User:Tyler de Noche/Redwall/Lord Brocktree

Lord Brocktree is a book in the Redwall series.

Summary
The story revolves around the legendary 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 mountain of Salamandastron, along the way he meets the quick talking haremaid Dotti, otter Ruffgar Brookback and mole Gurth. With his three companions, as well as a tribe of Guosim shrews, he journeys to the court of King Bucko Bigbones to find aid in the recapture of Salamandastron from the wildcat Ungatt Trunn.

Meanwhile, at Salamandastron rules Lord Stonepaw, the aging father of Brocktree. Seasons of peace have left the mountain stronghold with few fighters, and those that remain (around 150 hares) are long past their prime. Ungatt Trunn sends his messenger, the Grand Fragorl, telling Salamandastron to surrender, but they refuse, and Stonepaw sends Fleetscut to look for help and allies. The mountain falls under attack by Ungatt Trunn and his horde. Eventually the mountain is overrun, Stonepaw and his hares find refuge in an underground pool under the mountain, but they cannot stay for long with soon dwindling supplies. After staying in the cavern for days, the hares find an opening leading out in the ceiling after remembering a poem. Unfortunately, they are discovered, Stonepaw gives them time to leave by making a last stand in the underground pool. Stonepaw takes many vermin with him as he drowns himself to allow a few surviving hares to escape from their hide-out in the cellars of Salamandastron. They soon met up with a group of otters led by Brogalaw and his heron Rulango. The wildcat took at least threescore hares as prisoners, however, through the efforts of Stiffener Medick and the otters they escaped.

Fleetscut eventually finds a grove near Salamandastron and recruits the help of Jukka the Sling and her squirrels. They also journey to the court of Bucko Bigbones.

Brocktree and his friends eventually find the court of Bucko Bigbones and discover the massive amount of creatures at his command. Brocktree has Dorothea challenge Bucko for his place as king. After winning three challenges, Dorothea succeeds him as king. However, she gives the command of his army to Lord Brocktree. They then all journey to Salamandastron to reclaim the mountain.

Thanks to the Bark Crew, the group of hares who had escaped from Trunn, as well as the sea otterclan of Brogalaw, the Blue Hordes slowly starved with their supplies cut off. In a final stand of the Bark Crew, which Trunn had tricked them into, Lord Brocktree joins forces and saves the day.

The book culminates into a massive final battle, with many memorable characters being killed off, such as Jukka the Sling, a female squirrel chieftain, and Fleetscut the hare. Eventually, when the battle ends up a near-stalemate, Trunn and Brocktree face off in a duel. After a failed assassination attempt on Brocktree, the badger eventually paralyzes Trunn by breaking his spine. He is thrown into the water but survives, only to drown, even though Groddil, one of his former advisors, was present during Trunn's predicament and left him to die.

This story was read to the hares at Salamandastron by Badger Lord Russano the Wise.

Trivia

 * The first word in the text of this book is "Lord," while the last word is "Brocktree." This makes Lord Brocktree the only Redwall book to feature the first word of the title as the first word in the book and the last word of the title as the last word in the book.
 * This is the only book in which Redwall Abbey is not present.
 * This is the only book in which Martin the Warrior is not present in physical or spirit form, though he is mentioned in a vision of Brocktree's.

Release versions

 * 2000, US, Philomel Books, ISBN 0399235906, Pub. Date: September 2000, Hardcover
 * 2000, UK, Hutchinson Children's Books Ltd., ISBN 0091768772, Pub. Date: September 2000, Hardcover
 * 2001, US, Ace, ISBN 9780441008728, Pub. Date: September 2001, Paperback
 * 2005, US, Puffin, ISBN 9780142501108, Pub. Date: June 2005, Paperback
 * 2007, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 186230145X, Pub. Date: August 2007, Paperback
 * 2007, US, Red Fox, ISBN 186230145X, Pub. Date: September 2007, Paperback
 * 2010, US, Firebird, ISBN 9780142501108, Pub. Date: August 2010, Paperback