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Warriors: The Broken Code#4
Darkness Within
The #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series continues! Discover more epic adventures in the fourth book in the action-packed Broken Code story arc.
Exiled after a battle that left all five Clans devastated, ThunderClan’s loyal deputy, Squirrelflight, must bring to light an earth-shattering truth: the identity of the cat ruling ThunderClan while wearing Bramblestar’s face.
While the fate of his body hangs in the balance, the real Bramblestar’s spirit has vanished. Even Rootspring is powerless to reach him—and with tensions among the Clans at a breaking point, Squirrelflight may not be able to ensure Bramblestar has a body to return to. If he returns at all.
Packed with action and intrigue, this sixth Warriors series is the perfect introduction for readers new to the Warriors world, while dedicated fans will be thrilled to discover the new adventures that unfold after the events of A Vision of Shadows.
Exiled after a battle that left all five Clans devastated, ThunderClan’s loyal deputy, Squirrelflight, must bring to light an earth-shattering truth: the identity of the cat ruling ThunderClan while wearing Bramblestar’s face.
While the fate of his body hangs in the balance, the real Bramblestar’s spirit has vanished. Even Rootspring is powerless to reach him—and with tensions among the Clans at a breaking point, Squirrelflight may not be able to ensure Bramblestar has a body to return to. If he returns at all.
Packed with action and intrigue, this sixth Warriors series is the perfect introduction for readers new to the Warriors world, while dedicated fans will be thrilled to discover the new adventures that unfold after the events of A Vision of Shadows.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published November 10, 2020
About the author
Erin Hunter
292books9,791followersErin Hunter is the pseudonym of five people:Kate Cary,Cherith Baldry,Tui T. Sutherland,Gillian Philip,andInbali Iserles,as well as editorVictoria Holmes.Together, they write the Warriors series as well as the Seekers and Survivors series. Erin Hunter is working on a new series now called Bravelands.
Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.
Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.
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December 5, 2020so i was right. i did not enjoy this book.
the plot was better than it has been for erin hunter in years, but it wasn’t enough to savedarkness withinfor me. the characters were still flat, one-dimensional, unoriginal and boring to read about. these books have been marching in one place for the last five years. they should have concluded with the end of firestar’s reign. because there’s one book left in this arc, i will finish "the broken code", but after that warriors is over for me. i just can’t watch the erins tear apart the dynasty they built any longer.
pre-review: i know i’m going to hate this. but am i going to read it anyway? **sigh**, you know i am.
the plot was better than it has been for erin hunter in years, but it wasn’t enough to savedarkness withinfor me. the characters were still flat, one-dimensional, unoriginal and boring to read about. these books have been marching in one place for the last five years. they should have concluded with the end of firestar’s reign. because there’s one book left in this arc, i will finish "the broken code", but after that warriors is over for me. i just can’t watch the erins tear apart the dynasty they built any longer.
pre-review: i know i’m going to hate this. but am i going to read it anyway? **sigh**, you know i am.
February 3, 2022
Rating: 8 out of 10
After almost six months of painful wait, I had very high expectations going into this book, and luckily it didn't let me down! It was intense and gripping, and I had a great time reading it!
However, I have some mixed feelings about it, so here are my thoughts (keep in mind that although I've tried to keep them relatively light, there are spoilers ahead!):
Things I liked:
- Rootspring! My love for him increased a lot during this book. I loved seeing him realize how much he's grown since the first book and to learn to feel more comfortable with his powers and his kin. It was wholesome and I'm here for it.
- Ashfur was a much better villain than I thought we would be. His manipulations of Shadowsight and his obsession with Squirrelflight were both very well-written and interesting. He was actually scary at times and his characterization was seriously surprising!
- Tough probably an unpopular opinion, I was really looking forward to the Sisters' return! They were much more likable than the first time, and Sunrise was a great aunt for Rootspring. More than anything, I adored the lore added to the series with their rituals and powers (glad the authors didn't forget about the toms' ability to talk to the earth!) and I'm very excited to see more of them in later installments and intrigued to know how far Rootspring's powers will be able to go now he knows how to make himself stronger.
- Shadowsight, as always, is a fantastic protagonist and very easy to sympathize with. He remains my favorite POV from this arc, and I really care about him, so it was heartbreaking to see him lose his faith in himself and having such terrible self-esteem problems.
- This book had many creepy scenes! The Sisters' ritual and the ending were especially chilling, and the tone of the book, in general, was a lot darker than of the previous ones.
Things I didn't like:
- Mothwing. While I get the story needed an antagonist to move forward, I was really pissed off by how out of character they had Mothwing act. She was nothing like herself during most of the book and even though I don't hate her, it was a huge disappointment that she was that mean to Shadowsight.
- Rootspring and Bristlefrost's relationship wasn't terrible at all, but I strongly disliked it. Their scenes were (mostly) cheesy and awkward to read, and their feelings were such an insistent theme it became annoying. I liked that they were being responsible adults about it, though, and didn't let their emotions overpower them despite what they felt.
- The pacing was a bit slow in some parts, especially during the trip chapters. Journeys definitely aren't Warriors' strongest point, and this one wasn't nearly as bad as some other traveling scenes, but it dragged and bored me still.
And finally, some random thoughts:
- Spotfur is one of the most well-written characters in this arc, and dare I say in the entire Warriors series. Her strong personality, grief for Stemleaf, and complicated thoughts on their kits were fascinating to read about. After this, I'm more than ready for her novella to come out! The Sisters' song for her unborn kits was absolutely adorable and it made me emotional for sure.
- Lightleap was a very supportive sister and it melted my heart! She was sweet to Shadowsight and did her best to help him. I loved seeing her finally have some kind of importance, even if she wasn't essential to the plot.
- A character I can't say the same about is Needleclaw. She was too tied up on the rules and mean with Bristlefrost, which I didn't quite enjoy. I really can't complain about the characterization decision, though, because it wasn't objectively bad, but I still didn't enjoy it.
Overall, I really liked Darkness Within! It had a fair amount of flaws, but personally, I think the rest of the book made up for it. A lot of questions were brought up and I can't wait to read the next one, especially after that cliffhanger!
After almost six months of painful wait, I had very high expectations going into this book, and luckily it didn't let me down! It was intense and gripping, and I had a great time reading it!
However, I have some mixed feelings about it, so here are my thoughts (keep in mind that although I've tried to keep them relatively light, there are spoilers ahead!):
Things I liked:
- Rootspring! My love for him increased a lot during this book. I loved seeing him realize how much he's grown since the first book and to learn to feel more comfortable with his powers and his kin. It was wholesome and I'm here for it.
- Ashfur was a much better villain than I thought we would be. His manipulations of Shadowsight and his obsession with Squirrelflight were both very well-written and interesting. He was actually scary at times and his characterization was seriously surprising!
- Tough probably an unpopular opinion, I was really looking forward to the Sisters' return! They were much more likable than the first time, and Sunrise was a great aunt for Rootspring. More than anything, I adored the lore added to the series with their rituals and powers (glad the authors didn't forget about the toms' ability to talk to the earth!) and I'm very excited to see more of them in later installments and intrigued to know how far Rootspring's powers will be able to go now he knows how to make himself stronger.
- Shadowsight, as always, is a fantastic protagonist and very easy to sympathize with. He remains my favorite POV from this arc, and I really care about him, so it was heartbreaking to see him lose his faith in himself and having such terrible self-esteem problems.
- This book had many creepy scenes! The Sisters' ritual and the ending were especially chilling, and the tone of the book, in general, was a lot darker than of the previous ones.
Things I didn't like:
- Mothwing. While I get the story needed an antagonist to move forward, I was really pissed off by how out of character they had Mothwing act. She was nothing like herself during most of the book and even though I don't hate her, it was a huge disappointment that she was that mean to Shadowsight.
- Rootspring and Bristlefrost's relationship wasn't terrible at all, but I strongly disliked it. Their scenes were (mostly) cheesy and awkward to read, and their feelings were such an insistent theme it became annoying. I liked that they were being responsible adults about it, though, and didn't let their emotions overpower them despite what they felt.
- The pacing was a bit slow in some parts, especially during the trip chapters. Journeys definitely aren't Warriors' strongest point, and this one wasn't nearly as bad as some other traveling scenes, but it dragged and bored me still.
And finally, some random thoughts:
- Spotfur is one of the most well-written characters in this arc, and dare I say in the entire Warriors series. Her strong personality, grief for Stemleaf, and complicated thoughts on their kits were fascinating to read about. After this, I'm more than ready for her novella to come out! The Sisters' song for her unborn kits was absolutely adorable and it made me emotional for sure.
- Lightleap was a very supportive sister and it melted my heart! She was sweet to Shadowsight and did her best to help him. I loved seeing her finally have some kind of importance, even if she wasn't essential to the plot.
