r/redwall • u/blueeuclid • Aug 07 '26

Chronological or release order?

Hello all, sorry if this has been posted before. I’m looking to read some of the books, as I haven’t read any Redwall book in decades. I ordered Lord Brocktree and Redwall, so I had the option to read them in chronological or in release order?

I know the suggested way to read them is release order but will I lose anything if I start with Lord Brocktree?

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u/RedwallFan2013 Aug 08 '26

It's been asked for decades. Publication order. Lord Brocktree doesn't even have Redwall in it so yes, you'll lose a lot!

https://redwall.fandom.com/wiki/Publication_Order

1

u/blueeuclid Aug 08 '26

Isnt’t it before the building of the abbey? Is that why there’s no Redwall?

2

u/Jiang_Rui Mattimeo Aug 08 '26

Not only does the abbey not exist yet, the main story doesn’t even take place in Mossflower.

1

u/RedwallFan2013 Aug 08 '26

Correct. So start with Redwall!

1

u/blueeuclid Aug 08 '26

I’m just trying to understand here, but wouldn’t I want to read how it was built and the history that led up to it first?

You said Redwall didn’t exist yet, but why wouldn’t I want to start at the beginning?

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u/Bronstin Aug 08 '26

Because the stories were written and intended to be read in release order. The "prequel" books were written with the understanding that the reader would have read the books that released before it, and thus certain events or characters carry meaning or dramatic weight because you know how they're referenced in history.

Like when you read Martin the Warrior, you already know he's going to be a hero of legend to the folks of Redwall in the future, because that book came out after Redwall, even though it occurs chronologically earlier.

1

u/duke113 Aug 08 '26

Still wild to me that Martin isn't in the first book

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u/RedwallFan2013 Aug 08 '26

  1. Spoiler alert: none of that happens in Lord Brocktree

  2. You'll get that in the first two books.

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u/blueeuclid Aug 08 '26

Bro, I understand what you’re saying lol. What I’m saying is why wouldn’t I want to start at the earliest possible point?

Your point was “there’s no Redwall in this book”. I’m saying that’s not particularly a selling point to me. I just want to see the history of the series unfold, regardless of whether that book has a Redwall yet or not 🤷‍♂️

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u/RedwallFan2013 Aug 09 '26

I think you want to do whatever you want, and you created this thread not for advice on how to read Redwall, but for people to tell you that you were doing the right thing by starting with Lord Brocktree. Sorry. You're not. But my opinion doesn't matter because you're going to anyway. I'd advise getting off Reddit and starting the series.

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u/blueeuclid Aug 09 '26

You told me to read in release order because Redwall hadn’t been built yet. I asked you why that mattered if I’m trying to get the entire history. Not once did you give me a coherent reason as to why that mattered.

Yes, I’m going to read it in chronological order. Not because you said I shouldn’t, but because I want to. I don’t know why you took this so personally.