Devotees of Brian Jacques’ Redwall stories will be happy with his latest, Lord Brocktree (Hutchinson pound;12.99). Salamandastron, ancestral home of the Badger Lords, is under threat from the armies of the evil wildcat Ungatt Trunn. Jacques offers his usual rip-roaring adventure based on archetypal struggles between good and evil. Added to this addictive mixture are lyrical descriptive passages, quiry characters with wonderful names, their dialects, ditties and mouth-watering descriptions of the wholesome and nourishing food they are all so fond of. Redwall Friend and Foe (Red Fox pound;4.99) would make an excellent companion read for novices because it sets out some of the main heroes and villains appearing in the rest of the series and fits them into the Redwall jigsaw. Great stuff.
