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Warriors: The Broken Code #6
A Light in the Mist
The #1 bestselling Warriors series continues with the thrilling conclusion to the epic Broken Code story arc.
When fear reigns supreme, only hope can save the Clans.
The impostor's reign of terror has brought the Clans to the brink of destruction, and now, every warrior--living and dead--must unite to defeat him before he delivers his final blow. To ensure their future and protect their past, StarClan, the Dark Forest, and all five Clans must band together to turn back the tide of darkness--before the impostor's fury destroys them all.
Packed with action and intrigue, this sixth Warriors series unfolds after the events of A Vision of Shadows.
When fear reigns supreme, only hope can save the Clans.
The impostor's reign of terror has brought the Clans to the brink of destruction, and now, every warrior--living and dead--must unite to defeat him before he delivers his final blow. To ensure their future and protect their past, StarClan, the Dark Forest, and all five Clans must band together to turn back the tide of darkness--before the impostor's fury destroys them all.
Packed with action and intrigue, this sixth Warriors series unfolds after the events of A Vision of Shadows.
337 pages, Paperback
First published November 9, 2021
545 people are currently reading
2317 people want to read
About the author
Erin Hunter
283 books10.9k 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 - 30 of 300 reviews
November 12, 2021
[SPOILERS]
Ok, let's get this out.
I liked many things about this whole arc. The mistery, the warrior code dilemma, Ashfurs's mad personality, Squirrelflight still being the best cat in the whole series, and why not? some of the fanservice. The problem here is that they have plenty of good ideas, but very... VEEEERY bad executed. And I would like to start with what I hated the most in this whole arc:
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
There's almost none. Bristlefrost doesn't have, Rootspring doesn't have, not even Ashfur has (He's mad, but he never does anything else except for that) only Shadowsight has some good development, and maybe that's why he's my favorite character of this generation. The other cats are there only to be an obstacle or a way to make the story advance (most of them at least). I remember a time when Jayfeather would have done more than just complain, or a time when Lionblaze wasn't an ass, or a time when Mothwing was the voice of reason. It's sad seeing that most of the characters are copies of the others, even principal characters from previous arcs.
Shadowsight: He's the best protagonist on this arc. We can feel his conflict, his doubts and everything that makes him a good character. But that doesn't mean he has no flaws. Buddy, you're injured, you can't fight, you have to be rescued most of the times, why the hell do you want to go back to the dark forest? The erins couldn't come with a good reason for him to go back to the dark forest at all...
Rootspring: He gets better at the end of the book, but most of the time I can't see his motivations. Bristlefrost? I guess that's one, but then? What else? Why does he want to defeat Ashfur? And why him? In this last book, his power is completely useless, so...
Bristlefrost: Oh god... sorry, but Bristlefrost is the worst character in this arc. Why do you love Rootspring? why everything you do or think has to be about him? First Bristlefrost was a generic character, but these past 3 books she got worse, she became a cat with no personality that needs the existance of Rootspring to be relevant. And the Erins had everything to make her a good character, Ashfur used her, controlled her, despised her. But no, all she does is about Rootspring. It's that bad, that I didn't feel anything when she died. "She died a hero" yeah... no... she just died saving a cat that shouldn't be there in the first place. Nothing about her is good development. She's a character that no writer should aim for; empty.
Ashfur: He deserved a better way to die. He died because he was distracted. Because he was hiding most of the time behind the zombie cats. We barely see him do some fighting. And the worst of all is this... We never really get a real explanation about how he get's his powers. Why he can control the spirits? How he created the barrier? It just happened, and that's that. Accept it. Give me a break... At least his personality was great for a villian.
Graystripe: I really felt him this time. I loved Graystripe in this arc, and how can't you? Graystripe is top most of the time. And he got a warrior's death, just like Dustpelt, Sandstorm, Ravenpaw and Firestar. It was a long time since I felt really sad about a death in Warriors. Maybe last time was when Firestar died.
I can't talk about all the other characters, but you can guess that most of them are bad, except for Graystripe and Squirrelflight.
FIRESTAR
We all love Firestar. He's one of my favorite characters, he started all. And seeing what the Erins did to him here... it's sad. To give us some "fan service", they decided that Firestar can take control of Rootspring's body... Ok... but why? When that happened? How did Firestar did that? Why no other cat from Starclan or the Dark forest can do the same? Nope, no explanation, just happened. A wizard did it. And sorry Firestar, but no. You alone vs Darkstripe, Mapleshade and the other 2, you can't do that in the injured body of Rootspring. There's no way that you would know that Mapleshade wasn't going to do something, or that the other 2 cats where going to be too scared or confused to do something. You could never know that you would only fight Darkstripe. As much as I love Firestar, this was a desperate way for the Erins to get our attention. And the did it very wrong.
THE WARRIOR CODE
We can't just talk about the bad things. The best part about this arc was the Warrior code dilemma. That's why Rootspring's development was kinda good at the end of the book. He became the reflection of every cat that loved a cat from another clan. As a reader, I'm getting tierd of the "warrior code" formula. It's really old and outdated, and most of all, it's getting very boring to read about it. So some changes are very welcome. Challenge a bad leader is what should have been thought right from the begining of the warrior code. And come on, even these cats should see that they are getting married to their cousins. Love cats from other clans should never have been forbidden, and the Erins should have fixed that a long time ago.
So thank you. Thank you for FINALLY change some things about the warrior code. It's a start.
Before my conclusion... Was the love triangle drama at the end of the book really necesary? Why do the Erins think that I want to see Silverstream jelous about Millie? Or to see that Crowfeather is a complete ass by ignoring all the book Feathertail, the cat that was supposed to be the love of his life, to be with Leafpool? I mean come on... Those dramas were just cringy...
