Redwall Books in Order

Redwall is the great animal-fantasy epic of children's literature: Brian Jacques's twenty-two novels of mice, badgers, hares and warrior rats at Redwall Abbey in Mossflower Wood, published from 1986 until his death in 2011, twenty million copies and a fanbase that passes it down like a religion. It is also the single clearest case in kids' fantasy for the reading-order question, because Jacques wrote prequels constantly - the first book published, Redwall, sits mid-timeline, and the chronological reading begins three books that did not exist when it came out. Netflix bought all twenty-two books for a film and series in 2021 and quietly let the deal lapse in 2024, so the books are the only Redwall on offer (1986–2011).

Where to start

Redwall (1986), the one Jacques wrote first and designed as the door - Matthias the clumsy novice mouse chasing the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior. The honest alternative for readers who like origins: Martin the Warrior (1993), the chronological early epic and many adult fans' pick as the best single book in the saga. Do not start with Lord Brocktree despite its chrono-first position; it rewards knowing the world already.

Does the reading order matter?

Two valid orders. Publication order is the consensus default: Jacques wrote each book for readers arriving at the shelf, and reading 1-4 (Redwall, Mossflower, Mattimeo, Mariel of Redwall) establishes the abbey before the prequels reframe it. Chronological order runs Lord Brocktree, Martin the Warrior, Mossflower, The Legend of Luke, Outcast of Redwall onward - the timeline's beginning - and some readers love watching the history unspool; the cost is that the saga's founding legend loses its mythic distance. Either way the books cluster by era: the Martin generation, the Mattimeo generation, the later abbey generations - and characters recur across generations, so mixing eras at random is the one genuinely confusing path.

Which one is the best?

Redwall, Mossflower and Martin the Warrior are the forever trio - Martin the Warrior's ending is the one that breaks young readers' hearts on purpose. Salamandastron (1992) and The Long Patrol (1997) are the Badger Lord connoisseur picks. The final book, The Rogue Crew (2011), published after Jacques's death, closes the saga. A Netflix film-and-series deal covering all 22 books was announced in 2021 and confirmed dead in October 2024 when the rights lapsed.

Related guides

Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Warriors books in order, Wings of Fire books in order, Chronicles of Narnia books in order. Every guide follows the same format — the shelf, the entry point, the honest answer about order.

Make it a project

Pick a session size and let the days accumulate — at the pace our reading speed test measures, most shelves above clear in a few weeks of half-hours. Every guide on the books in order shelf follows this same format, and when a book lands, its 8-question quiz is waiting on the original book quiz.