock cordial, and oatfarls taste like, talking about food is always a nice break from mourning the death of good friends who have fallen in battle. While the accents may pose problems for some, the hurdle is not insurmountable, and the characters are strong enough to engage even the most indifferent reader.?Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Best Redwall book yet
Like most book series, Redwall can be a bit unaccessible without reading the whole series from oldest to new. Also alot of the plots repeat themselves. But in Outcast, author Brian Jacques really treats his readers with the struggle that young Veil has trying to get Redwallers off his back, but soon ends up sacrificing himself for their survival.

Also, Jacques doesn't actually have any situations in Redwall occuring until halfway into the book, which lets Jacques show much more surprising and interesting characters than he does in his other books. My favorite character has to be Swartt Sixclaw, who is also the most unique, whereas characters like Veil and Sunflash are too usual in a book like this. Sixclaw is really funny all through this book, constantly insulting his horde until they fall apart.

This and Martin the Warrior are probably the best Redwall books and are some of the first you should ever read.

The Best In The Whole Series - Except For Martin The Warrior
This book was one of the best I have ever read (and believe me, I have read an enormous amount). Yes, it relies heavily on the standard Jaques a-little-good-beats-alot-of-evil formula, but a wonderful twist is added in the character of Veil. Is he or is he not irredeemably evil...? His actions at the beginning of the book seem to answer the question, but as the plot unfolds his character becomes more and more complex and utterly real. This twist adds depth and realism to the book, as does the searat Blaggut in "The Bellmaker" and the corsair Romsca in "Pearls of Lutra". As for the people who disagree with the title... Veil may not have a huge number of lines, but he is pivotal. Take a close look at the end of the book to see why.

Just amazing!
How does Brian Jacques continue to do it? He uses the same storyline in every single Redwall book (a little good can and will beat a lot of evil), and yet you just can't put the book down! My favorite character was the fox vixen Nightshade. She really did know a lot. If Swartt Sixclaw had only listened to what she had to say, he might have been victorious.

I really like it when a book has strong characters...on both sides of the battlefield. And this book certainly has them, Swartt Sixclaw is a convincing hoard leader, being bull-headed and stubborn. Nightshade the seer is a competant second-in-command. Sunflash the Mace is the best over-all badger lord that I've seen in any of the Redwall books, and his friend Skarlath the kestrel is the best secondary character that I've seen in any book. Veil Sixclaw, while still a great character, is a mystery, even by the end of the book, you can't figure out if he is good or evil.

I would give The Outcast of Redwall more than five stars if I could, this book is not one to be skipped over.