Can a creature be born completely evil, incapable of any good? For the mice and other inhabitants of Redwall, this is the question they ask themselves of Veil, ferret son of the evil warlord Swartt Sixclaw. Abandoned as an infant and left for dead by his father, Veil is raised by the kind-hearted Bryony. Despite concerns from everyone at Redwall, Bryony is convinced that the goodness in him will prevail. But when Veil commits a crime that is unforgivable, he is banished from the abbey forever. An outcast.

When Swartt and his evil hordes of searats and vermin attack the peaceful inhabitants of Redwall, Veil is left with a difficult decision: Should he join Swartt in battle against the only creature who has ever loved him? Or should he turn his back on his true father? Brian Jacques's eighth entry in his beloved Redwall series is full of swirling adventure and dramatic surprises. But most of all, it shows that questions of right and wrong don't always have simple answers.