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Warriors Super Edition #19
Warriors Super Edition: Darktail’s Judgment
Darkpaw is no ordinary kittypet. Raised in the Twolegplace by his mother, he eagerly awaits the return of his father, Onewhisker, a WindClan cat who promised to raise him as a warrior. But as the seasons pass with no sign of Onewhisker, Darkpaw begins to doubt that his father ever planned to come back for him.
Chafing against the boredom of kittypet life, Darkpaw’s hurt transforms into deep anger—at his father, at his Twolegs, and at the other kittypets who don’t treat him like the warrior he’s destined to become. When tragedy strikes, a hardened Darktail makes it his mission to hunt down the one cat responsible for all his misfortunes.
As a rogue, Darktail learns to use his influence—and strength—to recruit other cats in his pursuit of Onewhisker. But as his hunt intensifies, as well as the violence required to maintain his following, Darktail transforms into a villain who will haunt the Clans for seasons to come—and is forced to pay the ultimate price.
Chafing against the boredom of kittypet life, Darkpaw’s hurt transforms into deep anger—at his father, at his Twolegs, and at the other kittypets who don’t treat him like the warrior he’s destined to become. When tragedy strikes, a hardened Darktail makes it his mission to hunt down the one cat responsible for all his misfortunes.
As a rogue, Darktail learns to use his influence—and strength—to recruit other cats in his pursuit of Onewhisker. But as his hunt intensifies, as well as the violence required to maintain his following, Darktail transforms into a villain who will haunt the Clans for seasons to come—and is forced to pay the ultimate price.
Audible Audio
First published September 8, 2026
About the author
Erin Hunter
286 books11.4k followersErin Hunter is the pseudonym of five people: Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui T. Sutherland, Gillian Philip, and Inbali Iserles, as well as editor Victoria 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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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Want to Read
January 26, 2026maybe i’m a pessimist, especially when it comes to warriors, but i’m unsure why exactly darktail of all cats needs a super edition. we already know what happened via onestar’s confession of nothingness, and i believe there’s alot more characters who would benefit from one. maybe a novella would be fitting— IF WE STILL HAD THOSE!
September 7, 2026
Darktail's Judgement will be a divisive super edition. You will either feel it unnecessary to tread old ground, or you'll find it to be a fascinating POV to experience past events through. I absolutely fall into the latter - this book is twisted, tragic, and above all else...really, really, well done.
With this book, the Erins have knocked Tigerstar out of his longstanding place as the ultimate Warriors villain. Once readers experience what it's like to be inside of Darktail's mind as he commits the famous acts we’ve read, (alongside all of the past ones that led him there,) there can't be any argument that THIS is the most villainous cat who ever walked the forest or the lake.
There are some wonderful cameos from well-known (and some very beloved) cats, and each one plays a key part in shaping Darktail's path. And while readers already know how the story ends, those cameos still find ways to surprise and delight. More than anything else, it's really enjoyable to see how Darktail views the cats and the clans that readers love.
I will note this for parents of younger Warriors readers: while this book is no more violent than any other Warriors book, it can be a bit more...chilling? I say this only because the POV of the most violent moments usually falls to a cat who is (or will be) the hero of the story, so although there is violence on the page, it reads in a hopeful tone. With Darktail's Judgement, the POV is darker than you'd imagine, as Darktail is no hero. When he wants to commit a villainous act, he lays it all out, explaining the emotions driving his choices, and some of it is more mature than younger readers might be used to. If the series is geared toward 8-12 year olds, I'd place this one toward the top of that age group.
And for older and longtime readers -- this book won't serve as a "Darktail is an anti-hero!" story. Even knowing and understanding his motivations, he's still a big bad when all is said and done. This book fills in the gaps of the A Vision of Shadows arc (which I've always felt was a bit off in its pacing) and more!
I'd rank this one very high on my list of Super Editions that Warriors has produced. It's really excellent storytelling, filled with moments that will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for this review. I cannot wait to physically add this to my collection!
With this book, the Erins have knocked Tigerstar out of his longstanding place as the ultimate Warriors villain. Once readers experience what it's like to be inside of Darktail's mind as he commits the famous acts we’ve read, (alongside all of the past ones that led him there,) there can't be any argument that THIS is the most villainous cat who ever walked the forest or the lake.
