Marlfox: Difference between revisions

Marlfox
	UK first edition cover
Author	Brian Jacques
Cover artist	Chris Baker
Language	English
Series	Redwall
Genre	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Hutchinson (UK) & Philomel (US)
Publication date	1998
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (hard & paperback)
Pages	412 (UK hardback) & 386 (US hardback)
ISBN	0-09-176850-0 (UK hardback) & 0-399-23307-5 (US hardback)
OCLC	39381004
Preceded by	The Long Patrol
Followed by	The Legend of Luke

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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.

Plot summary

The wandering Noonvale companions travel to Redwall, where they wish to mount a show. On the way, however, they learn that the Marlfoxes will attempt to seize Redwall, and hasten onward to warn them, while Guosim from another part of Mossflower do the same.

The Marlfoxes consist of High Queen Silth and her brood. They are different from other foxes in their fur, which gives them the ability to blend into almost any surrounding, invisible to all but the keenest eye. This ability has given rise to the false rumour that the Marlfoxes are magic, which they are not. However, Marlfoxes are highly agile and skilled with axes.

Castle Marl, home of the Marlfoxes, is situated in the middle of an enormous inland sea, on the island that was once home to Badger Lord Urthwyte the Mighty. The Marlfoxes command a vast army of water rats, and they travel around the country seeking rare and priceless artifacts.

The Marlfoxes, backed by an army of water rats, mount a successful invasion of Redwall and steal the tapestry of the long dead hero, Martin the Warrior. The Marlfox Ziral is slain, however, and the remaining Marlfoxes swear revenge on the citizens of Redwall.

Mokkan, one of the Marlfoxes, escapes with the tapestry, leaving his siblings behind. Three young Redwallers, Songbreeze Swifteye, Dannflor Reguba, and a Guosim shrew named Dippler set out after Mokkan, trying to retrieve the tapestry. They meet Burble, a water vole, and have many adventures and meet many friends who help them on their journey, such as the gigantic hedgehog Sollertree, who lost his daughter Nettlebud to the Marlfoxes and water rats, and the Mighty Megraw, a large osprey who used to live by the Marlfox island but was driven away in an ambush by magpies.

Meanwhile, the remaining Marlfoxes lay siege to Redwall. After a series of battles, Songbreeze's father Janglur Swifteye, Dannflor's father Rusvul Reguba, Cregga Rose Eyes, and many others fight off the remaining army, killing the remaining Marlfoxes and restoring peace to Redwall. The surviving rats are divided into eight groups, with each group sent in a different direction.

Song, Dann, Dippler and Burble meet some new friends and set out into the great lake to the island. Mokkan finds that Silth has been killed by one of his sisters, Lantur. He promptly kills her by pushing her into the lake full of pike, proclaiming himself King. However, the companions arrive and overthrow the water rat army. Mokkan escapes in a boat, but an escaped slave, whom we find out is Nettlebud, throws a chain at him and knocks him into the lake, where he is eaten by pike.

The surviving water rats are left on the island to become peaceful creatures and farm the land, and the companions return home to Redwall, where Songbreeze Swifteye is named Abbess and Dannflor Reguba is named Abbey Champion by Cregga Rose Eyes, Redwall's blind badgermum. Dippler is named Log-a-log, and Burble is named Chief of the Watervoles.

At the end of the novel is a note, stating that the entire tale was made into a drama, edited by one Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop.

Characters in Marlfox

Redwallers and companions

Marlfoxes

The "Marl" sub-species of foxes portrayed in Marlfox actually do exist. Silver coloured foxes are a rare colour mutation of the common red fox. In the novel, the Marlfox characters are:

Book divisions (English)

Act 1: Enter the Players
Act 2: Four Chieftains Going Forth
Act 3: The Queen's Island

(These divisions are called "acts," instead of "books," as in the other instalments of the series. This is explained by a note at the end stating that it had been edited by Florian, the hare leader of the Wandering Noonvale Companions.)