- A character I can't say the same about is Needleclaw. She was too tied up on the rules and mean with Bristlefrost, which I didn't quite enjoy. I really can't complain about the characterization decision, though, because it wasn't objectively bad, but I still didn't enjoy it.
Overall, I really liked Darkness Within! It had a fair amount of flaws, but personally, I think the rest of the book made up for it. A lot of questions were brought up and I can't wait to read the next one, especially after that cliffhanger!
November 19, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
I mostly loved this one of course like all the other warrior cats books, however I hated what they did to Mothwing! Her actions felt very out of character, even though I know they were mainly used to further the plot. Overall, this one continued the intensity and mystery and I finished it in a day!
I mostly loved this one of course like all the other warrior cats books, however I hated what they did to Mothwing! Her actions felt very out of character, even though I know they were mainly used to further the plot. Overall, this one continued the intensity and mystery and I finished it in a day!
December 21, 2020
So...Ashfur is the impostor. Bet no one saw that coming. I really, really hated him in this book. I'd always been extremely frustrated with the impostor and his schemes, but my hatred definitely increased while reading this book. Honestly, I felt pretty annoyed with every single character in this book, which may be why I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous books in this series. There wasn't much of anything new going on with the plot; the majority of it consisted of the Clan leaders arguing, Shadowsight stressing about StarClan and Ashfur, and Bristlefrost and Rootspring's weird love story.
My favorite part of this book was the journey to find the Sisters, but I wish it could have taken up more of the book and wasn't so heavily focused on Bristlefrost and Rootspring. Don't get me wrong, I really like them as characters, but their romance came out of nowhere, developed far too quickly, and doesn't make any sense overall. It wasn't so bad that it ruined the series for me, but I hope that they stick to their decision to stay with their Clans and not be mates.
I did think some parts of this book were good. There was enough tension and action to get me invested in the story, and I loved the creepiness of the scene where the Sisters summoned the tortured spirits in the SkyClan camp. I felt so bad for Squirrelflight throughout the entire story. She's trying to lead a broken Clan and struggling with pressure from the other leaders to kill her mate's body when he may or may not be dead, all to get rid of an evil spirit cat who's making other cats suffer because she rejected him. Give her a break, Erins!
I didn't dislike this book and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't live up to my expectations and overall wasn't as good as the previous books. I'll have to wait for the next book to see if everything will be resolved.
My favorite part of this book was the journey to find the Sisters, but I wish it could have taken up more of the book and wasn't so heavily focused on Bristlefrost and Rootspring. Don't get me wrong, I really like them as characters, but their romance came out of nowhere, developed far too quickly, and doesn't make any sense overall. It wasn't so bad that it ruined the series for me, but I hope that they stick to their decision to stay with their Clans and not be mates.
I did think some parts of this book were good. There was enough tension and action to get me invested in the story, and I loved the creepiness of the scene where the Sisters summoned the tortured spirits in the SkyClan camp. I felt so bad for Squirrelflight throughout the entire story. She's trying to lead a broken Clan and struggling with pressure from the other leaders to kill her mate's body when he may or may not be dead, all to get rid of an evil spirit cat who's making other cats suffer because she rejected him. Give her a break, Erins!
I didn't dislike this book and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't live up to my expectations and overall wasn't as good as the previous books. I'll have to wait for the next book to see if everything will be resolved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2020
I am excited to read it when it comes out but I can't wait!!!
December 25, 2020
Very well written, I really liked it.
There maybe spoilers ahead...
Thoughts:
1. Shadowsight. I hate the way Shadowsight is treated, stripped of his medicine cat duties. Shadowsight is not trusted in Shadowclan anymore because he shared a vision he thought was from Starclan and then turned out it wasn't. Everything just went downhill from there. Not to mention he was an apprentice when that happened, for crying out loud!!!
2. Mothwing. I don't feel that she would really act like this if things were different. She obviously doesn't see to reason and doesn't see that she's hurting Shadowsight and his reputation...
3. Ending. I HATE CLIFFHANGERS! Warning: The book ends with a cliffhanger which really annoys me because now I have to wait a few months or more to read the next book.
4. Bristlefrost and Rootspring. I like how they both changed from Bristlefrost wanting to be the best warrior she can to a loyal and loving warrior. Rootspring just couldn't stay out of trouble when he was an apprentice. Although, Rootspring is still chasing Bristlefrost. I'm curious as to if this relationship will become a real one and one of them's going to change plans.
5. Squirelflight. She's still that stubborn, headstrong she-cat that we all remember from the 2nd series. Though she has changed a lot. I like the faith she has in Bramblestar, it never wavers, even for a second. They are true mates. I admire her for that, especially from what other cats believe and have told her.
There maybe spoilers ahead...
Thoughts:
1. Shadowsight. I hate the way Shadowsight is treated, stripped of his medicine cat duties. Shadowsight is not trusted in Shadowclan anymore because he shared a vision he thought was from Starclan and then turned out it wasn't. Everything just went downhill from there. Not to mention he was an apprentice when that happened, for crying out loud!!!
2. Mothwing. I don't feel that she would really act like this if things were different. She obviously doesn't see to reason and doesn't see that she's hurting Shadowsight and his reputation...
3. Ending. I HATE CLIFFHANGERS! Warning: The book ends with a cliffhanger which really annoys me because now I have to wait a few months or more to read the next book.
4. Bristlefrost and Rootspring. I like how they both changed from Bristlefrost wanting to be the best warrior she can to a loyal and loving warrior. Rootspring just couldn't stay out of trouble when he was an apprentice. Although, Rootspring is still chasing Bristlefrost. I'm curious as to if this relationship will become a real one and one of them's going to change plans.
5. Squirelflight. She's still that stubborn, headstrong she-cat that we all remember from the 2nd series. Though she has changed a lot. I like the faith she has in Bramblestar, it never wavers, even for a second. They are true mates. I admire her for that, especially from what other cats believe and have told her.
November 14, 2020
I am skeptical of where they are going with this story. This book was incredibly drawn out and slow paced, which would be difficult for the target audience to be drawn in. Essentially (SPOILERS) the entire book was arguing whether or not to kill Bramblestar's body and really NOTHING else happened. We at least got some side character personality development (i.e Spotfur). I don't really like the message of "oh you are pregnant you have to have these kids" although cats don't really have the choice. I also HATED the Rootspring Bristlefrost romance. I am SO flipping TIRED of forbidden romances in this series. Either get rid of the rule or stop giving us these stupid romances. Those two aren't even compatible. It seems like that has been such a focus since series one. Blue x Oak, Gray x Silver, Crow x Feather, Leaf x Crow, Dove x Tiger and now Bristle x Root. Can we be more creative? At least it seems like the two cats have given up (for now). I know by the end of book 6 they will get together. Sigh. Okay rant done. Just kill some old cats already.
February 3, 2021
are you kidding me? are you 100% kidding me? i can't even bring myself to say words. this book was a- fa- i'm speechless. and ANGRY WHAT THE HECK??!?!! The stupid cliffhanger? argh i'm pissed rn.
AMAZING BOOK.
though honestly I hated Mothwing
loved shadowsight
not even really sure whether i like Bristle x Root or not... I wasn't as touched.
AMAZING BOOK.
though honestly I hated Mothwing
loved shadowsight
not even really sure whether i like Bristle x Root or not... I wasn't as touched.
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April 9, 2020I like how this book is based on Squirrelflight. Firestar's kin takes a very important role in the Warriors Series. Dovewing, himself, Squirrelflight, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Alderheart.
December 31, 2020
AHHHHH I love warriors so much! Bristlefrost's and Rootspring's relathionship is getting interesting hehe. So much happend in the story i couldn't possibly review it all.
Currently reading
January 21, 2021I just started this book but I just have to say my manz Ashfur really needs to chillax over here. Seriously. Get. Over. It.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2021
It's a great book and there is lots of twists in it. I would definitely recommend this book( in a good way!)👌😜
December 16, 2020
Pretty meh book. Probably the worst book in the arc so far if I'm being honest. I felt like most of the book was pretty filler-y, and I don't like travel books in general because The New Prophecy left a really bad taste in my mouth, so I might be a bit biased, but here's my take on this book (Spoilers):
Let's start off with the protagonists. Rootspring was my favorite character for most of the arc, but gotta say, he goes kind of downhill in this book. I liked that he's beginning to accept his powers and be more comfortable with using it for the good of his Clan, but he's now being pushed into another forbidden romance with Bristlefrost and his character isn't really appealing to me the way it was in The Silent Thaw or Veil of Shadows. Maybe it's because the three first books were written by Cherith and this book was written by Kate?
