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''This article is about the book. You may be looking for [[Joseph the Bellmaker]].''
{{Book2|usimage=
<gallery>
BMUS.jpg|U.S. HC
TheBellmakerPaperback.jpg|U.S. PB
TheBellmakerUSpb.jpg|U.S. PB
Bellmaker10.jpg|U.S. 2010
</gallery>
|usimagecap=''The Bellmaker'', [[Book_Cover_Gallery#The_Bellmaker|U.S. covers]]|year=[[1994]]|ill=[[Allan Curless]]|uscov=[[Troy Howell]]|ukcov=[[Chris Baker]]|pg=336|isbn=0399228055|isbn13=9780399228056|chron=7|pub=7|ukimage=
<gallery>
Bmukhc.jpg|UK HC
BMUK.jpg|UK PB
BellmakerUKRFpb.jpg|UK PB
Bellmakerukmodern.jpg|UK 06-07
</gallery>
|ukimagecap=''The Bellmaker'', UK covers
|author=[[Brian Jacques]]
|publisher=*Philomel (U.S.)
*Hutchinson Children's Books (UK)
|prec=''[[Martin the Warrior (book)|Martin the Warrior]]''
|fol=''[[Outcast of Redwall]]''
}}

'''''The Bellmaker''''' is the seventh published book in the ''Redwall'' saga by [[Brian Jacques]]. It [[Redwall Timeline|takes place]] after ''[[Mariel of Redwall]]'' in terms of storyline, and serves as a direct sequel, featuring many of the same characters.

:''Many warriors own the glory,
:''But the saying in Redwall is:
:''"This is the Bellmaker's story,
:''Because the dream was his."''

=== Book Divisions (English) ===
*'''Book 1:''' The Dream
*'''Book 2:''' The ''Pearl Queen''
*'''Book 3:''' Southsward

=== Summary ===
From far across the icy [[Great Northern Sea|northern sea]], the vicious Foxwolf [[Urgan Nagru]] and his cunning mate [[Silvamord]] arrive in the warm and peaceful lands of [[Southsward]], along with three shiploads of [[Urgan's Horde|grey rat troops]] to execute their bidding. The Foxwolf, so called because of the [[Urgan|wolf pelt and skull]] he wears, takes over [[Castle Floret]] and imprisons the good [[Gael Squirrelking]], his mate [[Squirrelqueen Serena]], their son [[Truffen]], and the nursemaid, the mute badger [[Muta]].

Not far away, [[Dandin]] and [[Mariel Gullwhacker]], two warrior mice from [[Redwall Abbey]], run low on food while lost in the hot southern deserts. They meet up with a young cheeky hedgehog, [[Bowly Pintips]], and the trio attempts to save a mole that was attacked by rat troops of Nagru's. However, they become overwhelmed and Field Marshal [[Meldrum Fallowthorn the Magnificient]], a pompous, militaristic hare, and his four leveret nephews, rescue them.

Meanwhile, the [[Southsward Holt of Otters|otter allies]] of Gael, led by the brave [[Rab Streambattle]] and his mate [[Iris Streambattle]], launch a rescue mission that succeeds in saving Serena and Truffen but goes horribly wrong for Muta and Gael. The squirrelking is unable to escape, but Muta, along with Rab, is forced into fighting the waves of rats until they both go down. Both are thought to be dead. The Foxwolf, livid at the escape of Serena and her son, unleashes his secret tracking weapons, two psychotic female ermine called [[Dirgecallers]]. Dandin, Mariel, and Meldrum manage to intercept and kill the Dirgecallers, but they are captured by Nagru's rat troops in the process. Serena and Truffen make it to safety amongst Iris and the remaining otters.

At Redwall Abbey, the mouse [[Joseph the Bellmaker]] has a dream inspired by [[Martin the Warrior]]'s spirit. He is meant to sail down the [[Western Coast|western coast]] and help his daughter, Mariel, and her friends free Southsward from the Foxwolf's reign. According to the dream, he should bring [[Honorable Rosemary|Hon Rosie]] the hare, [[Durry Quill]] the hedgehog, [[Rufe Brush]] the squirrel, and [[Foremole (Mariel, Bellmaker, Martin)|Foremole]]. With the help of the current [[Log-a-Log (The Bellmaker)|Log-a-Log]] and his [[Guerilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower|Guosim]], the five arrive at the coast and meet [[Finnbarr Galedeep]], a mighty and clever sea otter. Finnbarr executes a cunning maneuver that involves stealing a ship, the ''[[Pearl Queen]]'', from the sea rat captain brothers [[Slipp]] and [[Strapp]]. In the scuffle that ensues, Strapp and most of the brothers' [[Slipp and Strapp's crews|crew]] are killed in a [[Green Maelstrom|whirlpool]], but Slipp and his loyal boatswain [[Blaggut]] survive and, shipless, head into [[Mossflower Woods]].

