Art by Troy Howell
Since its listing first appeared, the Redwall 20th Anniversary Gift Package has been something of a question mark. We’ve been able to theorize as to its contents, but the only official word we’ve had on the product has been from catalog images. With its release this past Thursday, though, we can finally say– definitively– what the “Gift Package” is all about. And, while the main 20th Anniversary hardcover may have been somewhat disappointing on release day, the Gift Package is anything but.
We’ll get the big question out of the way first: what are the books? It turns out we were right back in May when we predicted that the three books would be the sub-parts Redwall– The Wall, The Quest and The Warrior.
Book One clocks in at 108 pages, Book Two at 160 pages, and Book Three at 111 pages. All three boast Gary Chalk’s original illustrations. There’s much more, though.
The main slipcase of the Gift Package is made out of sturdy cardboard. What you slide out of it resembles more of a DVD season set package than books, though. The package is made up to look like a dark green, leatherbound book complete with a faux embossed map on the back (each book also has a faux embossed illustration from Gary Chalk on the back). Unfold the package and you find each book nestled in its own pouch, nice and tidy. To the far right, there’s a cutaway space holding a complete set of Redwall Trading Cards– all nineteen books, Redwall through Eulalia!, are present. It should be noted, however, that this set is for the Firebird releases and all trade dressing on the cards reflect that.
Back Cover – 20th Anniversary Gift Package
But, we’re not done yet.
Reach behind the cards and you’ll find a small pouch containing an exclusive Redwall poster which has Troy Howell’s 20th Anniversary Edition cover art on the front and a biography & photo of Brian on the back.
At the end of Book Three we find a 13 page essay on Brian Jacques– part biography, part tribute– written by his longtime editor and friend, Patricia Lee Gauch. The essay makes numerous references to Brian as “a divvil of a lad” (the working title of his abandoned autobiography) and his life in Liverpool, from The Liverpool Fishermen to Brown Bitter, Wet Nellies and Scouse. Gauch even talks about her personal favorites (one of which is The Legend of Luke). All in all, an absolutely fascinating read.
That, my friends, is what the Redwall 20th Anniversary Gift Package has to offer. It’s far more than I was expecting and wound up being even better than the main hardcover release. Every Redwall fan should have this in their collection.
While the Gift Package retails for $17.99, it can currently be found at Amazon for only $12.23. Head on over and pick it up.
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