YA Friday: Salamandastron

Title: Salamandastron
Author: Brian Jacques
Series: Redwall #5 (but Redwall can be read in any order)
Genre: YA, MG, fantasy
Publisher: Firebird, 1992
Source: Husband's high school bedroom
Read for: Redwall Nostalgia Challenge

In this book, there are many Things going on, and they all randomly come together at the end. So first of all, Ferahgo is an evil vermin that loves to kill and plunder and pillage. Then we have Mara, who lives on the mighty badger mountain Salamandastron, but desperately wants to escape, because her foster father, Urthstripe, stifles her. Then there is Samkim the squirrel, who with his trusty sidekick Arula wreaks havoc all over Redwall, but who has the makings of a mighty warrior within him. When murder and plague strike Redwall almost simultaneously, Samkim and Arula go off in search of the culprit, while an otter and a baby stowaway mouse search for a cure. Everything comes together at the end in an epic battle. And there is a lot of food described along the way.

These books were among my favorites in the last few years of middle school, so when I found out that Brian Jacques passed away last year, I wanted to revisit one of his books for nostalgia's sake. I have to say, it was a fun ride. Even though the books were a little juvenile for my tastes now, I was transported back to how epic they made me feel when I was ten years old and thirsting for adventure. It is amazing to me how the animals seem so real, from the wholesome, hard-working animals at the Abbey, to the fierce guerilla shrews led by Log-a-Log (always), to the hordes of vermin led by assorted nasty creatures with vengeance to wreak. There is still something powerful in the battle cries shouted by the various groups in Mossflower forest ("Redwaaaaaaaaall!" "Eulalia!" "Logalogalogalogalooog!"). Reading these books definitely sweeps me up in the heroic adventures.

Honestly, though, the food descriptions are the very best part of the Redwall books, even though the foods they describe don't actually exist. Daffodil cordial? Buttercup meadowcream? October ale? Yes, yes, yes. And get me some deeper 'n' ever beetroot 'n' turnip 'n' tater pie while you're at it. Those are some well-fed animals.

A few things bothered me in my older, wiser rereading of the book. First of all, the dialects. I don't remember being bothered by them as a child, but they definitely slowed down my reading this time around. I would have happily done without them. Secondly, it bothered me that all vermin were bad, and all non-vermin (for the most part) were good. It seemed like this was a sort of racist attitude -- that some animals were better than other animals. Rats, weasels, ferrets, lizards, frogs and foxes are evil; mice, shrews, badgers, hedgehogs, squirrels and moles are good. I don't know if that is the best message for the kids reading these books. I'm probably reading too much into it, but it definitely stayed in my mind throughout the novel.

Overall, however, this was a fun reread. I loved experiencing these characters again. While I don't know if I will reread any more of the books for my own pleasure, I definitely hope to revisit them with my children someday.

Warnings: Violence

YA Friday: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes and Giveaway

When I received an email asking me to review the first book in local author Brandon Mull's new trilogy, Beyonders, I jumped all over it. I was reading the first book of the Fablehaven series at the time and enjoying it. I expected a mildly enjoyable fantasy adventure, but this book blew me away. I believe the words I used when I was talking to my husband last night were "sick awesome."

Jason is a Beyonder - a person who has slipped into Lyrian from another world, in this case ours. He enters through the portal of a hippopotamus's mouth and finds a group of musicians cheerfully floating in a raft to their death. However, the suicidal musicians, known as the Giddy Nine, are just the beginning of the bizarre things Jason encounters in Lyrian. Soon Jason finds himself caught up in a quest to destroy the evil emperor Maldor, who has absolute control over the land. No one is willing to risk their safety or their comfort to improve life (thus, A World Without Heroes). However, Jason and Rachel, another Beyonder he finds along the way, are determined to fulfill their quest and save Lyrian from Maldor.

Beyonders is more intense than Fablehaven, or at least the Fablehaven book that I have read. There are many battle scenes that often relate in the death of characters. Creatures called displacers lead to especially gory moments, but I'll leave it to you to read the book to find out what displacers are. The book is definitely more violent than I was expecting, but we are talking more of the epic fantasy violence (think Harry Potter or Redwall). The world that Brandon Mull has created is a dark and dangerous place, full of manipulative men and dangerous creatures (my favorite? An army of giant, flesh-eating frogs).

It was very interesting to see that world developed. At the beginning of the book, I was confused at times. Jason is thrust into the world very quickly, within the first few pages, and the characters talk very matter-of-factly about their world without really explaining anything to Jason. At first, this really annoyed me. There were so many unfamiliar words and places and I felt lost in the book. However, in retrospect I think this was a great literary device. Mull caused me to feel just how Jason was feeling, surrounded by the unfamiliar. Slowly the confusing things were explained, but they weren't conveniently defined at the beginning of the story. Jason had to figure things out as he traveled and so did we. I was impressed with how thoroughly Brandon Mull fleshed out this world, complete with traditions, customs, and laws.

However, I also enjoyed the way modern experiences from our world influenced Jason's survival in Lyrian. A pitcher, he saves his skin more than once by hurling objects with high accuracy at high speeds. He also uses experiences from his life in a battle of wits with one of the most devious men in Lyrian.

One of the parts of the book I most enjoyed were the characters (ok, so that's usually what I most enjoy). I've found that occasionally in YA and MG books, the characters seem flat to me because the author is writing for a shorter book for a younger audience and doesn't flesh out the complexities of human nature. However, this book is full of contradictions. Jason himself has to overcome his conflicting desires to just go home or to sacrifice everything and become a hero for Lyrian. The character Ferrin is also an interesting character study. I won't say much about him, but I was struck with his apparent easy-going nature and his willingness to instantly dispatch anyone who opposed him when he was traveling with Jason and Rachel. And Maldor himself was a fantastic villain, as devious and manipulative as they come. His hold of power on the land of Lyrian is so perfectly executed and held, it is no surprise that no one attempts to oppose him. Instead of torturing and maiming his most determined opponents, he offers them a life in a paradise of rich food and addictive pleasures. They usually go willingly and never return. He is charismatic and persuasive - I think he is a good personification of the devil. Even as I was hating him for being so organized and good at evil, I relished the complexities of his character. The only character I would have liked more development with was Rachel. While she has a few shining moments, she is mainly in the background of this book. Lyrian is a misogynistic place where women are not supposed to speak out of turn or be independent, but I'm hoping that she gets more of a voice in the next books in the trilogy.

Overall, this was an awesome book. I am looking forward to the next installments of the trilogy, coming in spring 2012 and spring 2013. It is a fascinating adventure that I couldn't put down.

Readability - A little confusing at the beginning, like I explained earlier in the review, but everything comes together.
Plot - 4
Characters - 5
Writing - 3 - at times a little cheesy, but well done overall.
Personal response - 4
Overall - 4

I am also excited to announce that I will be holding a GIVEAWAY - my very first! Aladdin books has generously given me all five Fablehaven books to give away as a set to one lucky US resident. Here are the rules:

1. You must be a US resident.
2. You must be 13 years old or older.
3. You don't have to be a follower to enter - but if you like the blog I hope you will follow. ;)
4. To enter, comment with your email address by 11:59 PM MST on Sunday, March 13. I will draw a name out of a hat on Monday and email the winner.
5. Just one entry per person!

Good luck! :)

FTC Disclosure: Book received from publisher