In the Path of the Storm

When the Great Stag of White Deer Park dies, his successor, Trey, makes trouble for all of the smaller animals of the area, insisting that the park belongs to the deer, and that all the other creatures must bow to him. As Fox marshals all of the Farthing Wood animals and their descendants, Tawny Owl, nettled at the teasing he received from foxes Pace and Rusty, decides to retrace the original journey route from Farthing Wood to the park, and see his old home again. The story alternates between Owl's adventures, in which he finds Farthing Wood gone, replaced by a housing development called Farthinghurst, and the doings of the other animals back in White Deer Park. Not only do the companions have to contend with Trey, but they must also show more deal with the poisoning of their water supply by careless humans. Fox, in the meanwhile, confronts the possible death of his best friend, Badger. All stories converge as a terrible storm hits the area, putting everyone in danger...

I found In the Path of the Storm to be an engaging addition to the series, although I would not describe it as a personal favorite. I am very fond of both Fox and Badger, so their story together, as they confront what they believe to be Badger's death, and their own parting, was quite poignant. Tawny Owl, by contrast, has never been a favorite of mine - too pompous! - but I still enjoyed seeing him go off and have his own adventure, and find a mate (even if he was ashamed of needing her, sometimes). I also enjoyed the scenes in which Adder - always an underrated character - interacts with his mate, Sinuous. There are plenty of ecological messages in here for the reader, most notably in the passages describing how Farthing Wood was transformed, and in those discussing the humans who poisoned the water in White Deer Park. As one of the characters remarks at one point: "We all have good cause to know how careless humans are about tainting the land. No doubt they're as mindless about water." Indeed. Recommended to those readers who have read and enjoyed the previous entries in the series. show less