Commentary on the Book Lord Brocktree

[Wylder Treejumper]

For discussion related to the book Lord Brocktree.

@James Gryphon: If these topics are considered unnecessary please delete.

[belle]

Hmmmm - not sure what to say about this book. It was my first Redwall book and got me into the series, but isn't a favorite when compared to others. It was definitely a very dark book, or at least it seemed like one when I read it as a kid. Very action packed, too. I remember the part where the hares were made prisoners and then sang defiantly about freedom as they were marched off, as well as the part where

Bucko Bigbones arc

Bucko Bigbones beat the fox who had tortured him till he died certainly did leave an impression on me.

[close]

[Leatho Shellhound]

The feast contest was the high light of the book for me, and

Lord Stonepaw arc

Lord Stonepaw's last stand, for his friends.

[close]

[Delthion]

I liked this book a lot, Dotti's numerous contests with Bucko being one of my favorite parts. My favorite part I think was when Bucko revealed

Bucko Bigbones arc

his scars and told him that they were inflicted by Ungatt Trunn, and then finally banding together.

[close]

My only problem, as with all of the Redwall books, the vermin at the end of the book, are not at their highest abilities. Which seems to be Brian Jacques constant method of leveling the playing field, never using that much strategy. Other than that, a great, fun, lighthearted book!

[Ashleg]

This book is one of my favorites and it's one of the few books (from any series) where I like the majority of the cast.

[clunylooney]

I got to be honest. Book one of this book was very boring to me. But the characters are great such as, Brocktree, Dotti, Ruff, Bucko Bigbones, Stiffener Medick, Southpaw, Bobweave and Fleetscut. Fleetscut was probably my favorite chracter in this book. Although I really liked Stiffener Medick and Dotti too. Ungatt Trunn was also a cool villain. Final Verdict, good book.

[Clover]

I first read this book twenty years ago and remembered not being able to put the book down. I was in Barnes and Noble and read half of it in the cafe there that day. I bought it, took it home and read the rest in the space of that week.

I just barely reread that book for the first time since then and forgot how much I loved it the first time around.

Dotti was such a strong character for me in that she was young and spunky, yet was loyal to Lord Brocktree's cause and helped him no matter what the task was. The contest between her and Bucko Bigbones was so fun to read. Using Bucko's ego and arrogance against him and her friends' help she was able to win every one of the contests.

Jukka and Fleetscut's rivalry was interesting and at times frustrating to read, but when the time came for them

Jukka and Fleetscut arc

to make a stand to keep the horde back from reaching their comrades they chose to fight and die together.

[close]

That really stood out to me.

Brogalaw the sea otter was one of my favorite characters in the book. He was a gregarious and kind otter, and the way they took in those hares and helped them undermine and starve Ungatt Trun's forces was selfless and brave of him. They risked their lives, as many goodbeasts in the book, to help those from Salamandastron.

Lord Brocktree is perhaps my favorite badger character in the Redwall series. He was friendly and humorous as well as brave, and a great and fair-minded leader. There was a point in the book when he and his comrades first took back Salamandastron. He opened the door to his force outside and was in the midst of the Bloodwrath. It did not take him long to come out of the Bloodwrath to officially welcome his friends into Salamandastron, whereas with other Badgers the Bloodwrath was a difficult state to overcome.

Reading the last chapter gave me those fun chills as I read

final chapter

the words of Russano's child Snowstripe when he recited the law of Badger Lords passed down from Lord Brocktree.

[close]

A great ending to an amazing book. One of my favorites in the series.

[shisteer of nothing much]

I loved Lord Brocktree, honestly. Definitely my favourite book in the series. The banter between Julka and Fleetscut was hilarious, as were the competitions between Dotti and Bucko Big Bones. (Particularly the scoffing contest, and the buildup to it, with Dotti yelling at her friends every mealtime to feed her)
Wonderful story. I laughed, cried and spent hours thinking about the characters and plot. It thoroughly hooked me into the series and convinced me that Brian Jacques was a genius. 'Tis delightful and I'd like to read the book again. (I need to finish reading it to Eb's brothers, actually)

[Rosie Willowwater]

Welcome to the first book in our series readalong event: Lord Brocktree!

