When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

Preparation for a great feast are underway at Redwall Abbey, and the young mouse Mattimeo is contributing his share of the labors. But Mattimeo is the son of Mathius, the guardian of Redwall Abbey, and it is this fact that makes him the target of a fiendish kidnapping plot contrived by the vicious fox, Slagar the Cruel. When Mathias and his brave followers abandon their homes and face enslavement for the return of their children, the captive Mattimeo...

Urthstripe the Strong, a wise old badger, leads the animals of the great fortress of Salamandastron and Redwall Abbey against the weasel Ferahgo the Assassin and his corps of vermin.

Worried about his daughter Mariel, Joseph the Bellmaker is led by a dream from Redwall Abbey to Southsward, where he is caught up in the battle between Squirrelking Gael and the vicious Foxwolf Nagru.

Tansy, a young hedgehog living at Redwall Abbey, attempts to solve the riddle of the missing pearls while at the same time the evil marten, Mad Eyes, desires them for himself.

The mountain of Salamandastron needs the help of Brocktree the Badger Lord when evil comes in the form of the Blue Hordes of Ungatt Trunn, the Earth Shaker.

Two warrior squirrels lead the battle against Gulo, a bloodthirsty wolverine who will stop at nothing to recover the Walking Stone that will give him the authority to rule the lands of ice beyond the Great Sea.

Lord Asheye, the Badger Lord of Salamandastron envisions his own demise, prompting him to send a clever haremaid from the Long Patrol on a quest to find his successor. Meanwhile, Gorath, an orphaned warrior badger, has a vision of his own: a sword-wielding mouse tells him to follow a thief to Redwall. Complicating matters are Vizka Longtooth and his scurrilous Sea Raiders who want to capture Redwall for themselves.

Relates in rhyme the riotous preparations for and celebration of the animals' surprise feast in honor of the abbot of the abbey of Redwall.