Translations

(French) Rougemuraille : Les Ombrenards
(Italian) La Regina di Castel Vulpombra
(Russian) Белые лисы

References

External links

Plot summary

Preceded by The Long Patrol	Redwall series (chronological order)	Succeeded by The Taggerung
Preceded by The Long Patrol	Redwall series (publication order)	Succeeded by The Legend of Luke

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1998 novel by Brian Jacques}}
-{{infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
+{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
+{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
 | name         = Marlfox
 | title_orig   =
 | translator   =
-| image        = [[Image:MarlfoxUK.jpg]]
+| image        = MarlfoxUK.jpg
-| caption  = UK 1st Edition Cover
+| caption      = UK first edition cover
 | author       = [[Brian Jacques]]
 | illustrator  =
 | cover_artist = Chris Baker
 | country      = United Kingdom
 | language     = English
-| series       = [[Redwall]]
+| series       = ''[[Redwall]]''
 | genre        = [[Fantasy novel]]
 | publisher    = [[Hutchinson (publisher)|Hutchinson]] (UK) & Philomel (US)
 | release_date = 1998
-| media_type   = Print ([[Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
+| media_type   = Print ([[Hardback|hard]] & paperback)
-| pages        = 412 (UK Hardback) & 386 (US Hardback)
+| pages        = 412 (UK hardback) & 386 (US hardback)
-| isbn         = ISBN 0-09-176850-0 (UK Hardback) & ISBN 0-399-23307-5 (US Hardback)
+| isbn         = 0-09-176850-0
+| isbn_note    = (UK hardback) & {{ISBNT|0-399-23307-5}} (US hardback)
-| oclc= 39381004
+| oclc         = 39381004
 | preceded_by  = [[The Long Patrol]]
 | followed_by  = [[The Legend of Luke]]
 }}
+'''''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 [[antagonist]]s in the book.
-'''''Marlfox''''' is a [[fantasy]] novel by [[Brian Jacques]], published in 1998. It is the 11th book in the [[Redwall]] series. Marlfoxes are an unusual breed of [[anthropomorphic]] [[fox]]es, which serve as the main [[antagonist]]s in the book.
-==Plot introduction==
-When the treasure hungry Marlfoxes steal the lavish tapestry of Martin the Warrior from Redwall Abbey, a group of young Redwallers must go after the Marlfoxes in pursuit, while the remaining Redwallers fight off a vermin invasion back at the Abbey.
 ==Plot summary==
-The wandering Noonvale companions travel to Redwall, where they wish to mount a show. On the way, however, they learn that the Marlfoxes will attempt to seize Redwall, and hasten onward to warn them,  while Guosim from another part of Mossflower do the same.
+The wandering Noonvale companions travel to Redwall, where they wish to mount a show. On the way, however, they learn that the Marlfoxes will attempt to seize Redwall, and hasten onward to warn them, while Guosim from another part of Mossflower do the same.
-The Marlfoxes consist of [[List of Redwall characters#Queen Silth|High Queen Silth]] and her brood. They are different from other foxes in their fur, which gives them the ability to blend into almost any surrounding, invisible to all but the keenest eye. This ability has given rise to the false rumor that the Marlfoxes are magic, which they are not. However, Marlfoxes are highly agile and skilled with axes.
+The Marlfoxes consist of [[List of Redwall characters#Queen Silth|High Queen Silth]] and her brood. They are different from other foxes in their fur, which gives them the ability to blend into almost any surrounding, invisible to all but the keenest eye. This ability has given rise to the false rumour that the Marlfoxes are magic, which they are not. However, Marlfoxes are highly agile and skilled with axes.
 Castle Marl, home of the Marlfoxes, is situated in the middle of an enormous inland sea, on the island that was once home to Badger Lord Urthwyte the Mighty. The Marlfoxes command a vast army of water rats, and they travel around the country seeking rare and priceless artifacts.
-[[Image:Marlfox US.jpg|thumb|left|150px|US cover of ''Marlfox'']]
+[[File:Marlfox US.jpg|thumb|left|200px|US cover of ''Marlfox'']]
-The Marlfoxes, backed by an army of water rats, mount a successful invasion of Redwall and steal the tapestry of the long dead hero, [[List of Redwall characters#Martin I|Martin the Warrior]].  The Marlfox [[List of Redwall characters#Ziral|Ziral]], however, is slain, and the remaining Marlfoxes swear revenge on the citizens of Redwall.
+The Marlfoxes, backed by an army of water rats, mount a successful invasion of Redwall and steal the tapestry of the long dead hero, [[List of Redwall characters#Martin I|Martin the Warrior]]. The Marlfox [[List of Redwall characters#Ziral|Ziral]] is slain, however, and the remaining Marlfoxes swear revenge on the citizens of Redwall.