Here are a couple things to note before you start discussing:

• As always, please keep your posts here and in the entirety of the General Discussion board on-topic and constructive. When discussing topics like favorites, it always helps to give reasoning as to why you chose your favorite character, scene, etc. When in doubt, add more! It is always fun to see what other people think and respectfully debate with them.
• If you would like to participate but don't own the book, there are a few resources that may be of use to you. Libby, Audible, and (of course) your local library, are all good ways to rent books/audiobooks for free (Audible is free only for the first 30-day trial). There is no harm in permanently expanding your Redwall collection though if you can afford it!
• If you want even more Redwall discussion, please check out the Recorder on the Wall podcast episodes for the book! Every three weeks I will be posting the relevant episodes, so please check them out. Here are the episodes for Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Lord Brocktree, with a guest appearance of our very own Wylder in the first episode!

Finally, here are a few guiding questions for discussion if you are unsure what to talk about:

• Who is your favorite character, and why do you regard them as your favorite?
• Who was your least favorite character, and why did they bother you?
• What was your favorite scene? What stuck out to you about it?
• What are your thoughts on the book as a whole? Where does it rank against other Redwall books and why?
• Do you have any theories or small details others may not have picked up on when reading?
• And anything else you want to mention!

Have fun, and happy discussing!

[Captain Tammo]

It's been ages since I've read this book, but I remember there were several things that really stuck out to me:

• That Lord Brocktree is Bella of Brockhall's grandfather - it kind of paints a greater family tree for the rulers of Salamandastron that I thought was really cool. Especially since they're about as close to 'royals' as it gets in the Redwall world
• King Bucko Bigbones' court and the shenanigans that ensue there
• The amazingness that is Ungatt Trunn as a villain and his siege. I also remember loving how he was obsessed with spiders
• How cool the bark crew was
• The story feels ancient. It's before Redwall, before Martin, maybe even before Castle Kotir! It's a strange look into the past and even though technology and all that is the same, the story itself presents itself as a time capsule to me.

I'm excited to pick it back up again! you bet your butt I'll be posting updates as I move through it, lol

[Cornflower MM]

I'm still trying to get my hands on Lord Brocktree but this was one of my favorites when I read it. Dotti was such a crazy hare and it was all so different and new. I loved the insight we got into how the badgers of Mossflower left for Salamandastron and more into that backstory that we heard flashes of in Mossflower. Honestly I'm excited to be reading this one again whenever I can get my hands on it because it was so different from the others and so ridiculous. I think Brian really had a lot of fun writing it and it shows.

[Kade Rivok]

I'm so looking forward to reading this one again; Brocktree was the first Redwall book I picked up and it's tied for my number 1 pick.  I'll have more to say after I read it again.

[elisecoen]

The plot is well balanced, chapters of floating on a river and feasting with friends are set in counterpoint with the horrors of war. The characters, as always, are easily defined and identified by their accents, a Jacques specialty. It may take some readers a while to figure out what everyone is saying, but they will make the effort as these beasts are all so engaging. There is no need to have read the earlier books for this one to make sense, but new readers will undoubtedly be asking for more, and fans will just eat it up.

[Captain Tammo]

I wrote up some notes about the first few chapters! I'm still thinking of ways to record my thoughts, but while I get started, here's the general flow things are taking. What'd everyone else think of the opening few chapters?

The intro(s)

• Mini into 1 is titled Battle Ahead! Start off with a prophecy. Ungatt Trunn had victory in his paws yet the vision of his foe, who would arrive someday and from somewhere - neither of which discernable at the start - was enough to waver his confidence
• Mini intro 2 is the opening poem by the teller of tales. This sets the mood and it's always been something I love in particular about these books. It has a very wistful, nostalgic air to it that makes me want to lean in and listen to the story (I guess that's probably why it's there in the first place!)
• Into 3 is the actual prologue and we get to see the one and only Lord Russano the Wise! I know I won't find him, but seeing mention of Russano I immediately scan the pages for any indication of Tammo's presence (didn't find it, but he was probably around...)
  

Chapter 1

• Vocab words I picked up:
        ○ Pall
        ○ Wan
        ○ Soughing
        ○ Dirge
        ○ Venerable
  
• We meet an extremely ancient (but not necessarily feeble) badger lord, Stonepaw. He reminisces a bit with his equally ancient pal, Fleetscut, about their younger days. Lord Stonepaw makes it clear his time is coming to an end and he'll need a successor soon. He also mentions that he feels there's been peace for too long. Something evil is coming, and he feels almost helpless to prepare for it
• If I were to describe this chapter in one word, it would be portentous.
  

Chapter 2

• This chapter has some amazing lines. Two of my favorite:

1. "Specifically incorrect, doncha know, my old stoatess. I'm a hare, not a rabbit. Now say it after me. Lookit what we caught, Drigg -- a posh hare."
2. Rather! I haven't eaten for absolute ages -- almost an hour, I think. Mmmm, that cheese looks good!"

