Shadowstar's Life

Warriors Novellas #15

by Erin Hunter

Genres: Fantasy, Animals, Middle Grade, Cats, Short Stories, Adventure, Novella

ebook

Published April 9, 2019

About the author

Erin 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.

Reviews

[Michelle Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like Shadowstar dying for one cat acting alone. It was a very interesting and plausible reason to attack Shadowclan (Skyclan was scared of losing territory) and have Shadowstar feel threatened, but the ending felt hollow because, while it made sense for Shadowstar to lose her last life dying for Shadowclan, this was an issue that SHOULD have been easily quashed. And it was one cat, not the whole of Skyclan or even just its leader. No one but Windstar believing Shadowstar's life was threatened until the very end was a bit contrived.

[issacannafic · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One life was such a fragile, temporary thing. And it wasn't just her own life that was at stake. It was also the life of her clan."
Over all, I really enjoyed this. The villain of the story was enjoyably along with the rest of the characters we know and love from Dawn of the Clans. The story was interesting and I just read the whole thing right through. But one thing that bothers me is we keep getting little snippets into their lifes after DotC but I think it could be a whole sequel series with how much they've told, and how much there still is to tell. I am excited to read more of these novella's though. I really love them.

[Krys · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Niffty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dawn of the Clans: The Sun Trail ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Dawn of the Clans: Thunder Rising ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dawn of the Clans: The First Battle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dawn of the Clans: The Blazing Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dawn of the Clans: A Forest Divided ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dawn of the Clans: Path of Stars ⭐️⭐️
Moth Flight's Vision (super edition) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thunderstar's Echo (ebook) legends of the clan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shadowstar’s Life (ebook) path of a warrior ⭐️⭐️
Average: 3.278

I think at one point most of the leaders got really dumb. Thunderstar was really starting to annoy me in this book with believing the cat who is obviously lying. Skystar made on good decision then he decided to go back on it. (Thunderstar yelled at Skystar that he never let the character explain but he did. The reason for the punishment was for the character could not explain itself) Riverstar i liked but he doesn’t do much. Windstar made a good decision but is obsessed with borders. Also is very stubborn. Shadowstar was alright but doesn’t get that much time. She has some good moments and i definably liked her in the main series. She still makes dumb decisions. I think it is more a writing problem than a character problem. I think that goes for most of the leaders.

The border drama was back on. In previous reviews i went over why it does not work in this series. It pretty much sums up to it has only been two or three generations sense the journey. Some characters that made the journey are still alive. A lot of these characters are supposed to be friends. They had a lot of danger that bonded them. They have family from different clans. It wasn’t too long ago when they were just saying that boundaries are stupid. Now between books they go back on that. Especially in Dawn of the Clan books they cause a lot of fighting and death. The border helped in NO WAY.


I saw a ton of people enjoy the ending. It was alright.

The plot was decent it just needed more time.


Spoilers





















Also i don’t care if they are blind by their care for quick water. It was so obvious that she did it. When Shadowstar accused Quick Water she just stood there avoiding eye contact. No one tried to even question her. She didn’t try to defend herself except to say that it wasn’t her. The only thing that could of made it more obvious was is there was a sign with flashing lights saying ‘murderer’. Then she didn’t even try to defend herself until she talked to Thunderstar.

I know that they all make mistakes but to be a leader you have to be able to put your emotions aside to do what is right. If a friend is being accused to killing somebody you have to at least listen to each group.

I don’t think quick water should of been forgiven. I get it that she was scared but she didn’t confess until she was dieing. Soon as she died and confessed everyone forgives her. They should at least be a little bit mad. Did they forget that a minuet ago she was letting the fighting go and she tried to kill Raven Pelt.

If the books wanted us to feel bad for her we should of seen more of her or have it in her point of view. We also needed more time in general. The author should of did either another six books or one big book.

[janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

no way.