Bristlefrost is just,,, no. Her only purpose in this book is to be Rootspring's love interest and all the scenes where they were flirting was just,,,, no. I've never really liked BristleRoot as a ship because Bristle's crush on Rootspring just feels sudden and forced out of nowhere because apparently, every Warrior Cats protagonist needs a love interest, apparently. Heck, if I recall correctly, the only protagonist in the entire series without a love interest is Hollyleaf, I think? But I digress. Bristlefrost has seen Rootspring as this little kid and was always embarassed whenever Rootspring admitted he had a crush on her, but her character was just completely thrown out of the window in this book just for the sake of forcing another forbidden romance no one asked for.
Shadowsight is surprisingly the most likeable out of the protagonists in this book in my opinion because you really get a lot of insight into how he feels insecure and guilty and resentful about how he was tricked by Ashfur, how the Clan is evidently treating him with resentment and unfairly treating him, etc. I just wish Mothwing wasn't such a jerk to him, because it just,,, doesn't fall in line with her character to me and I feel like it's extremely out of character for her to act like she's better than Shadowsight like that, even if she WAS stressed about Mistystar's treatment of her. I can honestly understand why Shadowsight let Ashfur go at the end of this book.
Oh, one more character to mention. I know Spotfur isn't a protagonist, but I honestly really liked her as a supporting character in this book. And I absolutely knew she would be pregnant by the end of the third book. It's just a cliche at this point. But either way, hope we see more of her in the later books. She's probably my favorite character introduced in this arc.
Anyways, let's move on to the plot of this book. The book starts out with the leaders capturing Bramblestar's impostor and Squirrelflight tricks him into admitting that he was Ashfur, which was pretty obvious at this point (unless you decided to skip the previous books for some reason), let's be honest, but I'm glad that they revealed it now instead of dragging it out longer. The Clans debate on whether they should kill Ashfur or not, Squirrelflight complains about how Bramblestar then wouldn't be able to return to his body and that it's not certain whether that would even completely stop Ashfur, etc, while the rest of the Clan leaders don't have any common sense and are just like "Nah let's kill Bramblestar's body that'll definitely stop Ashfur no matter what." They then decide to send Bristlefrost, Spotfur, Rootspring, and Needleclaw on a quest to find the Sisters (if you didn't read Squirrelflight's Hope you're going to be very confused) to determine what happened to Bramblestar's soul, which means you get to see them running away from dogs, Twolegs, crossing Thunderpaths, y'know, the typical travel book stuff for a few hundred pages. Oh, and also witnessing the sexual tension between Bristlefrost and Rootspring and Needleclaw takes the role of "possessive sister who tries to convince her sibling that he shouldn't be in a forbidden romance with a cat from another Clan" and all that. Meanwhile, Mothwing convinces Tigerstar and Puddleshine to basically demote Shadowsight from his role as a medicine cat and decide the best way to punish him was make him take care of the cat that manipulated him and abused him in the first place. While Briss and Root are flirting with each other to find the Sisters, Shadowsight gets unfairly treated for 70% of this book. Meanwhile, the Clans are arguing about whether they should kill Bramblestart's body or not for the 2308239729th time. Briss and Root eventually find the Sisters, they go to the Clans, and when they do the ritual to call all the souls in the forst in an attempt to find Bramblestar, Bramblestar is nowhere to be seen, but all the other cats who died previously in the arc are all evidently in pain, and Ashfur's soul is there as well, looking pleased. This is probably my favorite scene in the entire book, but it doesn't make up for the 200+ pages of filler before it, sadly. The Clans then eventually stop stalling and decide to vote whether to kill Ashfur or not, and eventually, Squirrelflight is outvoted 3-2. (Mistystar voting on Squirrelflight's side and the other leaders voting in favor of killing Bramblestar, but who can blame them?) and then meanwhile, Shadowsight just gets the news that Ashfur is about to be executed, and Ashfur convinces Shadowsight to let him go after threatening that he has control over the souls and that killing Bramblestar's body wouldn't stop him. Meanwhile, Squirrelflight was actually planning to make a last-ditch attempt to save Incelfur, but is convinced otherwise by Bristlefrost eventually. Meanwhile, Shadowsight lets go of Ashfur, runs to the other leaders who were about to execute Ashfur (Lionblaze replacing Squirrelflight, who's probably about to kill Shadowsight in the next book), the final chapter ends in Rootspring's perspective, who sees Ashfur kidnapping Squirrelflight and taking her to the Dark Forest through the Moonpool.
So,,, yeah. In conclusion, this book was pretty fillery for the most part, but it had a good ending and cliffhanger that sets things up nicely for the next book. I really liked that we got to see the Sisters again and really liked their ritual scene, and I appreciated the insight into Shadowsight even though I didn't appreciate what happened to Mothwing or BristlexRoot being so obviously forced. At this point, it's pretty much canon and there's no point in fighting it, so guess I'll live with it. The characters barely get any development and the only thing that really progresses in the book is the plot, but Ashfur is an excellent villian, definitely the best in the entire series, and the ending of this book saved the book from being a complete whiplash.
Overall, 3/5, actually looking forward to the next book
Let's start off with the protagonists. Rootspring was my favorite character for most of the arc, but gotta say, he goes kind of downhill in this book. I liked that he's beginning to accept his powers and be more comfortable with using it for the good of his Clan, but he's now being pushed into another forbidden romance with Bristlefrost and his character isn't really appealing to me the way it was in The Silent Thaw or Veil of Shadows. Maybe it's because the three first books were written by Cherith and this book was written by Kate?
Bristlefrost is just,,, no. Her only purpose in this book is to be Rootspring's love interest and all the scenes where they were flirting was just,,,, no. I've never really liked BristleRoot as a ship because Bristle's crush on Rootspring just feels sudden and forced out of nowhere because apparently, every Warrior Cats protagonist needs a love interest, apparently. Heck, if I recall correctly, the only protagonist in the entire series without a love interest is Hollyleaf, I think? But I digress. Bristlefrost has seen Rootspring as this little kid and was always embarassed whenever Rootspring admitted he had a crush on her, but her character was just completely thrown out of the window in this book just for the sake of forcing another forbidden romance no one asked for.
Shadowsight is surprisingly the most likeable out of the protagonists in this book in my opinion because you really get a lot of insight into how he feels insecure and guilty and resentful about how he was tricked by Ashfur, how the Clan is evidently treating him with resentment and unfairly treating him, etc. I just wish Mothwing wasn't such a jerk to him, because it just,,, doesn't fall in line with her character to me and I feel like it's extremely out of character for her to act like she's better than Shadowsight like that, even if she WAS stressed about Mistystar's treatment of her. I can honestly understand why Shadowsight let Ashfur go at the end of this book.
Oh, one more character to mention. I know Spotfur isn't a protagonist, but I honestly really liked her as a supporting character in this book. And I absolutely knew she would be pregnant by the end of the third book. It's just a cliche at this point. But either way, hope we see more of her in the later books. She's probably my favorite character introduced in this arc.
Anyways, let's move on to the plot of this book. The book starts out with the leaders capturing Bramblestar's impostor and Squirrelflight tricks him into admitting that he was Ashfur, which was pretty obvious at this point (unless you decided to skip the previous books for some reason), let's be honest, but I'm glad that they revealed it now instead of dragging it out longer. The Clans debate on whether they should kill Ashfur or not, Squirrelflight complains about how Bramblestar then wouldn't be able to return to his body and that it's not certain whether that would even completely stop Ashfur, etc, while the rest of the Clan leaders don't have any common sense and are just like "Nah let's kill Bramblestar's body that'll definitely stop Ashfur no matter what." They then decide to send Bristlefrost, Spotfur, Rootspring, and Needleclaw on a quest to find the Sisters (if you didn't read Squirrelflight's Hope you're going to be very confused) to determine what happened to Bramblestar's soul, which means you get to see them running away from dogs, Twolegs, crossing Thunderpaths, y'know, the typical travel book stuff for a few hundred pages. Oh, and also witnessing the sexual tension between Bristlefrost and Rootspring and Needleclaw takes the role of "possessive sister who tries to convince her sibling that he shouldn't be in a forbidden romance with a cat from another Clan" and all that. Meanwhile, Mothwing convinces Tigerstar and Puddleshine to basically demote Shadowsight from his role as a medicine cat and decide the best way to punish him was make him take care of the cat that manipulated him and abused him in the first place. While Briss and Root are flirting with each other to find the Sisters, Shadowsight gets unfairly treated for 70% of this book. Meanwhile, the Clans are arguing about whether they should kill Bramblestart's body or not for the 2308239729th time. Briss and Root eventually find the Sisters, they go to the Clans, and when they do the ritual to call all the souls in the forst in an attempt to find Bramblestar, Bramblestar is nowhere to be seen, but all the other cats who died previously in the arc are all evidently in pain, and Ashfur's soul is there as well, looking pleased. This is probably my favorite scene in the entire book, but it doesn't make up for the 200+ pages of filler before it, sadly. The Clans then eventually stop stalling and decide to vote whether to kill Ashfur or not, and eventually, Squirrelflight is outvoted 3-2. (Mistystar voting on Squirrelflight's side and the other leaders voting in favor of killing Bramblestar, but who can blame them?) and then meanwhile, Shadowsight just gets the news that Ashfur is about to be executed, and Ashfur convinces Shadowsight to let him go after threatening that he has control over the souls and that killing Bramblestar's body wouldn't stop him. Meanwhile, Squirrelflight was actually planning to make a last-ditch attempt to save Incelfur, but is convinced otherwise by Bristlefrost eventually. Meanwhile, Shadowsight lets go of Ashfur, runs to the other leaders who were about to execute Ashfur (Lionblaze replacing Squirrelflight, who's probably about to kill Shadowsight in the next book), the final chapter ends in Rootspring's perspective, who sees Ashfur kidnapping Squirrelflight and taking her to the Dark Forest through the Moonpool.