CONCLUSION
Ok... The Erins had everything to make this one of the best arcs. A good villian, interesting evolution of the warrior code, some interesting new kind of characters (The sisters), a lot of mistery, and even with all this, we got... well, sorry but... trash. I was expecting a lot more from this arc. An arc that would change everything for the future of the series. But honestly, I'm not really sure if we can get more of it. It's been 7 arcs, and it appears that since Firestar died, the Erins are starting to get out of ideas. They still need cats from previous arcs to keep this series moving. When Jayfeather, Dovewing, Ivypool and Lionblaze die, or become irrelevant, then we will know that the Erins can't keep these series alive. Most of the new cats are irrelevant. I still remember Frostfur, Rosepetal, One-eye, and many other cats from the first arcs. But in these past 2 arcs... I just don't really know any of them.
The next arc will be one of the most importants. Not because of the story, the characters or the drama, but because there's where we will see if the Warriors series deserve to keep going. For me, the series ended at Omen of the stars. But if the next arc the Erins show us that they can do it better... I guess I can read a little more then. But honestly, reading the last 2 arcs... I don't really have much hope.
I rate this book with a 5.5/10
Ok, let's get this out.
I liked many things about this whole arc. The mistery, the warrior code dilemma, Ashfurs's mad personality, Squirrelflight still being the best cat in the whole series, and why not? some of the fanservice. The problem here is that they have plenty of good ideas, but very... VEEEERY bad executed. And I would like to start with what I hated the most in this whole arc:
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
There's almost none. Bristlefrost doesn't have, Rootspring doesn't have, not even Ashfur has (He's mad, but he never does anything else except for that) only Shadowsight has some good development, and maybe that's why he's my favorite character of this generation. The other cats are there only to be an obstacle or a way to make the story advance (most of them at least). I remember a time when Jayfeather would have done more than just complain, or a time when Lionblaze wasn't an ass, or a time when Mothwing was the voice of reason. It's sad seeing that most of the characters are copies of the others, even principal characters from previous arcs.
Shadowsight: He's the best protagonist on this arc. We can feel his conflict, his doubts and everything that makes him a good character. But that doesn't mean he has no flaws. Buddy, you're injured, you can't fight, you have to be rescued most of the times, why the hell do you want to go back to the dark forest? The erins couldn't come with a good reason for him to go back to the dark forest at all...
Rootspring: He gets better at the end of the book, but most of the time I can't see his motivations. Bristlefrost? I guess that's one, but then? What else? Why does he want to defeat Ashfur? And why him? In this last book, his power is completely useless, so...
Bristlefrost: Oh god... sorry, but Bristlefrost is the worst character in this arc. Why do you love Rootspring? why everything you do or think has to be about him? First Bristlefrost was a generic character, but these past 3 books she got worse, she became a cat with no personality that needs the existance of Rootspring to be relevant. And the Erins had everything to make her a good character, Ashfur used her, controlled her, despised her. But no, all she does is about Rootspring. It's that bad, that I didn't feel anything when she died. "She died a hero" yeah... no... she just died saving a cat that shouldn't be there in the first place. Nothing about her is good development. She's a character that no writer should aim for; empty.
Ashfur: He deserved a better way to die. He died because he was distracted. Because he was hiding most of the time behind the zombie cats. We barely see him do some fighting. And the worst of all is this... We never really get a real explanation about how he get's his powers. Why he can control the spirits? How he created the barrier? It just happened, and that's that. Accept it. Give me a break... At least his personality was great for a villian.
Graystripe: I really felt him this time. I loved Graystripe in this arc, and how can't you? Graystripe is top most of the time. And he got a warrior's death, just like Dustpelt, Sandstorm, Ravenpaw and Firestar. It was a long time since I felt really sad about a death in Warriors. Maybe last time was when Firestar died.
I can't talk about all the other characters, but you can guess that most of them are bad, except for Graystripe and Squirrelflight.
FIRESTAR
We all love Firestar. He's one of my favorite characters, he started all. And seeing what the Erins did to him here... it's sad. To give us some "fan service", they decided that Firestar can take control of Rootspring's body... Ok... but why? When that happened? How did Firestar did that? Why no other cat from Starclan or the Dark forest can do the same? Nope, no explanation, just happened. A wizard did it. And sorry Firestar, but no. You alone vs Darkstripe, Mapleshade and the other 2, you can't do that in the injured body of Rootspring. There's no way that you would know that Mapleshade wasn't going to do something, or that the other 2 cats where going to be too scared or confused to do something. You could never know that you would only fight Darkstripe. As much as I love Firestar, this was a desperate way for the Erins to get our attention. And the did it very wrong.
THE WARRIOR CODE
We can't just talk about the bad things. The best part about this arc was the Warrior code dilemma. That's why Rootspring's development was kinda good at the end of the book. He became the reflection of every cat that loved a cat from another clan. As a reader, I'm getting tierd of the "warrior code" formula. It's really old and outdated, and most of all, it's getting very boring to read about it. So some changes are very welcome. Challenge a bad leader is what should have been thought right from the begining of the warrior code. And come on, even these cats should see that they are getting married to their cousins. Love cats from other clans should never have been forbidden, and the Erins should have fixed that a long time ago.
So thank you. Thank you for FINALLY change some things about the warrior code. It's a start.
Before my conclusion... Was the love triangle drama at the end of the book really necesary? Why do the Erins think that I want to see Silverstream jelous about Millie? Or to see that Crowfeather is a complete ass by ignoring all the book Feathertail, the cat that was supposed to be the love of his life, to be with Leafpool? I mean come on... Those dramas were just cringy...
