Brian Jacques’ Redwall series gets a 23rd and final novel in 2027
Orphans of Mossflower, the 23rd book in Brian Jacques’ Redwall fantasy series, is set for release in September 2027 and will conclude the saga 41 years after the first novel appeared. Readers can follow the series in publication order or chronological order.
Brian Jacques’ Redwall series is getting a final chapter. A surprise announcement in September 2026 revealed a 23rd novel, Orphans of Mossflower, scheduled for release in September 2027. The book is penned by Jacques, who died in 2011, and will be released posthumously, bringing the long-running saga of mice, badgers, otters and other woodland creatures to a close 41 years after the first book appeared.
The series spans 22 books published before the new title, beginning with Redwall in 1986. It built a devoted readership among children and adults who came of age in the 1990s and early 2000s, the same stretch of time that saw many young readers move through other popular fantasy series such as Harry Potter, Animorphs and Eragon. The stories follow mouse heroes, rapscallion pirate otters and Log-a-Log shrews across a woodland world, and the adventures are driven by a cast that includes Matthias, Martin the Warrior and Mariel. The villains are equally memorable, among them Cluny the Scourge, a one-eyed rat; Gabool, the King of the Searats; Ferahgo the Assassin and his son Klitch; and Swartt Sixclaw, the father of the ferret Veil.
Readers approaching the series have two main options. The publication order runs from Redwall (1986) and Mossflower (1988) through Mattimeo (1989), Mariel of Redwall (1991), Salamandastron (1992), Martin the Warrior (1993), The Bellmaker (1994), Outcast of Redwall (1995) and Pearls of Lutra (1996). It continues with The Long Patrol (1997), Marlfox (1998), The Legend of Luke (1999), Lord Brocktree (2000), Taggerung (2001), Triss (2002), Loamhedge (2003), Rakkety Tam (2004) and High Rhulain (2005). The later entries are Eulalia! (2007), Doomwyte (2008), The Sable Quean (2010) and The Rogue Crew (2011), with Orphans of Mossflower (2027) closing the list.
The chronological order begins instead with Lord Brocktree, in which the badger lord Brocktree of Brockhole reclaims the Salamandastron after the fortress of his father is overrun by Ungatt Trun. It then moves to Martin the Warrior, which tells the origin story of the series’ central hero mouse, from his capture by sea rats to his founding of Redwall Abbey. Mossflower follows, with Martin and his allies working to free the creatures of Mossflower Woods from the tyrannical wildcat Verdauga Greeneyes. Later entries include Mariel of Redwall, in which Mariel washes up on the shore of Mossflower after being cast out to sea by Gabool, and Salamandastron, in which Ferahgo and Klitch besiege the mountain fortress.
Guidance from the source recommends the publication order for a first reading, since it helps readers avoid spoilers from other books. Readers who become attached to the series may find that rereading in chronological order offers a clearer picture of how the world of Redwall developed over the decades. The comparison is often made to The Chronicles of Narnia, which also invites readers to choose between the order in which books were released and the order in which events take place.
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