So,,, yeah. In conclusion, this book was pretty fillery for the most part, but it had a good ending and cliffhanger that sets things up nicely for the next book. I really liked that we got to see the Sisters again and really liked their ritual scene, and I appreciated the insight into Shadowsight even though I didn't appreciate what happened to Mothwing or BristlexRoot being so obviously forced. At this point, it's pretty much canon and there's no point in fighting it, so guess I'll live with it. The characters barely get any development and the only thing that really progresses in the book is the plot, but Ashfur is an excellent villian, definitely the best in the entire series, and the ending of this book saved the book from being a complete whiplash.
Overall, 3/5, actually looking forward to the next book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2024
Mid three stars. This book was not great, even for Warriors.
As usual, the fourth in the arc is my least favorite. I’ve read this book before, but only once or twice, so I didn’t recall most of it. Now I see why. Darkness Within isn’t terrible, but it certainly isn’t great. The whole book is like a big meh.
Storywise, the book feels very slow and repetitive. We get typical clan arguments about easily-resolved topics, a (thankfully quick) journey section, more pointless arguments, poorly done romance, even more arguments, and countless cats acting like jerks for the sake of creating conflict. The story definitely had some interesting parts, like bringing back the Sisters and attempting to develop Spotfur, who is a side character. However, the rest of the book felt horribly contrived and fake. Mothwing, Puddleshine, and to an extent Tigerheartstar all lose their entire personalities so Shadowsight can feel bad enough to let Ashfur go. All the clan leaders and medicine cats either do nothing or exist as plot devices for the ENTIRE BOOK. And don’t even get me started on the Squilf leader thing (I’ll get to it later:). Yeah, all of this is normal for Warriors, but when it’s a book where nothing important happens for 320 pages, all of these problems are exacerbated and become far more annoying than usual.
Alright. Let’s talk characters.
I’ll get Bristlefrost out of the way first. I already ranted about her in my Veil of Shadows review, but I’ll summarize that here since my complaints remain mostly the same. I am ok with BristlexRoot. I think it’s cute, and they’re a rare nontoxic ship for Warriors. I am NOT ok with BristlexRoot becoming all of Bristlefrost’s personality. When she’s not in ThunderClan or actively worrying about it, she’s thinking of Rootspring. Which would be annoying but tolerable if she had shown any interest in him whatsoever before the last 50 pages of VoS. To make it worse, she is getting the typical Warriors she-cat treatment: losing her personality as soon as a love interest shows up. Not to mention, even when she isn’t thinking about Rootspring, her personality has devolved into the same constant worrying of every other Warriors protagonist ever. She has become nothing more than a pair of eyes in ThunderClan, because she doesn’t do ANYTHING this book. Bristlefrost feels useless and flat now, and it’s really sad.
Thankfully Rootspring isn’t that bad. I liked him this book, and he might be back to being my favorite protagonist. Did he do anything? No. But neither did anyone this book, so that’s not really a good judge. (Ok, yes, the main characters all physically did stuff, but it wasn’t important to the overall plot. For example, the Sisters’ ceremony happened and they had to be found, but the ceremony didn’t change the leaders’ decision at all. Therefore, the overall plot was not impacted, and the quest was pointless.) I really liked his relationship with this Sisters, although I was a bit conflicted on how to feel with the whole ‘speaking to the earth’ thing. I mean, he can already see ghosts, and Tree couldn’t speak to the earth... The good news is it’ll probably never be brought up again, so it doesn’t matter. I have little to say on Rootspring’s CHARACTER this book, but I do like his new respect for his powers.
Shadowsight. Oh dear. On the one hand, he’s probably the best personality-wise this book. He stayed consistent with the previous books, but this was a newer side to him. We’ve never seen him this unsure of himself, and while it hurt to see, I did really like that the Erins tried this with him. On the other hand, half the cats in ShadowClan had to lose their personality for it to happen. But Shadowsight himself was pretty good this book.
Ok. Last rant. Squirrelflight, leadership, and sexism in Warriors! Hooray! I probably should save this for next book when it gets really bad, but I can’t wait on this any longer. As many other people have mentioned, the Erins wrote themselves into a corner with the imposter thing. We are supposed to want Bramblestar back because he is better than Ashfur. But to do this, we have to overlook how awful BRAMBLESTAR is to Squilf, too. So that’s already not looking great. But then it gets worse. Squilf becomes acting leader of ThunderClan. And suddenly, no one listens to her. No one respects Squilf at all (especially the toms). The argument for this is that her judgement must be clouded because her mate is in danger. For matters surrounding the imposter, yeah that could make sense. But for everything else? Why is it so hard to respect Squilf, when next book Graystripe, an ELDER, comes back after abandoning his clan (of his own will and in a more final way than Squilf did) and suddenly everyone is hero-worshipping him and listening to everything he says?
Is it a stretch to tie that to sexism? If this wasn’t Warriors, I would say it could be. But this series has a very specific way of treating their female characters, and as far as I know, it hasn’t gotten better in the new series. Sunnyfall has made an amazing video on this, and I’ll link that at the end of the review. That video explains Warriors and sexism way better than I ever could.
Anyways. I promise I do enjoy reading these books. This is my childhood series, I love the writing style, and I want to keep reading them as long as the Erins keep making them. But I am absolutely going to rant and call out what the books do poorly, in the hopes that maybe we’ll see some improvement in these areas in the future.
Darkness Within wasn’t all bad. The journey scenes weren’t boring since we haven’t left the lake territories in a while, and I appreciated giving Spotfur some complex feelings about having kits. Like I said earlier, BristlexRoot is cute when it isn’t detracting from the story, and I loved Rootspring’s relationship with the Sisters. I also really liked Lightleap’s sibling relationship with Shadowsight in this book; I thought it was super wholesome and very well-done.
I do hope I like The Place of No Stars a bit better than this one, but overall not the worst Warriors has done.
Sunnyfall’s wonderful video about Warriors and sexism, for anyone who’s interested:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFGfz...
As usual, the fourth in the arc is my least favorite. I’ve read this book before, but only once or twice, so I didn’t recall most of it. Now I see why. Darkness Within isn’t terrible, but it certainly isn’t great. The whole book is like a big meh.
Storywise, the book feels very slow and repetitive. We get typical clan arguments about easily-resolved topics, a (thankfully quick) journey section, more pointless arguments, poorly done romance, even more arguments, and countless cats acting like jerks for the sake of creating conflict. The story definitely had some interesting parts, like bringing back the Sisters and attempting to develop Spotfur, who is a side character. However, the rest of the book felt horribly contrived and fake. Mothwing, Puddleshine, and to an extent Tigerheartstar all lose their entire personalities so Shadowsight can feel bad enough to let Ashfur go. All the clan leaders and medicine cats either do nothing or exist as plot devices for the ENTIRE BOOK. And don’t even get me started on the Squilf leader thing (I’ll get to it later:). Yeah, all of this is normal for Warriors, but when it’s a book where nothing important happens for 320 pages, all of these problems are exacerbated and become far more annoying than usual.
Alright. Let’s talk characters.
I’ll get Bristlefrost out of the way first. I already ranted about her in my Veil of Shadows review, but I’ll summarize that here since my complaints remain mostly the same. I am ok with BristlexRoot. I think it’s cute, and they’re a rare nontoxic ship for Warriors. I am NOT ok with BristlexRoot becoming all of Bristlefrost’s personality. When she’s not in ThunderClan or actively worrying about it, she’s thinking of Rootspring. Which would be annoying but tolerable if she had shown any interest in him whatsoever before the last 50 pages of VoS. To make it worse, she is getting the typical Warriors she-cat treatment: losing her personality as soon as a love interest shows up. Not to mention, even when she isn’t thinking about Rootspring, her personality has devolved into the same constant worrying of every other Warriors protagonist ever. She has become nothing more than a pair of eyes in ThunderClan, because she doesn’t do ANYTHING this book. Bristlefrost feels useless and flat now, and it’s really sad.