• So far as I know, this is the only chapter in the whole series that features both a haversack and a stoat's body as weapons of choice to fight stoats
• Ah, so Lord Brocktree knows he is destined to become badger lord because his father is Lord Stonepaw!
• If I were to describe this chapter in one word, it'd be one describing Dotti and that word would be Impetuous.

chapter 3

• Vocab word I picked up:
        ○ Beleaguered
  
• We meet the first of the Blue Horde. If you've read other Redwall books before, you know these are vermin to be taken seriously because they don't have the characteristic self-centeredness that most roaming bands have. These guys make it clear they serve somebeast more powerful, and they apparently serve that beast well enough to use a boat to deliver messages. Any ordinary vermin may have used it to make a getaway from a nasty boss, but not these ones. It's clear something bad is coming.
• If I were to describe this chapter in one word, it'd be one describing the mist where everything took place (I think it's also a bit fitting, since it's only revealed a small piece of what's to come): Diaphanous

[Rosie Willowwater]

Alright, after many delays I finally got through Book 1 of Lord Brocktree! As someone who hasn't read the series in quite a while, this book is certainly an engaging welcome into the Redwall universe. I will certainly give my more complete thoughts once I finish the book, but, to mimic Tammo, I took some notes on what stuck out to me so far chapter by chapter.

Prologue

   
• Putting the story in the perspective of a history book is quite interesting. It is a helpful premise for the first chronological book in a series, for it introduces the story with well known characters while still pushing the reader back to an older time with an unfamiliar tale. It also created a sort of feeling of excitement for the following story, for I as a reader knew that the main characters would probably win due to the continued existence of Salamandastron, but I still knew that they will have to have done something pretty impressive to be known as prominent historical figures.

Chapter One

   
• You can almost hear Fleetscut and Stonepaw's bones creaking during their conversation with the way Jacques describes their age. I also easily saw that they were a pair who had known each other for a long time in the caring way they bickered, even before they mentioned that they knew each other in their prime. Definitely good writing on Jacques' part.
• The description of the ocean in the first paragraph of this chapter (song-like and active) displays an interesting contrast to its description in the last paragraph (furious and manic) as the tone shifts from excitement to a sort of fear and foreboding.

Chapter Two

   
• Another thing that struck me is the way Brocktree and Dotti are introduced. Our first introduction to Lord Brocktree is as a bystander, while Dotti's is as a fighter. These impressions shift a little in their following conversation, but these impressions show us key aspects of their character, namely Brocktree's tactics, wisdom, and raw strength and Dotti's unfailing confidence/spunk.
• I certainly agree with you, Tammo, the lines from Dotti are probably some of the best in the book.

Chapter Three

   
• Chapter one had an air of the ominous, but this chapter certainly had an air of the mysterious. Fog, cloaked figures, and villains known only by name give a figure to the evil alluded to in chapter one, but only in vague shapes. It is the transition from invisible to hazy, where soon it will solidify into an unfortunate reality (attack from Trunn).

Chapter Four

   
• One thing I have loved so far about this book is the flow of conversation between characters, and how wonderfully amusing it often is. Lord Brocktree and Dotti's characters are vastly different, but they respect each other enough that their conversations flow in an amusing and believable way. While Brocktree could easily dismiss a hare as small as Dotti, he is patient as much as he is strong, so he humors Dotti's is unfailing confidence.

Chapter Five

   
• It is quite poetic that while Trunn is having vivid dreams of Lord Brocktree haunting him, the image of Lord Brocktree is escaping Stonepaw when he needs it most. It is almost like Ungatt himself is revealing the next badger lord for Stonepaw.

Chapter Eight

   
• I enjoyed how Dotti is made to seem far more alone due to her conversations with herself once Brocktree and Ruff leave her. Shows she enjoys company, no matter how much she chooses to deny it. I also realized that she reminds me of @shisteer of nothing much's forum persona with her politeness and OP level confidence .

Chapter Twelve

• An interesting addition on the part of Jacques, I believe that Udara Groundslay's slow and deliberate speech patterns were based off that of real short eared owls. Here is a little example:
  

I can't wait to hear what you all think! Judging from a combination of the posts here and the discussion in the Recorder on the Wall podcast, this book certainly seems to get some mixed reviews.

The next book, Martin the Warrior, will start this Sunday but discussion here can certainly continue past that date!