-[[List of Redwall characters#Mokkan|Mokkan]], one of the Marlfoxes, escapes with the tapestry, leaving his siblings behind. Three young Redwallers, [[List of Redwall characters#Songbreeze Swifteye|Songbreeze Swifteye]], [[List of Redwall characters#Dannflower Reguba|Dannflor Reguba]], and a Guosim shrew named [[List of Redwall characters#Dippler|Dippler]] set out after Mokkan, trying to retrieve the tapestry. They meet [[List of Redwall characters#Burble|Burble]], a water vole, and have many adventures and meet many friends who help them on their journey, such as the ginormous hedgehog Sollertree,who lost his daughter Nettlebud to the Marlfoxes and water rats, and the Mighty Megraw, a large osprey who used to live by the Marlfox island but was driven away in an ambush by magpies.
+[[List of Redwall characters#Mokkan|Mokkan]], one of the Marlfoxes, escapes with the tapestry, leaving his siblings behind. Three young Redwallers, [[List of Redwall characters#Songbreeze "Song" Swifteye|Songbreeze Swifteye]], [[List of Redwall characters#Dannflower Reguba|Dannflor Reguba]], and a Guosim shrew named [[List of Redwall characters#Dippler|Dippler]] set out after Mokkan, trying to retrieve the tapestry. They meet [[List of Redwall characters#Burble|Burble]], a water vole, and have many adventures and meet many friends who help them on their journey, such as the gigantic hedgehog Sollertree, who lost his daughter Nettlebud to the Marlfoxes and water rats, and the Mighty Megraw, a large osprey who used to live by the Marlfox island but was driven away in an ambush by magpies.
-Meanwhile, the remaining Marlfoxes lay siege to Redwall. After a series of battles, Songbreeze's father [[List of Redwall characters#Janglur Swifteye|Janglur Swifteye]], Dannflor's father Rusvul Reguba, [[List of Redwall characters#Lady Cregga Rose Eyes|Cregga Rose Eyes]], and many others fight off the remaining army, killing the remaining Marlfoxes and restoring peace to Redwall. In a discrepancy the rats were divided into eight groups, but one group was sent each way.
+Meanwhile, the remaining Marlfoxes lay siege to Redwall. After a series of battles, Songbreeze's father [[List of Redwall characters#Janglur Swifteye|Janglur Swifteye]], Dannflor's father Rusvul Reguba, [[List of Redwall characters#Lady Cregga Rose Eyes|Cregga Rose Eyes]], and many others fight off the remaining army, killing the remaining Marlfoxes and restoring peace to Redwall. The surviving rats are divided into eight groups, with each group sent in a different direction.
 Song, Dann, Dippler and Burble meet some new friends and set out into the great lake to the island. Mokkan finds that Silth has been killed by one of his sisters, [[List of Redwall characters#Lantur|Lantur]]. He promptly kills her by pushing her into the lake full of pike, proclaiming himself King. However, the companions arrive and overthrow the water rat army. Mokkan escapes in a boat, but an escaped slave, whom we find out is Nettlebud, throws a chain at him and knocks him into the lake, where he is eaten by pike.
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 ==Characters in ''Marlfox''==
-{{main|List of Redwall characters}}
+{{main article|List of Redwall characters}}
 ===Redwallers and companions===
-*[[List of Redwall characters#Songbreeze Swifteye|Songbreeze Swifteye]]
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Songbreeze "Song" Swifteye|Songbreeze Swifteye]]
 *[[List of Redwall characters#Dannflower Reguba|Dannflor Reguba]]
 *[[List of Redwall characters#Dippler|Dippler]]
@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 ===Marlfoxes===
-[[Image:Silver fox.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A rare silver [[Morph (zoology)|morph]] of the common [[Red Fox]].]]
+[[File:Silver fox.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A rare silver [[Morph (zoology)|morph]] of the common [[red fox]].]]
-The "Marl" sub-species of foxes portrayed in ''Marlfox'' [[Silver fox (animal)|actually do exist]]. Silver colored foxes are a rare color mutation of the common [[red fox]]. In the novel, the Marlfox characters are:
+The "Marl" sub-species of foxes portrayed in ''Marlfox'' [[Silver fox (animal)|actually do exist]]. Silver coloured foxes are a rare colour mutation of the common [[red fox]]. In the novel, the Marlfox characters are:
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Silth|Silth]]
-*'''Silth''' - High Queen of Castle Marl, Silth was the mother of the Marlfox brood. Once a mighty warrior, she became senile in old age, having killed her mate and taking over the throne. In her delusions, Silth commanded her brood to search out beautiful things to surround herself with. Her insanity was further fueled by her daughter Lantur, who tormented her with the image of the White Ghost, a legendary figure based on the albino badger Urthwyte. Lantur later poisoned her mother, and Silth was lowered into the lake after her demise.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#The King|The King]]
-*'''Ascrod''' - He and Vannan were the two Marlfoxes who infiltrated Redwall to steal the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. His demise was made swift by Cregga, who shot a longbow arrow through an upper window straight through his head.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Ascrod|Ascrod]]
