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Redwall #14
Taggerung
The Redwall series is soon to be a Netflix original movie!
The bestselling Redwall saga continues in Taggerung .
Years ago, the vermin clan of Sawney Rath kidnapped one of Redwall's own-a baby otter, destined to become their "Taggerung," a warrior hero of ancient legend. But as young Tagg grows, he rebels against his destiny. The young otter journeys in search of his birthplace, a member of Sawney's clan always near, out to destroy the deserter. With the feisty mouse Nimbalo, Tagg fends off the avenging vermin, but can he find his way back to the Redwall family from whom he was separated so long ago? Here is all of the excitement and adventure a Redwall fan could wish for!
Perfect for fans of T. A. Barron’s Merlin saga, John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.
The bestselling Redwall saga continues in Taggerung .
Years ago, the vermin clan of Sawney Rath kidnapped one of Redwall's own-a baby otter, destined to become their "Taggerung," a warrior hero of ancient legend. But as young Tagg grows, he rebels against his destiny. The young otter journeys in search of his birthplace, a member of Sawney's clan always near, out to destroy the deserter. With the feisty mouse Nimbalo, Tagg fends off the avenging vermin, but can he find his way back to the Redwall family from whom he was separated so long ago? Here is all of the excitement and adventure a Redwall fan could wish for!
Perfect for fans of T. A. Barron’s Merlin saga, John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.
438 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Brian Jacques
208 books4,138 followers Brian Jacques (pronounced 'jakes') was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact.
Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.
Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).
Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.
When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.
Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.
Brian grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's School, an inner city school featuring a playground on its roof. At the age of ten, his very first day at St. John's foreshadowed his future career as an author; given an assignment to write a story about animals, he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth. Brian's teacher could not, and would not believe that a ten year old could write so well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for it.
He wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations. He remained a patron of the school until his death.
Brian lived in Liverpool, where his two grown sons, Marc, a carpenter and bricklayer, and David, a professor of Art and a muralist, still reside. David Jacques' work can be seen in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile (not to mention Brian's photo featured in most of his books).
Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his comedy and wit, and played his favourites from the world of opera - he was a veritable expert on The Three Tenors.
When he was wasn't writing, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. When he found time he read the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse. He was also known to cook an impressive version of his favourite dish, spaghetti and meatballs.
Sadly, Brian passed away on the 5th February 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
March 12, 2019
I have always loved the Redwall series of books by Brian Jacques who uses animals for his tales and I bought every one the minute they came into the shops. 'Taggarund' is my favourite Why? It is different to the rest of the books and in my personal opinion a better read. The books are written primarily for young teen agers upwards and are always based on the good versus evil theme where good always wins out in the end but often at some cost. Shrews, weasels, rats, stoats and foxes tend to be always evil and the good creatures are mice, hedgehogs, moles, otters, badgers, hares and squirrels. Within the good versus evil as always, the author is never afraid to tackle some quite adult themes so there is hatred, violence, revenge, cowardice, murder and death but he counterbalances this with kindness, loyalty, trust, bravery love and even a touch of romance.
There are no great battles this time. Instead there are three different plots within the story. The book begins with the first and most important plot. An evil vermin clan of creatures is searching for a mystical warrior named the 'Taggerund' whom they believe will bring them to great glory by defeating their enemies. Because of prophecies, they discover the creature they believe to be the chosen Taggerund is not of them but an otter babe and they kill his father and steal the babe who is brought up by the wicked chief of the clan as his own son. A problem they have though is that genes will out and the babe grows into a tough and strong warrior who has a heart and cares for others so he refuses to kill though commanded to by the clan chief. This means he has to escape the clan and the rest of the story involves all his many adventures in his quest to find his way back to his Mother and sister in Redwall.
The second plot running through the story involves the cowardly creature Gruven, prompted by his ambitious Mother (who is determined that her son is the true Taggerund,) to set out with a few other members of the vermin clan to capture 'Tagg' and kill him.
The third plot moves over to Redwall Abbey where there is no leader at this time. The story lightens with the author's usual gift of poetry and many references to the 'good life' the Redwallers have. There is much fun with 'the dibbuns' (the little ones) always into mischief, but this is the third plot line where Tagg's Mother still grieves for her stolen son. His sister, through a huge puzzle involving the whole Redwall community which has to be solved, grows from an immature young girl into a potential Mother Abbess.
In the final part of the story The author doesn't have a huge battle as in other books in the series and he ties all the ends up peacefully with justice meted out to those who deserve it.