[Logan Barone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt like a copycat of Thunderstars echo. I really enjoyed the battle over Quick Water and it was interesting to see both Quick Water and Shadowstar die at the same time and forgive eachother in starclan

[Marcela Lozano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuando se forjan los Clanes, también comienzan a hacerlo con el código guerrero que tanto orgullo lles da cumplirlo. Mantener su honor y respetarlo es imperativo para la estabilidad de los Clanes y Estrella de Sombra es pionera en hacerlo entender ante la lealtad de uno de sus compañeros y amigo desde cachorros en las montañas.

[OtarySeal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novella... I read this soon after "Thunderstar's Echo" and was surprised that the authors repeated the simultaneous leader-deputy death-by-dog bit. But besides that one detail, this story is fairly distinct from the other Dawn of the Clans stories that precede it.

I like seeing more of Shadowstar, a character whom I felt was sidelined more often than not in the main series. I was surprised that Dawn of the Clans didn't contain perspectives from each of the five leaders, and I was disappointed that the only leaders from whom we got POV chapters were male. This ties into larger concerns with the role of female characters in the prequel series, but I won't get into those here.

All thing considered, the plot for "Shadowstar's Life" (ba-dum-tch) was interesting, and it kept me entertained enough to read the entire novella in just two sittings. I like how the name refers to Shadowstar's final life (and the attempts against it), as well as her concerns about the effect she will have on the Clans postmortem, and I also appreciate how varied her former deaths were when described in passing. It makes sense that she hid a couple from her Clanmates, and my only real question is how long it took her to lose nine lives, because I'm a little concerned with how quickly she seemed to have burned through them.

Still, it's a neat premise, to wonder what will happen after the first Clan leader dies. I would have loved to see the aftereffects of Shadowstar's death, and I wonder if Riverstar's super-edition will touch upon that at all. (I will be reading that book soon!)

The betrayal plotline made my head spin quite a lot, in all honesty. Like Shadowstar, I wasn't sure who to trust, and I was convinced at one point that she had chosen an unfaithful deputy in Raven Pelt. It's hard to establish that sort of intrigue in only ten chapters, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the resolution—although it certainly begs the question of StarClan's criteria. "Have they gotten stricter in the years since?" I ask myself, looking at Frecklewish down in the Dark Forest. Maybe the first dozen cats who died and went to StarClan were much more lenient than those who would come after them.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the first three chapters had me thinking this would be another bad novella. Boy how am i happy to be proven wrong sometimes!

I wasn't a fan of beginning with a dog chase and the death of a character i didn't care much about. Sorry Sun Shadow, but even if i remembered you from dotc, your death was a mere plot device and not a very well written one. After that however, the real story began, and my skepticism began to wither.

Shadowstar´s paranoia, looking at her own clanmates with fear that one of them tried to have her killed, while also having to face the decision to pick one of them as the next deputy, and next leader, WHILE also dealing with true mortality of being on her last life - all of it was so well balanced and intriguing. I sighed when i thought it would be sidelined by Skystar and his fucking issues all over again, but thankfully no, it all tied together beautifully.

The final three chapters were funny enough the absolute best. Shadowstar having no doubt that something had to be done, facing the leaders and getting shut down for being ridicules. The fact that only Windstar - the only other female leader - trusted her and supported her so fiercely was fantastic. How Thunderstar was so blinded by trying to support his dad even though he was still angry about what abandoning him as a kit (me too - dad Grey Wing deserved better). And of course the confession from Quick Water and how fast the story changed. So often i complain about forgiving characters that did nothing to deserve it, but looking back and thinking it over, i support Shadowstar fully there.

Last of all, the symbolic parallel between Thunderstar´s echo and Shadowstar´s life was unmistakable, even referenced in the novella itself, with Thunderstar being the first leader to lose a life and Shadowstar the first to die. Fantastic!

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty good book that helped explain why SkyClan left the forest.

[SaraBeeReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a weird entry in the series.


