Product Description

A dark force is rampaging through the forests of Mossflower. Gulo the Savage, wolverine, flesh-eater and brutal killer, has come across the seas in search of his brother, Askor. Askor stole the famous walking stone that will make one of them king of the lands of ice and snow - and Gulo wants it back. Anybeast who gets in Gulo's way is dead meat. Literally. Rakkety Tam McBurl is a brave border warrior, travelled south in search of adventure. But when his army is attacked by Gulo's flesh-eating band, adventure finds him. Gulo is heading for the ancient Redwall Abbey - and Rakkety Tam is determined not to let the savage Gulo destroy the peaceful ways of Redwall.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #491496 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 372 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9–Jacques once again delivers a heroic tale of friendship, valor, and a battle between good and evil. Gulo the Savage and his army of vermin invade Mossflower Country to murder his brother and capture the coveted Walking Stone. Rakkety Tam MacBurl, a highland warrior, and his companion Wild Doogy Plumm, join forces with the hares of the Long Patrol Regiment and the occupants and friends of Redwall Abbey to defeat the villains. Numerous battles occur across Mossflower Country and eventually end at the doorstep of Redwall Abbey. This fast-paced adventure will keep readers on their toes until the final battle. Elliot's ink sketches appear at the head of each chapter, giving readers a glimpse of what is to come. Some characters' accents may pose a slight challenge for those not familiar with the previous books. The colorful writing style, the strong cast of characters, and twisting plot will continue to delight fans of the series.–Christine McGinty, Albany Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. In this seventeenth Redwall title, Mossflower Country and the peaceful inhabitants of Redwall Abbey are under threat from Gulo the Savage, a flesh-eating wolverine who murdered his father and now seeks to kill his brother and recapture the Walking Stone. Two warrior squirrels, Rakkety Tam McBurl and his friend Wild Doogy Plumm, set out with the hares from the Long Patrol to battle Gulo and protect the abbey residents. Jacques' tale of war and courage includes a cast of thousands that battle fiercely and relish their comradeship, most often through banquet and song. Several intriguing characters stand out, including Yoofuss the vole, a compulsive thief who steals every trinket he comes in contact with; Sister Armel, a Redwall squirrel maid whose dreams help foretell the story's outcome; and a turtle called Rockbottom. The complex plot and frequent use of Scottish dialect may try a casual reader's patience, but Redwall fans won't be deterred. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
This fast-paced adventure will keep readers on their toes until the final battle. -- School Library Journal

Customer Reviews

Much more of the same, please!
I will shock many reviewers and readers of these books to state that I am over 50, and still enjoying the stories as much as ever. I am confused by several of the reviewers who find this "much the same" - of course. What would one expect to find in a "Redwall" series book than resourceful, brave, small peace-loving critters facing immense odds of evil beasts? This is exactly why one reads the Redwall books - to discover again how the master tale-teller Jacques has woven new characters around the perennial themes of good and evil, friendship and loyalty vs fear and slavery. While true none of the main characters is a casualty in this story, many good creatures die in the course of the tale, and we see several give their lives for their friends - the colonel and the corporal, in different battles.
I started reading Redwall to my children 12 years ago, and have continued to collect all of the books by Brian Jacques, enjoying them mostly myself, although a strong advocate when asked for a reference. I would highly recommend them to "kids" of all ages - only cautioning that the language will stretch younger vocabularies (especially in the earlier books), and that these are not "gentle" books where no one dies. Rose and many others do not survive, and the realism presented in the stories adds greatly to the impact of the books.
If one wants to read about other characters and stories, there are many out there. If you want strong characters, challenging reading, themes of bravery and self-sacrifice, and descriptions of feasting that makes me hungry to write about, these are the best around. Enjoy!

I'll never get sick of Redwall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever read a book that you never want to finish? Well, I have. Brian Jacques masterpiece Rakkety Tam captured me with its suspense, adventure, and captivating description. Gulo the Savage wants to take over The Northern Sea, but first he has to find the Walking Stone which his cowardly brother stole. Meanwhile, Rakkety Tam and his companion, Doogy Plumm, are on a mission to find a flag for the squirrel queen. They end up at Redwall. Gulo and his crew hear about Redwall and are after its riches. Will the peaceful Redwall critters, with the help of Salamandastron hares, and Rakkety Tam, and Doogy, keep Redwall and defeat Gulo the Savage? They faced many problems throughout their journey to defeat Gulo. First, Rakkety Tam leads Gulo into the Pines where the blackbirds are. The blackbirds killed or injured many critters on each side. Then they went barreling down a fast-flowing river on a log and turned just before falling off a waterfall. Gulo couldn't stop so he went over with some of his band. Throughout the book Rakkety Tam learned how to be a better warrior, companion, and friend. In my opinion the author's message is that by helping others you'll help yourself, and accomplish many things. So, I rate this five stars because of its suspense, adventure, and amazing description. If you ever read this book you'll agree with me that this book is truly enthralling.

Exciting New "Tail" from Jaques
I have been a Brian Jauqes devotee since I picked "Redwall" in fifth grade. Now,as a 21-year old college student, I still get excited when a new book in the series comes out.
I agree that the last few books plots' have been formulaic, but "Rakkety Tam" breaks the mold and showcases the wonderful comraderie of Jaques' animal heros and villans in a fresh way. I partciularally enjoyed reading the good-natured banter between the squirrel Northerners Rakkety Tam and Doogy Plumm. They are interseting charcters and Jaques captures their accents down to a tee!
"Rakkety Tam" features more violent battles than in previous books, but they mirror the more violent battles going on in the world today.
All in all, this book was a wonderful! I recomend it to anyone who is looking for a story to chuckle and and cheer over, no matter if they need a "silent reading" text for grade-school or are seeking a study-break from Mid-terms!