Editing Redwall (section)

==Literary significance and reception==
Brian Jacques was praised for his ''Redwall'' series. He was called one of "the best children's authors in the world".<ref>Harrison, Susan, Amazon.com reviews (1992). Editorial review of ''Salamandastron''.</ref> The books of the ''Redwall'' series have drawn comparisons to [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]’s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |date=1987-06-01 |title=''Redwall'' by Brian Jacques |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399214240 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]] |type=editorial review}}</ref> to [[Kenneth Grahame]]'s ''[[The Wind in the Willows]]'',  and [[Richard Adams]]'s ''[[Watership Down]]''.<ref>Chang, Margaret, ''[[School Library Journal]]'' (1990). Editorial review of ''Mattimeo''.</ref> Jacques combines "action, poetry, songs, courage, and vivid descriptions" to create a unique style that spans the series.<ref>Saecker, Tasha, ''School Library Journal'' (2005). Editorial review of ''High Rhulain''.</ref>

The ''Redwall'' series has received praise for its "equal-opportunity adventuring, in which female creatures can be just as courageous (or as diabolical) as their male counterparts".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1995-03-20 |title=''The Bellmaker'' by Brian Jacques |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399228056 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Publishers Weekly |type=editorial review}}</ref> Novels such as ''Mariel of Redwall'', ''Pearls of Lutra'', ''High Rhulain'' and ''Triss'' all feature strong female leading characters. Jacques has also received acclaim for his development of unique language<ref>''Kirkus Reviews'' (1998). [https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brian-jacques/the-long-patrol Editorial review of ''The Long Patrol''].</ref> intrinsic to certain species, giving the novels an "endearing dialectal dialogue".<ref name="Estes">Estes, Sally, ''Booklist'' (1995). Editorial review of ''The Bellmaker''.</ref>

Some reviews have been critical of the ''Redwall'' novels for providing too simplistic a view of good and evil.<ref name="Estes" /> The characteristics of the animals in the novels are fixed by their species, making them quite "predictable",<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1996-02-19 |title=''Outcast of Redwall'' by Brian Jacques, Allan Curless |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399229145 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Publishers Weekly |type=editorial review}}</ref> though there have been a few books, such as in ''Outcast of Redwall'' and ''Pearls of Lutra'', in which vermin have acted selflessly, in one taking a spear through the chest and back meant for his former nursemaid (though she disregards his actions as impulse and comes to consider him born to be evil), and in the other saving the Abbot of Redwall from lizards. Another exception is in ''The Bellmaker'', where a searat strove to start being good instead of evil, abandoning his life of pirating to live by himself. In some cases, different members of the same species possess different moral compasses. For example, the wildcats in the book ''Mossflower'' each exhibit different characteristics: although Lady Tsarmina is cruel and vicious, her father Lord Verdauga is seen as hard but fair, and her brother Gingivere is kind and eventually joins the side of the woodlanders. As a general rule though, characters tend to "epitomize their class origins", rarely rising above them.<ref>''Kirkus Reviews'' (1992). Editorial review of ''Mariel of Redwall''.</ref>

Many reviewers have also criticized the ''Redwall'' series for repetition and predictability, citing "recycled" plot lines<ref>{{Cite news |date=1997-01-27 |title=''Pearls of Lutra'' by Brian Jacques |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399229466 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Publishers Weekly |type=editorial review}}</ref> and Jacques' tendency to follow a "pattern to the dot".<ref>Kirkus Reviews (1994). Editorial review of ''Martin the Warrior''.</ref> Other reviewers note that such predictable "ingredients" may be what "makes the ''Redwall'' recipe so consistently popular".<ref name=":0" /> Although the series did not continue to break new ground, it does provide satisfying adventures with "comforting, predictable conclusions for its fans".<ref>Shook, Bruce, ''School Library Journal'' (1998). Editorial review of ''The Long Patrol''.</ref>