CONCLUSION
Ok... The Erins had everything to make this one of the best arcs. A good villian, interesting evolution of the warrior code, some interesting new kind of characters (The sisters), a lot of mistery, and even with all this, we got... well, sorry but... trash. I was expecting a lot more from this arc. An arc that would change everything for the future of the series. But honestly, I'm not really sure if we can get more of it. It's been 7 arcs, and it appears that since Firestar died, the Erins are starting to get out of ideas. They still need cats from previous arcs to keep this series moving. When Jayfeather, Dovewing, Ivypool and Lionblaze die, or become irrelevant, then we will know that the Erins can't keep these series alive. Most of the new cats are irrelevant. I still remember Frostfur, Rosepetal, One-eye, and many other cats from the first arcs. But in these past 2 arcs... I just don't really know any of them.
The next arc will be one of the most importants. Not because of the story, the characters or the drama, but because there's where we will see if the Warriors series deserve to keep going. For me, the series ended at Omen of the stars. But if the next arc the Erins show us that they can do it better... I guess I can read a little more then. But honestly, reading the last 2 arcs... I don't really have much hope.
I rate this book with a 5.5/10
January 1, 2022
I just. Wow. This book BROKE MY FREAKING HEART then turned around and stomped on the little pieces, then lit said squashed pieces on fire. I can't even talk about anything without spoiling, so pretty much this whole review is going to be a spoiler tag.
I knew going in that someone important was going to die. It just wasn't who I expected.
Basically, this whole book was a big giant soul crushing black hole of mental abuse. But in the best way! Because I'm a masochist, apparently. Anyway, if you're like me and you gave up on the Warriors series, GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE!! The Broken Code brought back a little of the old series that I loved so much, and I'm so glad I gave it a second chance!
I knew going in that someone important was going to die. It just wasn't who I expected.
Basically, this whole book was a big giant soul crushing black hole of mental abuse. But in the best way! Because I'm a masochist, apparently. Anyway, if you're like me and you gave up on the Warriors series, GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE!! The Broken Code brought back a little of the old series that I loved so much, and I'm so glad I gave it a second chance!
November 26, 2020
Here we are, the final showdown, what will happen? Will bramblestar get his body back, will rootspring and bristlefrost get together, and most importantly, STARCLAN COME BACK!
November 13, 2021
EDIT: I'm flagging every review that contains a spoiler. Get a grip. The things the Erins dare to do, the ways they destroy us emotionally, are signs of GOOD writing. Good writing and good storytelling doesn't equal giving the readers what they want all the time.
ACTUAL REVIEW: 16 years of bawling my eyes out over these books. No matter the choices made, no matter how deep the darkness, no matter how many ridiculous errors... these books have made an impact on my soul like no other series.
ACTUAL REVIEW: 16 years of bawling my eyes out over these books. No matter the choices made, no matter how deep the darkness, no matter how many ridiculous errors... these books have made an impact on my soul like no other series.
March 1, 2022
AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. ending was a bit depressing but OH MY GOD the start and middle were SO BLOODY GOOD. overall, I was highly dissapointed by tbc, but this book saved it. It was almost on par with some of the greats, such as shattered sky, the darkest hour and the last hope. Just like a half degree down. OMG THIS BOOK SAVED MY OPINION OF WACA IN GENERAL. I was on the edge of my seat, it was all so exciting omg i cant wait for the next arc.
July 16, 2021
and look at me here hoping it's not the last volume, the last book that takes place in this universe of warrior cats
January 4, 2022
This acts as a review for the whole The Broken Code series: there will be spoilers, because without them, I couldn’t convey the absolute mess this story is.
The books start out relatively fine: there is a disturbance within the Clans, and the new perspectives of Shadowpaw/sight, Rootpaw/spring and Bristlepaw/frost are refreshing in a sense - with ShadowClan, SkyClan and of course ThunderClan, in that respective order, being showcased.
However, the writers have still not taken it upon themselves to expand the cultural differences between these Clans! You would think that, even despite their similar rules, these five colonies with differing leaders, lands and even name-types would have differing views on their religion, rules and even socially!
But no: the closest we come to any perceived difference is leadership styles - Leafstar’s being more democratic, while the other’s rest upon the ‘leader’s word is law’ section of the code.
This series would’ve been an excellent place to explore, in depth, the cultural differences that mean the Clans MUST stay separate. For years the authors have drilled it into us via storytelling that these cats MUST live separately, but given no inferable reason aside from cats LITERALLY saying it.
If they had taken the time to expand upon it, the end result of this story, being that the Clans should begin to break-down their fundamental code (more on this later), would come as a bigger shock and be far more rewarding to a reader: how would the cultures of the five Clans mix? How could such different belief styles ever live side-by-side?
Except we don’t get that, and the ‘payoff’ feels more like an obvious choice that should’ve been made five series’ ago!
Frankly, just telling a reader that ‘it must be this particular way because it just must’ is a boring way of storytelling, and after years of that same rhetoric it becomes tiresome and hard to read.
You want to support these characters in their choices and struggles, you WANT to be able to pick a side, but how can you when the fallible choices these characters are making have no real in-world justification? It’s frustrating, more than the usual Warriors’ is.
Let me now move onto the story itself.
It is an absolute mess. There is no clear answer or route a character should take, and the idea of Chekov’s Gun (meaning that when an element is mentioned, it should be used before the story’s conclusion) is completely ignored.
There is no real way to predict or guess how the story may go and how the conflict may be resolved, because it doesn’t MAKE SENSE.
Old mechanics with the already wavering StarClan have been ignored entirely (remember fading - no you don’t, because it’s never mentioned again), and new mechanics are introduced and never explained, nor given a reasonable time to be explored and expanded upon, before then being exploited for loopholes that the reader could never begin to guess!
