Ein junger Schüler aus dem DonnerClan, der es wagt, sich Tigerkralle in den Weg zu stellen. Eine Zweite Anführerin, die für die nächste Generation zur Seite tritt. Eine Clan-Gründerin, die als erste Anführerin ihre neun Leben verliert. In dieser WarriorCats-Edition findest du drei bislang unveröffentlichte, exklusive Geschichten über Rotschweif und seine Schuld gegenüber dem machtgierigen Tigerkralle, über die SchattenClan-Stellvertreterin Bernsteinpelz und die SchattenClan-Gründerin Schattenstern. Welche Entscheidungen sie für ihren Clan treffen und welche Pfade sie einschlagen, um ihre Ziele zu erreichen, erfährst du nur hier. Für Fans und Neueinsteiger der Bestsellersaga.
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.
Overall, this book was really good I think it had some amazing stories in it and I really enjoyed it.
Redtail's debt 4/5 It's not that this book was bad, but it was just really slow, but a good gap filler, even though it says that Oakheart died because of Redtail killing him instead of him getting killed in a rockslide but it still was enjoyable
Tawnypelt's clan 5/5 I really liked this one, it takes place right before The Raging Storm. (I think) We get an actually interesting view of the Tribe of Rushing Water, in my opinion most of the encounters with them are kind of boring,(except for Sign of the Moon, I thought that was interesting.) but I liked what we got to see this time, it wasn't just "It's so cold here" and "Hunting is hard" so I think this book was the most entertaining.
Shadowstar's life 5/5 This book takes place after Thunderstar's Echo and I really liked this one, it again was a little slow in the beginning but it picked up speed quickly and I really enjoyed it, with the betrayal and at the end with forgiveness, it was a really sweet wrap up to it. Although, I still hate Clear sky/Skystar with every cell in my body, I just can't forgive him, the ONE time he agrees with his son and he's being stupid, but oh well.
Overall, this was a pretty good compilation. It had stories from three different characters and time periods, which made it a more diverse read. All the novellas were short enough for one sitting and interesting. However, my opinions on them vary from one another, so here are my reviews for each of them:
Redtail's Debt: 3 out of 10
While I’m glad the authors decided to give Redtail a personality of his own and I liked the way he was portrayed throughout the book, I just wasn’t able to take the huge mistakes committed at the few last chapters. Ravenpaw couldn’t have acted more out of character, and I don’t even want to mention the huge problem with Oakheart’s death in here. I usually can pass some minor details or wrong recaps of less important information, but these mistakes happened at the climax of the book and made it annoying at best and painful to read at worst. Adding to that, the incorrect events were very, very essential plot points of the first series, especially the one regarding Oakheart. Worse even, they were the main mystery of the first three Warriors books! That’s not something someone can easily forget.
Despite those issues, the first half or so of this novella was entertaining and that’s the reason I gave it two stars. The relationship between Redtail and Tigerclaw was complex and interesting to read about, and I liked the hints to Bluestar’s Prophecy that appeared now and then. Redtail’s internal struggle was surprisingly well handled too, even if it didn’t make the novella in general worth the read. I personally recommend skipping this one, or at least stopping before the battle for Sunningrocks for a better experience. If you want to read it from start to finish, I warn you that you should keep a really open mind for this kind of mistakes, something I sadly didn’t have myself.
Tawnypelt’s Clan: 7 out of 10
This story was the reason I read the compilation in first place. I adore Shadowkit deeply and The Broken Code arc is quickly putting modern ShadowClan between my favorite Clans, so you can understand I had to read this one.
I was surprised to learn this book dealt with more things than just going to the Tribe, which was what I was expecting originally: it also explored Tawnypelt’s thoughts on the changes ShadowClan was experiencing at the time, on Dovewing and her new family, and on all the friends and family she had lost in previous books, especially her mate Rowanclaw. She learns some lessons about love and change, and I think it was very sweet seeing her form a strong bond with Dovewing, who she didn’t like at the start of the book. As someone who also disliked Dovewing when she was first introduced in OotS, I can relate to Tawnypelt slowly beginning to see the good qualities in her and ending up admiring her as time passed. Probably my only complaint is that I didn’t quite like her stepping down from her position; I understand the reasons why she decided to do it, but I still rooted for her as deputy and it kind of disappointed me.
