Warriors Super Edition: Bluestar's Prophecy

*SPOILER ALERT* Bluestar's Prophecy was without a doubt Erin's greatest triumph since Firestar's Quest. In fact, no, it is on par with A Dangerous Path, ranking it just below The Darkest Hour. Truly an outstanding addition to the Warriors Saga. Wonderfully moody, heart-poundingly nostalgic and very well written, this has a far more focused feel than the POT, mainly because it's only got one POV, but also because it has little fat on it; it zooms through a long life in about 500 pages. Normally, this would seem to be a negative thing, but the Erin's pulled it off very well here. Despite the fact it has no coherent villain, BP compensates with it's time-span; seeing kits grow into warriors is one of my favourite parts of Warriors, and this is exceptional in this regard. Bizarrely, and people may find this wierd since I wuv Tigerstar, I really disliked him up until he was made a warrior, and I really didn't like Thistleclaw too much. The whole Tiny thing was shocking. It feels great to know that karma comes around and smacks Tigerstar in the face like a twoleg monster. I might have been just me, but medcats, signs, prophecies, ceremonies and other things linked to Starclan are far cooler than before. Goosefeather is awesome, as was Hawkheart; a really vicious warrior that called by Starclan to become Medicine Cat? It makes you wonder... did Starclan do that to stop him from becoming leader, and fulfilling some dark destiny? As I said earlier, the mood in this book is wonderful, though typically dark, or sad. The part where Bluefur gives her kits to Oakheart is heart-wrenching, as is when Bluefur has to tell Whitekit his mother has died... Speaking of Whitekit, nostalgia is a crucial component of this book. And my-oh-my, it's wonderful. Who didn't chuckle when they first saw Talltail, or Yellowpaw, or heard that Brokenpaw attacked a couple of Riverclan apprentices at a gathering? Watching cats be born, grow up, get mates. have kits that you recognise and even become elders within the same book is pretty awesome. Well, I suppose I should finish as I started; this book is a must-read for any Warrior fan, or anyone who's recently gone off of Warriors. I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

I am completely addicted to the Warriors series, especially the original six books. That is why I was so drawn to this book. Bluestar was always one of my favorite characters, and this book gives a whole new perspective on her difficult life. I enjoyed the fact that we got to see old characters when they were young. In my opinion, this is one of Erin Hunter's better books, and the best since the original six.

I have all of the Warrior book sets and I found the last set about two books too long. I saw this book and thought the same thing-too long. But it surprised me and instead was packed with so much history and sorrow. I got misty when each of the cats I had come to love died. No one could have dry eyes when Bluefur gives up her kittens. No plot lines are given away in this book; most of them are found in the first series- still the best in my opinion-so its purpose is to give us a window into all the adults we meet in that series. And most importantly to flesh out Bluestar's life so we will know her and understand better the events and decisions she makes in that series. Still this is the best stand alone book EH has written. She fleshes out all the adult cats we follow. Introduces four antagonists-Goosefeather, Pinestar, Sunstar, and Thistleclaw who shape Bluestars life almost as much as all her pain and sorrow, from the time she is born, to the time she finally becomes a grest leader of her clan. I would give this book 6 stars if I could. Every Warriors fan will read it but it is also one book that can be given to a friend as an introduction to this wonderful series without them becoming completely lost.

Bluestars life is very well told in this story that will make you cry - a lot! fair warning!! Bluestars life was not an easy one; then again a clan cats life never is; but it was also an amazing life. This was remarkably well done! The story picks up at the beginning of the end of Bluestars life and ends when she realizes that a kittypet with a flaming pelt is just the thing her clan needs to survive. You will have to have read the other books in this series in order to get what is going on (just in case you have not read them yet - this book is not really a stand alone) and it explains a lot about Bluestars choices that she made as leader of Thunderclan (and the choices she made before she became leader). Kudos for Erin Hunter for another heartbreaking yet beautiful story.

Fans of the first series will find themselves pleased by this nostalgic trip to the past. We get to watch Bluestar from the moment she opens her eyes as a kit, and follow her struggles as she continually faces loss and grief. Many people close to her die, and the sacrifices she makes are intense and crippling, but somehow she manages to overcome them and put her Clan before herself. This book is especially fun to read because, despite all the fun action, fans of the first series get to see their favorite Warriors growing up. Of course, we have Bluestar at the center of the action, but we also see Whitestorm's history and Tigerclaw's history, along with being able to watch familiar Warriors such as Lionheart, Frostfur, Brindleface, Spottedleaf, Goldenflower, Halftail, One-eye, Smallear, and others grow from kithood to adulthood. Pleasurably, we also get to see familiar faces from other clans growing up and interacting with Bluestar's world: Crookedstar, Oakheart, Tallstar, Brokenstar, and Yellowfang, among others. This book is simply a delight to read for those who loved the characters in the first series. As the first series insinuated, we do get to see Bluefur and Oakheart's courtship, which I found absolutely heartbreaking. It was one of the few scenes that brought a mistiness to my eyes (the first being, as detailed in the manga, Tigerclaw nearly killing Scourge as a kitten, and the second being Whitestorm receiving bad news as a kitten). The only thing I found strange in the book was the disparity between the first series (and onward's) presentation of the Warrior ceremony, and the Warrior ceremonies that occur in this book. Bluestar, in the first series, speaks different words from her clan leaders, Pinestar and Sunstar, in this book -- which I found strange, considering they were supposed to be rituals passed down from leader to leader. All and all, this was an absolutely satisfying book, packed with pain, love, and hope. And--to entice you more, possible readers--there's a subtle plotline that might change the way we look at Firestar...