Mouseheart by Lisa Fielder

This book is the 2014 start of a new series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Hopper is a small, pet store mouse, and he escapes into the tunnels under New York City. He's found by a rat prince named Zucker, and they return to the palace to meet Zucker's father. Hopper is shown a refugee camp for stray rodents, but Zucker seems uneasy when talking about it. The king makes Hopper nervous, and the mouse doesn't understand why the prince lies to his father about the leader of a rebel mouse force. Hopper notices the circle in the fur around his right eye resembles a picture drawn on the tunnel walls, and some rats and mice treat him strangely when they see it. A horrible secret is about to be revealed, and the little mouse is the key figure in bringing it to an end.

Comments on the book cover compare this series to Redwall. This book is a much quicker read than books in that series, but it has the same adventure and action. Hopper is the seemingly weak underdog, facing overwhelming odds, that readers love in their books. I liked how his character grew to face the challenges, and he surprised his doubters, including himself. The resolution of the plot leaves some interesting questions for book two.