The Seed from Forsaken Soil - Gnaverworld: Ghosts and Iron, #2

A frozen land with dead soil is no place for Risu. Risu's official mission is to help the rodents of Mausfjord island restore their soil so they can farm again. But her unofficial mission? She and her friends are to spy on the tyrant who has an eye set on Risu's home. And she can't sit by while there are slaves on this island. The ruler seems more interested in taking their food than growing his own.
Blodtorstig is a brute who wants to expand his power. Not only does he have his own plans for Risu and her friends, but he has an alchemist who promises the power to turn rodents into frothing, rabid monsters. Commoners are just a commodity to him, and he has no problem using them in his foul experiments. Risu has to stop a famine, prevent a war, and free an island of slaves before the cold, starvation, and madness take over.
Fans young and old of REDWALL and USAGI YOJIMBO will love the high-flying, blade-slicing action of THE SEED FROM FORSAKEN SOIL.