Redwall readers will be aware that the character Tagg is in contrast to another character in a previous book entitled 'Outcast of Redwall. In that one the Redwall creatures saved a baby ferret from dying and brought him up, but true to his nature he was a disaster, always lying, stealing, bullying hurting and in the end he ran away and returned to his vermin clan. In the case of Tagg he stayed true to his essentially good nature in spite of being brought up with the vermin clan. This book is the better of the two though. It is beautifully written and the character of Tagg in particular is really well drawn.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book. It touched my heart many times and I recommend it to animal lovers young and old for some light reading and a lot of thoughtful themes about life for children to hopefully take on board.
There are no great battles this time. Instead there are three different plots within the story. The book begins with the first and most important plot. An evil vermin clan of creatures is searching for a mystical warrior named the 'Taggerund' whom they believe will bring them to great glory by defeating their enemies. Because of prophecies, they discover the creature they believe to be the chosen Taggerund is not of them but an otter babe and they kill his father and steal the babe who is brought up by the wicked chief of the clan as his own son. A problem they have though is that genes will out and the babe grows into a tough and strong warrior who has a heart and cares for others so he refuses to kill though commanded to by the clan chief. This means he has to escape the clan and the rest of the story involves all his many adventures in his quest to find his way back to his Mother and sister in Redwall.
The second plot running through the story involves the cowardly creature Gruven, prompted by his ambitious Mother (who is determined that her son is the true Taggerund,) to set out with a few other members of the vermin clan to capture 'Tagg' and kill him.
The third plot moves over to Redwall Abbey where there is no leader at this time. The story lightens with the author's usual gift of poetry and many references to the 'good life' the Redwallers have. There is much fun with 'the dibbuns' (the little ones) always into mischief, but this is the third plot line where Tagg's Mother still grieves for her stolen son. His sister, through a huge puzzle involving the whole Redwall community which has to be solved, grows from an immature young girl into a potential Mother Abbess.
In the final part of the story The author doesn't have a huge battle as in other books in the series and he ties all the ends up peacefully with justice meted out to those who deserve it.
Redwall readers will be aware that the character Tagg is in contrast to another character in a previous book entitled 'Outcast of Redwall. In that one the Redwall creatures saved a baby ferret from dying and brought him up, but true to his nature he was a disaster, always lying, stealing, bullying hurting and in the end he ran away and returned to his vermin clan. In the case of Tagg he stayed true to his essentially good nature in spite of being brought up with the vermin clan. This book is the better of the two though. It is beautifully written and the character of Tagg in particular is really well drawn.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book. It touched my heart many times and I recommend it to animal lovers young and old for some light reading and a lot of thoughtful themes about life for children to hopefully take on board.
May 8, 2022
I loved this book as a kid - I thought the idea of a tattooed otter running around having adventures just so cool. And coming back to it as an adult I was pleased to find that the writing mostly held up. It’s a well written book, with fairly likeable characters - the only thing that held me back from giving it a five star review is the same problem in a lot of Redwall books. The fact that for the most part Vermin aren’t allowed to be anything but evil. Or wicked and spiteful. And any good beast should hold them in contempt from the get go if they’re not very, very stupid.
I know there have been some exceptions but it’s really weird that none of them occur in this book.
Look I don’t read Redwall books for the plots or the deep characters - I read them for the descriptions of food and general pleasant atmosphere, so usually I can ignore this. But given the starting premise - an otter raised by vermin - the contempt the narrative has for the vermin, kind of felt forced.
And the main character’s attitude to them seemed no different than if he’d been raised by other otters.🦦 I’m just saying it’s weird that he seemed to have no emotional ties to them - beyond contempt.
Still, it was generally a pleasant read.
I know there have been some exceptions but it’s really weird that none of them occur in this book.
Look I don’t read Redwall books for the plots or the deep characters - I read them for the descriptions of food and general pleasant atmosphere, so usually I can ignore this. But given the starting premise - an otter raised by vermin - the contempt the narrative has for the vermin, kind of felt forced.
And the main character’s attitude to them seemed no different than if he’d been raised by other otters.🦦 I’m just saying it’s weird that he seemed to have no emotional ties to them - beyond contempt.
Still, it was generally a pleasant read.
April 7, 2017
This book was an especially enjoyable installment in the series, due to its noncomformity to the customary plots of Redwall. It was very useful to have at my veritable disposal whilst I battle the flippin' flu, wot?
May 16, 2009
I love all the redwall books, but I think this is my favorite. You can't help but love the otters!
