MathLuk’s Top 13 Redwall Fanfics!

[MathLuk]

2. Mossflower Odysseys by Various

Small things were important. Secods were small things, and if you heaped enough of those on top of one another, they became a man's life.
- Androl Genhald, Towers of Midnight

A way of encouraging people to write (and write WELL) is to organise a competition, and people will flock to type. The Mossflower Odysseys are a prime example of this.

Like the Final Fantasy series of video games, all four Mossflower Odysseys are basically disconnected. Unlike Final Fantasy, however, they are still set in a single universe, with a distinct chronological order. Oh, and less magic.

The first MO is about a band travelling to the mysterious city of Carrigul, while the second is a sea adventure. While these two are organised in a manner which can only be described as scattered, the characters in these two fics are well-written thanks to their talented authors.

After a certain Airan (who heads the competitions now) took over, the organisation of the competitions had improved. This, a marked increase in fluidity of writing can be handily observed. Mossflower Odyssey III (in my opinion the best of the lot) is about a voyage to find a pirate's treasure, and its successor is about beasts trapped in an arena.

Every character also needs to have a good backstory to even enter the contest proper. All of them are developed very well due to the fact that they may very well die if they don't, as specified in the rules for eliminating a character. On the other hand, the plot still has to move forward, and it cannot be expected to propel itself, can it? Thus, we get to see pretty balanced character and plot development from ten or so POV characters in each and every MO.

To conclude, this series is a long but refreshing read. Were it not for its competitive nature sacrificing cohesion for development, it may have very well gotten itself into the number one spot.

Link to the author: https://m.fanfiction.net/u/1813178/

[MathLuk]

1. The Urthblood Saga by Highwing

Death rides on my shoulder. Death walks in my footsteps. I am death.
- Lews Therin Telamon, Lord of Chaos

Here it is! Number one!

The Urthblood Saga is one of those fanfictions which started their lives on pen and paper. The first word of it was written in the 1990s, which seems ancient, considering that the 2020s is less than 200 hours away. It had taken almost 30 years to write three fics, but the wait is always worth it.

Urthblood the Badger (who is NOT the protagonist of the series) shows up at the gates of Redwall, with an army of woodlanders and vermin following him. The badger received a prophecy in his youth that a great crisis would sweep over Mossflower and plunge everything into chaos, but he cannot say what brings the crisis. Offering the Redwallers help to defend themselves, he is only partially aware of the changes befalling the land.

Urthblood is easily the most complex character to appear on this list. He had done much good for the world, but his methods are questionable at best. This fic clearly has an affinity in characterisation - even the most minor of characters get a dose of character development or thirty.

The Urthblood Saga's vision is also overarching without overreaching itself. Changes presented in the series are gradual, unlike those of most Redwall fics. After all, the author had a few decades to straighten things out.

With skill befitting a professional writer, Highwing clearly deserves to obtain a first place for his fic, though it may get wordy at times. If he could solve some logistical problems present in his works, then the Urthblood Saga will be flawless.

Link to the author: https://m.fanfiction.net/u/76153/Highwing

[Booklover]

I am looking forward to reading these (when I have time), and thank you for recommending them!