Erin Hunter

I continue to read this series with an anthropological perspective: examining how it presents myths which dissolve unconsciously into a worldview, a conventional understanding of how things work, how things should be. Wondering what of this will filter down to R, shape her way of living in the world, after the manner my reading shaped mine.

This installment offers (without naming it as such) a comparison of authoritarianism and communitarianism, and shows how close the two are, how similar show more their origins and the intentions of those pushing for them. Along the way the story displays the delusions all manner of person will insist upon, will rely upon, how we see what we expect to see and then align our behaviour such that what we merely thought, in the end comes to pass. How fear can be malevolent or compassionate, but is equally destructive whichever strain is used. (Tall Shadow said, cats are mean out of fear or greed ...).

There is in this installment more of the dreaming which links Gray Wing and Stoneteller. More narrative from Clear Sky's perspective (his doubt, his seeming well-intended desire to protect himself from fear, but disguise it as leadership, as caring for his tribe, as raising strong, secure kits). There is in the tensions between the two camps a setup for justifying social rules: they remove the emotion which can disrupt communication, and thereby lend security. Social Contract theory!

Intriguingly, the battle dead seemingly become Star Clan. And there are hints of the growing significance of Pebble Heart's dreams, what they hold in store for the Clans.

There is in this story so much mean-ness, though, at times it is difficult to read. This series is not mere piffle, though it could be read for that only.

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R assigned Summer Reading (3 of 3: pick your own chapter book) show less

Rusty, a young indoor-outdoor cat (sorry, kittypet), finds himself drawn to a feral cat colony called ThunderClan. He gives up his kittypet life and joins them as an Apprentice under the new name "Firepaw." As he tries to prove himself as more than just a kittypet, he learns more about clan politics. In particular, ShadowClan is causing trouble, apparently invading and taking over neighboring clan territory.

Maybe it's because I waited so long to finally write my review, but it doesn't seem show more like much happened in this book. Firepaw was taken into ThunderClan and learned better hunting skills while getting a peek at the edges of clan politics. Clan leaders have the ability to talk to "StarClan" (basically, visions and prophecies), and there are "medicine cats" who can treat injuries and illnesses with herbs and other things. Firepaw's actions result in a wounded cat being taken in to ThunderClan who might turn out to be an enemy, but Firepaw eventually figures out (after many hints) that there's more serious trouble brewing within the clan itself.

I decided to read this because my eldest niece said she was reading and enjoying it. I went through a similar "animal book" phase myself (in particular "anything with cats"), so I can understand the appeal, and maybe this would have worked better for me if I'd read it when I was her age. Unfortunately, I have too many intrusive adult thoughts now. The one that wouldn't shut up for the bulk of this book was something along the lines of "But keeping your pet cats indoors and spaying/neutering them is good, actually." Yes, this series is written from the POV of cats, so the "outdoors = freedom and goodness" thing made sense, but that's also how cats get hit by cars, eaten by coyotes, sick from eating garbage, etc., not to mention what their presence can end up doing to local bird populations.

At the same time, I could see how some kids could potentially get a sense of comfort from these books. From the perspective of his humans (who don't get any on-page appearances, as far as I can recall), Rusty basically disappeared one day, and no one knows what's happened to him. That's essentially what happened to my sister's family's first cat, and I know it devastated my nieces. The idea that the cat went off somewhere and became part of a helpful colony of ferals would probably be a lot more appealing than...the alternative.

In addition to not being able to get my adult brain to shut up, another issue I had while reading this was that I didn't get particularly attached to most of the characters. One cat who'd been in several scenes died, and I barely felt a twinge. Part of the problem, I think, was that so many of the characters blended together. A few of them stood out a bit more, like Tigerclaw and grouchy Yellowfang, but most of them were just names attached to vague cat shapes in my mind. It didn't help that many of the names were very similar - all apprentices had names ending in "paw," leaders always had names ending in "star," and most of the other adults had names ending in the same five or so words ("pelt," "tail," "fur," "flower," etc.).

I don't think I'll be continuing this series, but at least I now know a bit more about the books my niece is enjoying.

Extras:

A list of characters and their basic descriptions, and two maps, one a depiction of the clan territories from the perspective of the cats and one a depiction of the same area from a human perspective. The cat version is more richly decorated and, of course, looks much more interesting.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads Giveaways. Content warning for scenes of violence and death, including death during childbirth.)

Brave Fireheart - who we first met as a discontented kittypet in THE PROPHECIES BEGIN #1 - continues to protect the Thunderclan - and its leader, Bluestar - with courage, compassion, and ferocity. His suspicions about Bluestar's deputy, Tigerclaw, continue to grow, even as Fireheart warns his friend Graystripe show more against pursuing a romance with a cat from a different clan. Now full-fledged warriors, Fireheart and Graystripe take on apprentices of their own - but when Tigerclaw's traitorous machinations nearly cost Cinderpaw her life, Fireheart must come to terms with losing his acolyte. And when tragedy befalls both the River and Thunderclans - in the form of a flood and a fire, respectively - the wild cats learn the value of community and cooperation. Likewise, Blueheart's decision to grant refuge to Yellowfang pays off in ways even she could not have expected. Yet, by story's end, Blueheart is losing her faith in the Starclan, setting up a pretty dramatic cliffhanger.

I haven't yet read Erin Hunter's WARRIORS series - so many books, so little time! - so I can't say whether the graphic novel adaptation is true to the original. Since it encompasses the third and fourth books in the series - FOREST OF SECRETS and RISING STORM - I imagine some things got cut out. That said, I feel like Riess and Goetter did an excellent job condensing it down to 256 pages of illustrated narration. The artwork and storytelling are equally lovely, and I found myself brought to tears on more than one occasion.

Who knew I'd grow so emotionally invested in a group of free-living, anthropomorphized, fictional cats, and their Shakespearean existence? (Probably anyone who read my review of WATERSHIP DOWN, lol.) show less

First foray into R's fave series, an effort to keep my hand in and ensure a direct link to a major influence.

I knew only snippets of the Warrior mythos until now, and the layers and complexity of characters is impressive. To some extent, this cycle of 6 books is world-building: the origin story of the clans and how they came to the Forest. And yet ... there are hints that this is in fact a return, that the mountain cats lived here before and something pushed them out. So again, layers.

The show more author(s) employ a good vocabulary, stretching younger readers but always appropriate to the story or setting (specifically recall "scree" used several times in one scene, with variation but never defining the term); good emotional and social complexity in dynamics and challenges; and seemingly a sophisticated back story as noted. Good attention paid to ecology (botany, geography, natural cycles like seasons and the implications for clan living) and not shirking from unpleasantries like illness, wounds, and death, but never gory or shocking. show less