June 19, 2023
5+ stars (6/10 hearts). Imma have to reread all the Redwall books next year and rerate them because I am just now realizing HOW MUCH I love them. <3 They’re such a comfort to me!! And this book in particular I really loved.
To start off, it’s the opposite of “Outcast of Redwall,” with a Redwall babe being brought up by vermin. I was furious by the death of Tagg/Deyna’s father—HE WAS AMAZING. 😭 But Tagg himself was awesome as well. I did feel he was a bit too good for a vermin-raised young otter… no character arc really… but I loved his personality, especially when compared with Nimbalo. Oh man, that “warrior” reminded me so much of Gonff! He was such a naughty little mouse but so funny, and his backstory BROKE my heart… that chapter where he met his father at last… 💔
I loved the familiarity of Redwall and the puzzle-figuring, mixed with the unusualness of Redwall being besieged not by an army but by a small group. I enjoyed the adventures of Nimbalo and Tagg sa they were being tracked, and Mhera trying to handle everything at Redwall with Cregga. The ending was epic. And the message that it wasn’t Tagg’s fault but that the evil ones chose to do evil on their own… Yes, I think this is one of my favourite Redwall books after Books 1-3, 6, & 12. <3
A Favourite Quote: “Don’t be ashamed to weep; ’tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees and fruit cannot grow without water. But there must be sunlight also. A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us.”
To start off, it’s the opposite of “Outcast of Redwall,” with a Redwall babe being brought up by vermin. I was furious by the death of Tagg/Deyna’s father—HE WAS AMAZING. 😭 But Tagg himself was awesome as well. I did feel he was a bit too good for a vermin-raised young otter… no character arc really… but I loved his personality, especially when compared with Nimbalo. Oh man, that “warrior” reminded me so much of Gonff! He was such a naughty little mouse but so funny, and his backstory BROKE my heart… that chapter where he met his father at last… 💔
I loved the familiarity of Redwall and the puzzle-figuring, mixed with the unusualness of Redwall being besieged not by an army but by a small group. I enjoyed the adventures of Nimbalo and Tagg sa they were being tracked, and Mhera trying to handle everything at Redwall with Cregga. The ending was epic. And the message that it wasn’t Tagg’s fault but that the evil ones chose to do evil on their own… Yes, I think this is one of my favourite Redwall books after Books 1-3, 6, & 12. <3
A Favourite Quote: “Don’t be ashamed to weep; ’tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees and fruit cannot grow without water. But there must be sunlight also. A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us.”
August 9, 2023
I had high hopes for this one, having been told by a couple of my Redwall-loving friends that this book was their favorite. And, having finished it, I see why. This one was a beautiful tale (honestly, what I had hoped Outcast of Redwall to be), and definitely one I look forward to reading again in future. Also, Taggerung is a total bean. I love him.
February 4, 2020
One of the best Redwall books IMHO. We had a book about a baby from a "bad" species being raised in Redwall, now we have a member of a "good" species being raised among the baddies. The Redwall series has been consistently decent, but this book stands out as one of the best, to me it felt as if Mr. Jacques put a LOT of himself into this book. More than he usually does, at least. Fantastic story.
December 7, 2020
I love that this installement actually acknowledges the basic prejudice that each "side" has to the other, but it still falls short of actually flipping the script on it. Still it's an incredibly enjoyable addition to the series and it even includes the very thing that captured my interest back in middle school, riddles.
The cast of characters is quite fantastic as well, I adore Cregga and Nimbalo. I do wish we had gotten to see more of how Dayna fit into everything before the overall wrap up of the novel, but regardless it was a fun read.
The cast of characters is quite fantastic as well, I adore Cregga and Nimbalo. I do wish we had gotten to see more of how Dayna fit into everything before the overall wrap up of the novel, but regardless it was a fun read.
February 26, 2012
Like "Outcast of Redwall" this book has a lot of potential but fails to deliver. A baby otter, Taggerung, is kidnapped and raised by a gang of murderous vermin thieves. Then he grows up and is inherently good simply because he is an otter, and he refuses to participate in his gang's evil doings. He deserts the gang and embarks on a quest to find his true identity.
I was hoping that the theme of morality would be explored, and Taggerung would mimic the behavior of his gang because that is what he was brought up to do, but he would be conflicted about it because of his genetics, and he would struggle to choose between the life of evil he knows or an honest life. Or something like that. Like "Outcast" this book could have explored the nature v. nurture idea but failed. I don't think its plausible that this otter spends his entire life in an environment of violence and crime but he never does anything even remotely wrong. Because of genetics he is noble and honest, despite his upbringing. At least in "Outcast" there was some ambiguity as to how evil the outcast was. Taggerung is indisputably 100% good.