You never want the conflict of a book to be obvious, but as a character goes along and explores the rules of their world, you want to feel as though you too are delving into the machinations of this world, figuring out possible resolutions alongside the characters as the story develops.
THAT makes for an interesting and worthy payoff; when you are taken along on a story that gives the characters a problem to solve, you want the chance to solve it too - that’s how a story makes you feel included in the ending.
That’s why, when the choice is made for the code to be broken down and re-evaluated, you are meant to feel shocked, but relived, because the journey you have just been on to solve such a horrifying ordeal could’ve been avoided by the code being changed. The resolution fits the conflict!
BUT because you can’t join the characters logically on their journey, because there is no conceivable resolution as you follow a broken, made up on-the-spot story, the payoff is worthless. It feels more like an obvious ‘duh’ moment than a eureka ‘perfect!’ as it was intended.
This story is broken from it’s fundamental plot, but there’s also one more part of this story that held it’s inevitable downfall from the start.
And that is the code itself.
This series should’ve been halved in the time it was told: the choice to change the code should’ve come in the third book, and the books following should’ve explored this change in depth, leading to the end result being a set of reforming Clans struggling with the differences that should’ve been established between them.
But instead this series drags out a frankly boring and misguided plotline of confusion and nonsensicality with the ending feeling hollow and false.
The vow at the end of the book, for the characters to ‘change parts of their code’, feels worthless because the next series (we expect) will follow this same tracking.
A boring story, with inexplicable character justifications leading to a stretched-out plot and ending with false promises for a changed story’s future.
The only way the Erin’s can redeem this series now is to, in the next set of books, change the world around them completely, in an engaging and sensible manner. If the Erins were to now change the function of the Clans as a whole, with characters reflecting on past stories that we as a reader have experienced earlier in the series, and then change their lives as a result, that is the ONLY way this series could ever be partially redeemed.
And if not, then I’m not sure what future the Warrior’s books have, aside from damning boring stories and fruitless conclusions.
The books start out relatively fine: there is a disturbance within the Clans, and the new perspectives of Shadowpaw/sight, Rootpaw/spring and Bristlepaw/frost are refreshing in a sense - with ShadowClan, SkyClan and of course ThunderClan, in that respective order, being showcased.
However, the writers have still not taken it upon themselves to expand the cultural differences between these Clans! You would think that, even despite their similar rules, these five colonies with differing leaders, lands and even name-types would have differing views on their religion, rules and even socially!
But no: the closest we come to any perceived difference is leadership styles - Leafstar’s being more democratic, while the other’s rest upon the ‘leader’s word is law’ section of the code.
This series would’ve been an excellent place to explore, in depth, the cultural differences that mean the Clans MUST stay separate. For years the authors have drilled it into us via storytelling that these cats MUST live separately, but given no inferable reason aside from cats LITERALLY saying it.
If they had taken the time to expand upon it, the end result of this story, being that the Clans should begin to break-down their fundamental code (more on this later), would come as a bigger shock and be far more rewarding to a reader: how would the cultures of the five Clans mix? How could such different belief styles ever live side-by-side?
Except we don’t get that, and the ‘payoff’ feels more like an obvious choice that should’ve been made five series’ ago!
Frankly, just telling a reader that ‘it must be this particular way because it just must’ is a boring way of storytelling, and after years of that same rhetoric it becomes tiresome and hard to read.
You want to support these characters in their choices and struggles, you WANT to be able to pick a side, but how can you when the fallible choices these characters are making have no real in-world justification? It’s frustrating, more than the usual Warriors’ is.
Let me now move onto the story itself.
It is an absolute mess. There is no clear answer or route a character should take, and the idea of Chekov’s Gun (meaning that when an element is mentioned, it should be used before the story’s conclusion) is completely ignored.
There is no real way to predict or guess how the story may go and how the conflict may be resolved, because it doesn’t MAKE SENSE.
Old mechanics with the already wavering StarClan have been ignored entirely (remember fading - no you don’t, because it’s never mentioned again), and new mechanics are introduced and never explained, nor given a reasonable time to be explored and expanded upon, before then being exploited for loopholes that the reader could never begin to guess!
You never want the conflict of a book to be obvious, but as a character goes along and explores the rules of their world, you want to feel as though you too are delving into the machinations of this world, figuring out possible resolutions alongside the characters as the story develops.
THAT makes for an interesting and worthy payoff; when you are taken along on a story that gives the characters a problem to solve, you want the chance to solve it too - that’s how a story makes you feel included in the ending.
That’s why, when the choice is made for the code to be broken down and re-evaluated, you are meant to feel shocked, but relived, because the journey you have just been on to solve such a horrifying ordeal could’ve been avoided by the code being changed. The resolution fits the conflict!
BUT because you can’t join the characters logically on their journey, because there is no conceivable resolution as you follow a broken, made up on-the-spot story, the payoff is worthless. It feels more like an obvious ‘duh’ moment than a eureka ‘perfect!’ as it was intended.
This story is broken from it’s fundamental plot, but there’s also one more part of this story that held it’s inevitable downfall from the start.
And that is the code itself.
This series should’ve been halved in the time it was told: the choice to change the code should’ve come in the third book, and the books following should’ve explored this change in depth, leading to the end result being a set of reforming Clans struggling with the differences that should’ve been established between them.
But instead this series drags out a frankly boring and misguided plotline of confusion and nonsensicality with the ending feeling hollow and false.
The vow at the end of the book, for the characters to ‘change parts of their code’, feels worthless because the next series (we expect) will follow this same tracking.