Of course, Shadowkit was there, and I know I am definitely biased here but all his dialogues and appearances enlightened my reading. It was great fun to see him that young, little and happy, it melted my heart exactly like I wanted it to. I recommend this novella to everyone, I believe it’s one you shouldn’t miss for anything.
Shadowstar’s Life: 10 out of 10
Dawn of the Clans is one of my most loved Warriors arcs, and I like Shadowstar a lot, but at first I was hesitant to read this story; I just didn’t have any idea of what could be said about her and her life that hadn’t been said before. Even though it took me some time to gather the strength I needed to read it, I finally did... and I couldn’t be more glad, because it was fantastic.
It starts as some sort of murder mystery, but later on changes to a more political plot in which the main character and the reader both know who did it, but it seems like no one wants to believe the protagonist. It was a ride full of tension, betrayal and lies, and I enjoyed every single page of it. The action scene at the end was great and the perfect way to end the story, and the little part in StarClan was excellent as an end to the compilation.
Something else I liked was that one of my favorite cats from DotC, Pebble Heart, played a major role in this novella. He always stood as a great support for Shadowstar when she didn’t know who she could trust and cared deeply about his Clan, and I’m happy he was given the recognition he deserves. Shadowstar herself showed great courage and faith during this book, even when others would have lost faith, and I adore her for that. Also, it was so satisfying to learn that Skystar finally, finally, learned his lesson, after so much time of wrongdoings, ending his character arc for once and for all.
This story had twists and turns in every chapter, and although I don’t know if every Warriors fan will enjoy it as much as I did, you should definitely give it a try and read it for yourself.
So, are these novellas that important? Actually, no, and you don’t need to read them to understand any of the other books, as they are just companions to the main books.
But, should you read them? Absolutely yes! They won’t take much of your time, and they delve into these characters, their lives and thoughts more deeply, making this book an addition to the series almost every reader will appreciate.
Read 14 June 2025 - This was good, but didn't Oakheart get killed by a rockslide, not Redtail? That's okay, I've found that the Warriors series has a lot of mistakes. We can just write this one off as well.
Path of a warrior: Since the beginning when I heard about which characters this book was going to be about I was excited. These are characters who are developed yet only in the background, we have never read from their perspective so it’s always exciting for something new like this.
We have never actually heard or seen much about Redtail apart from the short extracts with him during Bluestars and of course the news surrounding his death. But seeing his life and what actions led up to his death was genuinely interesting and really shows what character Tigerstar was as well.
Tawnypelts clan is set just after a vision of shadows and involves her dealing with grief after the loss of Rowanstar and the old Shadowclan. Some of it takes place in the tribe which left me feeling wistful for how they’re doing. As a fan for years I have always loved visiting the tribe and am still hoping for a SE surrounding the tribe, maybe one day! But it was short and sweet, leads nicely into lost stars and is leaving me with lots of questions surrounding Shadowpaw.
The final novella is set right in the beginning, the last book, time-wise at this current moment, surrounding the dawn of the clans and the cats who built it up to be. I love seeing how the clans develop the warrior code and only fault I could give this Novella was there was no teaching point. Whilst in previous books set after the main series of DOTC we see the warrior code being formed there wasn’t any of this which I felt could have fitted in perfectly. However seeing how strong Shadowclan was in the past simply makes me miss the strength they once possessed and makes me wonder, how did they go from the most honourable clan to the one which seems to be lagging behind in terms of development and ideas in the newer series. The ending is a perfect way to finish the trilogy of novellas.