I thought the relationship between the otter and his adopted father was interesting. The ferret loves his adopted son, but the otter doesn't love his adopted father; he only respects the ferret's leadership skills. This relationship should have been further explored. Another missed opportunity.
Also, the ending was disappointing. When it seemed like the story was over and it should have been wrapped up with a final chapter or two, it keeps going for about seven more chapters. It seems like the author finished the story but decided it wasn't long enough and added more things near the end. I thought these things were anti-climactic and contributed nothing to the story (I can't elaborate without spoiling the end, but if you've read it you know what I mean).
Despite its flaws, this book has some good plot twists and story elements. I give it two stars.
I was hoping that the theme of morality would be explored, and Taggerung would mimic the behavior of his gang because that is what he was brought up to do, but he would be conflicted about it because of his genetics, and he would struggle to choose between the life of evil he knows or an honest life. Or something like that. Like "Outcast" this book could have explored the nature v. nurture idea but failed. I don't think its plausible that this otter spends his entire life in an environment of violence and crime but he never does anything even remotely wrong. Because of genetics he is noble and honest, despite his upbringing. At least in "Outcast" there was some ambiguity as to how evil the outcast was. Taggerung is indisputably 100% good.
I thought the relationship between the otter and his adopted father was interesting. The ferret loves his adopted son, but the otter doesn't love his adopted father; he only respects the ferret's leadership skills. This relationship should have been further explored. Another missed opportunity.
Also, the ending was disappointing. When it seemed like the story was over and it should have been wrapped up with a final chapter or two, it keeps going for about seven more chapters. It seems like the author finished the story but decided it wasn't long enough and added more things near the end. I thought these things were anti-climactic and contributed nothing to the story (I can't elaborate without spoiling the end, but if you've read it you know what I mean).
Despite its flaws, this book has some good plot twists and story elements. I give it two stars.
October 29, 2020
While I'm firmly of the opinion that no Redwall novel is inherently bad (with the possible exception of Loamhedge, and that's only for its bat's arse stance on being able to 'cure' disability with the POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING) Taggerung doesn't live up to the high standards of its predecessors. It doesn't help that the plot is almost identical to that of Outcast of Redwall, already a fairly mediocre entry into the series, albeit it flipped on its head. This time it's a good creature being raised by vermin, and the results are even more predictable. It's never Veil's actions in Outcast that make his outcome certain, but the actions of everyone around him, convinced that as a ferret he'll turn out to be evil. In Taggerung, despite the fact that Deyna is raised by vermin he never once acts in ambiguous manner; his first on-page deed as an adult is to spare a creature's life. He doesn't even speak with a villainous accent. Maybe posh Abbey voices are genetic.
Once we've got the obviousness of Deyna's good character out of the way, we've got the Abbey plot, and it's another of those 'solve the riddles to find the new Abbey Leader' type of affairs. It's not a spoiler to tell you the Abbess will be Mhera because Cregga Badgermum tells Mhera it'll be her about five chapters into the novel, which really does render Mhera solving a load of puzzles and then being appointed leader at the end of the book completely pointless. I say puzzles, once the initial location riddle is solved, it just amounts to Mhera and her friends finding scraps of cloth with 'ITTAGALL' written on them all over the place. Don't worry, fair review reader, no-one knows what 'ITTAGALL' is supposed to mean, and when it's revealed at the end of the book it doesn't make a great deal of sense either. You know how they say a joke isn't funny if you have to explain it? Turns out a Redwall riddle doesn't work if you already know the outcome but people keep leaving bits of cloth everywhere. The 'Fifteen Seasons Later' concept, flinging all the characters ahead a few years is a great idea though.
What Taggerung does have over previous books is its cast of villains. We've got the suave, genre savvy Sawney Rath, scheming mother Antigra, her stupid son Gruven, the deadly tag team of Eefera and Vallug Bowbeast, and finally the terrifying Ruggan Bor. The Juska clan conceit feels really fresh and interesting, there's always this sense of danger just bubbling up under the main story. It's a shame then when, right at the end, Russano the Wise shows up out of nowhere and sends the main gang away, robbing us of an epic Abbey smack-down. Deus Ex Badger Machina does not a good resolution make.