There are some wonderful cameos from well-known (and some very beloved) cats, and each one plays a key part in shaping Darktail's path. And while readers already know how the story ends, those cameos still find ways to surprise and delight. More than anything else, it's really enjoyable to see how Darktail views the cats and the clans that readers love.
I will note this for parents of younger Warriors readers: while this book is no more violent than any other Warriors book, it can be a bit more...chilling? I say this only because the POV of the most violent moments usually falls to a cat who is (or will be) the hero of the story, so although there is violence on the page, it reads in a hopeful tone. With Darktail's Judgement, the POV is darker than you'd imagine, as Darktail is no hero. When he wants to commit a villainous act, he lays it all out, explaining the emotions driving his choices, and some of it is more mature than younger readers might be used to. If the series is geared toward 8-12 year olds, I'd place this one toward the top of that age group.
And for older and longtime readers -- this book won't serve as a "Darktail is an anti-hero!" story. Even knowing and understanding his motivations, he's still a big bad when all is said and done. This book fills in the gaps of the A Vision of Shadows arc (which I've always felt was a bit off in its pacing) and more!
I'd rank this one very high on my list of Super Editions that Warriors has produced. It's really excellent storytelling, filled with moments that will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for this review. I cannot wait to physically add this to my collection!
Want to Read
January 28, 2026Now this is an example of a super edition I'm actually interested in!!
I feel like the super editions are hit or miss; they're always one of three things: new stories with fan favorite characters that take place between arcs (Squirrelflight, Ivypool, Firestar, etc.), new stories with new characters that take place in the past/present (Moth Flight, Stormclan, Hawkwing, etc.), or stories that are just a retelling of old events with old characters (Onestar, Leopardstar, Riverstar, etc.). (I haven't read any of the last 3 for a reason). Anyway, this one seems like a mix of all three, like we might actually learn new stuff. And the cover is ACTUALLY GOOD? I'm so hyped for this.
I feel like the super editions are hit or miss; they're always one of three things: new stories with fan favorite characters that take place between arcs (Squirrelflight, Ivypool, Firestar, etc.), new stories with new characters that take place in the past/present (Moth Flight, Stormclan, Hawkwing, etc.), or stories that are just a retelling of old events with old characters (Onestar, Leopardstar, Riverstar, etc.). (I haven't read any of the last 3 for a reason). Anyway, this one seems like a mix of all three, like we might actually learn new stuff. And the cover is ACTUALLY GOOD? I'm so hyped for this.
September 10, 2026
Actual rating 3.5/5
As far as Super Editions reiterating books we've already experienced from a different POV go, this one isn't half bad. Yes, it is pretty exhausting to go through all these events we know already, but thankfully there's also plenty of new content.
Darktail's POV was kinda messed up (he's definitely one of the darkest Hunter villains to date), but that made him engaging to read. It was interesting to see how he was basically Sol's son for a while (projecting his daddy issues onto Sol), and how complicated his relationship with Rain was.
The book doesn't handle background characters very well (similar to StormClan's Folly, where minor character just kinda pop into existence when the plot demands they be there, rather than them being introduced gradually). I also spotted a few typos, both in punctuation and the text (a wrong space before a comma, and at one point it said "them" instead of "the".) One cat has an amputated front leg "below the knee" (hint: cats only have knees in their hind legs. I think they meant "elbow" here). It was also kinda creepy seeing Rain take a particular interest in Needlepaw/tail going as far back as her being an apprentice. Granted, there's no power imbalance here as in the Kin everyone but Darktail is an equal, but Rain was DEFINITELY already an adult at this point, and Needlepaw was described as apprentice-aged and smaller. They don't really get together until both are adults, thankfully, but since we're meant to see Rain as sympathetic it kinda gave me the ick to see him already interested in her as an apprentice.
It's a good book overall but has some duds as well.
As far as Super Editions reiterating books we've already experienced from a different POV go, this one isn't half bad. Yes, it is pretty exhausting to go through all these events we know already, but thankfully there's also plenty of new content.
Darktail's POV was kinda messed up (he's definitely one of the darkest Hunter villains to date), but that made him engaging to read. It was interesting to see how he was basically Sol's son for a while (projecting his daddy issues onto Sol), and how complicated his relationship with Rain was.