I didn’t care very much for Shadowstar before this novella, and I liked her less and less through it. Her death wasn’t honorable nor was it a worthy life to lose for what the clans learned. I don’t like how the mystery resolved (you know, the one they gave us the answer halfway through then tossed doubt over it). There was a weird spoiler for the future series in the epilogue (it was specifically a spoiler for me because I haven’t read Omen of the Stars or beyond yet). For being the send off for this era of Warriors, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I wish I had read it before Thunderstar’s Echo, but at least Riverstar is getting a super edition that can be the true send off for me and this Warriors’ era.

[Rachel Schoenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's super rare for me to actually take the time to review a book, maybe because I always jump into the next book right away. I really enjoyed reading the Dawn of the Clans arc, as well as Thunderstar's Echo, and this book continued that story beautifully. Throughout the story, we see many cats learn important lessons such as friendship, loyalty, bravery, apologizing, forgiving, and taking revenge. The ending was so well written, how Shadowstar saw that even though the warrior clans would go through many difficult times, one day they would all be together again.

[sleepybear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, the plot of this was so bad. Seriously. And for this to be the last book in the origin series, I was really let down. I can’t believe they chose the character they did, because it was so random and had nothing to do with the act that was done, especially since they had known each other. Seriously?? At least pick some newbie that we just met!

I’m just sad that this series is officially over, but I’m also kinda excited to finally start my nostalgia series again with good ole Rusty and my boi Graypaw.

[Historyprincess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Premise: There's been peace between the Clans for many moons now. But ShadowClan's founding leader, Shadowstar, faces two new dilemmas. SkyClan is being threatened by Twolegs, and Shadowstar herself has only one life left. Worse, she believes a cat she knows wants her dead, her only clue being the amber eyes she saw in the distance on the night she lost her eighth life. Who is this cat? Why do they want Shadowstar dead? Can she find out who they are? And even if she does, will she lose her ninth and final life in the process?

Story/Writing: Well this is certainly a unique murder mystery – trying to find out who killed not just someone you knew and loved, but you yourself! I read this in literally only a couple hours. Mystery is one of my favorite fiction genres, and I had a blast reading this one! This novella seems to be set only a few moons after "Thunderstar's Echo" – if Shadowstar could indeed have lost so many of her lives in such a short amount of time. Either that or she lost them in the year since the start of "Moth Flight's Vision." Whatever the case, this novella is tragic. We all knew as the cats did that each of the founding leaders would eventually run out of lives. But to have it happen this soon sort of surrounds the story with a sense of sadness. Reading this was like waiting for a disaster, knowing I couldn't stop it. As for the mystery itself, the outcome was different from what I imagined initially. For awhile, I thought for sure it was someone else. But the writing made the actual reveal at the end feel satisfying and well-rounded.

Characters: If the ending is any indication, I'm guessing this is where I part with the fantastic characters of the "Dawn of the Clans" arc. If so, it's gonna be hard to bid them all farewell. I know the cats further down the series will be great as well, but I'll always remember the Early Settlers fondly. And what a note for them to go out on. Once again, we have a dispute between Clans – and I think I've read enough of the series to know what those often lead to. But that didn't make this particular story any less compelling. The ending is bittersweet, but it's also full of hope. And that's in huge part thanks to the characters.

Shadowstar: This is probably the best Tall Shadow (now Shadowstar) has ever been. She's always been the sort of leader who runs things from behind the scenes in the shadows (no pun intended). But here, we get to really dig deep into her personality, and it's almost sad – though not necessarily in a pitiful kind of way. She loves her Clan, and isn't so much scared about losing her last life as she is of what'll happen to her cats once she's gone. She becomes almost obsessive in her quest for justice – but rather than simple madness, it's completely understandable. At one point – given who I thought the potential murderer was – I did get the impression that it was a kind of descent into insanity. But once I got to the end of the story and looked back on her thoughts and actions throughout it, I saw Shadowstar for who she's always been – a truly fearless and admirable leader. She gives not just her name to the Clan she founded but its trademark characteristics as well – both good and bad, arguably.