A boring story, with inexplicable character justifications leading to a stretched-out plot and ending with false promises for a changed story’s future.
The only way the Erin’s can redeem this series now is to, in the next set of books, change the world around them completely, in an engaging and sensible manner. If the Erins were to now change the function of the Clans as a whole, with characters reflecting on past stories that we as a reader have experienced earlier in the series, and then change their lives as a result, that is the ONLY way this series could ever be partially redeemed.
And if not, then I’m not sure what future the Warrior’s books have, aside from damning boring stories and fruitless conclusions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2021
Not as bad as the previous book, but still a disappointment after the great setup we got in the first two books of this arc. I think this is a book I'll be able to come back to in a few months or a years time and reread with fondness and enjoy the silly things that happen () but right now I'm still a bit salty that this arc trailed off without any kind of meaningful conclusion.
Pros:
+ Okay writing quality. Not the best but better than what we got in Leopardstar's Honor. Some scenes that were genuinely well-written and made me tear up, especially towards the end.
+ Some cute and good moments guest starring main characters of previous arcs.
+ Even though many of the problems set up in this arc were not really solved, at least the antagonist was dealt with and we don't have to worry about him anymore going forward.
+ BristleRoot was written in a way that was mostly bearable. The characters thought about each other but at least Bristlefrost had other stuff to do in her pov chapters than fawn helplessly over Root this time around.
Cons:
Overall, not the best but not the worst. I'm still too freshly exhausted (TM) to be fond of this story but I think this is an arc that will grow on me over time.
Pros:
+ Okay writing quality. Not the best but better than what we got in Leopardstar's Honor. Some scenes that were genuinely well-written and made me tear up, especially towards the end.
+ Some cute and good moments guest starring main characters of previous arcs.
+ Even though many of the problems set up in this arc were not really solved, at least the antagonist was dealt with and we don't have to worry about him anymore going forward.
+ BristleRoot was written in a way that was mostly bearable. The characters thought about each other but at least Bristlefrost had other stuff to do in her pov chapters than fawn helplessly over Root this time around.
Cons:
Overall, not the best but not the worst. I'm still too freshly exhausted (TM) to be fond of this story but I think this is an arc that will grow on me over time.
December 2, 2021
Wow, I absolutely plowed through that… it helps that it’s somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of the size of most of the books I read, and it was a much easier read. But this book reminded me of why I held on to the warriors series for so long. It was action packed the whole way through, I didn’t want to put it (it being my phone) down at all. It was a nice easy read compared the the High fantasy books I’ve been reading lately and it was the first book I truly enjoyed since I read A Court Of Wings and Ruin (3 books ago) so thank you Erin Hunter for making my childhood and making it so addicting that I read it into my adult years. i think I’m ready to say goodbye to this amazing world, my first fictional world
SPOILERS AHEAD
ALSO, THE WHOLE GANG GOT BACK WHICH MADE THIS SO MUCH BETTER. My first book crush Firestar was in it so that was great
And I’m sad that bristlefrost died, but after her death everything seemed so up in the air, it’s probably preparing for another book. But for her to just be gone forever is sad, I thought there would maybe be a twist and Rootspring would see her somehow, but I guess the author was staying true to her word about everything, which is good by sad.
ANYWAYS, I really enjoyed the final book in the Broken Code series of the Warriors universe
SPOILERS AHEAD
ALSO, THE WHOLE GANG GOT BACK WHICH MADE THIS SO MUCH BETTER. My first book crush Firestar was in it so that was great
And I’m sad that bristlefrost died, but after her death everything seemed so up in the air, it’s probably preparing for another book. But for her to just be gone forever is sad, I thought there would maybe be a twist and Rootspring would see her somehow, but I guess the author was staying true to her word about everything, which is good by sad.
ANYWAYS, I really enjoyed the final book in the Broken Code series of the Warriors universe
March 7, 2022
Really, :( Bristlefrost had to die! I honestly hated that Brislefrost died. Rootspring and Bristlefrost should have made it together and someone else should have died instead. Rootspring x Bristlefrost. So disappointing. In GOOD books YOU NEVER EVER make the actually GOOD character DIE. They should have made Shadowsight die. Because he is an idiot and my least favorite character.
Edit: Shadowsights's a medicine cat did anyone else notice, that he can tell the difference between herbs but not smell Ashfur behind him hmmmmmmm kinda weird I thought medicine cats had to smell well. Final conclusion: The Erins wanted to make Sadowsight the hero BUT FAILED TERRIBLY. Killing his kin and acting like his Great Grandpa ._. That sounds like a reincarnation of THE FIRST Tigerstar. Here is what I thought was happening when BristleFrost died:
Edit: Shadowsights's a medicine cat did anyone else notice, that he can tell the difference between herbs but not smell Ashfur behind him hmmmmmmm kinda weird I thought medicine cats had to smell well. Final conclusion: The Erins wanted to make Sadowsight the hero BUT FAILED TERRIBLY. Killing his kin and acting like his Great Grandpa ._. That sounds like a reincarnation of THE FIRST Tigerstar. Here is what I thought was happening when BristleFrost died:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2021
They killed Bristle frost the main character. I want a redo of the story. Anyone who’s attached to bristle frost don’t read it!😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😡😭😭😡 I hate it! They spent too long talking about the dark forest and they don’t even get out of it until the end. well I assume they got out I skipped to the end to check if Bristle frost wall actually dead. I thought they were adding drama! BUT NO THEY KILLED HER!!!! Redo the story! Who agreed to killing a main character? and it was even in her view! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHANGE IT! I hope you agree. I agree with you Person named snowfall
Bristle frost was my favorite character too( WAS BECAUSE SHE DIED HINT HINT)
Bristle frost was my favorite character too( WAS BECAUSE SHE DIED HINT HINT)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2022
dnf 11% i just couldnt get into it and im kinda really sad with this series because it just went downhill after PoNS.