The book doesn't handle background characters very well (similar to StormClan's Folly, where minor character just kinda pop into existence when the plot demands they be there, rather than them being introduced gradually). I also spotted a few typos, both in punctuation and the text (a wrong space before a comma, and at one point it said "them" instead of "the".) One cat has an amputated front leg "below the knee" (hint: cats only have knees in their hind legs. I think they meant "elbow" here). It was also kinda creepy seeing Rain take a particular interest in Needlepaw/tail going as far back as her being an apprentice. Granted, there's no power imbalance here as in the Kin everyone but Darktail is an equal, but Rain was DEFINITELY already an adult at this point, and Needlepaw was described as apprentice-aged and smaller. They don't really get together until both are adults, thankfully, but since we're meant to see Rain as sympathetic it kinda gave me the ick to see him already interested in her as an apprentice.
It's a good book overall but has some duds as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2026
It's no surprise I enjoyed this book as much as I did.
The Erins' writing did not disappoint me, like usual. I felt Darktail's anger and hurt, and yet I could tell when he was taking it too far.
I really enjoyed seeing more of his complicated relationship with Rain and how they'd met/grown close.
The ending, however, I can't decide if I love it, or if it's uncomplete. Darktail's last few lines really shook me. I was so surprised to see him feel remorse without redeeming himself.
Yeah, that's all I have to say. Definitely a good book though!
The Erins' writing did not disappoint me, like usual. I felt Darktail's anger and hurt, and yet I could tell when he was taking it too far.
I really enjoyed seeing more of his complicated relationship with Rain and how they'd met/grown close.
The ending, however, I can't decide if I love it, or if it's uncomplete. Darktail's last few lines really shook me. I was so surprised to see him feel remorse without redeeming himself.
Yeah, that's all I have to say. Definitely a good book though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2026
This goes out to all the deadbeat dads and failsons alike—your circumstances may not be entirely your fault but they’re also not an excuse to be an asshole to everybody. I’ll hold you gently as I say this but you being hurt is NEVER a reason to hurt anyone else. And, I’m sorry life couldn’t be kinder. We all surely deserve better. But, the only remedy to that pain is to try and BE better ourselves.
Anyone who thinks these books are just for kids is kidding themselves~
Anyone who thinks these books are just for kids is kidding themselves~
September 16, 2026
This is the closest a warrior cats book has ever been to a slasher movie. Good lord lol. I’m honestly shock that I ended up losing count of how many cats the protag of this one kills either directly or through 4D chess self-gaslighting subterfuge.
It’s so over the top and gratuitous and edgy preteens will love it.
It’s so over the top and gratuitous and edgy preteens will love it.
Read
January 2, 2026The cover is so prettyyyyyyy
September 14, 2026
It was very interesting to retread this story through Darktail's point of view. It is made extremely clear that Darktail is meant to be the villain (a stark contrast to Mapleshade's Vengeance, where Mapleshade's unreliable narration made some readers believe she was the "good guy" despite the awful actions she had committed). Seeing Darktail try to justify the atrocities he's committed over the course of the book is very interesting and I wish Warriors would give us flawed, notable protagonists more often--Alderpaw's anxiety was forgotten about once he began training as a medicine cat apprentice, there's Bristlefrost I guess? but she switches over to the good guys afterwards. Starlingpaw in the newest arc seems promising! Ivypool and Jayfeather remain iconic.
This super edition definitely does justice for Smoke's character. She becomes almost morally gray in this book, grappling with the actions of her son but loving him unconditionally nonetheless. I wish she'd gotten more book time before she died or maybe another appearance as a ghost so we could see what she thought about who Darktail was becoming, but her death was good for plot I guess.
Sol's presence in this book was a surprise, but not entirely unwelcome. It did feel a little fanservice-y to give him another role in the series but his parental relationship with Darktail paid off. Unfortunately, he gets into a relationship with Beatrice ("Meadow"), which felt a little unnecessary since it didn't do anything new for either of their personalities besides advancing the plot. And I never saw Sol as the kind of cat to fall head over heels over someone else, so it felt like it didn't do justice for his character.
I liked Marigold, but she felt a little dry in personality compared to Basil and definitely Rain. Darktail's romance with her makes sense, since she's been compassionate toward him, but he only really thinks about her beautiful eyes once she's dead instead of the type of person she was, so we don't really learn much else about her.
