Lord Brocktree

Lord Brocktree

UK first edition cover
Author Brian Jacques
Cover artist Chris Baker
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Redwall
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher Hutchinson (UK) & Philomel (US)
Publication date
 1 September 2000
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 388 (UK hardback) & 370 (US hardback)
ISBN 0-09-176877-2 (UK hardback) & ISBN 0-399-23590-6 (US Hardback)
OCLC 45314325
Preceded by The Legend of Luke
Followed by The Taggerung

Lord Brocktree is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2000. It is the 13th book in the Redwall series to be published. It is also the earliest chronological installment in the series.

Plot introduction

The book focuses on a badger, Lord Brocktree, and haremaid Dotti as they journey towards Salamandastron, the mountain fortress of badger lords, to recapture it from the wildcat Ungatt Trunn.

Redwallabbey.org Introduction

Salamandastron, ancestral home of the Badger Lords, is under threat from an enemy whose power would seem to be absolute and whose evil knows no bounds. Ungatt Trunn can make the stars fall from the sky, the very earth shake underfoot, and with a horde of vermin as numerous as the leaves in autumn, the wildcat appears unstoppable. The mountain's defences are weak. Who can save it now?

Salamandastron's only hope is the badger Lord Brocktree who is drawn to the fortress by an undeniable sense of destiny. If he is to rescue the mountain from the dark days of vermin rule, Brocktree must raise an army capable of combating Trunn's formidable Blue Hordes.

Plot summary

US cover of Lord Brocktree

This book revolves around the badger Lord Brocktree, father of Boar the Fighter, grandfather of Bella of Brockhall, and great-grandfather of Sunflash the Mace. He sets out to find the ancient badger mountain stronghold of Salamandastron, aided by the quick talking haremaid Dorothea Duckfontein Dillworthy and otter Ruffgar Brookback.

Meanwhile, in Salamandastron, trouble comes for Brocktree's father, Lord Stonepaw. Years of peace have left the mountain stronghold with few fighters, and those that remain are long past their prime, including Stonepaw himself. The wildcat Ungatt Trunn, son of Mortspear, Highland King of the North, lays siege to the fortress with his Blue Hordes. Eventually the mountain is overrun, leading to the deaths of many hares and even of Stonepaw himself, who dies valiantly defending his hares, taking many vermin with him as he does. The wildcat takes at least sixty hares as prisoners, but through the efforts of warrior Stiffener Medick and his otter friend Brogalaw, they escape.

Lord Brocktree gets an army from the hare Bucko Bigbones, after Dotti defeats him in a contest.

Thanks to the Bark Crew, the group of guerrillas formed by Stiffener and Brogalaw to harass Trunn, the Blue Hordes are slowly starved, their supplies cut off. Ungatt Trunn tricks the Bark Crew into putting up a last stand in battle, but Lord Brocktree joins forces with the hares and saves the day.

The book culminates in a massive final battle, with many memorable characters killed, including Jukka and Fleetscut. Eventually, when the battle ends up a near-stalemate, Trunn and Brocktree face off in a duel. After a failed assassination attempt on Brocktree by the searats Ripfang and Doomeye and the corsair fleet captain Karangool (Trunn's second in command) the badger eventually wins, snapping Trunn's spine and leaving him on the sand to die. Trunn is thrown into the water but survives, only to be drowned by Groddil, one of his former advisors. The book ends with thousands of hares rallying to form the Long Patrol under Brocktree and Dotti (whom the badger names first Long Patrol General).

Characters in Lord Brocktree

Book divisions (English)

Translations

Preceded by
None		 Redwall Series
(chronological order) 		Succeeded by
Martin the Warrior
Preceded by
The Legend of Luke		 Redwall Series
(publication order) 		Succeeded by
The Taggerung
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