-*'''Vannan''' - She, along with Ascrod, were the Marlfoxes that harassed the Swifteyes at the beginning of the story. She was killed by an otter javelin when Skipper of Otters returned to Redwall with many mighty otter crews.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Gelltor|Gelltor]]
-*'''Gelltor''' - The rashest of the Marlfoxes, he originally wanted to go to war against Redwall for particularly no good reason (for taking an injury to the shoulder and the death of a water rat). He became the leader of the Marlfoxes after Mokkan abandoned them. He worked with Predak often before he was slain by Song's father Janglur, with a loaded sling blow to the skull. His axe was turned into a woodcutting axe.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Lantur|Lantur]]
-*'''Predak''' - With the exception of Lantur & Mokkan, she was the last Marlfox to be slain. She perished at the final battle against Redwall, when the otter twin Borrakul strangled her and threw her off the battlements for killing his brother, Elachim.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Mokkan|Mokkan]]
-*'''Lantur''' - Lantur, as Marlfoxes go, was very sly.  She spent her days frightening the High Queen Silth, also her mother, with the aim of scaring her to death. She was helped by her personal advisor, Wilce, who was, along with Ullig the Slave Captain, head of all the water rats on Queen Silth's island. Lantur eventually succeeded in poisoning her mother, but got a nasty surprise when Mokkan showed up at the island, being pushed to her death in the lake. She was the smallest and youngest of the Marlfoxes, but the favorite of Silth's mate, her father.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Predak|Predak]]
-*'''Mokkan''' - Mokkan was the undisputed leader of the Marlfox brood, and was the fastest and strongest; perhaps the only equal to Mokkan among his six siblings, was Lantur, at home with High Queen Silth.  After the death of his mother, and slyly pushing Lantur into the lake, Mokkan became the High King of the Marlfoxes. However his reign was short lived, when trying to escape from Redwallers and freed slaves, a freed hedgehog (Nettlebud, the long-lost daughter of Sollertree) used her shackles like a sling and knocked him from his boat and into the lake where he was eaten by pikes.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Vannan|Vannan]]
-*'''Ziral''' - The first Marlfox murdered, her death started the war between the Redwallers and Marlfoxes. She was beheaded by Song's father with her own axe.
+*[[List of Redwall characters#Ziral|Ziral]]
-*'''The King''' - The unnamed father of Ascrod, Vannan, Gelltor, Predak, Lantur, Mokkan, and Ziral was murdered by Silth, his mate, because he wanted to call himself king.  Lantur was his favorite daughter.  While Lantur was terrifying Silth with the White Ghost, the rats said that the White Ghost was him, returned to avenge his murder.
 == Book divisions (English) ==
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 *Act 3: The Queen's Island
-(These divisions are called "acts," instead of "books," as in the other installments of the series. This is explained by a note at the end stating that it had been edited by Florian, the hare leader of the Wandering Noonvale Companions.)
+(These divisions are called "acts," instead of "books," as in the other instalments of the series. This is explained by a note at the end stating that it had been edited by Florian, the hare leader of the Wandering Noonvale Companions.)
 ==Translations==
 *(French) ''Rougemuraille : Les Ombrenards''
 *(Italian) ''La Regina di Castel Vulpombra''
-*([[Russian language|Russian]]) ''Белые лисы''
+*(Russian) ''Белые лисы''
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-* [http://www.redwall.org/dave/marlfox.html Plot summary]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050405203141/http://www.redwall.org/dave/marlfox.html Plot summary]
 {{s-start}}
 {{succession box |
-  before=  [[The Long Patrol]]|
+  before=  ''[[The Long Patrol]]''|
-  title=  [[Redwall|Redwall Series]]|
+  title=  [[Redwall|''Redwall'' series]]|
   years= (chronological order)|
-  after= [[The Taggerung]]
+  after= ''[[The Taggerung]]''
 }}
 {{succession box |
-  before=  [[The Long Patrol]]|
+  before=  ''[[The Long Patrol]]''|
-  title=  [[Redwall|Redwall Series]]|
+  title=  [[Redwall|''Redwall'' series]]|
   years= (publication order)|
-  after= [[The Legend of Luke]]
+  after= ''[[The Legend of Luke]]''
 }}
 {{s-end}}
@@ Line 109: / Line 112: @@
 {{Redwall}}
-[[Category:Children's fantasy novels]]
+[[Category:1998 British novels]]
+[[Category:1998 children's books]]
+[[Category:1998 fantasy novels]]
 [[Category:British children's novels]]
 [[Category:British fantasy novels]]
+[[Category:Children's fantasy novels]]
 [[Category:Redwall books]]
-[[Category:1998 novels]]
+[[Category:Children's books about foxes]]
-[[Category:Fictional foxes]]
+[[Category:Literature featuring anthropomorphic foxes]]
-[[Category:Hutchinson books]]
+[[Category:Hutchinson (publisher) books]]
+[[Category:Novels about foxes]]