Like most of the novellas and super editions it’s not necessary and a reader could still easily follow the main plot without reading these however I find them even more rewarding than the main series probably because the characters already have development and it’s simply building on personality’s we want to see more of. As well as getting to see some of my favourites again like Gray Wing. That is the reason I read the novellas by they really help build onto the main series and helps me understand it better, which helps me with my theories surrounding all the mysteries in the broken code series.
redtail- god i just hate tigerclaw so much tawnypelt- i love shadowkit and the tribe, so i really enjoyed this one shadowstar- OOOOF all the feels. she’s one of my favorite cats in the series and this one made me tear up
6.29 on CAWPILE Redtail's Debt- approx 4 star Tawneypelt's Clan- approx 3 star Shadowstar's Life- approx 3 star
I liked all these novellas (I was slightly spoiled for the series I'm currently reading but that's fine) and it was nice to jump back to the original forest for a short 100 pages.
I’d probably give this book 3.5 stars, but I think I’ll round it up since it was one of the better short story collections. Sometimes these brief adventures feel unnecessary, but I thought these three were pretty good.
The thing with the Novella's in this series is that sometimes they seem rushed, and these three in particular. All three stories are still amazing to read nonetheless, they just could've benefitted by being a little longer.
Redtail's Debt was an interesting story to read, although the Erin's changed the way Oakheart died which derail's Fireheart's argument in the first series entirely. So I'm not sure what the thinking process was there. But the story was good in how we got to see that Tigerclaw had always been a bloodthirsty cat, that he was truly evil from the moment he was a kit.
Tawnypelt's Clan is simply an explanation story, set between Tigerstar's return as ShadowClan's new leader and Squirrelflight's Hope. I enjoyed reading this one.
Shadowstar's Life is my favorite of the three, but I do love interacting with the first Clan cats. They just have such a different way of living compared to the modern Clans. And the Erin's writing improves so much whenever writing the stories involving them.
All in all, good stories worth reading. Just could've been a little longer!
Redtail’s Debt: I am struggling to look past the insane continuity issues with this one. There are depictions of events we know for a fact happened differently in the main series. However, it is wicked cool to see just how downright manipulative and villainous Tigerclaw is as a young warrior.
Wow. Just wow. Like I can’t even. 🤐🧐 I am not arguing you guys, I am basically explaining my own points! 😆😆😆
Redtail's Debt- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ok to be honest I was a bit more excited to read from Redtail's point of view for the first time because Erin Hunter hasn't really given us his perspective or his story in so much detail before. He was in Bluestar's Prophecy and then died in Into the Wild.... 😕 The overall story was pretty good but you know what I just DON'T get??? There is NEVER any coordination between the AUTHORS OR THE PREVIOUS STORIES!!!! Like OMG! 🔥🙄😡 It CLEARLY said in Forest of Secrets, when Firestar was snooping around about the whole Redtail's mysterious death thing, that Oakheart died from a ROCKFALL when they were fighting at the battle at Sunnigrocks!!! And now ALL OF A SUDDEN it shows on Chapter 9 that REDTAIL KILLED OAKHEART??? LIKE WHAT IN THE WORLD!!! I am so DONE with Erin Hunter sometimes because the story never matches up!! UGH. The overall debt thing to Tigerstar was ok because it added to the story, but it is interesting in a fact that Redtail is technically Tigerstar's uncle and that they are kin. But you know Tigerstar, he murders everyone who is in his way. 🙄🥺
Tawnypelt's Clan- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought this story would be boring because I always thought Tawnypelt as a drabish sort of personality. She would irritate me because she was always so hostile to her brother in order to prove her alliance to Shadowclan 🙄. But her story was actually pretty nice because she was grieving over her family's deaths and her place in the new clan. It also was a bit more opening of Dovewing's acceptance and Shadowkit's problem which involved the Tribe of Rushing Water. I loved the growing love between grandma and grandson though!! 💖 Tawnypelt accepts Dovewing as her son’s mate and her kits as her grandkits 😍!! I thought this mini story made me get to know Tawnypelt a bit. 🙂
