Sunday, July 18, 2010

The Sable Quean

Hi chaps! Oh, H'I say, it's been a jolly long time since Smart Girl has done a bally post, wot wot! Well, now I'll cut the act and get down to business. (By the way, that is the accent of most Salamanstron hares. They are in most Redwall books.) Ironically, the main character of the next book is a Salamanstron hare. So now, on with... The Sable Quean.

First, the synopsis. In this one, the main character is Buckler, the Salamanstron blademaster, the best since his grandfather. He wants adventure, so the badger lord sent him on a journey. In the course of the trip, they find out that someone is kidnapping young ones from all over Mossflower. It turns out to be Vilaya, the Sable Quean. Buckler finds out that Vilaya's commander, Zwilt the Shade, killed and robbed his brother, nearly killed his sister in law, and kidnapped their young children. So, will the young ones be rescued, and will Buckler avenge his brother, or will all be lost? If you read it, you'll find out.

Now, my opinion. I think that this one is in the middle. I really like Buckler, but I just don't like this one as much as others, like Redwall and Mariel of Redwall. It just doesn't have that zing feeling that the others do. However, that doesn't mean that it's a bad book. It just isn't in my top five. So, I still recommend it for people who like good books.

Just as an unrelated note, I won't be doing any of the Twilight series, that's all for now, Smart Girl.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Mariel of Redwall

Hi everybody, Smart Girl here. Today you're going learn about Mariel of Redwall, by Brian Jacques, my favorite one in the whole series. So, let's get started!

First, the synopsis. In this one we meet the self-named "Storm Gullwhacker,"a young mouse who was washed ashore around Salamandstron. She finds her way to Redwall Abbey, where she meets another young mouse named Dandin. While at Redwall, she regains her memory (which she had lost) and learns that she is named Mariel and that she was kidnapped by Gabool the Wild.

Now, my opinion. I think that this is the best Redwall book in the entire series. It has a very funny line one time she's at Redwall. The line is when a dubbin (a term for very young Abbey dwellers) asks if Mariel wants to play. She "plays" by throwing a ball and then hitting it into the air with her Gullwhacker and it lands on another Redwaller. When the infuriated Redwaller asks who threw it, Mariel replies, "I hit the ball high. It's called playing. D'you want to play?" Mariel is a great character as well as all the others. There are some really funny moments. Therefore, I recommend this to anybody who wants a good book.

Best Read by Ages: 8 and up
Official Smart Girl Grade: A+


Have a great summer, and that's all for now, Smart Girl.