The Mistmantle Chronicles
The Mistmantle Chronicles is a series of children's novels by M. I. McAllister about anthropomorphic squirrels, hedgehogs, otters, and moles.
A pair of villains in disguise, Captain Husk and Lady Aspen, seize control of the island, introducing a regime of culling and forced labour.
But when the Heartstone goes missing and Urchin gets kidnapped by some unexpected visitors from the island called Whitewings, panic begins to rise.
A mysterious epidemic begins to ravage the island, and news starts spreading about sightings of the infamous Captain Husk, who everyone believed was dead.
[3] Peace on Mistmantle is disrupted when Lord Arcneck returns to the island from Swan Isle, asking for help in a war against bloodthirsty ravens.
[4] Under the guidance of King Crispin, the animals of Mistmantle are in a long period of peace and prosperity since the Raven War.
Mossberry, an influential squirrel with delusions of grandeur, sees the impending disaster as an opportunity to rise to power.
Urchin, his page Corr, and King Crispin's Circle must stop Mossberry and bring the islanders to safety.
Mistmantle has a tower where the king, queen and captains live, which has sandstone-yellow walls and comes under attack in books 1, 2 and 4.
About one-third into the first book, Crispin makes his way across the ocean and his voyage takes him to two other islands in the same chain as Mistmantle.
It is where he meets Lord and Lady Arcneck, rulers of the island, and Whisper, a female red squirrel who later becomes his love interest.
It is also where Urchin arrives seeking to recover Crispin and bring him back to Mistmantle, unaware that he has brought with him a mole who kills Whisper.
Further into the island there are several large hills, one being Eagle Crag from which Urchin's father Candle was pushed off and killed.
Under the fortress are a series of tunnels and caves that are used by the Larchlings for meetings and are a place of refuge for those in danger of being assassinated by Silverbirch's soldiers.
It is home to an active volcano, or "fire mountain" as it is referred to in the books, and is known to have water poisonous to non-native creatures.
Urchin performs many heroic deeds throughout his life, such as bringing Crispin back to Mistmantle and helping to redeem the island of Whitewings.
In the first book Crispin is exiled after being falsely accused of murder and ends up on Swan Isle, where he meets a red squirrel called Whisper, whom he later marries.
Husk is an ambitious squirrel who seeks to take over the island in the first book by influencing the king's decisions.
His body isn't discovered until book three, when Juniper, his son, goes looking for him to disprove rumours that Husk is alive.
In book one, Lugg aids Urchin in his adventures and fights alongside Padra in the battle against Husk.
In the third book, Lugg dies after he tries to stop Linty from taking Catkin away from the island and his heart gives out.
Urchin and Lugg rescue Needle's younger brother Scufflen from Husk, who sentences him to be culled in book one.
