Redwall by Brian Jacques, the first novel in the series of the same name, was originally published in the UK on October 23, 1986. In this middle grade fantasy inspired by medieval Europe, anthropomorphic mice live together at Redwall Abbey and defend their home against attacks. These books were very popular when I was in elementary and middle school in the 1990s and 2000s. They provided an imaginative transition between children’s and adult fantasy.
When I reread these books, I enjoy them even more now. The protagonist of the first book, a young mouse named Matthias, has a fascinating character arc: from an awkward, fearful novice to a hero. I also notice references that I missed as a kid. For example, Methuselah, the elderly gatekeeper and archivist, shares a name with a Biblical figure who supposedly lived for centuries. Cluny is the name of a villain and of a French region famous for its medieval monasteries.
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The Redwall books strike an excellent balance between swashbuckling adventure and cozy, contemplative scenes. Fans reminisce online about the lush descriptions of feasts at the Abbey. Jacques began writing Redwall while working delivering milk to a school for blind children. He included vivid descriptions of food and other sensory details he thought the students would enjoy. I love that Jacques intentionally included disabled readers and characters, who influenced his descriptive writing style. This was rare for the time.
Despite many strengths of the book and subsequent series, some characters are dated and stereotypical. Cluny the Scourge, a rat with a whip-like tail and one eye, is sometimes described as if his disability makes him scarier—“Cluny’s single eye slitted evilly” is a line from the first book. Later books added more complex blind characters, such as Brother Simeon. Other fans have criticized the books for passive, helper female characters and for depicting certain animal species as inherently evil.
As a Catholic kid who knew what abbeys were, I wondered why the mice lived in an abbey. Although it baffled me at the time, Jacques’ decision not to mention God is now one of my favorite aspects of the series. This brilliant worldbuilding choice avoids possibly mocking or excluding any real religions. Books like Martin the Warrior and Mossflower offer plenty of lore about the history of the Abbey and Mossflower Wood, but not religious beliefs. Redwall is a place for education, medicine, and community, not dogma.
Redwall has a long legacy among generations of readers. The Rogue Crew, the 22nd book in the series, was published in 2011, just a few months after Jacques’ death. Another posthumous novel by Jacques, Orphans of Mossflower, will be published in September 2027. Orphans of Mossflower will be the final book in the series.
In addition to 22 novels so far, other books in the Redwall universe include picture books, The Redwall Cookbook, and Redwall: The Graphic Novel. Many illustrators have helped bring Redwall to life over the years, with cover art, interior illustrations, and concept art. These artists include Pete Lyon, the cover artist for the first three novels in the UK, and Troy Howell, the cover artist for all the US editions. Christopher Denise, who illustrated the picture book The Great Redwall Feast, later wrote and illustrated Knight Owl, a 2023 Caldecott Honor book.
Beginning in 1999, an animated TV adaptation of Redwall aired on Teletoon in Canada and PBS in the US. The three seasons were based on the books Redwall, Mattimeo, and Martin the Warrior. In 2021, Netflix acquired the rights to adapt the books into a streaming series and a movie. Netflix let the rights revert to the publisher in 2026, which probably means Netflix has abandoned the project.
The 40th anniversary could be a great opportunity for another studio to adapt Redwall into a new TV or film series. The books were written and published out of chronological order, meaning a new adaptation could have several potential starting points.
“Cozy” and “epic” are both huge subcategories in fantasy novels and gaming today. The Lost Legends of Redwall, the first officially licensed video game based on the Redwall series, was released in 2018. David Peterson has cited Redwall as an influence on his Mouse Guard comic book series. Many players note similarities to Redwall in the Bloomburrow card sets in Magic: The Gathering.
The Redwall fandom is active, with fan art, fanfiction, and role-playing games. Like many other readers, I consider Redwall a nostalgic favorite to reread. Jacques had a reputation for replying thoughtfully to young fans’ letters, even the critical ones. Redwall is an inclusive fantasy world where fans enjoy spending time.
Want more Redwall? Enjoy this reflection on revisiting the first novel in the series and read your way into other great epic fantasy books for middle grade readers.