Speaking of Rain--he is so interesting! The development in his relationship with Darktail is very cool to read about. This book completely changes how I view him, although I do wish we had more of a build-up to his rebellious behavior instead of timeskipping to when it's more noticeable. Also, his interest in Needlepaw as an apprentice is really creepy and gross, but nothing new for the series, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The amount of death in this book is a little extreme for a story that doesn't really have a theme. Despite all the violence in this story, all of the deaths are Darktail's fault or just a matter of circumstance. So, what's the moral of this story? "Don't kill people?" "If you become a murderer, you'll ruin your life?" Kinda feels like the authors just wanted to write about Darktail killing people for 600+ pages instead of having the story resonate with the reader.
The characterization for the members of SkyClan was very noticeable. Hawkwing trying to please his father Sharpclaw, Echosong's skepticism in Darktail's words, even the elders were characterized. The same can't be said for Darktail's Kin, though. Besides Rain, Needletail, and Violetpaw, most of the members of the Kin just show up in-between timeskips and are given little to no personality. You'd think we'd get more focus on Raven since she's so prominent in many scenes, but we don't actually learn much about her. In terms of Sleekwhisker's characterization, I'm going to pretend this book doesn't exist regarding her. She's so interesting and one of the only female villains in this series, just for her motives to get watered down to "I have a crush on Darktail so I'll do whatever he says." Yikes.
Despite feeling like this was one of the better recent super editions besides Ivypool's Heart and possibly StormClan's Folly, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. An interesting read for sure. Whether that's good or bad is your choice.
This super edition definitely does justice for Smoke's character. She becomes almost morally gray in this book, grappling with the actions of her son but loving him unconditionally nonetheless. I wish she'd gotten more book time before she died or maybe another appearance as a ghost so we could see what she thought about who Darktail was becoming, but her death was good for plot I guess.
Sol's presence in this book was a surprise, but not entirely unwelcome. It did feel a little fanservice-y to give him another role in the series but his parental relationship with Darktail paid off. Unfortunately, he gets into a relationship with Beatrice ("Meadow"), which felt a little unnecessary since it didn't do anything new for either of their personalities besides advancing the plot. And I never saw Sol as the kind of cat to fall head over heels over someone else, so it felt like it didn't do justice for his character.
I liked Marigold, but she felt a little dry in personality compared to Basil and definitely Rain. Darktail's romance with her makes sense, since she's been compassionate toward him, but he only really thinks about her beautiful eyes once she's dead instead of the type of person she was, so we don't really learn much else about her.
Speaking of Rain--he is so interesting! The development in his relationship with Darktail is very cool to read about. This book completely changes how I view him, although I do wish we had more of a build-up to his rebellious behavior instead of timeskipping to when it's more noticeable. Also, his interest in Needlepaw as an apprentice is really creepy and gross, but nothing new for the series, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The amount of death in this book is a little extreme for a story that doesn't really have a theme. Despite all the violence in this story, all of the deaths are Darktail's fault or just a matter of circumstance. So, what's the moral of this story? "Don't kill people?" "If you become a murderer, you'll ruin your life?" Kinda feels like the authors just wanted to write about Darktail killing people for 600+ pages instead of having the story resonate with the reader.
The characterization for the members of SkyClan was very noticeable. Hawkwing trying to please his father Sharpclaw, Echosong's skepticism in Darktail's words, even the elders were characterized. The same can't be said for Darktail's Kin, though. Besides Rain, Needletail, and Violetpaw, most of the members of the Kin just show up in-between timeskips and are given little to no personality. You'd think we'd get more focus on Raven since she's so prominent in many scenes, but we don't actually learn much about her. In terms of Sleekwhisker's characterization, I'm going to pretend this book doesn't exist regarding her. She's so interesting and one of the only female villains in this series, just for her motives to get watered down to "I have a crush on Darktail so I'll do whatever he says." Yikes.
Despite feeling like this was one of the better recent super editions besides Ivypool's Heart and possibly StormClan's Folly, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. An interesting read for sure. Whether that's good or bad is your choice.