Joseph, Hon Rosie, Foremole, Durry, Rufe, Finnbarr, and a crew full of shrews sail toward Southsward on the ''Pearl Queen''.

Back at Castle Floret, Dandin, Mariel, and Meldrum awake in a cell in the castle's dungeon, along with Gael Squirrelking. With much pondering, tribulation, and the help of a shrike named [[Glokkpod]], they escape. Mariel becomes separated from the others and meets a mole named [[Egbert the Scholar]], who has been living in secret tunnels beneath the castle. Egbert had found Rab and Muta, an inch from death, and nursed them back to health. The two warriors, however, were mentally scarred from the battle and refused to speak. With their help, Mariel opens the drawbridge of Castle Floret.

Slipp and Blaggut arrive at Redwall. The Redwallers let them stay, but not without suspicion. Slipp wants treasure, and convinces some [[Dibbun]]s to help him find some; the young ones instead lead them to playthings. When Slipp realizes he has been duped, he goes berserk and tries to kill [[Furrtil]] and [[Mousebabe]]. He murders the resident Badger Mother [[Mellus]] with a kitchen knife, and the pair of rats flee from the Abbey. Blaggut, who had genuinely wanted to turn his life around and become a good rat, becomes distraught and strangles his captain to death. He then returned to the Abbey and explained what he had done to stop Slipp from harming anyone else; [[Oak Tom]] had threatened him, blind with grief from what happened to Mellus. The residents thanked and adored Blaggut, who lived by nearby shores as a boat maker until the end of his happy days.

On the ''Pearl Queen'', many calamities befell the Redwallers and their crew, including whirlpools, sharks, shipwrecked islands, and crazy toads. Hon Rosie and Durry were taken for dead for some time, but showed up in fine form later. Three young orphans from Southsward, the squirrel [[Benjy]], the mouse [[Wincey]], and the little otter [[Figgs]] join them as well. They eventually arrive at Southsward and, with the help of some clans they meet on the way, reach Castle Floret, ready for a fight.

A massive [[Battle of Southsward|battle]] ensues in which Mariel, Dandin, Meldrum, the otters, Finnbarr, Joseph, and the rest fight Nagru's horde of grey rats, most of whom are slaughtered. However, the shrew [[Fatch]], a good friend of Rufe and Durry, is slain by Silvamord. Rab Streambattle, who had recently reunited with his wife Iris and regained his sanity, kills Silvamord in the moat shortly afterward. In the final battle, Finnbarr Galedeep engages Urgan Nagru and kills him by smashing the fangs of his wolf skull into the top of his head. However, Finnbarr sadly dies from the wounds inflicted during the fight.

With Urgan vanquished and his horde depleted, peace is restored upon Castle Floret and Southsward. Gael is reinstated as Squirrelking of Floret with his family and Muta. While the other Redwallers return to the Abbey, Joseph stays in Southsward to help restore order. Mariel, Dandin, and Bowly, their warrior spirits unable to be stilled, take off once more (in the ''Pearl Queen'') in search of adventure.

===Characters===
Please see [[:Category:The Bellmaker Characters|Characters in ''The Bellmaker'']].

=== Audiobook ===
''The Bellmaker'' was released in [[The Bellmaker (audiobook)|audiobook]] format.

=== Release details ===
*1994, UK, Hutchinson Children's Books, Ltd., {{ISBN|0091766222}}, Pub. Date: June 1994, Hardcover
*[[1995]], US, Philomel Books, {{ISBN|9780399228056}}, Pub. Date: March 1995, Hardcover
*1995, UK, Red Fox, {{ISBN|0099433311}}, Pub. Date: July 1995, Paperback
*[[1996]], US, Ace, {{ISBN|9780441003150}}, Pub. Date: April 1996, Paperback
*[[1997]], UK, Red Fox, {{ISBN|0099638711}}, Pub. Date: July 1997, Paperback
*[[2004]], US, Puffin, {{ISBN|9780142400302}}, Pub. Date: February 2004, Paperback
*[[2007]], UK, Red Fox, {{ISBN|9781862301429}}, Pub. Date: August 2007, Paperback
*2007, US, Red Fox, {{ISBN|1862301425}}, Pub. Date: September 2007, Paperback
*[[2010]], US, Firebird Books, {{ISBN|9780142400302}}, Pub. Date: January 2010, Paperback
*[[2014]], UK, Red Fox, {{ISBN|9781782954606}}, Pub. Date: 2014, Paperback

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[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:Redwall Books]]

The Bellmaker - Revision history

imported>LordTBT at 19:18, 31 December 2025