With that said, there are a lot of things Taggerung does really well. Nimbalo is a deftly written and well rounded character, and his journey with Deyna through the flatlands is never less than engaging. Like that bit where they stop a gang of pygmy shrews making Wicker Man-like sacrifices to a giant eel, or when they reveal his dad was beating him as a child because whu-uuu-uuut the f*ck that came out of nowhere. Brutal. Cregga's death is one of the best written moments in the whole series, poignant and bittersweet. Her death lends the book a sense of finality as well; Taggerung marks the final Redwall book to feature recurring characters and not be set in a far-flung, non-specific future period. It's Triss after this. And we all know what Triss means. Nazi Ferrets. And not in a good way.
Also, and it's a small niggle, but I first read this book when I was eleven and it annoyed me then and it annoyed me again on this re-read so I'm pointing it out. When Mhera is OFFICIALLY announced as Abbess at the end of the book, one of her closest friends leans in and says 'best wishes from myself, Fwirl and Friar Bob.' That's not something you say to your best mate when they've just been offered the role of top dog! That's what you write in a card when your mum tells you your second cousin has just passed her driving test and you don't know her very well but you have to put something, otherwise it would be rude, right? It takes me RIGHT OUT of the story and I've been bothered by it for almost twenty years. I'm sorry.
Once we've got the obviousness of Deyna's good character out of the way, we've got the Abbey plot, and it's another of those 'solve the riddles to find the new Abbey Leader' type of affairs. It's not a spoiler to tell you the Abbess will be Mhera because Cregga Badgermum tells Mhera it'll be her about five chapters into the novel, which really does render Mhera solving a load of puzzles and then being appointed leader at the end of the book completely pointless. I say puzzles, once the initial location riddle is solved, it just amounts to Mhera and her friends finding scraps of cloth with 'ITTAGALL' written on them all over the place. Don't worry, fair review reader, no-one knows what 'ITTAGALL' is supposed to mean, and when it's revealed at the end of the book it doesn't make a great deal of sense either. You know how they say a joke isn't funny if you have to explain it? Turns out a Redwall riddle doesn't work if you already know the outcome but people keep leaving bits of cloth everywhere. The 'Fifteen Seasons Later' concept, flinging all the characters ahead a few years is a great idea though.
What Taggerung does have over previous books is its cast of villains. We've got the suave, genre savvy Sawney Rath, scheming mother Antigra, her stupid son Gruven, the deadly tag team of Eefera and Vallug Bowbeast, and finally the terrifying Ruggan Bor. The Juska clan conceit feels really fresh and interesting, there's always this sense of danger just bubbling up under the main story. It's a shame then when, right at the end, Russano the Wise shows up out of nowhere and sends the main gang away, robbing us of an epic Abbey smack-down. Deus Ex Badger Machina does not a good resolution make.
With that said, there are a lot of things Taggerung does really well. Nimbalo is a deftly written and well rounded character, and his journey with Deyna through the flatlands is never less than engaging. Like that bit where they stop a gang of pygmy shrews making Wicker Man-like sacrifices to a giant eel, or when they reveal his dad was beating him as a child because whu-uuu-uuut the f*ck that came out of nowhere. Brutal. Cregga's death is one of the best written moments in the whole series, poignant and bittersweet. Her death lends the book a sense of finality as well; Taggerung marks the final Redwall book to feature recurring characters and not be set in a far-flung, non-specific future period. It's Triss after this. And we all know what Triss means. Nazi Ferrets. And not in a good way.
Also, and it's a small niggle, but I first read this book when I was eleven and it annoyed me then and it annoyed me again on this re-read so I'm pointing it out. When Mhera is OFFICIALLY announced as Abbess at the end of the book, one of her closest friends leans in and says 'best wishes from myself, Fwirl and Friar Bob.' That's not something you say to your best mate when they've just been offered the role of top dog! That's what you write in a card when your mum tells you your second cousin has just passed her driving test and you don't know her very well but you have to put something, otherwise it would be rude, right? It takes me RIGHT OUT of the story and I've been bothered by it for almost twenty years. I'm sorry.
August 24, 2007
Oh, Redwall: my first fandom love. My first fanfictions were of this book. As such, it holds a special place in my heart. I simply must re-read it soon. I'll post a more in-depth review afterwards.
Of the entire series, The Taggerung was my favorite. Why? Well, I suppose it's because I loved the character of the Taggerung. :) The idea of the good guy being raised by the bad guys (and getting some wicked-awesome facial tattoos) was a very original and appealing thought to my pre-teen self (still is, actually). There were so many moments that I absolutely adored. Mr.Jacques was a master of writing the way these anthropomorphic animals acted, moved, and reacted with each other. I'm not entirely sure why otters aren't my favorite kind of animal - the way they move (and the way Mr.Jacques describes movement in the book!), oh... indescribably cool. Fluid, you know?
