MATTIMEO

'''Mattimeo''' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1989. It is the third book in the ''Redwall'' series.

Contents

Plot introduction

Plot summary

Slagar the Cruel

General Ironbeak

Malkariss

Characters in "Mattimeo"

Extra/misc. facts

Lord of Mossflower

Book Divisions (English)

Translations

References

External links

Plot introduction

All his life, the worst thing young Mattimeo had to fear was a stern lecture from his father Matthias, but all that changes when Slagar the Cruel visits Mossflower Woods with plans to kidnap Mattimeo in a bid to shake the very foundations of the Abbey and its inhabitants.

Plot summary

Slagar the Cruel

''Mattimeo'' is a direct sequel to ''Redwall'', taking place eight seasons after the events of the first novel.^[1] The peaceful woodland creatures of Redwall Abbey are bsuy preparing for a feast during the summer equinox.^[1] Matthias and Cornflower have had a son named Mattimeo, who has been generally spoiled throughout his life. Meanwhile, the masked fox Slagar the Cruel and his gang of slavers are planning to enter Redwall Abbey during one of their feasts. Slagar, a villainous fox craving revenge for a crime never committed against him, intends to capture slaves from Redwall and take them to the Kingdom of Malkariss to be sold. After drugging the Abbey residents, he kidnaps Mattimeo, Tim and Tess Churchmouse, Cynthia Bankvole, and Sam Squirrel. They meet Auma, (a young badger maid) and Jube, (a hedgehog), who were also kidnapped by Slagar the Cruel. Upon discovering the children missing, Matthias, Basil Stag Hare and Jess Squirrel with the help of a few friends, leave the Abbey to hunt down Slagar and return the children back home. They encounter Cheek, an ottercub Matthias describes as "Cheek both by name and by nature".

On their journey, they meet up with Orlando the Axe, the father of Auma and, Jabez Stump, the father of Jube. As they journey, they find the Guerrilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower (Guosim), and convince them to aid the travelers on their quest.

General Ironbeak

Meanwhile, at the Abbey, an army of rooks, crows and magpies, led by the raven General Ironbeak, have declared siege to the Abbey, conquering it from the top bell tower down. The Abbey dwellers have sealed themselves in the large dining room (called Cavern Hole) and are harassing the birds by making them think the Abbey is haunted. As the siege continues, a large, badly-injured female red kite named Stryk manages to fly to the Abbey and is rescued from the rooks by Constance. Then, Baby Rollo, Cornflower and Mrs. Churchmouse get kidnapped by the rooks but the remaining Abbeydwellers manage to capture greedy crow brothers Quickbill, Diptail and Brightback by using drugged strawberries courtesy of Sister May. The two forces then negotiate a hostage exchange.

Malkariss

After a long journey up cliffs, fighting a horde of archer rats, and crossing a desert and a gorge, Matthias's gang finally arrive at the underground kingdom of Malkariss, where Slagar has been trading his slaves. There, the heroes fight the massive army of rats, while Matthias frees the slaves held there and is reunited with his son. Having destroyed Malkariss and his kingdom, the now free army of slaves starts to leave the area when suddenly Slagar reappears. After slaying Vitch, the ratbabe who teases Mattimeo, Slagar inadvertently falls down Malkariss' remaining well and dies while being chased by Matthias and Orlando the Axe.
Eventually, Ironbeak manages to infiltrate Cavern Hole, but he is attacked and killed by the now-healthy Stryk. Mangiz, the Crow seer for General Ironbeak is killed by Constance
The party returns back to the Abbey and there is peace once again in Mossflower. Mattimeo and Tess Chruchmouse wed, giving birth to Martin II. Orlando and Constance become firm friends and Orlando allegedly travels to Salamandastron to spend the rest of his days. Auma grows up to be the next Badger Mother.

Characters in "Mattimeo"

★ Matthias

★ Cornflower

★ Mattimeo

★ Slagar the Cruel

★ Vitch

★ Tim and Tess Churchmouse

★ Cynthia Bankvole

★ Sam Squirrel

★ Auma

★ Jubilation (Jube) Stump

★ Basil Stag Hare

★ Jess Squirrel

★ Orlando the Axe

★ Jabez Stump

★ General Ironbeak

★ Stryk Redkite

★ Constance the Badger

★ Abbot Mordalfus

★ Sir Harry the Muse

★ John and Mrs Churchmouse

★ Rollo Bankvole

★ Ambrose Spike

★ Winifred Otter

★ Foremole

Extra/misc. facts

After Slagar tells Mattimeo his distorted version of how he believes the Redwallers betrayed him, Sam the squirrel tells Mattimeo the "true" version. In fact, there are a number of inaccuracies in Sam's version. He omits the fact that Constance made and broke a deal with Sela and Chickenhound. He also claims that the foxes tried to spy on the Redwallers for Cluny and the rats and tried to sell information to both the Redwallers and the rats. According to the events in the novel ''Redwall'', both claims are untrue; Chickenhound and Sela, despite their unethical behavior, never tried to spy on the Redwallers or sell information about them to Cluny and his army. Jacques presumably decided later that Constance's behavior in ''Redwall'' was too close to being morally debatable, and revised events after the fact to make the badger Constance perfectly ethical and the foxes completely evil and unredeemable. This lends support to the claims of some that Jacques' books are too simplistic in attributing perfectly ethical behavior to 'goodly' woodland creatures and portraying all vermin as unredeemably evil. OR it could mean that the events in Sam's story is how he understood them. He was very young at the time the events took place.

Lord of Mossflower

A very tall and big fir tree stands far from the badger and the bell, which on midsummer's day has a very long shadow that points the directions to the remains of Loamhedge Abbey. This very tree is called the Lord of Mossflower, which is stated in the message from the south wall of the abbey.

Book Divisions (English)

★ Book 1: Slagar the Cruel

★ Book 2: General Ironbeak

★ Book 3: Malkariss

Translations

★ (Dutch) ''Het Zuidland''

★
★ ''Het Zuidland: Slagar de Wrede''

★
★ ''Het Zuidland: De Kloof''

★
★ ''Het Zuidland: Malkariss''

★ (French) ''Rougemuraille : Mattiméo''

★
★ ''Tome 1 : Salik le Barbare''

★
★ ''Tome 2 : Le Général Becdacier''

★
★ ''Tome 3 : Le Royaume du mal''

★ (German) ''Mattimeo: Die Rache des Fuchses''

★
★ ''Slagar der Grausame''

★
★ ''General Eisenschnabel''

★
★ ''Lord Malkariss''

★ (Italian)

★ (Swedish)

★
★ Del 1: Slagar den Grymme

★
★ Del 2: General Järnnäbb

★ (Greek) Οι Γενναιοι: Του Ρεντγоυολ

References

1. Mattimeo, , Brian, Jacques, Ace Fantasy, 1999,
2. Mattimeo, , Brian, Jacques, Ace Fantasy, 1999,

External links

★ Plot summary