Loamhedge Reviewed by TBT

[LordTBT]

Ok. So I got the book the other day and finished it today. Here's my thoughts:

This was pretty much an updated "Bellmaker".
Brag & Saro = Dandin & Mariel etc etc
A more appropriate title would have been "The Wheelchair Hare"
because this book had about as much to do with Loamhedge as my keyboard here does.

The book:

A) Provided no further insight on Loamhedge. Nothing that much more descriptive about the plague, nothing. I was expecting a story featuring Loamhedge abbey life, maybe even becoming a subsect of the Redwall Series. There was nothing new in this book! Just new faces, but no further insight on anything regarding Loamhedge. Nothing on the plague, nothing on the community, nothing on the Abbey. I'm sorry I'm ranting about this but it's extremely disappointing. It didnt even provide anything I could add to my editorial.

B) The travelers weren't even successful on their initial quest! They found nothing in the Loamhedge Abbess' grave. Disappointing. No new secrets.

C) I guess BJ forgot about the wheels of the wheelchair that Fenna & that shemouse who's name I'm forgetting pocketed. I thought something would happen with them, but nope. They just pocketed them.

D) Martha did not become Abbess. This was the biggest surprise. Her character was wasted because of this.

E) Horty was by far my favorite character, and I predicted his joining the LP. And I'm glad that happened at least.



I did pick up that hardback copy of Castaways for $7 at Halfprice
So when I finish that (havent started it yet) I will post my little review.

[Cheesethief]

the wheels may feature again. (the walking stone???)
i dont agree with you tbt, but martha shouldve been abbess.

[Martin the Warrior]

You might want to try rereading the book, TBT, now that your expectations won't be so high. It's actually a very good Redwall tale.

The travelers weren't even successful on their initial quest! They found nothing in the Loamhedge Abbess' grave. Disappointing.

I actually liked that aspect of it. Any "magical cure" found at Loamhedge couldn't help but be incredibly contrived and I thought Brag and Saro creating their own was far more touching.

Martha did not become Abbess. This was the biggest surprise. Her character was wasted because of this.

Again, I actually liked this. It was unexpected and nice as a result. I thought it took a lot of guts to go against the established grain (Bryony, Tansy, Songbreeze, Mhera) and not give the Abbess-ship to the obvious choice.

The only thing I'd have changed was following through on the fake-out-- left Horty carrying the sword and make him Abbot as a result. I thought it would have been humorous.

[LordTBT]

Again, I actually liked this. It was unexpected and nice as a result. I thought it took a lot of guts to go against the established grain (Bryony, Tansy, Songbreeze, Mhera) and not give the Abbess-ship to the obvious choice.

I'm sorry, but taking someone who is a natural leader like Martha, and not making her Abbess was wrong.

The only thing I'd have changed was following through on the fake-out-- left Horty carrying the sword and make him Abbot as a result. I thought it would have been humorous.

Yes but Fenna didnt do much to earn her title.

[Keyla]

But I don't think the fact that Martha took up the role she did in the seige meant that she should be abbess any more than Horty, Fenna or Spingald. To me her main line of development was a movement away from isolation, a greater involvement in her community as a whole and obviously her overcoming of the psycological barrier that stopped her from walking. Having her as abbess would have felt, to me, a bit like Brian doing it because "it was tradition". The twists and turns of the unexpected were particularly good in this, in my opinion, and I should imagine that's why this book has gone down relatively well in the ROC comparred to other recent tales as often the main criticism is that Brian follows to closely his mold, although some, of course, manage to find something that vaguely resembles an earlier book and pounce on it as Brian loosing his touch and running out of ideas. But, hey, there'll always be people doing that.

Provided no further insight on Loamhedge. Nothing that much more descriptive about the plague, nothing. I was expecting a story featuring Loamhedge abbey life, maybe even becoming a subsect of the Redwall Series. There was nothing new in this book! Just new faces, but no further insight on anything regarding Loamhedge. Nothing on the plague, nothing on the community, nothing on the Abbey. I'm sorry I'm ranting about this but it's extremely disappointing. It didnt even provide anything I could add to my editorial.

I wouldn't agree there. We may not have established much in the way of huge facts about the abbey but I think we got a better sense of its atmosphere, both in its fall and in the actual time this book is set in. Personally, anything closer than we got would have been destructive. Why? Two reasons: for a childrens book descriptions fever and death aren't the most pleasant of ideas and while it worked in "Salamandastron" that was because it added urgency to the quest, which in itself offered hope to those suffering, which the tale of Loamhedges demise could not; it would have also spoiled the mysterious atmosphere of the legend of the abbey, whereas in this book the sense of mystery becomes all the more palpable for the telling of the tale.

This was pretty much an updated "Bellmaker".
Brag & Saro = Dandin & Mariel etc etc

This barely works on a superfisual level. Yes, Saro and Bragoon were a pair of roguish travellers who came originally from Redwall. But really that is where the parallels end, so far as I can tell. The areas explored through their characters are far different from those done through Mariel and Dandin.
For a start we get to see how they fit into the roles of parents after a life of little responcibility and how they teach the young rips some respect. We see how while they are aged in body they still behave somewhat like dibbuns when around their old nurse. What I found most touching was their deep platonic relationship and how in contrast to character such as Lonna, Martha and Raga Bol, Saro and Bragoon showed the antithesis to the isolation of the other characters. Of course, it was also nice to see the ancient creatures in on the action.

[Cheesethief]

the cliffs, badger and bell...where are they in relation to redwall?theyre not on the map, though it would seem they were around bat mountpit...

[Martin the Warrior]

Keyla
Having her as abbess would have felt, to me, a bit like Brian doing it because "it was tradition". The twists and turns of the unexpected were particularly good in this, in my opinion, and I should imagine that's why this book has gone down relatively well in the ROC comparred to other recent tales as often the main criticism is that Brian follows to closely his mold, although some, of course, manage to find something that vaguely resembles an earlier book and pounce on it as Brian loosing his touch and running out of ideas.

Nicely said (and in two sentences no less, although that last sentence was rather long. ). I think that's precisely why it worked for me.

Cheesethief
the cliffs, badger and bell...where are they in relation to redwall?theyre not on the map, though it would seem they were around bat mountpit...

They're far south, past the Big Inland Lake. You'll find their approximate location on the map for Mattimeo.

[Cheesethief]

they should make a new redwall map.

[LordTBT]

I disagree with the majority of what you said Keyla.

[Element_man]

It was interesting to see a badger with a bow for a weapon, but the story didn't seem to delve depe enough into Lonna.

And what happened to Badred? Did he just run away with the other guys from his group?

[Keyla]

Yes, I believe he did, though he was no longer leader.

I personally don't think Lonna was meant to be that deep in a sense. I don't think Brian was trying to generate a great sense of empathy between the reader and the character, rather we got a rather more negative and gritty portrait of a badgerlord and the bloodwrath.

[Cheesethief]

lonna's not like all de other badgers.

[Keyla]

In what way? I would agree that he is certainly less likeable and a rather less sympathetic presentation of a vengeful beast than we are used to.

[Cheesethief]

other badgee go killkill but lonner jus nuts.

[Element_man]

Um, Lonna caused probably as much casualties as most otehr baders in the books.

And they're all nuts.