Shadowstar's Life- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have never really liked Shadowstar anyway because she is a perfect image of Shadowclan's demeanor. Distrusting, dark, irritable, suspicious of other clans, and cold. I was generally upset over Sun Shadow's death. He was one of my favorite original Shadowclan's cats. I was surprised that Shadowstar was the first original leader to die. Quick Water's cruel betrayal just broke my heart. Like that part was AWFUL! and even more that Thunderstar SIDED WITH HER!! LIKE O-M-Goodness!! I mean it was OBVIOUS that she was guilty! Her scent, her eyes, her silence, her not-so-good explanation. I was SURPRISED when Skystar banished her at first! "Whoa Skystar you have some common sense indeed?" 😂 but then that was short-lived because he took her back but I am glad Shadowstar stood up for herself and stuck to her gut. She chose a good deputy as well. Smart decision on her part. 😁
That’s why my overall rating is 4 stars. This mini-story novella was ok... I still think that Erin Hunter should coordinate more... 🙄, but I can't wait for the next one!! 😜
Redtail's Debt: Interesting characterization of Redtail, especially his internal conflict of whether or not to trust Tigerclaw, but this isn't how Oakheart was supposed to die??? Also of note, I know this is a short novella, but he reads like a 'paw for the entire story, even when he's deputy, when he is supposed to be a full-grown warrior. 2/5
Shadowstar's Life: eh, felt like not a lot of effort was put into this one. I was interested in the exploration of the first leader losing her last life, but they really had to go and recycle the leader and deputy both die because of dogs but of course the leader revives in sorrow plot? Lazy writing there. A lot of the cats felt rather out of character here as well. As the last story about the founding of the clans, I was really hoping for a better conclusion. 2.5/5 [side note: I've started Cloudstar's Journey now, and I am disappointed to find that this novella skips multiple generations and the clans now have set up the -kit, -paw, then warrior name transition. I was really hoping they'd write about how this was established, but it never happened - I thought that was the whole purpose of this prequel arc??? at least we got the story of the medicine cats origin, I guess.]
His story was sad as it shows you why he felt in debt to Tigerclaw(star). I did enjoy the backstory on why Redtail helped Tigerstar and felt like he owed him. I just wish he had not. But Tigerstar did have a way of convincing, more like guilting others into following him.
Tawnypelt's Clan - 12/22/2024 - 12/28/2024
Since this is the last one I read in this book, even though it is the 2nd story, it is the one I remembered the best right now. I thought Tawnypelt was going to leave step down from deputy from what you are sort of led to believe at first, of how she felt that she didn't fit in anymore, for others not accepting her since she stood by Rowanclaw(star). But, she did step down for one reason that was true, ShadowClan was changing. She felt a younger warrior would be better up for the task, but was it because she still couldn't fully accept all the changes? Rowanclaw even said to her that it was changing and that not all changes were bad. I also felt the story was also more about Shadowkit and his gift. But I do always enjoy reading about their journeys, and this journey was back to the mountains to visit the Tribe of Rushing Water.
Shadowstar's Life - 04/27/2024 - 05/05/2024
At least this one I did write notes on so I could remember when I finished the entire book. In the beginning of this one the allegiance's the cats are referred to as hunters, but in chapter 3 they refer to them as warriors, why say hunters in the allegiances if they are warriors? Shadowstar shows a lot of strength when she forgives Quick Water and her admitting she would have continued the lies if she wasn't dying. Shadowstar was right to say that at least she confessed before the Clan cats could kill one another for no reason. I also don't know why the cats were making such a big deal about ShadowClan dying first. This is why they choose a deputy so they can take leadership. Why would they form Clans, give the first leaders nine lives just to have them be destroyed when the first leader dies?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Here's the deal--loved Redtail's Debt. That was a fantastic one. Love seeing that cast of cats, love seeing that weird mf Tigerclaw being awful again--we love to see it.
Tawnypelt's Clan was where it began to fall apart for me, a little, because ShadowClan has gotten lame . Under Blackstar the clan was awesome, and while I can appreciate Tigerheartstar more than Rowanstar for most things, it's still.... it's not the ShadowClan it used to be. Also, we had to see the Tribe and I hate the Tribe.