Thankfully Rootspring isn’t that bad. I liked him this book, and he might be back to being my favorite protagonist. Did he do anything? No. But neither did anyone this book, so that’s not really a good judge. (Ok, yes, the main characters all physically did stuff, but it wasn’t important to the overall plot. For example, the Sisters’ ceremony happened and they had to be found, but the ceremony didn’t change the leaders’ decision at all. Therefore, the overall plot was not impacted, and the quest was pointless.) I really liked his relationship with this Sisters, although I was a bit conflicted on how to feel with the whole ‘speaking to the earth’ thing. I mean, he can already see ghosts, and Tree couldn’t speak to the earth... The good news is it’ll probably never be brought up again, so it doesn’t matter. I have little to say on Rootspring’s CHARACTER this book, but I do like his new respect for his powers.
Shadowsight. Oh dear. On the one hand, he’s probably the best personality-wise this book. He stayed consistent with the previous books, but this was a newer side to him. We’ve never seen him this unsure of himself, and while it hurt to see, I did really like that the Erins tried this with him. On the other hand, half the cats in ShadowClan had to lose their personality for it to happen. But Shadowsight himself was pretty good this book.
Ok. Last rant. Squirrelflight, leadership, and sexism in Warriors! Hooray! I probably should save this for next book when it gets really bad, but I can’t wait on this any longer. As many other people have mentioned, the Erins wrote themselves into a corner with the imposter thing. We are supposed to want Bramblestar back because he is better than Ashfur. But to do this, we have to overlook how awful BRAMBLESTAR is to Squilf, too. So that’s already not looking great. But then it gets worse. Squilf becomes acting leader of ThunderClan. And suddenly, no one listens to her. No one respects Squilf at all (especially the toms). The argument for this is that her judgement must be clouded because her mate is in danger. For matters surrounding the imposter, yeah that could make sense. But for everything else? Why is it so hard to respect Squilf, when next book Graystripe, an ELDER, comes back after abandoning his clan (of his own will and in a more final way than Squilf did) and suddenly everyone is hero-worshipping him and listening to everything he says?
Is it a stretch to tie that to sexism? If this wasn’t Warriors, I would say it could be. But this series has a very specific way of treating their female characters, and as far as I know, it hasn’t gotten better in the new series. Sunnyfall has made an amazing video on this, and I’ll link that at the end of the review. That video explains Warriors and sexism way better than I ever could.
Anyways. I promise I do enjoy reading these books. This is my childhood series, I love the writing style, and I want to keep reading them as long as the Erins keep making them. But I am absolutely going to rant and call out what the books do poorly, in the hopes that maybe we’ll see some improvement in these areas in the future.
Darkness Within wasn’t all bad. The journey scenes weren’t boring since we haven’t left the lake territories in a while, and I appreciated giving Spotfur some complex feelings about having kits. Like I said earlier, BristlexRoot is cute when it isn’t detracting from the story, and I loved Rootspring’s relationship with the Sisters. I also really liked Lightleap’s sibling relationship with Shadowsight in this book; I thought it was super wholesome and very well-done.
I do hope I like The Place of No Stars a bit better than this one, but overall not the worst Warriors has done.
Sunnyfall’s wonderful video about Warriors and sexism, for anyone who’s interested:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFGfz...
Currently reading
December 8, 2021thunderclan is in real hardship after ashfur caused many cats to die and suffer pain, bramble stars soul is still wandering and starclan is still dissconected from the clans around the lake. Rootspring and tree talked to a kitty pet ghost and she said she saw souls, So tree and rootspring are looking for those lost souls to see if they know anything about starclan and bramblestar
November 7, 2021
2.25 stars, I guess.
I would not recommend going any further if you do not want spoilers.
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~this is not in any order, just my thoughts everwhere ~
Finally, the big bad wolf is revealed, and it is no one other than Ashfur - which everyone already had guessed. I was okay with the thought of Ashfur being the villain in the beginning, but what bothers me the most is the fact that they've made a hen out of a feather. Sure, he was a bad boy when he was alive, but not as bad as they portray him. His obsession with Squirrel was just??? He was allowed back into starclan because his only fault was love, for that "love" where he almost killed 4 cats??? While leafpool was on a trail for birthing, 3 cats who saved the clans??? (This is still not a subject I can let go)
One of the things I did enjoy about his character this time thought was how manipulative he could be and how he could jab at different character's weaknesses.
Thunderclan is in grave danger of falling apart, I love and hate it at the same time. The thing I found most hilarious was the outburst that only Firestars kin could be special and be leaders, fair. On the other hand, I hated how much of a punching bag Squirrel has become during the series, I miss my fight hard cinnamon roll from the new prophecy series.
The big quarrel through this book is that should they kill Ashfur or let him live in Bramblestars body. As usually, almost everyone is pro-kill, except Squirrel and a few still loyal thunderclancats. Since Rootspring has not seen bramblestars ghost for a while everyone thinks it’s too late, b ut through some teamwork they believe that the sisters could be of some use again even though half the clans wanted to murder them the last time *cough* tigerstar*cough*.
So Rootspring, Needleclaw, Bristlefrost and Spotfur goes on a journey (wo-ho..). It creates some tension between Root, Needle and Bristle since Root and Bristle are so in love and Needle is codered-codered-codered.
The group find the sisters and bring them back, where they preform a ritual with Rootspring as the main part, since he is their kin and can speak with the earth. Upon doing their Ouija board summing they see tons of ghosts all whaling in pain and no bramblestar to behold – but wait why is ashfur standing there when he should be in brambles body???
After the summoning, the leaders decides to murder Bramblestars body to get rid of ashfur, except for the fact that they have proof that the boy can live without a body, so why do they need to kill this body exactly? I mean, I rather have an enemy which I can see and in some way control rather than a ghost chasing me all the time and only certain people can see them? Since they could bump brambles body and then ashfur woke up, why not just keep him awake all the time? Plot I guess.
Anyway, ashfur manages to escape, meets Squirrel at the moonpool where she is mourning brambles death and drag her into hell. Just a joyride for us all, do not you agree.
Oh, wait did not we have 3 main characters in this story? Right Shadowsight, he got bullied by Mothwhing who now has changed her personality to please the Erins plot. She gets Tigerstar and Puddleshine on her side, and they tell him to become an apprentice again, since he cannot be trusted because he was wrong with his visions. This boy only meant to do good, and why is the atheist cat the one to tell him that he has no experience with talking with starclan, when she does not even believe in them??? I just do not get it. Oh well, he then becomes Ashfurs caretaker and that’s all he does in this book.
I would not recommend going any further if you do not want spoilers.
=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=
~this is not in any order, just my thoughts everwhere ~
Finally, the big bad wolf is revealed, and it is no one other than Ashfur - which everyone already had guessed. I was okay with the thought of Ashfur being the villain in the beginning, but what bothers me the most is the fact that they've made a hen out of a feather. Sure, he was a bad boy when he was alive, but not as bad as they portray him. His obsession with Squirrel was just??? He was allowed back into starclan because his only fault was love, for that "love" where he almost killed 4 cats??? While leafpool was on a trail for birthing, 3 cats who saved the clans??? (This is still not a subject I can let go)
One of the things I did enjoy about his character this time thought was how manipulative he could be and how he could jab at different character's weaknesses.
Thunderclan is in grave danger of falling apart, I love and hate it at the same time. The thing I found most hilarious was the outburst that only Firestars kin could be special and be leaders, fair. On the other hand, I hated how much of a punching bag Squirrel has become during the series, I miss my fight hard cinnamon roll from the new prophecy series.
The big quarrel through this book is that should they kill Ashfur or let him live in Bramblestars body. As usually, almost everyone is pro-kill, except Squirrel and a few still loyal thunderclancats. Since Rootspring has not seen bramblestars ghost for a while everyone thinks it’s too late, b ut through some teamwork they believe that the sisters could be of some use again even though half the clans wanted to murder them the last time *cough* tigerstar*cough*.
So Rootspring, Needleclaw, Bristlefrost and Spotfur goes on a journey (wo-ho..). It creates some tension between Root, Needle and Bristle since Root and Bristle are so in love and Needle is codered-codered-codered.
The group find the sisters and bring them back, where they preform a ritual with Rootspring as the main part, since he is their kin and can speak with the earth. Upon doing their Ouija board summing they see tons of ghosts all whaling in pain and no bramblestar to behold – but wait why is ashfur standing there when he should be in brambles body???
