The Sable Quean (Redwall Series #21)
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He appears out of thin air and vanishes just as quickly. He is Zwilt the Shade, and he is evil. Yet he is no match for his ruler, Vilaya the Sable Quean. Along with their hordes of vermin, these two have devised a plan to conquer Redwall Abbey. And when the Dibbuns go missing, captured one by one, their plan is revealed. Will the Redwallers risk the fate of their Abbey and all of Mossflower Wood to save their precious young ones from imprisonment? Perhaps Buckler, Blademaster of the Long Patrol, can save the day. He has a score of his own to settle. And fear not, these Dibbuns are not as innocent as they appear. After all, they're from Redwall.VOYAThis latest Redwall title makes the case that Jacques'S twenty-one volume series is among the top tier of consistently excellent storytelling. Just turned seventy, the master shows no signs of letting up or slowing down the action of his sweeping sagas that play out in the lives of the gentle critters of Mossflower Wood. In classic Jacquesian style, several story threads fire up quickly, effectively snaring any beast meandering about the first several pages. With his loyal sidekick Diggs, the heroic and rebellious Buckler, Blademaster hare of the Long Patrol, sets out from Salamandastron on a journey to Redwall Abbey. Meanwhile fiendish Zwilt the Shade orchestrates an insidious plan to take over the Abbey with his band of vermin, the Ravagers. Even more ruthless is Zwilt's commander, Vilaya the evil Sable Quean. Predictable? Yes. Formulaic? Of course. No matter. Redwall addicts do not feverishly hunt down Jacques's titles because they expect the unexpected. What might be drawbacks in the hands of a less-experienced descriptor become solid and familiar foundations upon which Jacques weaves fantastic adventure and swashbuckling action embellished with delicious detail. The tale of Buckler, Zwilt the Shade, and Vilaya runs to a satisfying end leaving fans counting the days until the next series title, but it can be picked up anywhere. This installment is just as good a starting point as any of the previous twenty titles. Tweens and young teens will line up for it, and multiple copies will not go unread. No doubt freshly infected hordes will want to snap up as many previous titles as they can lay their hands on. Reviewer: Lauri J. Vaughan