Speaking of the ShadowClan it used to be--Shadowstar's Life was interesting. I do like the Dawn of the Clans-era stuff because it's really interesting to see how bits and pieces of the clan life we know came to be --the only thing I wish we could've seen is the first leader ceremony for a cat that is not one of the OG five. That would've been cool.
So, to rank them: Redtail's Debt | Shadowstar's Life | Tawnypetl's Clan
It’s hard to review a book that’s actually three books, and it’s been a while since my last reread of Redtail’s and Shadowstar’s books. I’ll eventually reread them again and fill in my thoughts.
Redtail’s Debt: —
Tawnypelt’s Clan: Solid four stars. This is literally what the entirety of the Trilogy Where Nothing Happens could have been if plot hadn’t demanded that every Clan take turns being unreasonable. Simple plot, beautiful messages, and FRIENDSHIPS? NOT ROMANCE? What is this magic? Is this still Warriors? Yeah, I loved Tawnypelt’s relationship with Dovewing. I think it was done really well. This was a cute novella that was very fun to read. And now. Onto my least favorite Warriors book. WHY.
Yep. Definitely a very good set of stories. It's always fun to learn more about characters we don't know as well as others-- I especially loved Tawnypelt's Clan, having just recently finished Lost Stars.
Redtail's Debt 4 stars Theme Song: Going Under by Evanescence Woof. This one hit hard as a survivor of emotional abuse, and it really shows that loyalty isn't always a good trait to have. It can blind you to where the object of your loyalty is leading you. You have to be aware of your own value and your own morals. It was great to see Redtail learn that over the course of the story. Also, I like that little glimpse of Ravenpaw that we got to see before the battle. I always figured the Ravenpaw we see in the main series was how he always was, but witnessing Tigerstar's murder of Redtail shook him more deeply than the main series shows. I wonder what kind of cat he would have become without that trauma, for better or for worse. However, I can't believe that Oakheart would threaten to kill another apprentice like that. He's a father himself and throughout the books he hasn't shown a trace of being anything other than a (somewhat generic) good guy. That out of character moment really bothered me.
Tawnypelt's Clan 5 stars Theme Song: Constellations by The Oh Hellos Tawnypelt's struggle to adjust to the changes in ShadowClan is one I'm sure a lot of readers can relate to, not only because of growing up with the first few arcs but growing up in general. Though she's narrow-minded and stuck in her ways, the reader comes to understand her reasons. Her growing friendship with Dovewing and Shadowkit is heartwarming to see. Rethinking her biases and learning to let go of the past and look forward to the future is a poignant moment of character growth that feels timely and timeless. I wish we got more of this realistic, consistent growth in the main series. Maybe I wouldn't have dropped it.
Shadowstar's Life 5 stars Theme Song: One Last Time by Lin-Manuel Miranda from the Hamilton soundtrack Anxiety about death is something that has been plaguing me all my life so I really feel for Shadowstar. Once again with Dawn of the Clans it's fascinating to see the origins all the things we've taken for granted in the series. In this case, we took it for granted that the death of the leader was part of the cycle of Clan life and a new leader would step in to take their place. But in the early days of the Clan the alliances were more tenuous and they were still figuring out how this new society worked. So Shadowstar's death would be akin to George Washington's, hence my choice of theme song. The mystery element of the potential murderer is great as well, and I think it resolved in an interesting and satisfying way. It didn't come completely out of left field but it was a nice twist.