v t e Works by Brian Jacques
Redwall	Redwall (1986) Mossflower (1988) Mattimeo (1989) Mariel of Redwall (1991) Salamandastron (1992) Martin the Warrior (1993) The Bellmaker (1994) Outcast of Redwall (1995) The Pearls of Lutra (1996) The Long Patrol (1997) Marlfox (1998) The Legend of Luke (1999) Lord Brocktree (2000) The Taggerung (2001) Triss (2002) Loamhedge (2003) Rakkety Tam (2004) High Rhulain (2005) Eulalia! (2007) Doomwyte (2008) The Sable Quean (2010) The Rogue Crew (2011)
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman	Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (2001) The Angel's Command (2003) Voyage of Slaves (2006)
Tribes of Redwall	Tribes of Redwall Badgers (2001) Tribes of Redwall Otters (2001) Tribes of Redwall Mice (2003) Tribes of Redwall Squirrels (2003) Tribes of Redwall Hares (2006)
Other Redwall books	The Great Redwall Feast (1996) Redwall Map & Riddler (1997) Redwall Friend & Foe (2000) A Redwall Winter's Tale (2003) The Redwall Cookbook (2005)
Urso Brunov	Urso Brunov, Little Father of All Bears (2003) Urso Brunov and the White Emperor (2008)
Other works	Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales (1991) The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns (2004)