I will update this review once I've completed re-reading the book. But I will leave you with this:
I once adored this book so much, I wanted to commit it to memory. I can still recite the first two or three pages. I believed it that good. Read it!
Of the entire series, The Taggerung was my favorite. Why? Well, I suppose it's because I loved the character of the Taggerung. :) The idea of the good guy being raised by the bad guys (and getting some wicked-awesome facial tattoos) was a very original and appealing thought to my pre-teen self (still is, actually). There were so many moments that I absolutely adored. Mr.Jacques was a master of writing the way these anthropomorphic animals acted, moved, and reacted with each other. I'm not entirely sure why otters aren't my favorite kind of animal - the way they move (and the way Mr.Jacques describes movement in the book!), oh... indescribably cool. Fluid, you know?
I will update this review once I've completed re-reading the book. But I will leave you with this:
I once adored this book so much, I wanted to commit it to memory. I can still recite the first two or three pages. I believed it that good. Read it!
March 13, 2020
Another great read! The world is created masterfully with brilliant depth, you really engage with each and every single character.
September 26, 2023
Not quite as smashing as I remember it being from over a decade ago haha but that Homecoming brought me to tears & Tagg is a Legend 🖤
June 18, 2022
"There were certainly parts of this story that I didn't like and it kind of ended around eighty pages before the ending of the book with the remaining pages seeming a little hodge-podge, but the story was different from any of the other Redwall stories and that made it interesting. My fish Pepper especially liked this one, and I think she would rate it five stars. I think it's a three-star book in my head, so we'll split the difference and call it four."
March 18, 2024
Got a freebie at the bookstore over the weekend, and it was the perfect nostalgic read during a (very) delayed train ride. All the hallmarks of redwall (riddles, friendship, FOOD), not the best in this glorious series but in the top third I’d say!
September 6, 2011
In this 14th Redwall adventure, a baby otter is stolen from Redwall Abbey by the evil clan of vermin Juskarath to raise as their fearsome warrior champion, called "Taggerung". Meanwhile, his loss is mourned at Redwall but life goes on with much feasting, drollery and a series of riddles that will ultimately lead to a new Abbess of Redwall. But despite learning to become a fearsome warrior like they want, Taggerung rebels against their expectations of savagery and strikes out on his own. He makes many friends in his adventures, and makes his way back to Redwall in time to protect his old family from his marauding foster family. Lots of dashing derring-do, nearly incomprehensible accents (especially by the moles), luscious food and humor. No need to read all previous Redwall books, this stands on its own.
February 28, 2008
My favorite Redwall book!
November 6, 2023
I adored this one. I remembered liking it when I was younger and I'm happy to report it's still great. Part of the reason is because it strays slightly from the classic Redwall format, which is refreshing. It's still got adventuring and Abbey shenanigans, but very little questing or sieging.
Tagg is a highlight of this book. The otters are some of my favorite characters, but having them as protagonists are rare. We not only get him, but his sister, so I'm very happy. It's a sweet story, but also one full of heartbreak and pain. I did tear up a few times, not gonna lie.
The ending is a bit drawn out and it falls into the same "nature vs nurture" fallacy, but I can overlook that for how great the rest is.
Tagg is a highlight of this book. The otters are some of my favorite characters, but having them as protagonists are rare. We not only get him, but his sister, so I'm very happy. It's a sweet story, but also one full of heartbreak and pain. I did tear up a few times, not gonna lie.
The ending is a bit drawn out and it falls into the same "nature vs nurture" fallacy, but I can overlook that for how great the rest is.
January 1, 2023
One of Jacques better stories, but it's hampered by a meandering, strange, impossible-to-solve treasure hunt that gets abandoned, and a second ending that focuses on an enemy that never really fit into the book to begin with. I really enjoyed Tagg's journey through this, but feel it could have been way better had the story been solely focused on him.
July 26, 2022
Mostly a corrective for not giving any other book in the series five stars, but I also deeply appreciate that the third act formula gets upended here:
Desperately scouring the internet to see what Premier League team Brian Jacques rooted for - if this man is a Liverpool fan, I will have to reconsider a lot about my life.
Desperately scouring the internet to see what Premier League team Brian Jacques rooted for - if this man is a Liverpool fan, I will have to reconsider a lot about my life.