Redtail’s Debt I just realized – did no one notice that the kits Oakheart took into RiverClan had the same names as Bluestar’s kits who “died”? Anyways, Redtail is the one that Tigerclaw killed with Ravenpaw as a witness. Tigerclaw is pretty manipulative, of course. It was interesting to see exactly how Redtail died and all that led up to it, because I don’t think that was explored too much in the original series. And all of this led up to one of our favorite prophecies, FIRE ALONE WILL SAVE YOUR CLAN hahaha. - Tawnypelt’s Clan “’Are you sure it was a vision?...Sometimes if I eat too much, I have weird dreams. It might not mean anything.’” - We are now in the present times. I don’t know how some of these cats are still alive, tbh. I could use a refresher on what happened in the last Warriors book I read, but my memory was jogged based on the context given. I didn’t recall how Rowanstar gave up his leader status when he died. I guess some rogues/Darktail nearly tore the clan apart. Dovewing had joined Shadowclan to be with Tigerheart (now Tigerstar…same name as THE Tigerstar, his grandfather). It’s a little weird because Tigerheart/Tigerstar made his mom his deputy…His whole family is basically a line of leaders (great-grandfather Pinestar, grandfather Tigerstar, uncle Bramblestar, father Rowanstar). Tawnypelt as deputy is problematic, because ShadowClan doesn’t trust her because her mate, Rowanstar, could not hold the clan together. And some mom/son issues. - Tfw Tawnypelt is thinking her grandkits aren’t real ShadowCan kits...but you know what, it’s not like she’s real ShadowClan blood. She does recognize that, but there’s a lot to unpack here because Tawnypelt has always shown extreme loyalty to her clan and proven herself because of her choice to join the clan. - Shadowkit’s vision was about…the Tribe of Rushing Water. I kinda rolled my eyes LOL because…lol, the tribe. Dovewing and Tawnypelt think Shadowkit should travel there, but Tigerstar disagrees. Tawnypelt basically kidnaps her grandson with Dovewing. This is a story about parenting. I also completely forgot about Stormfur joining the tribe. This is also a story about forming a better relationship between mom and daughter-in-law, as they relate over grief. Then Tawnypelt steps down from being deputy. - Shadowstar’s Life “Quick Water held her head high, her eyes shining. Shadowstar hissed quietly. That was…quick.” – quick for Quick Water - This was okay. Shadowstar takes a long time to appoint a new deputy. There’s drama because a SkyClan warrior killed that deputy and tried to kill Shadowstar, so she gets driven out of the clan. ThunderClan takes in the exiled cat because ThunderClan has apparently always been a bunch of softies who take in strays. Insert some dad/son issues because Skystar is Thunderstar’s dad and they disagree about Quick Water at first. Basically, this story was about SkyClan being driven out of the forest and Quick Water was attempting to end ShadowClan so they could have their territory. Also a story about forgiveness, which was a nice touch.
ok so like i used to be a hardcore warriors fan but it's been a good 6 or so years since i last read a warriors book. then last year i decided to read the e n t i r e series from the beginning in chronological order. since i only own the first three arcs and half of omen of the stars i have to get everything else from the library, and the library has some of the novellas only available in the collections, i had to sacrifice a bit of chronological order to get to read everything (or make it infinitely harder on myself, and i am lazy). so like i really wish i hadn't done that, because boy did tanypelt's story spoil a lot.
redtail's debt: ok so i was reading this and enjoying it well enough and then it gets to the end and so i'm a bit mad about that but if it wasn't for that i probably would've given this a good 4 stars.
tawnypelt's clan: apart from being SO VERY SPOILERY this was g o o d. also there was a bit of the broken code at the end of my book and i opened it and saw shadowpaw as the main character and YES. im excited. i saw that and was like YES MY SON just because of this short story so like just this novella made me fall in love with him. but i'd been trying to avoid knowing anything about the series(es?) after omen of the stars so it's all new when i get there so i'm mildly annoyed but it's ok it's my own fault. 4.5 stars.
shadowstar's life: i understand that this isn't so much a popular position to take but i love dawn of the clans grey wing is my son. so i loved this book and also i sobbed at the end chapter with so like i love shadowstar and also skystar and thunderstar and windstar and riverstar. even though i still think of them as tall shadow, clear sky, thunder, wind runner, and river ripple.
so ultimately i would've given this five stars except i won't stand for this redtail slander thank you.
This is the combination of three novellas- Redtail's Debt, Tawnypelt's Clan, and Shadowstar's Life. Each novella is alright by itself. There is nothing special about them and of course has the basic, nondetailed writing that most of these novellas have. That is the book's biggest flaw as somethings seem superficial or just not detailed enough for me to care.
I never particularly enjoyed the novellas, so maybe I am the wrong person to review it. But yeah, this is not worth buying if you can read what happens in a wiki.