September 20, 2026
i am always interested in retelling of stories from different perspectives but the latter half of this book got very lazy and in general was a regurgitation of AVOS
many of the relationships darktail had in his life were explained excellently and framed perfectly through his lens as an unreliable protagonist, and i think he may have some of the most unique personality material among the many villains that exist in the series. i am especially impressed by this book’s ability to detail darktail’s anger management issues, as it is briefly touched upon in AVOS, however darktail’s malicious and cunning behavior is more present than his anger issues during that arc, so
i enjoy the explanation we receive for his unique bond with violetshine, but i wish it was more supplemental than “i relate to this lonely cat who was born outside of the clans and has no one to rely on because i see myself in her.” darktail has shown himself mostly unable to feel any kind of empathy, especially after he kills marigold, so this explanation felt slightly out of place, i wish that the erins had found a better way to explain their dynamic without retconning the events of AVOS
it never ceases to amaze me how many lives sol has ruined in this series, he is truly one of, if not The most
manipulative character in all of Warriors. I am not kidding
i am fond of the mutualistic relationship that forms between sol and darktail after smoke dies, and seeing darktail find a father figure in his anguish and chaotic state was very profound to me
at the same time i am disheartened by the amount of times darktail was let down. Especially when he wants to do better after making horrible mistakes in his life. this book really capitalized on the potential for angst and naturally it made me very sad
darktail’s dynamic with rain always fascinated me, and i am very content with the explanation we were given. It makes a lot of sense and fits very well
I have many good things to say about this book, such as the quality of darktail’s characterization, but after he kills marigold it deteriorates significantly. Maybe the shift is meant to represent the solidification of darktail’s resolve and dedication to a sinister path, but either way i wish every paragraph in the last 10 chapters wasn’t ripped right out of AVOS. There was like one or two unique sentences in each chapter at this point so
i have only read it once but i will read it again sometime within the next few weeks or months and i may revisit this tangent eventually.
If you’re ok with the amount of reused villain tropes in warrior cats (rejected by one or both parents as a kit) you will enjoy this book
darktail is still one of my favorite villains the series has to offer but i was kind of disappointed by the delivery of this book
many of the relationships darktail had in his life were explained excellently and framed perfectly through his lens as an unreliable protagonist, and i think he may have some of the most unique personality material among the many villains that exist in the series. i am especially impressed by this book’s ability to detail darktail’s anger management issues, as it is briefly touched upon in AVOS, however darktail’s malicious and cunning behavior is more present than his anger issues during that arc, so
i enjoy the explanation we receive for his unique bond with violetshine, but i wish it was more supplemental than “i relate to this lonely cat who was born outside of the clans and has no one to rely on because i see myself in her.” darktail has shown himself mostly unable to feel any kind of empathy, especially after he kills marigold, so this explanation felt slightly out of place, i wish that the erins had found a better way to explain their dynamic without retconning the events of AVOS
it never ceases to amaze me how many lives sol has ruined in this series, he is truly one of, if not The most
manipulative character in all of Warriors. I am not kidding
i am fond of the mutualistic relationship that forms between sol and darktail after smoke dies, and seeing darktail find a father figure in his anguish and chaotic state was very profound to me
at the same time i am disheartened by the amount of times darktail was let down. Especially when he wants to do better after making horrible mistakes in his life. this book really capitalized on the potential for angst and naturally it made me very sad
darktail’s dynamic with rain always fascinated me, and i am very content with the explanation we were given. It makes a lot of sense and fits very well
I have many good things to say about this book, such as the quality of darktail’s characterization, but after he kills marigold it deteriorates significantly. Maybe the shift is meant to represent the solidification of darktail’s resolve and dedication to a sinister path, but either way i wish every paragraph in the last 10 chapters wasn’t ripped right out of AVOS. There was like one or two unique sentences in each chapter at this point so
i have only read it once but i will read it again sometime within the next few weeks or months and i may revisit this tangent eventually.
If you’re ok with the amount of reused villain tropes in warrior cats (rejected by one or both parents as a kit) you will enjoy this book
darktail is still one of my favorite villains the series has to offer but i was kind of disappointed by the delivery of this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2026
Local manchild with daddy issues couch surfing in innocent peoples' basements enters villain era, more at eight.
The most interesting thing about this book is all the other side stories around Darktail plotting in the corner. None of this is particularly groundbreaking information. The most interesting thing was a Warrior Cats chapter book calling Ravenpaw and Barley mates in dialogue, what Sol was doing and the inner workings of SkyClan before the Clans reunited. That's... Kind of it. There was no moment where I went "ohhh! So that's what happened then!" In fact, if I didn't see some side characters that I really liked, I would have definitely rated this lower. But it didn't deeply irk me, so it got that extra point.
I found it very strange that we needed a sequel to the lowest rated Super Edition, but whatever. I guess they needed a new lowest rated Super Edition or...
I don't really see the point in trying to humanize Darktail. It was just funny. I couldn't care less about his daddy issues or his desire for revenge or even his love issues with a character we knew for all of two chapters. I really couldn't. He just sucks! At no point did I have sympathy for him whatsoever. I don't think very many people will, to be fair. If you love a toxic MC like I do, you'll vibe with this. Otherwise... Just read AVOS.