i might pick it up again soon idk 🤷♀️
edit: picked this back up, wow okay it wasn't as bad as i remembered. low key im sorry but im glad bristlefrost died, she was just TFUGvuUhVgIa like just all over the place, no consistency. I didn't care for these characters or really the plot. Great ending tho because obviously im already done with this series. Well i hope the next series is better
i might pick it up again soon idk 🤷♀️
edit: picked this back up, wow okay it wasn't as bad as i remembered. low key im sorry but im glad bristlefrost died, she was just TFUGvuUhVgIa like just all over the place, no consistency. I didn't care for these characters or really the plot. Great ending tho because obviously im already done with this series. Well i hope the next series is better
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2022
I’m sorry but I’m just so glad this six book series is done. It was hard for me to really follow/believe/whatever what was going on from the beginning but to see it’s just ASHFUR being upset about Squirrelflight again and causing all of this trouble because StarClan was dumb enough to let him in... The series was just a slog for me, and this is coming from someone who has read every book at release since the very first few books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
The clans win once more!
I'm a big warrior cat fan and this is awesome. The imposter is gone for good. Poor bristlefrost though... I don't have much to say but this was a sad, exciting, and good book.
I'm a big warrior cat fan and this is awesome. The imposter is gone for good. Poor bristlefrost though... I don't have much to say but this was a sad, exciting, and good book.
April 20, 2024
This book was hands down the BEST book the Erin Hunter crew has ever written. Before I start, I gotta say out of all the series arcs, this one is by far my favorite.
First, here's a few things I didn't like:
The leaders having to be convinced to go rescue Bristlefrost and Rootspring and help StarClan in the Dark Forest. How dare they even think about not going. They almost were like, welp too bad for those suckers but we're chilling down here do we really need those guys anyway. Like what the heck? Those leaders wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for the 9 lives from StarClan. You'd be up there fighting for your life. And Bristlefrost and Rootspring are up there trying to save your sorry butts from Ashfur and his allies who are gonna try to take over your bodies next if they live. So needless to say, I was screaming at them through the pages of the book.
Feathertail and Silverstream kinda getting brushed off by Graystripe and Crowfeather. I hated how there was hostility between the old mates and the new mates. I mean it's unavoidable, but I hated reading about it.
Besides that, this book was written so well. There's too many things I liked to list, so let's go with the meaningful moments. For starters:
We got to have Firestar's perspective!! Getting to be in his head as he got rid of Darkstripe forever was so satisfying. Really miss reading about Firestar 😭.
The love between Rootspring and Bristlefrost was amazing, even though it was shattered later it was nice while it lasted.
Shadowsight overcoming his inner conflict. That was such a well written part of the book, very deep, I felt it in my soul. Out of almost everyone, he's had it the worst in this series, but he's still up and going and hopeful for a new day. He never realizes it but he has some serious inner strength.
Violetshine getting to fight alongside Needletail was a sweet part in this book, I enjoyed seeing that.
Juniperclaw repenting of his deeds. This was a nice touch to the story, with Juniperclaw being genuinely sorry about his sins during his life. I'm a bit disappointed about him not getting redemption, but I mean hey he made those choices and now he has to face the consequences. At least he gets to be sort of near StarClan.
Graystripe dying was so sad but not entirely unexpected. And at least he's still alive in StarClan, unlike Bristlefrost who I'll talk about next.
When I read this part of the book, I kept thinking no way. No FREAKING way. When Bristlefrost died, I. Was. Heartbroken. There may have been a few tears. I think it took me the full rest of the book until I really gave up hope of her being alive. I was so sure she'd come back somehow, like the Erins wouldn't really kill a main character right? Wrong.
And while it's sad, now don't get me wrong I wish she had lived, this was a really good part of the book. In Warriors, up until this point whenever there's a battle or something I'm never really afraid, because I know even if someone dies, they will go to StarClan, so they won't truly be dead. It kind of took away from the suspense and overall impact of the climaxes at the end of each series. Now, not only do we read about a main character dying, she is truly gone. No spirit left. Now when I read the next series, it'll be more suspenseful and interesting. I actually hope they don't ever bring Bristlefrost back, because they wrote her ending so well. It wasn't just a 'oops made a battle mistake now I'm dead sort of thing', she knew exactly what she was doing and her last moments were at peace. If you're gonna write an ending like that and permanently kill a main character just do it. Do it 100% no backing out. If they bring her back, not only will all that heartbreak have been for nothing, but we won't be fully emotionally in during the future series because we won't have that fear of our main character dying. Without her death, this will have been just another series arc where the first 5 books build up to a big battle which the Clans go and fight in the 6th book, where they obviously win and all who die live on in StarClan and everyone lives happily ever after. This series at least had an original and memorable plotline with a main character actually dying. If they take it back I will literally scream.
Now let's talk about Rootspring. He's been through a lot at this point, but during this book, he was still going all out. For his Clan, for all the Clans, for his family, for StarClan, but first and foremost for Bristlefrost. He was always there for her, always fighting for her, never letting her down. He loved her so much, and he finally made the decision to change Clans for her. Butttttt he never got to tell her that he was going to change Clans, because she died.
I felt so bad for him. If I lost my soulmate, I'd be crushed. But he got up and kept going. I love the scenes in the last couple pages of the book when Fernsong says "Her spirit will live on as long as ours do, because she will live inside us" (336). That really got me, it's so true. And it really helped Rootspring overcome his grief. The last lines of the book "As he nosed his way into the soft grass, and the sun began to spill light across the lake, he felt grief at last begin to loosen its grip on his heart" (337). It was really an incredible ending. I like how it didn't end in a fairytale, or even a happily ever after. It was reality. It was Rootspring overcoming his grief a little bit, and it healed my heart just a bit reading that. The Erins truly did amazing work in this book.
