The Angel's Command

Table of Contents

 

 

 

PRAISE FOR
The Angel's Command

“Swashbuckling.”—
The Columbus Dispatch

 
“[A] big, sprawling adventure . . . the story delivers nonstop action, pithy dialogue, and esoteric sea lore.”

 
“Rousing . . . vivid language, larger-than-life characters, and multiple story lines yield a sprawling, epic tale. Anyone, young and old, who enjoys being immersed in big, romantic adventures, will love this series. Readers hooked by Jacques' storytelling magic in
Castaways
and the Redwall series are destined to be readers for life. May his readers be legion.”
—Kirkus Reviews

 
“Once again, Jacques spins a rousing yarn that fairly bursts at the seams with exciting escapades, exotic locations, poems, shanties, treachery, and derring-do . . . the sheer storytelling vigor is hard to resist. [Jacques] conjures a colorful, fully realized world and injects the pages with plenty of snappy repartee.”
—Publishers Weekly

 
“The plot is almost nonstop action, with lots of sword-play.”
—School Library Journal Reviews

 
“There's lots of swashbuckling adventure, suspense, intrigue, and some humor, much like Jacques's beloved Redwall sagas. This new story will appeal to the same audience.”
—KLIATT

 
“High adventure with memorable characters.”
—Locus

 
“Another page-turner. Readers who enjoyed the first book will find this sequel even more exciting.”
—Booklist

PRAISE FOR 
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman

“Well known for his Redwall books, Jacques here turns his attention to the human world, and his fans will not be disappointed.”
—Publishers Weekly

 
“In
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman
, Brian Jacques takes a bold and brilliant creative step. Using the legend of a never-ending voyage, he enriches, deepens and gives new meaning to it . . . [Jacques] combines ample measures of suspense, fantasy, and mystery . . . and the emotional impact is powerful and unforgettable. It's exciting to see a front-rank author rise to a new challenge—and his readers are the fortunate beneficiaries.” —Lloyd Alexander, Newbery Medal winner

 
“Jacques is a master storyteller who knows just when to boost a book's drama, suspense, or humor to move a tale along . . . It's a rare reader who won't race through the pages, trying to see what happens next.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Jacques captures the details of nineteenth-century, small-town England and its people with great panache . . . Readers will come to care about the good-hearted immortal boy and his faithful black Lab.”
—The Horn Book Magazine

 
“Vivid . . . haunting . . . will undoubtedly be loved by Redwall fans.”
—Kirkus Reviews

 
“The swashbuckling language brims with color and melodrama; the villains are dastardly and stupid; and buried treasure, mysterious clues, and luscious culinary descriptions keep the pages turning . . . Older readers who enjoy Jacques will like this, too.”
—Booklist

 
“Rousing.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

 
“Colorful . . . engrossing.”
—The London Daily Telegraph

 
“An appealing tale.”
—Children's Literature

“Wonderfully imaginative.”

 
“The medieval world of Redwall Abbey—where gallant mouse warriors triumph over evil invaders—has truly become the stuff of legend.”
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Readers will rejoice.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Children are privileged to enter the rich world of Redwall and Mossflower. So are the parents who get to come along.”

 
“A grand adventure story. Once the reader is hooked, there is no peace until the final page.”
—Chicago Sun-Times

“Old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure.”
—Locus

“The Redwall books . . . add a touch of chivalry and adventure reminiscent of the King Arthur stories.”

 
“Filled with rousing adventure, strong characters, and vibrant settings.”
—The Boston Sunday Globe

“Packed with action and imbued with warmth . . . richly inventive.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Jacques's effortless, fast-paced narrative gets its readers quickly hooked. He clearly loves this other world he has created—there's a genuine sense of involvement and care (lots of lovingly descriptive passages), as well as an overflowing, driving imagination.”
—Birmingham Post

“Great reading . . . entertaining. Classic confrontations between good and evil will never go out of style.”

 
“A richly imagined world in which bloody battles vie for attention with copious feasting and tender romancing.”

REDWALL
MOSSFLOWER
MATTIMEO
MARIEL OF REDWALL
SALAMANDASTRON
MARTIN THE WARRIOR
THE BELLMAKER
OUTCAST OF REDWALL
THE PEARLS OF LUTRA
THE LONG PATROL
MARLFOX
THE LEGEND OF LUKE
LORD BROCKTREE
TAGGERUNG
TRISS

 
 
CASTAWAYS OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

 
THE GREAT REDWALL FEAST
A REDWALL WINTER'S TALE

 
THE REDWALL MAP AND RIDDLER
REDWALL FRIEND AND FOE
TRIBES OF REDWALL: OTTERS
BUILD YOUR OWN REDWALL ABBEY
SEVEN STRANGE AND GHOSTLY TALES

 
 
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either
are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales in entirely coincidental.

THE ANGEL'S COMMAND

 
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with
The Redwall Abbey Company, Ltd.

Copyright © 2003 by The Redwall Abbey Company, Ltd.

All rights reserved.
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For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
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375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eISBN : 978-1-4406-2168-0

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Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
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are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

THE LEGEND OF THE
FLYING DUTCHMAN
is known to all men who follow the seafaring trade. Captain Vanderdecken and his ghostly crew, bound by heaven's curse to sail the world's vast oceans and seas, for eternity! The curse was delivered by the angel of the Lord, who descended from the firmament to the very deck of the doomed vessel. Vanderdecken and his evil crew were bound, both living and dead, to an endless voyage. Only two were to escape the
Flying Dutchman
—a mute, ragged orphan boy, Ben, and his faithful dog, Ned. They were the only two aboard who were pure of heart, innocent of all wickedness.

The angel had washed them both overboard in a storm off Cape Horn—castaways of the
Flying Dutchman
! Barely alive, they came ashore at Tierra del Fuego, the tip of South America. Unfortunately, they, too, were casualties of the angel's curse, destined to live endlessly, without growing older by a single day. However, heaven, being merciful, decreed that Ben was granted the power of speech in any language. Additionally he could communicate with the dog by process of thought. Thus began a friendship that was to last through many centuries. Given refuge by an old shepherd who lived on Tierra del Fuego, the two remained with the old man until his death, three years later. It was then that the angel commanded them to travel on—their mission, to do good and help others wherever the need arose.

And so they went forth, this strange blue-eyed lad and his faithful black Labrador, orphans of the mighty waters, travelling the world together. Never stopping too long in one place, where folk they befriended would grow older and die, for Ben and Ned were eternally young. Wandering endlessly, commanded by an angel. Haunted by Vanderdecken's spectre, they went north, up into the wild and untamed jungles, mountains and savannahs of South America's wild continent. What adventures, untold sights and perils awaited our friends! This narrative follows their rovings after several years. Fate landed Ben and Ned back again near the sea, the Caribbean, whose coasts were home to lawless men. The buccaneers!

I take up my pen to tell you the tale.