Quick Water: I'll admit, I was skeptical at first when Shadowstar believed her killer was Quick Water. I thought it was a bit too convenient. But a mystery – especially a murder mystery – is about twists and turns that are good at staying hidden until the right time. I liked Quick Water, even after she became a bit unlikable once she joined Clear Sky's side early on in the series. The revelation that she truly was the one who wanted Shadowstar dead was legitimately shocking. Her confession was also pretty chilling and reminded me of Willow Tail's in "Moth Flight's Vision" – although the former wasn't nearly as intense as the latter. That said, I really liked that she genuinely asked for forgiveness, that she and Shadowstar were able to reconcile, and especially that they both got to see their fears about the future of the Clans were ultimately unwarranted.

Various Other Characters: I initially believed Raven Pelt was the killer. He seemed a bit too good to be true, and I thought he might eventually corner Shadowstar and murder her before taking the leader position for himself. But boy was I wrong! If Shadowstar's instincts were right, he'll make a worthy successor. Pebble Heart was so sweet in this story – probably the sweetest he's ever been! He was clearly born to be a medicine cat. It was cool that Windstar stood by Shadowstar when it appeared no one else would – she always seemed that kind of cat anyway. I even liked how Thunderstar and Skystar were working together. Sure, they were ultimately misguided, but it was great to see them support each other as father and son. Lastly, it was great to once again see Gray Wing in StarClan. Not to mention Sun Shadow finally meets his father!

Overall: This was a sad yet sweet novella. While some readers might be a bit turned off by the resolution, for me personally, the way it was written it really drew me in and made me buy it. It felt like it wrapped every interconnecting thread together, but certainly not in a way that lacked effort. If anything, like I said, it's a pretty unique mystery – and one I definitely recommend checking out!

[Amory · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending of this was better than I expected, but I wasn't that into this book. Shadowstar's paranoia got repetitive and wasn't that interesting to read about; the ending is really what made this 3 stars instead of 2 for me.

[Libby Bork · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadowstar has always been a great character, and I feel like her character was consistent in this story, as well. Raven Pelt was a solid choice for deputy of ShadowClan. I completely understand why Quick Water did what she did. Still, horrible, though.

[S.L. Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate that they didn't craft another villain out of thin air and actually used a cat that existed previously. Also cool how this book segues right into Cloudstar's Journey.
We love Tall Shadow in this household 🫡

[Antisocial Book Hippie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful addition to the warriors series, that helps wrap up DotC and satisfy the many people who wanted to learn more about the ancient clan cats!

[Malia Grelinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25*

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well wrote book

[Kaitlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was AWESOME going back to the cats that started the Clans. I missed them so much. This was a pretty cool book and I really liked it.

[Caspian Hendrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A question about mortality, and what it’s like for a leader to be on their last life. There is obvious pressure on Shadowstar to do well and set her clan up for the future, which is a nice perspective, but is shown in most other leader (or medicine cat) focused books. This book was not exactly special in any way other than getting to see how each of a leader’s lives were lost. I enjoyed reading it, there just wasn’t anything original about it.

[Sophia Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really interesting at some parts but other parts I was hooked.

[Tay Shobe · Rating 2 out of 5]

ClearStar is the worst character. He has been since the beginning and he never learns his lesson.

ShadowStar is a great character, but her constant back and forth and indecision is weird.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

[Rebecca Chisam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadowstar's Life: 4 stars

I read this awhile ago, but I remember it being good. It's DotC era, so I'm sure it was. :)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3/5 ⭐️

[Breanne Deelstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally forgive quick water!

[Arryiana Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that quick water murdered Shadowstar TWICE and somehow made it to StarClan and not the dark forest is absolutely beyond me