In this last book of the Redwall series, a nasty crew of vermin pirates are heading for Redwall to plunder and kill. The hares of Salamandastron have seen the pirates traveling up the coast and are in pursuit, hoping to intercept them before they can reach Redwall. They call on the Rogue Crew of sea otters from the North Coast to help them in their mission.

I just adore all the Redwall books! What an absolute delight! This book has everything that I love about Redwall books. Ravenous hares, wise badgers, adorable moles, fierce shrews, and of course brave warriors ready to defend all good beasts.

As with all Redwall books, I made sure to have a stash of snacks on hand since the characters are constantly eating the most delicious food. They have massive feasts and parties, but even a simple breakfast will make your mouth water with all the descriptions of pastries and fruit pies and cordials.

I was laughing and giggling at Posy and Uggo and their banter with the hares and otters. It's just wonderful, and gives so much depth to each culture that we encounter.

The action and pacing in this book are really excellent. The plot is always moving forward, but there are also scenes that take the time to show our characters grieving or resting or laughing together. It builds up the emotional components of the story, so that when you get to the big battles, we really care about what happens to the characters.

There is a lot of violence in this book as some of the good guys are killed while fighting against the evil vermin. But it makes it even more meaningful that they sacrificed their lives to protect good beasts.