After the summoning, the leaders decides to murder Bramblestars body to get rid of ashfur, except for the fact that they have proof that the boy can live without a body, so why do they need to kill this body exactly? I mean, I rather have an enemy which I can see and in some way control rather than a ghost chasing me all the time and only certain people can see them? Since they could bump brambles body and then ashfur woke up, why not just keep him awake all the time? Plot I guess.
Anyway, ashfur manages to escape, meets Squirrel at the moonpool where she is mourning brambles death and drag her into hell. Just a joyride for us all, do not you agree.
Oh, wait did not we have 3 main characters in this story? Right Shadowsight, he got bullied by Mothwhing who now has changed her personality to please the Erins plot. She gets Tigerstar and Puddleshine on her side, and they tell him to become an apprentice again, since he cannot be trusted because he was wrong with his visions. This boy only meant to do good, and why is the atheist cat the one to tell him that he has no experience with talking with starclan, when she does not even believe in them??? I just do not get it. Oh well, he then becomes Ashfurs caretaker and that’s all he does in this book.
December 25, 2020
I cannot believe this
Erin hunter don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan. But this book absolutely made me furious. HOW DARE YOU PUT MY BOI SHADOWSIGHT THROUGH THAT KIND OF ABUSE HES BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH. At this point imma just assume that you’re trying to punish the cats who WANTED to be medicine cats.
•First there was Leadpool. She had to give up her job because she made a mistake. Her kits HATED her for a while, can you imagine what that was like for her? Then she got her job back, which is good, but now suddenly she’s dead.
•Then there was Flametail. He was so excited to be a medicine cat. He was so sweet. Then he had to suffer his deputy’s death, and soon he’s trapped under ice.
•Now Shadowsight. He was such an innocent boi, but because he made a mistake he’s being put through abuse by his clan and SOMEONE WHO ISNT EVEN A CLAN CAT. I know it’s wrong to hold Mothwing’s past against her, but who does she think she is, prancing into ShadowClan and acting like she owns the place? This attitude better lay off in the next book, or there will be a lot of revenge.
Erin hunter don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan. But this book absolutely made me furious. HOW DARE YOU PUT MY BOI SHADOWSIGHT THROUGH THAT KIND OF ABUSE HES BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH. At this point imma just assume that you’re trying to punish the cats who WANTED to be medicine cats.
•First there was Leadpool. She had to give up her job because she made a mistake. Her kits HATED her for a while, can you imagine what that was like for her? Then she got her job back, which is good, but now suddenly she’s dead.
•Then there was Flametail. He was so excited to be a medicine cat. He was so sweet. Then he had to suffer his deputy’s death, and soon he’s trapped under ice.
•Now Shadowsight. He was such an innocent boi, but because he made a mistake he’s being put through abuse by his clan and SOMEONE WHO ISNT EVEN A CLAN CAT. I know it’s wrong to hold Mothwing’s past against her, but who does she think she is, prancing into ShadowClan and acting like she owns the place? This attitude better lay off in the next book, or there will be a lot of revenge.
December 16, 2020
OH MY STARCLANNN
I can’t believe it, best TBC book yet!!
It started out simple with the adventure to the find the sisters. They found Sunrise and her group and they agreed to see what they could do. On the Journey back she taught Rootspring about listening to the earth, and that he can talk to the earth which helped Moon. When they got back the Sisters performed a ceremony to try to find Bramblestar and they saw all of the miserable spirits. Including Ashfur which seemed pleased with the others suffering.
During this time Shadowsight is being abused by Ashfur this whole book is Ashfur bullying Shadowsight basically along with the other two MC’s living their best life. I tried to give a summery and this is the summery of the first half but I want to give my favorite book moments.
- leaf I love him I want more of him
- All of the sisters ceremonies I loved to read them
- the scene where Ashfur summons what looks like Bramblestar and spire sights ghost to convince Shadowsight to let him go
- The fight between Lionblaze and Ashfur and Tigerstar, Hawkwing and Ashfur
- half of the characters just saying F this crap I’m out
- THE FINAL MOMENT WHERE ROOTSPRING WATCHES ASHFUR DRAG SQUIRRELFLIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOONPOOL, WITH CONTEXT FROM THE NEXT BOOK HE DRAGGED HER DOWN TO HELL
I loved Spotfurs Character development and the interesting story of a future mother grieving for her dead mate. She doesn’t want his kits at first but Bristlefrost convinced her to take care of the kits so they can live on with his legacy.
Other characterization is Needleclaw
Throughout the first three books her only personality trait was that she was Rootsprings sister. In short words she was basic. But in this book she gains a personality. She’s strict to the code and hates the glances and fur rubs against Bristlefrost and wants Rootspring to find a mate in his own clan.
Another character I want to talk about is Shadowsight. This is a clear character who’s being Manipulated and mentally abused by Ashfur. Mothwing convinced others to strip him of his medicine cat title and he could only take care of Ashfur. Which Ashfur was playing mind games with him.
Shadowsight was my favorite POV to read about. I can’t wait for the next book to expand on this more
Needless to say I loved this book and I don’t think I can wait for the next book. Luckily after this I’m reading graystripe’s vow so YAY MORE TBC CONTENT
.
I can’t believe it, best TBC book yet!!
It started out simple with the adventure to the find the sisters. They found Sunrise and her group and they agreed to see what they could do. On the Journey back she taught Rootspring about listening to the earth, and that he can talk to the earth which helped Moon. When they got back the Sisters performed a ceremony to try to find Bramblestar and they saw all of the miserable spirits. Including Ashfur which seemed pleased with the others suffering.
During this time Shadowsight is being abused by Ashfur this whole book is Ashfur bullying Shadowsight basically along with the other two MC’s living their best life. I tried to give a summery and this is the summery of the first half but I want to give my favorite book moments.
- leaf I love him I want more of him
- All of the sisters ceremonies I loved to read them
- the scene where Ashfur summons what looks like Bramblestar and spire sights ghost to convince Shadowsight to let him go
- The fight between Lionblaze and Ashfur and Tigerstar, Hawkwing and Ashfur
- half of the characters just saying F this crap I’m out
- THE FINAL MOMENT WHERE ROOTSPRING WATCHES ASHFUR DRAG SQUIRRELFLIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOONPOOL, WITH CONTEXT FROM THE NEXT BOOK HE DRAGGED HER DOWN TO HELL
I loved Spotfurs Character development and the interesting story of a future mother grieving for her dead mate. She doesn’t want his kits at first but Bristlefrost convinced her to take care of the kits so they can live on with his legacy.
Other characterization is Needleclaw
Throughout the first three books her only personality trait was that she was Rootsprings sister. In short words she was basic. But in this book she gains a personality. She’s strict to the code and hates the glances and fur rubs against Bristlefrost and wants Rootspring to find a mate in his own clan.
Another character I want to talk about is Shadowsight. This is a clear character who’s being Manipulated and mentally abused by Ashfur. Mothwing convinced others to strip him of his medicine cat title and he could only take care of Ashfur. Which Ashfur was playing mind games with him.
Shadowsight was my favorite POV to read about. I can’t wait for the next book to expand on this more
Needless to say I loved this book and I don’t think I can wait for the next book. Luckily after this I’m reading graystripe’s vow so YAY MORE TBC CONTENT
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
Premise: After moons of treachery, the identity of Bramblestar's imposter has finally been revealed! But even then, from the start, that's the least of the troubles for the Clans beside the lake. Even with the imposter in captivity, there's still the matter of getting the real Bramblestar back. But his spirit hasn't been seen in so long. Worse, the more time passes, the more the Clans learn. And the more they learn, the more calls there are for the imposter's death. Is Bramblestar truly gone? And even if he is, will killing the imposter just make things far worse?
Man, how I do regret having waited this long to read the newest installment in the "Broken Code" arc, and after it came out on my birthday! Well, better late than never. In all seriousness though, we may be halfway through this arc, but it feels like the real trouble is only just beginning! First of all, not to brag but…I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW it was Ashfur who stole Bramblestar's body! I knew it from the second book! But aside from that…honestly…I don't think I've hated a villain as much as I now hate Ashfur. By the time this arc is over, I hope the starways are bathed in his blood…! Okay, maybe that was a little dark, but I honestly hope he suffers ten times the suffering he's unleashed throughout this arc! He is supremely selfish, merciless, ruthless, cruel, vengeful, and will stoop to the lowest of lows to get what he wants! More, he plays almost every character in this book like a fiddle! Poor Shadowsight gets demoted (And how DARE you Lionblaze for attacking him at the end! If that's what happened!), and even when Rootspring and Bristlefrost find the Sisters and get them to perform the ceremony to find Bramblestar's spirit, it only heightens how much more of a threat Ashfur is. I don't know how he's making the dead suffer so much, and I don't know what he's done to Bramblestar, but whatever deal with the devil he made, I hope he eventually rots! Worst of all, he's kidnapped Squirrelflight after she's spent this whole book being stretched to the breaking point about the fate of her mate! All I can say is I hope all my favorite characters are vindicated by the end, and I hope everyone agrees with me that Ashfur is completely gone. By which I mean, he's become something far worse than even his grandfather Thistleclaw ever was!