I recommend this book 11/10. Definitely read and reread this series arc. Such a powerful, amazing, and well written book.
First, here's a few things I didn't like:
The leaders having to be convinced to go rescue Bristlefrost and Rootspring and help StarClan in the Dark Forest. How dare they even think about not going. They almost were like, welp too bad for those suckers but we're chilling down here do we really need those guys anyway. Like what the heck? Those leaders wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for the 9 lives from StarClan. You'd be up there fighting for your life. And Bristlefrost and Rootspring are up there trying to save your sorry butts from Ashfur and his allies who are gonna try to take over your bodies next if they live. So needless to say, I was screaming at them through the pages of the book.
Feathertail and Silverstream kinda getting brushed off by Graystripe and Crowfeather. I hated how there was hostility between the old mates and the new mates. I mean it's unavoidable, but I hated reading about it.
Besides that, this book was written so well. There's too many things I liked to list, so let's go with the meaningful moments. For starters:
We got to have Firestar's perspective!! Getting to be in his head as he got rid of Darkstripe forever was so satisfying. Really miss reading about Firestar 😭.
The love between Rootspring and Bristlefrost was amazing, even though it was shattered later it was nice while it lasted.
Shadowsight overcoming his inner conflict. That was such a well written part of the book, very deep, I felt it in my soul. Out of almost everyone, he's had it the worst in this series, but he's still up and going and hopeful for a new day. He never realizes it but he has some serious inner strength.
Violetshine getting to fight alongside Needletail was a sweet part in this book, I enjoyed seeing that.
Juniperclaw repenting of his deeds. This was a nice touch to the story, with Juniperclaw being genuinely sorry about his sins during his life. I'm a bit disappointed about him not getting redemption, but I mean hey he made those choices and now he has to face the consequences. At least he gets to be sort of near StarClan.
Graystripe dying was so sad but not entirely unexpected. And at least he's still alive in StarClan, unlike Bristlefrost who I'll talk about next.
When I read this part of the book, I kept thinking no way. No FREAKING way. When Bristlefrost died, I. Was. Heartbroken. There may have been a few tears. I think it took me the full rest of the book until I really gave up hope of her being alive. I was so sure she'd come back somehow, like the Erins wouldn't really kill a main character right? Wrong.
And while it's sad, now don't get me wrong I wish she had lived, this was a really good part of the book. In Warriors, up until this point whenever there's a battle or something I'm never really afraid, because I know even if someone dies, they will go to StarClan, so they won't truly be dead. It kind of took away from the suspense and overall impact of the climaxes at the end of each series. Now, not only do we read about a main character dying, she is truly gone. No spirit left. Now when I read the next series, it'll be more suspenseful and interesting. I actually hope they don't ever bring Bristlefrost back, because they wrote her ending so well. It wasn't just a 'oops made a battle mistake now I'm dead sort of thing', she knew exactly what she was doing and her last moments were at peace. If you're gonna write an ending like that and permanently kill a main character just do it. Do it 100% no backing out. If they bring her back, not only will all that heartbreak have been for nothing, but we won't be fully emotionally in during the future series because we won't have that fear of our main character dying. Without her death, this will have been just another series arc where the first 5 books build up to a big battle which the Clans go and fight in the 6th book, where they obviously win and all who die live on in StarClan and everyone lives happily ever after. This series at least had an original and memorable plotline with a main character actually dying. If they take it back I will literally scream.
Now let's talk about Rootspring. He's been through a lot at this point, but during this book, he was still going all out. For his Clan, for all the Clans, for his family, for StarClan, but first and foremost for Bristlefrost. He was always there for her, always fighting for her, never letting her down. He loved her so much, and he finally made the decision to change Clans for her. Butttttt he never got to tell her that he was going to change Clans, because she died.
I felt so bad for him. If I lost my soulmate, I'd be crushed. But he got up and kept going. I love the scenes in the last couple pages of the book when Fernsong says "Her spirit will live on as long as ours do, because she will live inside us" (336). That really got me, it's so true. And it really helped Rootspring overcome his grief. The last lines of the book "As he nosed his way into the soft grass, and the sun began to spill light across the lake, he felt grief at last begin to loosen its grip on his heart" (337). It was really an incredible ending. I like how it didn't end in a fairytale, or even a happily ever after. It was reality. It was Rootspring overcoming his grief a little bit, and it healed my heart just a bit reading that. The Erins truly did amazing work in this book.
I recommend this book 11/10. Definitely read and reread this series arc. Such a powerful, amazing, and well written book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down.
January 8, 2023
3'5*
I had the feeling reading this series that there was a lot of filler and things could have been solved in half the pages... Maybe they are under contract of making series of 6 books?
I had the feeling reading this series that there was a lot of filler and things could have been solved in half the pages... Maybe they are under contract of making series of 6 books?
May 20, 2024
T-T
Bittersweet but pretty amazing. 4.5/5 stars
Bittersweet but pretty amazing. 4.5/5 stars
July 19, 2022
Woah, you killed a main character?!?!??? That’s a first. I liked all the nostalgia at the end, it was so calm and precious after destroying multiple already dead cats. I really don’t like Shadowsight, he didn’t ever have a moment of connection at all, he just existed, because they needed a good guy who could be manipulated…? And poor Rootspring has the power to SEE GHOSTS except since his girlfriend died in “the dark forest” HE CANT SEE HER. That’s messed up in my opinion, he should be with her ghost living together not mourning that she doesn’t even get to go to starclan! However I am REALLY excited for the next series, I have heard lots of good things and can’t WAIT to read!
