The Legend of Luke

Last updated

The Legend of Luke
LegendOfLukeUK.jpg
UK first edition cover
Author Brian Jacques
Cover artistChris Baker
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series Redwall
Genre Fantasy
Publisher Hutchinson (UK) & Philomel (US)
Publication date
1999
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages374 (UK Hardback) & 374 (US Hardback)
ISBN 0-09-176862-4 (UK Hardback) & ISBN   0-399-23490-X (US Hardback)
OCLC 41645963
Preceded by Marlfox  
Followed by Lord Brocktree  

The Legend of Luke is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1999. It is the 12th book and fourth chronologically in the Redwall series.

Contents

Plot summary

The book begins during the construction of Redwall Abbey, when a roving female hedgehog named Trimp visits the abbey and sings a song to help the workers lifting a beam. Martin the Warrior recognises his father, Luke the Warrior, mentioned in the lyrics and asks Trimp more about him. He decides to go on a quest to learn more about his father. Martin, Gonff the Mousethief, Dinny, and Trimp befriend an orphaned woodlander squirrel named Chugger, the Eurasian goshawk Krar Woodwatcher, as well as two brother otters, Folgrim (who is very close to becoming feral, having filed his teeth to points, and even eating vermin after he kills them) and his older brother Tungro. When they reach the northlands, Martin meets his father's friends: the old mouse, Vurg, and Beauclair Fethringsol Cosfortingham, an exuberant old hare. They show him a book titled In the Wake of the Red Ship, an account of Luke's life.

US cover of The Legend of Luke Legend of Luke US.jpg
US cover of The Legend of Luke

The plot then flashes back to Martin's birth to Luke and Sayna. Luke was the leader of a tribe of mice who lived an idyllic life for many seasons until Vilu Daskar, the murderous captain of the pirate ship Goreleech, attacked the settlement and killed Sayna, as well as many others with his Sea Rogues. Luke vowed revenge upon Daskar and soon had an opportunity when Reynard Chopsnout, pirate captain of the Greenhawk, sailed in, hoping to fix his broken vessel. Luke and his tribe slew Chopsnout and his crew and captured the ship. Together with Vurg, Beau, and others, they sailed off. Martin, now older, wished to accompany his father, but Luke declined, giving Martin his sword, and the chance to name the ship, which he dubbed Sayna.

The account of Luke's life contains the scene where Luke gives his sword to his son. The same scene occurs in the beginning of Martin the Warrior , when Martin receives a flashback of his childhood, as he was captured and put out for the seagulls by Badrang the Tyrant. Therefore, the events in part two of The Legend of Luke occurred around the same time as Martin the Warrior.

At one point, Beau was believed to be dead, but survived. Luke, however, was captured and forced into slavery by Daskar when the Sayna was destroyed. He befriended a black squirrel, Ranguvar Foeseeker, who also wanted her revenge. Luke was quite a bit like his son. For instance, he threatened to strangle the slavedriver; similarly, Martin tried to choke a Marshank hordebeast with the creature's own whip. Luke was able to convince Daskar that he knew the location of a hidden treasure that only he could steer to. Vurg and Beau sneaked aboard to free the slaves as Ranguvar and Luke killed foebeasts. Initially planning to run the ship aground where his tribe could join the fight to take the ship, upon realising his tribe had abandoned the area, Luke ordered the slaves to take the ship, trapped Daskar at one end of the ship, then smashed it against two rocks, breaking it. The ship's stern sinks instantly and Luke, Ranguvar, Daskar, and much of the vermin crew upon it were drowned. The bow becomes stuck between the two rocks and the surviving vermin are massacred by the liberated slaves.

Beau and Vurg presented Martin with a tapestry of his ancestor, which looked a lot like Martin himself. They returned to Redwall, and Martin allegedly chose to put down his sword and live a life of peace. The tapestry Martin received was later made into part of the large tapestry that hangs in the Abbey throughout the Redwall series.