Man, how I do regret having waited this long to read the newest installment in the "Broken Code" arc, and after it came out on my birthday! Well, better late than never. In all seriousness though, we may be halfway through this arc, but it feels like the real trouble is only just beginning! First of all, not to brag but…I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW it was Ashfur who stole Bramblestar's body! I knew it from the second book! But aside from that…honestly…I don't think I've hated a villain as much as I now hate Ashfur. By the time this arc is over, I hope the starways are bathed in his blood…! Okay, maybe that was a little dark, but I honestly hope he suffers ten times the suffering he's unleashed throughout this arc! He is supremely selfish, merciless, ruthless, cruel, vengeful, and will stoop to the lowest of lows to get what he wants! More, he plays almost every character in this book like a fiddle! Poor Shadowsight gets demoted (And how DARE you Lionblaze for attacking him at the end! If that's what happened!), and even when Rootspring and Bristlefrost find the Sisters and get them to perform the ceremony to find Bramblestar's spirit, it only heightens how much more of a threat Ashfur is. I don't know how he's making the dead suffer so much, and I don't know what he's done to Bramblestar, but whatever deal with the devil he made, I hope he eventually rots! Worst of all, he's kidnapped Squirrelflight after she's spent this whole book being stretched to the breaking point about the fate of her mate! All I can say is I hope all my favorite characters are vindicated by the end, and I hope everyone agrees with me that Ashfur is completely gone. By which I mean, he's become something far worse than even his grandfather Thistleclaw ever was!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2021
Alright so Erin Hunter is really pushing this series. Not this particular series, just Warriors in general. It’s been going on for awhile and the books are starting to get boring and the characters are no where near as good as they used to be. I could just be growing out of these books, which I think is part of it, but I looked at the ratings on the first book of the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th series. The 5th and 6th first books had ratings of like 4.45 while the 1st and 2nd had like 4.25. The difference was that the 1st and 2nd had 40,000 ratings and the 5th and 6th had 3,000 so I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks this. Also the series now are constantly mentioning one little detail that is so important to the series but the only way to know what it is is to buy a super edition. Cheap move. I’m not saying these books are bad now. I still have it 4 stars. But they aren’t as good as the used to be and I don’t want to have to by a bunch of bonus books to understand the plot of the main story. And Warriors lasted a while before it became like this in my opinion. I enjoyed the books a lot until after the 4th series.
EDIT: I forgot to point out how they have really started repeating things. Oh two people can’t be with each other? Where have I heard that. Firestar and Spottedleaf, Graystripe and Silverstream, Stormfur and the girl from the tribe, Leafpool and Crowfeather, Dovewing and Tigerstar, etc. And a problematic medicine cat? Jayfeather and Cinderpelt. Leafpool too for liking Crowfeather.
EDIT: I forgot to point out how they have really started repeating things. Oh two people can’t be with each other? Where have I heard that. Firestar and Spottedleaf, Graystripe and Silverstream, Stormfur and the girl from the tribe, Leafpool and Crowfeather, Dovewing and Tigerstar, etc. And a problematic medicine cat? Jayfeather and Cinderpelt. Leafpool too for liking Crowfeather.
May 21, 2021
Likes:
Root & Bristle’s cute romance
Cloverfoot is a GREAT deputy
Dark forest is back!! WooHoo!
Crowfeather is so sassy 😂
Shadowclan perspective is a blessing
Dislikes:
Bristlefrost in general
All the weird new names
Cats leaving Thunderclan- this made no sense to me, especially Thornclaw
Berrynose’s death was so anticlimactic! After hating him for 3 full series’s he just died randomly and it’s never discussed
The rebellion felt like it had a lot of unused potential which was a bit disappointing
Mothwing’s character development did not land with me
Lionblaze seems unnecessarily violent throughout this series
I miss Blackstar’s Shadowclan
Also I have mixed feelings about Spotfur. Her single mom storyline will be interesting to see play out, and I loved her relationship with the sisters. However, I thought her potential was somewhat wasted and she just felt like a side character. I hope she’s treated better and gets some good character development in the next two books.
Review continued under Place of No Stars
Root & Bristle’s cute romance
Cloverfoot is a GREAT deputy
Dark forest is back!! WooHoo!
Crowfeather is so sassy 😂
Shadowclan perspective is a blessing
Dislikes:
Bristlefrost in general
All the weird new names
Cats leaving Thunderclan- this made no sense to me, especially Thornclaw
Berrynose’s death was so anticlimactic! After hating him for 3 full series’s he just died randomly and it’s never discussed
The rebellion felt like it had a lot of unused potential which was a bit disappointing
Mothwing’s character development did not land with me
Lionblaze seems unnecessarily violent throughout this series
I miss Blackstar’s Shadowclan
Also I have mixed feelings about Spotfur. Her single mom storyline will be interesting to see play out, and I loved her relationship with the sisters. However, I thought her potential was somewhat wasted and she just felt like a side character. I hope she’s treated better and gets some good character development in the next two books.
Review continued under Place of No Stars
June 26, 2022
I really wish that shadowsight and Bristlefrost had some sort of connection. There are theee main characters and one is friends with both while the other two have never had a conversation. I really liked this book though, it was a little drawn out at times but almost every book is. I’m glad it finally included the sisters, so I know how weirdly respectable they are. I can’t wait to read the next book!!!
December 31, 2020
3'5-4*
The book had good moments, but I find there were parts which were repetitive, mainly the ever present discussion of “shall we kill Bramblestar's body or not”, but I loved the Sisters, Tree, Rootspring & Bristlefrost romance and such.
The book had good moments, but I find there were parts which were repetitive, mainly the ever present discussion of “shall we kill Bramblestar's body or not”, but I loved the Sisters, Tree, Rootspring & Bristlefrost romance and such.
November 11, 2020
Definitely the weakest book in this arc so far, but still solid. Main characters are very likeable. Excited to see where this goes.
December 22, 2020
It was quite good, very well-written, and made me want to read it more. It's a good series and book but personally, I prefer the earlier Warriors books.
July 29, 2022
So much suffering
January 26, 2021
this... was a whole whirlwind of confusion the whole way through.
I think the way that the Erins keep introducing new aspects of the world even after almost two decades of books within the same universe is admirable but honestly this was a bit of a mess. is this the dark forest version two but amped up?? wtf is happening to the spirits? and why is ashfur, of all cats, "sent" back? and please I need an explanation for that strange prologue.
and did the whole main debate of the book have to be about the same issue of regicide? I understand that choosing to or not to kill a clan leader possessed by a malicious spirit is a huge issue but it didn't have to be argued over /that/ many times.
but complaints aside I love bristlefrost and rootspring's relationship. kudos for another realistic healthy relationship portrayal. That "I love you but I can't give up myself for you" and mutual respect moment at the end is absolute perfection mwah
and also what is shadowsight's narratives so sad for?? i did not ask to be crying over fictional cats.
in conclusion: I just want shadowsight to be happy but it's likely not going to happen, the sisters are absolutely superior to the clans, and I have so many questions.
I think the way that the Erins keep introducing new aspects of the world even after almost two decades of books within the same universe is admirable but honestly this was a bit of a mess. is this the dark forest version two but amped up?? wtf is happening to the spirits? and why is ashfur, of all cats, "sent" back? and please I need an explanation for that strange prologue.
and did the whole main debate of the book have to be about the same issue of regicide? I understand that choosing to or not to kill a clan leader possessed by a malicious spirit is a huge issue but it didn't have to be argued over /that/ many times.
but complaints aside I love bristlefrost and rootspring's relationship. kudos for another realistic healthy relationship portrayal. That "I love you but I can't give up myself for you" and mutual respect moment at the end is absolute perfection mwah
and also what is shadowsight's narratives so sad for?? i did not ask to be crying over fictional cats.
in conclusion: I just want shadowsight to be happy but it's likely not going to happen, the sisters are absolutely superior to the clans, and I have so many questions.
November 27, 2022
This was quite a good read for a series I haven’t touched in some months-and I wish I’d resumed it sooner!! I want to read the next in this great series, but I’m trying to shuffle my genres a bit.