March 19, 2020
Cute, my favorite so far. I love the world of Redwall so much and it was fun to get back to it
August 8, 2021
Another quick easy read in this series. This one has just a bit different plot base than the average Redwall book.
June 4, 2022
Redwall subplot: extremely boring
Main plot: loads of fun
Main plot: loads of fun
February 25, 2024
Juska is a good name for a vermin clan.
July 16, 2021
I love this series, I really wish more kids were reading it!!
September 4, 2010
I was quite looking forward to this book, expecting a slight animal version of a lesser Gemmell warrior yarn - possibly with cute manly ferrets carrying swords to battle *laughing*. It wasn't. It was nowhere near Gemmell standards of either writing, spinning a damn gripping adventure, or more importantly; 'gripping characters of deep refinement'.
So, what was it? It was a yarn about little ferrets, badgers, and hedgehogs *pmsl* (stop laughing! Sooo not funny!). It wasn't badly written, though it 'wasn't at all gripping'. As I posted in my comments whilst reading this book (I got as far as ch.3 before the senseless boredom really took over); it's a book to be read to ten or twelve year olds (maybe a clever eight year old *smiling* as I'm going by my own intellectual and reading growth potential here *pmsl* - I was a late developer *smiling*). I digress. It's not really large print and childishly simple, don't get me wrong <--Great song by Chrissy Hynde and The Pretenders btw. *pmsl*. Again, I digress ;) It's an intricate read that I expect many twelve year olds (or faster developers than I; eight year olds *laughing*) would enjoy being read to them (maybe).
But I want a read that's gripping, exciting, deeply character based, and a bloody joy to read. A book that you stay awake extra hours for because you 'really want to know what happens'. This ain't it!
I just started Scarrow's 'Under The Eagle' last night, and that 'is it!' I didn't want to put the book down, even as my eyelids were forcing themselves open!
As for 'The Taggerung', I get that 'I won't get this time back when I'm dead' feeling *pmsl*. But, I'll give it 2 stars for the; 'read it to a smart eight year old' factor!
So, what was it? It was a yarn about little ferrets, badgers, and hedgehogs *pmsl* (stop laughing! Sooo not funny!). It wasn't badly written, though it 'wasn't at all gripping'. As I posted in my comments whilst reading this book (I got as far as ch.3 before the senseless boredom really took over); it's a book to be read to ten or twelve year olds (maybe a clever eight year old *smiling* as I'm going by my own intellectual and reading growth potential here *pmsl* - I was a late developer *smiling*). I digress. It's not really large print and childishly simple, don't get me wrong <--Great song by Chrissy Hynde and The Pretenders btw. *pmsl*. Again, I digress ;) It's an intricate read that I expect many twelve year olds (or faster developers than I; eight year olds *laughing*) would enjoy being read to them (maybe).
But I want a read that's gripping, exciting, deeply character based, and a bloody joy to read. A book that you stay awake extra hours for because you 'really want to know what happens'. This ain't it!
I just started Scarrow's 'Under The Eagle' last night, and that 'is it!' I didn't want to put the book down, even as my eyelids were forcing themselves open!
As for 'The Taggerung', I get that 'I won't get this time back when I'm dead' feeling *pmsl*. But, I'll give it 2 stars for the; 'read it to a smart eight year old' factor!
September 25, 2019
Redwall is my first true fandom (other than maybe Pokemon? who knows what came first, but I guess I love wee creatures and friendship). I read the first books in the series as a kid and LOVED them. I dropped off at Marlfox, not because I stopped liking the books but because I was approaching teenhood and was getting more interested in gritty sci-fi. I saw a paperback of this in my local used book store and thought 'ah, a Redwall book I haven't read' and picked it up.
Let me tell you friends, these books are JUST AS WONDERFULLY JOYOUS AS I REMEMBER. No wonder I was a happy kid; mice, hedgehogs, and moles with British accents who love and help each other and have feasts filled with chestnut trifles and raspberry fizzes every flippin day make up the cast of a fantasy version of my life in which I too am a carefree rodent with amazing embroidery and jam-making skills. 'Tis I, Eliara Bristlebub, porcupine and admired Redwall abbey gatekeeper. Responsible for nought but watching the horizon and replacing the beeswax candles at my post as I write down flavor experiments to share with the cellarmaster for new ales and ciders.
