Netflix Redwall - Primer and chat

[Charon]

So, I know I'm not the only Redwall fan here. It's early days so far so there isn't a huge amount of information about it but Netflix are making a film and series of Redwall. We don't know for sure whether we're talking 2D animation or 3D CGI but either way, there's a pretty good chance this will be great. So I figured we could have a thread to chat about all things Redwall, expectations, favourite books, characters, moments, etc. It's safe to assume the subject matter will encompass the eponymous Redwall novel itself but many people are already speculating that the film may be the events of Redwall while the series itself harks back through the earlier books that cover the origins of Martin the Warrior (Mossflower, Martin the Warrior, Legend of Luke?)
Well, colour me excited again because now we now have two epic fantasy series coming to the screen. :D
So here we go, a quick primer on Redwall without any spoilers.

Redwall combines two simple vibes. Low tech medieval fiction coupled with anthropomorphic creatures. Redwall is the name of an Abbey, set deep in the Mossflower woods, which is home to various woodland creatures. These are predominantly mice with a smattering of other creatures, each of which has their own tropey existence. From the very yorkshire sounding moles to the spiffing upper class british army hares, many of the creatures embody british archetypes in their dialects. At any given point in the many books the abbey usually houses a family of squirrels, one female badger, one or more hedgehogs, etc... The creatures of Redwall Abbey lead a relatively peaceful life. In contrast, the distant mountain fortress of Salamandastron is home to the Badger Lord (usually one male badger) and his army of hares.

The stories' conflicts usually come from attacks on the abbey or Salamandastron by bad creatures, usually rats, weasels, stoats and similar though the abbey has also had troubles with a fox. Some other villains that exist within the woods but haven't necessarily attacked the abbey include a wildcat and the dreaded serpent Asssmodeusss; nightmare fuel for those of us who read the books as children. In the first book, Redwall, we are introduced to the current inhabitants of the abbey and protagonist Matthias, a clumsy novice mouse who idolises long dead hero Martin the Warrior. We are also swiftly introduced to the antagonist, the searat and warlord Cluny the Scourge who has come to the Mossflower woods seeking riches. Cluny lays siege to the Abbey and that pretty much sums it up. Any further revelations could spoil it but this classic setup lays the groundwork for many of the other books that jump back and forth through the timeline, some taking place after Matthias' life or before the abbey itself was founded, some taking place almost entirely in Salamandastron.

On a personal note, Redwall and Mattimeo have a strong place in my heart being the first two novels I read but Mariel of Redwall stands out as one of my favourites for the piratical themes, the villain Gabool and of course the strong female lead of Mariel herself setting out on her journey of revenge. I'm gonna have to find time in my schedule to reread another 22 books I guess... ¬¬
Redwall was also the first novel I ever read, back when I 8 years old. This one book is pretty much responsible for instilling my love of fantasy within me and I would go on to read more of these, then the Alchemists cat before eventually making the leap to Lord of the Rings at 13.
I still have the original copies of Redwall, Mossflower, Mattimeo and Mariel of Redwall that I was bought back in 1990 onwards. Most of the others I borrowed from a library as they came out but maybe it's time to plug the holes in my collection.