Characters in The Legend of Luke

Book divisions (English)

Translations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Jacques</span> English author (1939–2011)

James Brian Jacques was an English author known for his Redwall series of novels and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. He also completed two collections of short stories entitled The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns and Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

Redwall is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, and is the name of an animated television series based on three of the novels, which first aired in 1999. The books are primarily aimed at adolescents. There have been 22 novels and two picture books published. The twenty-second, and final, novel, The Rogue Crew, was posthumously released on 3 May 2011, almost three months after Jacques' death on 5 February.

<i>Redwall</i> (novel) 1986 novel by Brian Jacques

Redwall is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques. Originally published in 1986, it is the first book of the Redwall series. The book was illustrated by Gary Chalk, with the British cover illustration by Pete Lyon and the US cover by Troy Howell. It is also one of the three Redwall novels to be made into an animated television series, along with Mattimeo and Martin the Warrior.

<i>The Long Patrol</i> 1997 novel by Brian Jacques

The Long Patrol is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1997. It is the tenth book published and the twelfth chronologically in the Redwall series, and it was a New York Times bestseller.

<i>Mossflower</i> 1988 novel by Brian Jacques

Mossflower is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1988. It is the second book published and third chronologically in the Redwall series.

<i>Martin the Warrior</i> 1993 novel by Brian Jacques

Martin the Warrior is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1993. It is the sixth book in the Redwall series. It is also one of the three Redwall novels to be made into a television series, alongside the self-titled novel and "Mattimeo".

<i>Triss</i>

Triss is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2002. It is the 15th book in the Redwall series.

<i>The Taggerung</i>

The Taggerung is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2001. It is the 14th book in the Redwall series.

<i>Marlfox</i>

Marlfox is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1998. It is the 11th book published and 13th chronologically in the Redwall series. Marlfoxes are an unusual breed of anthropomorphic foxes, which serve as the main antagonists in the book.

<i>Mattimeo</i> 1989 fantasy novel by Brian Jacques

Mattimeo is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1989. It is the third book in the Redwall series. It is also one of the three Redwall novels to be made into a television series, alongside its self-titled novel and "Martin the Warrior".

<i>Mariel of Redwall</i> 1991 novel by Brian Jacques

Mariel of Redwall is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1991. It is the fourth book published and sixth chronologically in the Redwall series.

<i>The Pearls of Lutra</i>

The Pearls of Lutra is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1996. It is the ninth book published and eleventh chronologically in the Redwall series.

<i>Salamandastron</i> 1992 fantasy novel by Brian Jacques

Salamandastron is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1992. It is the fifth book published and eighth chronologically in the Redwall series.

<i>Rakkety Tam</i>

Rakkety Tam is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2004. It is the 17th book in the Redwall series.

<i>Loamhedge</i> 2003 novel by Brian Jacques

Loamhedge is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2003. It is the 16th book in the Redwall series.

<i>Outcast of Redwall</i> 1995 novel by Brian Jacques

Outcast of Redwall is a 1995 fantasy novel by Brian Jacques. It is the eighth book and chronologically fifth book in the Redwall series.

<i>Redwall</i> (TV series) Animated series

Redwall is an animated television series produced by the Canadian Nelvana, along with the France-based Alphanim and Germany-based TV-Loonland AG that ran from 1999 until 2002. The series is based on the Redwall novels by Brian Jacques. The series spans three seasons, the first based on the first book Redwall, the second on Mattimeo and the third on Martin the Warrior.

<i>Eulalia!</i>

Eulalia! is the 19th book in the Redwall children's fantasy novel series by author Brian Jacques and illustrated by David Elliot. "Eulalia" ("Victory") is also the war cry used by the fighting hares and badgers in the Redwall series.

<i>Doomwyte</i>

Doomwyte is the 20th novel in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. It was released on 2 October 2008 in the United Kingdom and on 16 October 2008 in the United States.

<i>The Sable Quean</i>

The Sable Quean is the 21st novel in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, and the last to be published before his death on February 5, 2011. It is illustrated by Sean Rubin. It was to be originally released in autumn 2009, but the release date was moved to January 2010, and then later delayed a second time to February 23, 2010. The mass market paperback edition was released on April 26, 2011.

References

    Preceded by Redwall series
    (chronological order)
    Succeeded by
    Preceded by Redwall series
    (publication order)
    Succeeded by