Darktail himself isn't a particularly unique Warriors villain. We could have had this book be about oh, literally any of the other Warriors villains and the plot points of bad childhood and abandonment issues would largely stay the same. But I know Darktail has fans, so maybe this book is fan service for them and just not for me. Hey, hope they enjoy it!
The writing is fine. I don't know who in particular wrote this in the Erin Hunter umbrella, but it's not BAD. I preferred the writing in StormClan's Folly. I still think whoever is editing these books needs to open their eyes. There's no reason we should be referring to "Bellapaw, a SkyClan apprentice" who had been Bellaleaf, a SkyClan warrior the chapter before and two sentences after.
The point of a Super Edition is to add something to a main series character or elaborate on a plot. I'm still waiting for the results of StormClan's Folly. But this one... Why does this exist, honestly. We already have AVOS and Onestar's Confession. I've been here before. A few times, actually. Maybe I've just missed something deeply vital and all will be revealed in time, but somehow... I don't think so.
The most interesting thing about this book is all the other side stories around Darktail plotting in the corner. None of this is particularly groundbreaking information. The most interesting thing was a Warrior Cats chapter book calling Ravenpaw and Barley mates in dialogue, what Sol was doing and the inner workings of SkyClan before the Clans reunited. That's... Kind of it. There was no moment where I went "ohhh! So that's what happened then!" In fact, if I didn't see some side characters that I really liked, I would have definitely rated this lower. But it didn't deeply irk me, so it got that extra point.
I found it very strange that we needed a sequel to the lowest rated Super Edition, but whatever. I guess they needed a new lowest rated Super Edition or...
I don't really see the point in trying to humanize Darktail. It was just funny. I couldn't care less about his daddy issues or his desire for revenge or even his love issues with a character we knew for all of two chapters. I really couldn't. He just sucks! At no point did I have sympathy for him whatsoever. I don't think very many people will, to be fair. If you love a toxic MC like I do, you'll vibe with this. Otherwise... Just read AVOS.
Darktail himself isn't a particularly unique Warriors villain. We could have had this book be about oh, literally any of the other Warriors villains and the plot points of bad childhood and abandonment issues would largely stay the same. But I know Darktail has fans, so maybe this book is fan service for them and just not for me. Hey, hope they enjoy it!
The writing is fine. I don't know who in particular wrote this in the Erin Hunter umbrella, but it's not BAD. I preferred the writing in StormClan's Folly. I still think whoever is editing these books needs to open their eyes. There's no reason we should be referring to "Bellapaw, a SkyClan apprentice" who had been Bellaleaf, a SkyClan warrior the chapter before and two sentences after.
The point of a Super Edition is to add something to a main series character or elaborate on a plot. I'm still waiting for the results of StormClan's Folly. But this one... Why does this exist, honestly. We already have AVOS and Onestar's Confession. I've been here before. A few times, actually. Maybe I've just missed something deeply vital and all will be revealed in time, but somehow... I don't think so.
September 19, 2026
(4.75)
This was such an unexpected departure from traditional super editions, and I've been waiting to read this since it was first revealed. Got to say, I'm not disappointed.
This book is...surprisingly blase about its (rather intense, for warriors) violence and it took me aback, honestly. The part where he "played with his food" was when I realized just how deep we were going with this.
Darktail, resident manchild, makes for a very interesting(?) POV to follow. He does nothing good the whole time, likes to hurt people for fun, and blames everyone for his own misery. I guess I could call it compelling? He's always been, to me, among the strongest antagonists in warriors---intimidating with a side of pathetically immature.
I will say, it does get a little cheesy here and there, more edgelord-y than dark, you know? It wasn't a big issue to me (this is also warriors, home of emo ashfur and scourge), but it did stick out tonally. This book is going to be the holy bible to some twelve year old, lemme tell you.
This was a really fun read, and really unique for warriors! I'm not sure which antagonist could use a super edition, but if they're as intriguing an intense as this one, I'll be all for it
This was such an unexpected departure from traditional super editions, and I've been waiting to read this since it was first revealed. Got to say, I'm not disappointed.
This book is...surprisingly blase about its (rather intense, for warriors) violence and it took me aback, honestly. The part where he "played with his food" was when I realized just how deep we were going with this.
