Commentary on the Book The Rogue Crew

[KoudoawaiaVortex]

It certainly feels finished since there's an Epilogue and everything.

[Jukka the Sling]

I don't know that this book was finished by someone else.  LordTBT of the Redwall Wiki discovered that there's a chance of a 23rd Redwall manuscript out there, which would likely mean that The Rogue Crew was all written by him. http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:LordTBT/News:Is_There_A_Redwall_23%3F_An_Old_Mystery_Deciphered

[Ashleg]

I don't know that this book was finished by someone else.  LordTBT of the Redwall Wiki discovered that there's a chance of a 23rd Redwall manuscript out there, which would likely mean that The Rogue Crew was all written by him. http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:LordTBT/News:Is_There_A_Redwall_23%3F_An_Old_Mystery_Deciphered

I still hope that somebody can recover that, if it's real (which it probably is) and give it to the public.

Still, that does not mean he finished The Rogue Crew. I have heard of many authors who write two books in their series at the same time, and this could especially be the case for Redwall as they have little chronological connection.

[The Skarzs]

I'm just talking about that it had a different feel and style than other books, at least to me.

[Ashleg]

The wheels on the ship go round and round...
Below lay Ashleg's odd ramblings of this book.

Now that I'm actually reading this (DON'T SPOIL ANYTHING FOR ME, I'M ONLY HALFWAY DONE) I can comment on it.
First off, I like Razzid. I don't think he's done anything especially horrid in comparison to some of the other villains, which does seem to mean that he's mostly known for merely existing and having a wheely boat and tampering with some otters than anything else.
Sounds like a sort of letdown, but eh, I don't think so.

Then there's Shekra--she reminds me of Sela! A seer with CHARACTER! It's been so long since we've last seen one of those!

The Rogue Crew themselves are cool, too. I wouldn't mind if the whole book was just them vs Razzid's crew and none of that Uggo stuff.
(What kind of name is 'Uggo', anyway?)

Is there a prophecy in this book? I'm halfway done and so far nothing, save for what Uggo's (grandma?) relative said before she (spoiler) (died).

I actually prefer the absence of a riddle...

Oh, and Rake and Crumdun are cool.
Yeah. I like this one. Go out with a bang, eh, series? Good on you.

[Ashleg]

I just finished this!

No, they did not run the vermin over with the ship, they chased them in the ship and then got out and dealt with 'em.

[a crumb]

Cool!

So, since you just read it, do you think that the Rogue Crew feel like darker goodbeasts than usual?

I don't know that this book was finished by someone else.  LordTBT of the Redwall Wiki discovered that there's a chance of a 23rd Redwall manuscript out there, which would likely mean that The Rogue Crew was all written by him. http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:LordTBT/News:Is_There_A_Redwall_23%3F_An_Old_Mystery_Deciphered

I still hope that somebody can recover that, if it's real (which it probably is) and give it to the public.

Still, that does not mean he finished The Rogue Crew. I have heard of many authors who write two books in their series at the same time, and this could especially be the case for Redwall as they have little chronological connection.

iirc, Jacques spent only a few months on a book from start to finish (something like during a particular season? the spring?). I know I read he said he never had writer's block, so that makes complete sense to me. I'd think he finished the Rogue Crew, with that in mind.

Now, if the newer book was mostly completed, I'd think there'd be a far greater chance we'd see it finished and published. I'd guess any new book that was started was only in a very early phase. Little incentive to find someone to write it, if so. It'd be almost like just getting someone to write a whole new novel. Which is just fan fiction, basically.

[Ashleg]

Aye, definitely darker. I liked it. They felt more real than usual. I wish he had been able to write more after this.

...Never had writers' block?  Why didn't he give me some of whatever that is?!

[MeadowR]

I quite enjoyed my re-read of this book.

I found the final chapter a little humdrum; I didn't find it necessary to have a few pages of what the hares and Violet were getting up to just before the 'heroes' arrived home, and would rather have had the final chapter at Redwall with the epilogue section a letter from Violet, rather than the other way around. I wanted to see what happened just after the battle from the Redwaller view, and see a bit more from Uggo to bookend the story better. ''Well done, Uggo, you're not such a greedy, useless young Wiltud after all!" or something.

As Skarsz and others suggested earlier, perhaps that part wasn't properly finished and had to be pieced together best as they could. Was a saddening thought when I finished it that there will never be any other 'canon' Redwall stories again. Glad that he managed to write 22 tales!

So why I liked it, aside from the final chapter, was... thanks to Brian's writing! Engaging stories came together and it just was a pleasant read, really.

[clunylooney]

It was ok because it was Redwall. I didn't like the hare protagonist, his fat friend or the shrew maid.

Um, that was The Sable Quean. This is The Rogue Crew.

I'm on chapter 25 of The Rogue Crew and I like it so far. I like it much more than The Sable Quean so far. I enjoyed The Sable Quean and it's characters and plot but I had some BIG problems with it. I do have some problems with The Rogue Crew, such as it being a little fast paced. But I am enjoying it very much so far. I like Uggo and Posy but they pale in comparison to the rogue crew and the long patrol in this book.  I like Razzid and the villains in this book as well and I like how we get a lot of time with the villains unlike many other redwall books.
So, so far I like The Rogue Crew quite a bit.

[Corporal Rubbadub]

i usually dont have favorites for redwall, because i like all the books, but the rogue crew is my favorite

[clunylooney]

Finished! I liked it! I think it was a bit fast paced at some points and Uggo and Posy aren't very interesting. My favorite parts of the book are the Long Patrol and Rogue Crew and the villains. I feel in a lot of the later redwall books, the villains kind of disappear at some parts and aren't in the book as nearly as much as they should be. But Razzid was in the book quite a bit! And he was awesome. I loved how he was big but also very very smart as well. Also, his crew were some of the more interesting vermin hordes in the series. The Rogue Crew were interesting. Some very enjoyable characters in this band of sea otters. I also like how we spend time with the hares of the Long Patrol and get to know them. I pretty much always love the Long Patrol in the books they're in and this particular Long Patrol was one of my favorites. I loved Rake Nightfur, Nubbs Miggory, Algernon Scutram and the rest. Noticeable members include:
Buff Redspore
Trug Bawdlsey
Big Drander
Bribbs
and all the others because they were all great.

But there were some problems for me. Razzid's death was anticlimactic, like Riggu's and honestly I wasn't a huge fan of the pointless  side adventures with Uggo's story, even if some of his storyline was fun. And there was just a weird feeling with this book in some places and I don't know exactly why.

In the end I wasn't head over heels with this book, but I think it was fun and a good end to the series.

[DanielofRedwall]

I always saw this as a bit of a return to form. I appreciated The Sable Quean somewhat but thought it was by and large formulaic. While Rogue Crew was still fairly formulaic, I thought it was quite different in tone and I thought the characters were pretty strong.