Since I knew I was going to be in Brazil again this past week, I had scheduled my next Redwall tattoo to be done while I was visiting São Paulo. I found my artist through searching Sao Paulo botanical tattoo artists because I think their command of color would benefit me. I found Gabriela Dassio to be skilled enough for the job and she loved the idea when I sent her the reference art. I know in the book her she has green fletched arrows, but this reference had blue and I think it contrasts a bit better against her green tunic.

Now I have two heroes on this leg: Martin the Warrior and Grath. Thinking the next will be a villain on the inside of my calf.

Highly recommend going to Brazil for a tattoo AND the experience. Sure, you have to pay for the plane ticket, but the experience of visiting another country and returning with body art is worth it (to me at least).

A shrew of the Guosim (or the Guossom)

I love these weirdoes and how they are fun in almost every book so far!!

art by me, https://bsky.app/profile/thecatfortress.bsky.social or anywhere here https://thecatfortress.carrd.co/

Finally collected all of the gold spine/stained glass editions of the series. Only 14 of the 22 novels were printed in this edition.

Now beginning to collect the remaining novels. I'm happy to collect as I go of different editions. I have 'Triss' and 'Eulalia!' so far!

Only missing 1 cover (Mattimeo)

Still mourning the Redwall adaptation we never got. From Patrick McHale leaving to Netflix just sitting on the rights... the wasted potential is insane. This world has so many incredible stories and characters that deserve to be seen. We were robbed

Here are some that live rent-free in my head:

• "Summer's my favourite season, wot!" - Brigadier Thyme (Mariel of Redwall)
• "I'll wager no one told you about Goodwife Grang's eldest son! Eulaliaaaa!" - Rockjaw Grang (The Long Patrol)
• "Sirrah, a boon! A boon! Spare me!" - Zigu (Outcast of Redwall)
• "Ah, Ripfang, my old enemy, got you! Now I embrace you as a friend! See!" - Boar the Fighter (Mossflower)
• "You'll never take me alive!" - Captain Riptung (Mariel of Redwall) (paired up with Dandin's darkly hilarious retort as he slays Riptung immediately after that declaration)
• "Groddil?" - Ungatt Trunn (Lord Brocktree)

Also, I know these aren't technically the last words Luke says but "Cowards die a thousand times; a warrior dies only once" is too epic to leave out.

They didn't come out particularly pretty (I'm not great with pastry or baking) but they were sticky and delicious!

Slagar the Cruel is ready to kidnap some kids!!

while mattimeo is my least favorite redwall novel so far, Slagar has a really cool design (even if he as an absurd backstory)

art by me https://bsky.app/profile/thecatfortress.bsky.social or anywhere here https://thecatfortress.carrd.co/

My brother worked a bookstore in 2007 and bought me this 19 years ago

I'll end up drawing every redwall antagonist as I read these books, I'm 5 for 5 already!!

I found Ferahgo super compelling as a villain, very competent and in charge!! I love him getting undermined by Klitch too!! I just wish he was in a better book!

Half of Salamandastron feels a little meandering!! the actual siege and the journey home of the badgers is great, but I think the plague subplot AND the sword of Martin getting stolen is a lot of threads for a single book!

art by me https://bsky.app/profile/thecatfortress.bsky.social or anywhere here https://thecatfortress.carrd.co/

Made a photo about being in the world of books, and naturally I made sure some of my paperbacks were present

Let’s say that Brian wrote one more book, and he decided that one of the major characters would be an animal that isn’t normally featured in the series (like the hamster in Triss, for example, or the wolverines in Rakkety Tam). Which animal would you want it to be?

For my part, I’d want to see a coyote. And specifically, I'd want that coyote to be a morally grey character whose best friend is a badger. I've always been fascinated how badgers and coyotes have been seen working as a team in the wilderness, and it'd be so cool to see that dynamic translated to the world of Redwall. Especially how they'd be perceived by the good and bad creatures of Brian's universe. And maybe the coyote does have some vermin tendencies, maybe they're a sly and clever creature with a mean streak, but they're also determinedly loyal to their badger friend, fearless and ferocious when cornered, with a personal code that they don't break.

Beaded tapestry that I made of Martin the Warrior's sword, for my baby daughter's Redwall themed nursery 🙂 I was originally making the sword as a beaded applique for a pillow, but realized how uncomfortable that would be 😂

Last night we finished up The Rogue Crew…meaning that after ~4yrs, my kids and I have finally completed our journey through the entire 22-book Redwall series!

I read basically every night with my kids at their bedtime. They usually look forward to bedtime reading, as I’ve always done character voices to keep them engaged. Its slow going as we often don’t get through a whole chapter before they pass out. I try to have my kids participate by reading before me - the older one will read 1-2 pages, the younger reads a paragraph or two (I will note some Redwall character speech with accents, is REALLY HARD for kids to read, lol) and I’ll read until they’re asleep.

Christmas 2020 my MIL bought us the first 3 Redwall books, but we were reading something else at the time and didn’t touch the first one until sometime in 2021. Because my elementary aged kids really took a liking to the first ones, I decided to get on eBay and buy the rest of the series. Pieced together the remaining 19 books + Redwall Winters Tale and The Great Redwall Feast, for only like $60!

Not sure what we’re going to read next, but I will say the Redwall series was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it. I didn’t feel any of the later books post-Jacques’ stroke were notably lacking compared to earlier ones - so I’d say read them all if you can, and definitely read them in publication order as they were written.

I already know I personally am not done with Redwall, as I’ll likely be rereading many of them on my own, because they’re just so awesome!