Jacques: High Rhulain

Brian Jacques left behind a majestic saga with his Redwall series. High Rhulain is no exception. For the unfamiliar, the Redwall series follows the exploits of various woodland creatures, all of whom are living, rational, talking beings. High Rhulain follows the exploits of Tiria, a fierce ottermaid, as she travels to fulfill her destiny of becoming High Queen Rhulain. The main thing with Jacques’ writings are that they are formulaic: there is a riddle that displays the entire plot that must be figured out by the characters, several foes and allies die tragically, but in the end Redwall and its allies ultimately win out. High Rhulain is full of typical Jacques fare: enigmas, grand feasts, ballads, heroic deeds, death and mystery. For those not familiar with Jacques, it is probably best to begin with Redwall, however.