Bittersweet

I was lucky enough to be the first person to check out The Rogue Crew from my local library. I read it all day with hardly a pause. It was a worthy end to the Redwall series. I just wish it wasn't the end.

Every time Mr. Jacques explained what "Dibbuns", "Guosim", and  "Dab" meant, I felt myself tearing up. Because I've known what they are for years, ever since I discovered the series. And it was the last time he'd explain it to me. Call me emotional, but it felt like losing a friend.
But despite the sorrow associated with it, The Rogue Crew was a wonderful read, with every ingredient that made Redwall great. And there were nods to other books in the series as well.
I don't know, but it almost seemed as if Brian Jacques knew this would be the last book.

The poems were catchier than ever, the food as mouthwatering, the characters as memorable. The end battle was as amazing as all the others, but instead of going out without a bang it mostly just left me quietly satisfied.
I hesitated to read the final page. Redwall had been in my life for so long. But I finally read it, turned the page, and closed the book.

All in all, a pretty bittersweet ending.

"Is the tale finished? Oh, rats! I wanted it to go on an' on an' jolly well on f'rever..."
-Outcast of Redwall, Brian Jacques