I really am enjoying these short stories. I like having the opportunity to see different perspectives on events from the main storylines.
Also, there are SO many characters, generations, and legacies in this series that it would be impossible to capture every cat’s story.
So, I appreciate getting at least a glimpse into the lives of these cats.
All of the stories in this collection were fascinating in their own way.
We see very little of Redtail in the first series—despite his unfortunate demise being THE pivotal moment. So, it was good to see him. I’m not sure I realized he was Spottedleaf’s brother. Also, we get to see a young Mousefur—which is adorable.
My fave story is the one is about my girl, Tawnypelt. I LOVE her. She’s one of my top favorite characters from the whole series. Again, she knew her daddy Tigerstar was bad news before almost anyone else. She forged her own path and has remained a touchstone of stability for the series. Having Bramblestar for a brother, Rowanstar for a mate, and Tigerstar II for a son kind of necessitated that she be solid.
In Tawnypelt’s story, we get to see her go on an adventure with her daughter-in-law Dovewing and her grandson, Shadowkit—which I thought was so sweet. This journey also gave Tawnypelt time to work through her grief after losing Rowanstar, learn to appreciate all she has now, and come to terms with how she wants to spend her sunset years. Love all this for her.
Lastly, we get to see Shadowstar’s perspective on the schism that would eventually lead to the exile of SkyClan from the clans’ OG home.
My main takeaway from this story is that ShadowClan actually has every right to be paranoid—because they’re ALWAYS correct when some tomfoolery is afoot.
They know things.
I’d also grow resentful if I was treated like the Cassandra of clans.
Anyway.
I’m liking these short stories a lot. I think they’re are well worth the read~
Redtail’s Debt: Interesting plot-hole filling story but probably the least entertaining of the three. The fact that it is ultimately based around a big inconsistency with “Into the Wild” is frustrating. Given that it’s the original book, one would hope that this book would at least get that detail right. It also seemed to harp on the same subject, the debt Redtail felt he had, the entire time. Simplistic plot that doesn’t totally follow the first original book.
Tawnypelt’s Clan: This was a really remarkable story. I loved how the Tribe of Rushing Water was brought back into the storyline! I liked being able to read from Tawnypelt’s perspective and she seems like a character that can really be empathized with, even if I didn’t feel that way about her before. I will be interested in seeing how this ties into the later arcs of the series.
Shadowstar’s Life: This was a good conclusion to the prequel arc, giving an indication of how SkyClan would eventually leave the forest and why, as well as what would happen to the Clans when the original leader goes. However, my only problem with this is that, while it is chronologically set at the end of the prequel arc, it contains major spoilers for plot points in The New Prophecy series and beyond. Significant spoilers. Read at your own risk (at least the last chapter). Otherwise, for someone who is very familiar with the whole series, it is comforting and a nice end to a very dramatic short story.
Rounding this off a nice solid 4.5 I found all these to be very interesting and it helped that I actually wanted to know more behind these beloved characters.
Redtail's Debt 3.5 out of 5. Never really knowing much about him, I was really keen to see how his character developed and interact with others, as in the first series he wasn't seen. He had too much admiration for Tigerclaw I personally believe, yes I understand why he felt the way he did but I think at certain moments he should have been more of an individual rather then him being the "first" Darkstripe in my opinion.
Tawnypelt's Clan 4 out of 5. Being the most known character out of this trio, I really did want to see why she stepped down as deputy because I was really excited when it was announced that she was. I really felt for her character, as she has seen and been through so much through Shadowclan, especially recently with all the deaths caused by Darktail. My heart goes out to Tawnypelt.
Shadowstar's life 3.5 out of 5. I was personally expecting more out of this novella, yes I enjoyed this story but I personally believe that this should have come out years before as we the readers already know what happens once a leader passes. But overall to see Shadowstar have such love and compassion for the safety of not just shadowclan but also the other clans.