Ok done with Redwall fangirling, now to stack up Taggerung as a Redwall novel overall. It has a story set up that's different from the other books, still filled with the expected humor of Jacques's tales. Characters are also solid, I really loved the main character Tagg and his overall arc. Props to Boorab, I feel his constant need for food on a spiritual level. Nimbalo was great as well; puts on the show of a tough guy, but is really just a lonely wanderer with an abusive past who wants people he can rely on. Plus it has piraaaaaates. A must read for Redwall lovers!
Let me tell you friends, these books are JUST AS WONDERFULLY JOYOUS AS I REMEMBER. No wonder I was a happy kid; mice, hedgehogs, and moles with British accents who love and help each other and have feasts filled with chestnut trifles and raspberry fizzes every flippin day make up the cast of a fantasy version of my life in which I too am a carefree rodent with amazing embroidery and jam-making skills. 'Tis I, Eliara Bristlebub, porcupine and admired Redwall abbey gatekeeper. Responsible for nought but watching the horizon and replacing the beeswax candles at my post as I write down flavor experiments to share with the cellarmaster for new ales and ciders.
Ok done with Redwall fangirling, now to stack up Taggerung as a Redwall novel overall. It has a story set up that's different from the other books, still filled with the expected humor of Jacques's tales. Characters are also solid, I really loved the main character Tagg and his overall arc. Props to Boorab, I feel his constant need for food on a spiritual level. Nimbalo was great as well; puts on the show of a tough guy, but is really just a lonely wanderer with an abusive past who wants people he can rely on. Plus it has piraaaaaates. A must read for Redwall lovers!
February 22, 2020
February 2020: It has been ten months since I last read this book and I am not ashamed. I listened to the audiobook this time. The first time I read Taggerung (back in 2006 - oh my!) it was the audiobook book. Listening to it again reminds me how entranced I became with the story and characters because of Jacques’ narration and the voice actors for the characters. Also, perhaps reading it twice in a year helped the story stick better so I was able to actually think about the characters and plot more than just taking the story at face value. This time after finishing the story I find that I appreciate the simple charm of the story for a lot of different reasons. What is the difference between the vermin killing and Tag and Nimbalo killing? Their intentions. And I think that while the morality of the Redwall stories can be taken as simple black and white there is a lot of complexity to it as well that I want to explore further.
Some of me still wonders if the reason Taggerung remains my favorite Jacques book is the memory of almost eleven year old Sara road tripping with her parents and brother to North Carolina listening to the cast bring this story to life. There are so many of the quintessential Redwall hallmark traits in this story that some could consider it quite basic or tame. But now, almost fifteen years have passed since I first read this story and I think that the charm of this story is only heightened by my memories.
April 2019: I haven���t read this in 7 years. And it’s just as endearing a story as I remembered. Although it is a bit darker and gorier than I remember since there is some head chopping and “human” sacrifice and all that.
Some of me still wonders if the reason Taggerung remains my favorite Jacques book is the memory of almost eleven year old Sara road tripping with her parents and brother to North Carolina listening to the cast bring this story to life. There are so many of the quintessential Redwall hallmark traits in this story that some could consider it quite basic or tame. But now, almost fifteen years have passed since I first read this story and I think that the charm of this story is only heightened by my memories.
April 2019: I haven���t read this in 7 years. And it’s just as endearing a story as I remembered. Although it is a bit darker and gorier than I remember since there is some head chopping and “human” sacrifice and all that.
March 25, 2011
By far, Taggerung is my favorite of the Redwall series. It's such a classic plot - protagonist grows up believing he's an antagonist - but it's so artfully performed. Further proof that the redwallers have a natural instinct of what's good and what's evil (and that the ferrets and rats are bred into a society of antagonistic people).
Some of my love of this book stems from the fact that I have always had a special place in my heart for the otters of redwall, and Bragoon was just especially badass. I've reread this book many times over the year, and found that each time it's still as exciting as the last.
Some of my love of this book stems from the fact that I have always had a special place in my heart for the otters of redwall, and Bragoon was just especially badass. I've reread this book many times over the year, and found that each time it's still as exciting as the last.
April 5, 2012
This is one of my all-time favorite Redwall books. I dont know why, but for some reason I just keep reading it again..and again...and again...and again......
I love the Redwall books in general because of the colourful descriptions, songs, battles, feasts, journeys, and the way Brian Jacques balances the darkness and the light so skillfully. "Taggerung" employs all of these strengths into a real masterpiece of a novel.
I love the Redwall books in general because of the colourful descriptions, songs, battles, feasts, journeys, and the way Brian Jacques balances the darkness and the light so skillfully. "Taggerung" employs all of these strengths into a real masterpiece of a novel.
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