All in all, this book did not disappoint! I recommend it for anyone who loves the Warriors series and anyone who enjoys stories with cats, wild and domestic! Such a great read and such a great series! Keep up the good work, Erin Hunter! 🐾📖📚💜
All in all, this book did not disappoint! I recommend it for anyone who loves the Warriors series and anyone who enjoys stories with cats, wild and domestic! Such a great read and such a great series! Keep up the good work, Erin Hunter! 🐾📖📚💜
June 26, 2024
6.00 on CAWPILE
Had this on audiobook while I cleaned my room today and it worked out perfectly that I finished cleaning just when the book was finished.
The actual story has gotten a bit more interesting, and the characters feel like they are really feeling real emotions that make sense for once. I have no idea if that sentence made any sense but it does in my head. Maybe this series arc of Warriors will end good?
Had this on audiobook while I cleaned my room today and it worked out perfectly that I finished cleaning just when the book was finished.
The actual story has gotten a bit more interesting, and the characters feel like they are really feeling real emotions that make sense for once. I have no idea if that sentence made any sense but it does in my head. Maybe this series arc of Warriors will end good?
November 19, 2020
First thing´s first, i need this off my chest. (tw for language)
Ok so the actual review.
This was definitely a filler book, no doubt about it. The plot was simple and carried on throughout the story, but it didn't feel flat or boring, which I'd feared. I was super worried after the last book that this one would be dissatisfying, since the big mystery of the series would be revealed so soon. As much as i hate to admit it, i really sided with Tigerstar close nr4 in regards to the imposter. I would have killed him ages ago had it been my decision, not even entirely because i hoped it would bring back Starclan or save the suffering souls, i just really want Bramblestar gone. It was honestly painful at every corner to listen to everyone praise that terrible little tom. Rarely do i loathe a character this much, at the very least Ashfur got the dignity of being a jerk and everyone agreeing to it. But Bramble? Nah, let him be the worst mate and leader of our time and still be considered an "honorable" and "good" cat. Mousedung.
Anywho, why side with the baddies wanting to kill the leader´s body? Because we really, truly did not know what kind of threat he posed otherwise. Yeah, sure, we don't wanna kill Bramble´s body blah blah, but if you look beyond that, what had the imposter said that implied he was valuable alive? Most of the time he's literally just asking to be murdered, which sure is to rile everyone up, but up Lionblaze had killed him when he could i might actually have started liking him.
Speaking of Lionblaze, no, speaking of a lost of characters honestly. Everyone is either consumed with anger and hate or deep grief and anxiety. Aside from the title characters, he and a handful others act super out of character. Lionblaze being so dismissive and violent. Mothwing with this sudden high attitude coming into Shadowclan and making new rules. Like, what happened here? Is it the imposter influencing them? Or is it just regular Erins bs? Who knows honestly.
I have to say, i was intrigued about the chapter where several members of Thunderclan leaves. I wont name names, but it's actually some surprising cats that decide to "wander" for a moon to think. One argument, which that fandom has been making since the new prophecy, was suddenly brought up. Ever since Firestar, his kin has been in every position of power in Thunderclan, from leaders to deputes to medicine cats. Until now that's just been a fandom joke, but now the nepotism is pointed out canonically, and, they're right? It's honestly bullshit that this has been going on for so long unchallenged. Honestly, this entire book felt like someone had taken a list of all the fandom quabbles and put it into the account. Not to mention we once again question the warrior code in regards to love outside of your clan. It's come up every series, but this time it seems even more highlighted than before. Now of course, the question remains, are they going to do anything about it? Addressing the problem is one thing, but if you don't act on it, then what was it for? My man, if you notice your car is covered in bird poop, putting up a sign pointing to it doesn't really solve anything, does it? We all know the habits of the Erins taking issues up and throwing them in the trash, but im gonna hold onto a little hope, seeing as the wandering cats have yet to return in this book. Will this be when warriors really change? Or will it be another short fuse?
Then, the romance section. I didn't care about BristleRoot before, and i certainly don't now. It's so easy to make people be in love. Fuzzy feelings whenever you look at them. A longing to be around them. Blushing and losing your words. Boom, they love each other. But, lets not forget that Bristlefrost was not in love with Root at all, until a sudden confession last book, where she "realized" her feelings for him. Root´s obsession turned into affection and now these two are stumbling over each other trying to be in love in the most insufferable way. I honestly couldn't tell them apart when they were in a scene together, they acted equally dumb and boring.
Squirrelflight? Squirrelflight! My poor girl, if only someone allowed her to hate her mate for the terrible cat he truly is (was,i will speak that into existence i swear)! She doesn't get the chance to be a leader at all, too busy mourning a cat that doesn't deserve a bite of her love. I'm terrified about what'll happen to her now. For once, the Erins have truly left me with a cliffhanger i can't solve. We don't know enough about the imposter´s power or true plans, and I for one am so psyched to see what's coming.
There's so much more to say, but I'm leaving it with that. I really enjoyed the book and sucked it up in less than 24 hrs, so i guess it's only 6months until next time. Toodles!
Ok so the actual review.
This was definitely a filler book, no doubt about it. The plot was simple and carried on throughout the story, but it didn't feel flat or boring, which I'd feared. I was super worried after the last book that this one would be dissatisfying, since the big mystery of the series would be revealed so soon. As much as i hate to admit it, i really sided with Tigerstar close nr4 in regards to the imposter. I would have killed him ages ago had it been my decision, not even entirely because i hoped it would bring back Starclan or save the suffering souls, i just really want Bramblestar gone. It was honestly painful at every corner to listen to everyone praise that terrible little tom. Rarely do i loathe a character this much, at the very least Ashfur got the dignity of being a jerk and everyone agreeing to it. But Bramble? Nah, let him be the worst mate and leader of our time and still be considered an "honorable" and "good" cat. Mousedung.
Anywho, why side with the baddies wanting to kill the leader´s body? Because we really, truly did not know what kind of threat he posed otherwise. Yeah, sure, we don't wanna kill Bramble´s body blah blah, but if you look beyond that, what had the imposter said that implied he was valuable alive? Most of the time he's literally just asking to be murdered, which sure is to rile everyone up, but up Lionblaze had killed him when he could i might actually have started liking him.
Speaking of Lionblaze, no, speaking of a lost of characters honestly. Everyone is either consumed with anger and hate or deep grief and anxiety. Aside from the title characters, he and a handful others act super out of character. Lionblaze being so dismissive and violent. Mothwing with this sudden high attitude coming into Shadowclan and making new rules. Like, what happened here? Is it the imposter influencing them? Or is it just regular Erins bs? Who knows honestly.
I have to say, i was intrigued about the chapter where several members of Thunderclan leaves. I wont name names, but it's actually some surprising cats that decide to "wander" for a moon to think. One argument, which that fandom has been making since the new prophecy, was suddenly brought up. Ever since Firestar, his kin has been in every position of power in Thunderclan, from leaders to deputes to medicine cats. Until now that's just been a fandom joke, but now the nepotism is pointed out canonically, and, they're right? It's honestly bullshit that this has been going on for so long unchallenged. Honestly, this entire book felt like someone had taken a list of all the fandom quabbles and put it into the account. Not to mention we once again question the warrior code in regards to love outside of your clan. It's come up every series, but this time it seems even more highlighted than before. Now of course, the question remains, are they going to do anything about it? Addressing the problem is one thing, but if you don't act on it, then what was it for? My man, if you notice your car is covered in bird poop, putting up a sign pointing to it doesn't really solve anything, does it? We all know the habits of the Erins taking issues up and throwing them in the trash, but im gonna hold onto a little hope, seeing as the wandering cats have yet to return in this book. Will this be when warriors really change? Or will it be another short fuse?
Then, the romance section. I didn't care about BristleRoot before, and i certainly don't now. It's so easy to make people be in love. Fuzzy feelings whenever you look at them. A longing to be around them. Blushing and losing your words. Boom, they love each other. But, lets not forget that Bristlefrost was not in love with Root at all, until a sudden confession last book, where she "realized" her feelings for him. Root´s obsession turned into affection and now these two are stumbling over each other trying to be in love in the most insufferable way. I honestly couldn't tell them apart when they were in a scene together, they acted equally dumb and boring.
Squirrelflight? Squirrelflight! My poor girl, if only someone allowed her to hate her mate for the terrible cat he truly is (was,i will speak that into existence i swear)! She doesn't get the chance to be a leader at all, too busy mourning a cat that doesn't deserve a bite of her love. I'm terrified about what'll happen to her now. For once, the Erins have truly left me with a cliffhanger i can't solve. We don't know enough about the imposter´s power or true plans, and I for one am so psyched to see what's coming.
There's so much more to say, but I'm leaving it with that. I really enjoyed the book and sucked it up in less than 24 hrs, so i guess it's only 6months until next time. Toodles!
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