Redtail’s Debt: I remember that before this novella set came out, that everyone was so excited to see more of Redtail- a character that we haven’t seen much of since he died in the first few pages of the very first book. But this was a real let down. It had plot holes- especially the thing with Oakheart. Redtail didn’t kill Oakheart. Get your timelines right Erin!
Tawnypelt’s Clan: I enjoyed this one. It was nice seeing things from Tawnypelt’s point of view- and it was also nice seeing her interacting with and accepting Dovewing as a ShadowClan cat. I liked how she insisted that they go to the tribe despite Tigerstar telling her it was too dangerous. Seeing the tribe again was nice, especially seeing Stormfur again! However- I don’t like how the tribe is betrayed as helpless cats who can’t defend themselves against anything that comes their way and need the Clans help for it. But I digress, I really enjoyed this book!
Shadowstar’s Life: going back to the Dawn of The Clans era was nice. I always found it interesting how Shadowstar was the first of the original leaders to die. This one was a nice murder mystery- a “how did it?” Sorta thing. Seeing Shadowstar almost dying time and time and her distrust of Quick Water was nice. And the final battle, where they both kill each other, was interesting in itself as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Redtails debt was a very slow book that seemed to be made just to explain how he was made deputy and his and Tigerclaw’s relationship. Overall it was an okay book that did honestly explain some things. Angry Ravenpaw was weird though. I also thought it was funny that Redtail killed Oakheart in this book but In the original series Oakheart was killed by a landslide.
Tawnypelt’s Clan 9/10
Tawnypelt’s Clan was an good book that really explained Shadowkit’s powers. I am VERY glad that they only walked for maybe half a chapter to a chapter. Unlike the other books we got to see more of ShadowClan after Darktails attach which was very nice.
Shadowstar’s Life 10/10 It took a little while to get to the good part and it was a very quick read (only took me around an hour). I love being able to see into Shadowstar’s mind instead of Thunderstar’s or Skystar’s. Clear Sky… star was still his very stupid self LITERALLY GETTING SHADOWSTAR KILLED BY TAKING QUICK WATER BACK IN!!!! I love that Windstar, the most isolated leader finally decided to get involved in other things. It was really sad to watch Quick Water betray a fellow Tribemate. (I was also kind of mad that Quick Water had no reaction to Shadowstar not going back to the living.)
Overall this was an amazing book that really showed more of the clans using less popular characters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Redtail's Debt FINALLY we get to learn who Redtail was besides the first Warriors character to die. I loved finding out WHY Tigerstar killed him. This novella just made me really sad because I knew how it ended, and I felt so bad for Redtail the whole time.
Though...
Tawnypelt's Clan This one was probably the most boring of the 3. We go back to the Tribe, and Tawnypelt suffers with being a boomergetting comfortable with the changes happening to ShadowClan. I don't blame her...ShadowClan is supposed to be intimidating, and yet now it feels like the Clan is just full of punks that don't want to listen to anyone but themselves. Oh, and Shadowkit is in it, which is a plus.
Shadowstar's Life Poor Shadowstar. I love going back to the Dawn of the Clans cats. Shadowstar has to deal with being the first leader to lose all 9 lives. I loved this novella.
Redtail’s Debt: 3 stars This novella completely threw the first series out the window. There was no rockslide and Redtail straight up killed Oakheart. The rockslide Firestar snuck into Riverclan to find out about. The story itself kind of just lacked and was boring. The portrayal of Tigerclaw and Redtail’s relationship was great I thought it was perfectly done and genius.
Tawneypelt’s Clan: 5 stars This novella had the best plot of all the novellas in this book. It was the only one I was truly into and invested in. It was really nice revisiting the tribe and seeing Tawneypelt and Dovewing’s relationship develop. It was also interesting seeing the rebuilding of Shadowclan and Tawneypelt finding her place in the clan.
Shadowstar’s Life: 4 stars It was nice going back to the beginning especially since I’ve loved Tall Shadow from the beginning. The plot was intriguing, it was so out of character for Quick Water to do what she did, heck Thunderstar acted pretty out of character too. I thought it was an interesting idea on the Erin’s part and it was executed nicely but I’m not sure if it was the best it could’ve been done.