Darktail, resident manchild, makes for a very interesting(?) POV to follow. He does nothing good the whole time, likes to hurt people for fun, and blames everyone for his own misery. I guess I could call it compelling? He's always been, to me, among the strongest antagonists in warriors---intimidating with a side of pathetically immature.
I will say, it does get a little cheesy here and there, more edgelord-y than dark, you know? It wasn't a big issue to me (this is also warriors, home of emo ashfur and scourge), but it did stick out tonally. This book is going to be the holy bible to some twelve year old, lemme tell you.
This was a really fun read, and really unique for warriors! I'm not sure which antagonist could use a super edition, but if they're as intriguing an intense as this one, I'll be all for it
September 16, 2026
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes and tragedy in Warriors Super Editions... or whatever it was Ben Franklin said.
I had very low expectations going into this one, since I didn't care much for the Darktail saga, but I am happy to say I'm on the side of the fandom that ate this up. It was dark (no pun intended), insightful, and unpredictable, even though some of the plot points were, obviously, covered in the main series.
As several Super Editions do, this one suffered from some pacing issues here and there, but nothing too bad. I also was okay with glossing over those, since the character growth felt consistent. The book accomplished two things I didn't think possible: making me think Darktail was a decent villain (I'd have to reread his series books to make a claim for there, but in this book, yes) and making me sympathize with Needletail, who is one of my all-time least favorite cats.
I also must say, I love that Warriors books can still make me gasp in my mid-twenties.
I had very low expectations going into this one, since I didn't care much for the Darktail saga, but I am happy to say I'm on the side of the fandom that ate this up. It was dark (no pun intended), insightful, and unpredictable, even though some of the plot points were, obviously, covered in the main series.
As several Super Editions do, this one suffered from some pacing issues here and there, but nothing too bad. I also was okay with glossing over those, since the character growth felt consistent. The book accomplished two things I didn't think possible: making me think Darktail was a decent villain (I'd have to reread his series books to make a claim for there, but in this book, yes) and making me sympathize with Needletail, who is one of my all-time least favorite cats.
I also must say, I love that Warriors books can still make me gasp in my mid-twenties.
September 9, 2026
I have been slowly making my way through this whole set of books as a whole. I had just gotten to this part of the arcs when I saw this on NetGalley and had to request it. I was so happy to receive it. It is not often that I have a book that I liked but absolutely hated the main character. So for with most of the Super Editions or side novellas, I have been able to come around a little bit to their side. But the more I learned about Darktail, the more I hated him. I did enjoy learning more about his childhood and getting that backstory, and to see some of his thoughts he had during the last stories. So glad I was able to get past this though and on to the rest of the stories, that I'm sure Darktail will pop up in again. The evil ones usually never actually die.
September 14, 2026
Darktail’s POV was fascinating. From seeing more of kittypet life to what happened to Darktail before he destroyed SkyClan, I was hooked.
He is absolutely a psychopath/sociopath. Like clinically. I mean it. All of his actions are kinda insane when you put it into perspective with other villains. I loved how persistent his thoughts of revenge were and how he characterized others as unimportant.
I definitely felt uncomfortable at different moments… like the rabbit and the usual “she-cats dating older toms” situations. Oh and Smokekit.
But still. Stellar writing for one, and gave us a fresh perspective.
Will update with full article later!
He is absolutely a psychopath/sociopath. Like clinically. I mean it. All of his actions are kinda insane when you put it into perspective with other villains. I loved how persistent his thoughts of revenge were and how he characterized others as unimportant.
I definitely felt uncomfortable at different moments… like the rabbit and the usual “she-cats dating older toms” situations. Oh and Smokekit.
But still. Stellar writing for one, and gave us a fresh perspective.
Will update with full article later!
September 12, 2026
this book is DARK and good! i love the unreliable narrator aspect and it was interesting reading darktail make excuses and twist it to blame even marigold's death on onestar's paws. the bit at the end where he basically embraced death was genuinely amazing. however the age gap between rain and needlepaw is gross. its whiplash when darktail's internal monologue talks about how young apprentices are but we just ignore the fact that rain was crushing on one. also -1 star for the fact this book is just a retelling of previous books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2026
pretty solid for a warrior cats book
September 19, 2026
Genuinely one of the best warrior books ever written, Darktail is a complex character who is treated as such- down to some interesting representation of ASPD tendencies. Absolutely gripping.
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