January 21, 2024
November 2021 Oh. Wow. This may be my favorite of all time. It was all just... so good. So perfect. It had me in tears there at the end. I honestly can't even explain all the reasons I loved this book. Just wow.
November 11, 2021
AAAAAAAAAA (ill come back to this when I'm able to have coherent thoughts)
October 20, 2022
this was actually bonkers. all six books were. what a ride. and theres still more! jesus christ. cant stop, wont stop.
June 12, 2023
An amazing book! Another great ending to a Warriors section. As a current fan, this book definitely had it's own crazy plot and twists!
March 4, 2025
OMG! Ich liebs🫶🤭
Erstens: Feuerstern??😱 Es wurde etwas aus seiner Sicht geschrieben!! Und dieser Moment wo er den Körper von Wurzelquell übernimmt um Dunkelstreif zu töten (ich war happy😂)
Zweitens: WIESO WAR ES SO TRAURIG??
Stachelfrost😭😭 Sie hat alle gerettet, aber kann nie zum Sternenclan. Sie ist einfach weg?? Und der arme Wurzelquell😭
Außerdem, warum stört das den Sternenclan nicht?? Und Schattenhelle hat jetzt auch voll die Schuldgefühle!😥
Aber immerhin ist Aschenpelz
tot🥳💪
Letztens: Dieses Wiedersehen beim Sternenclan war ja ultra cuteee🥰🥹🥹
Mit Silberfluss und KIESELGLANZ und GRAUER FLUG!🥹🤌
Das ist so cool weil man all diese Katzen mit ihren Geschichten so kennt🥹😭
Also, war sehr nice, spannend und EMOTIONAL🥹🫶
Erstens: Feuerstern??😱 Es wurde etwas aus seiner Sicht geschrieben!! Und dieser Moment wo er den Körper von Wurzelquell übernimmt um Dunkelstreif zu töten (ich war happy😂)
Zweitens: WIESO WAR ES SO TRAURIG??
Stachelfrost😭😭 Sie hat alle gerettet, aber kann nie zum Sternenclan. Sie ist einfach weg?? Und der arme Wurzelquell😭
Außerdem, warum stört das den Sternenclan nicht?? Und Schattenhelle hat jetzt auch voll die Schuldgefühle!😥
Aber immerhin ist Aschenpelz
tot🥳💪
Letztens: Dieses Wiedersehen beim Sternenclan war ja ultra cuteee🥰🥹🥹
Mit Silberfluss und KIESELGLANZ und GRAUER FLUG!🥹🤌
Das ist so cool weil man all diese Katzen mit ihren Geschichten so kennt🥹😭
Also, war sehr nice, spannend und EMOTIONAL🥹🫶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
sad but good book (spoilers ahead)
I think that the book is great but I feel like Bristlefrost deserved better, and I think it would be great if she comes back as a spirit. I really wanted Rootspring and Bristlefrost to become mates and have kits together. Overall I think it was a good book with unexpected twists and lots of action.
I think that the book is great but I feel like Bristlefrost deserved better, and I think it would be great if she comes back as a spirit. I really wanted Rootspring and Bristlefrost to become mates and have kits together. Overall I think it was a good book with unexpected twists and lots of action.
July 13, 2022
This was a great way to end the series, so much happened but it was a really enjoyable read
November 13, 2021
Easily one of the better Warriors books in recent years. I was looking forward to this installment, but my expectations were still low since it’s Warriors. Pleased to say they didn’t do as bad as I thought they would!
Though the book itself was a quick read, the plot dragged at times. A lot of plot points felt dragged out for no reason in particular—especially the bits in the Dark Forest where they faced off against Ashfur and kept getting defeated and chased around… over and over again. Not to mention the chapters where Shadowsight was trying to convince the Clans to lift a paw to make sure their ancestors’ world isn’t absolutely decimated… like that should’ve been a no-brainer, omg. I hate that there always has to be arguments played out in these books, especially when one side makes no sense at all.
A few bits were clearly fanservice and I’m not sorry to say I loved every bit of it. My reaction when Firestar took over Rootspring’s body and we got his POV for like a single page… I was losing my shit. I’m 25, I first picked up Warriors when I was like 11 and The New Prophecy arc had just started. Firestar is literally a legend to me 😂
However, I can’t forgive the idea that the living Clans would send THAT battle patrol into the Dark Forest… like, guys, it sucked. Graystripe and Mistystar are practically fossils and they thought it would be a good idea to go on a battle patrol? Ok.
My favorite parts:
- Dark Forest cats joining the ‘good guys’: I actually loved this—I’m a sucker for redemption, and at the very least this rounded out some of these characters and allowed readers to sympathize with them. I wouldn’t be surprised if a plot point of the next arc was a redemption path for Dark Forest warriors willing to repent to prove themselves worthy of StarClan.
- Changing the warrior code: When Ashfur was telling everyone how dumb the warrior code was… I felt that. I was thrilled with the turn the end of the book took—StarClan making revisions to the code? Asking the Clans to decide on new rule changes? Hello??? Literally everything I’ve hoped and dreamed of for this dumb series.
- Bristlefrost x Rootspring: I hoped they wouldn’t end up being a cliche forbidden love couple and I’m so glad the Erins finally dared to do something different with these two. I think the dirtiest thing to do to a couple is to make them forgettable by giving them a happy ending. Like, does anyone give a shit about Lionblaze and Cinderheart? Twigbranch and Finleap? Violetshine and Tree? The answer is no. I can’t believe some of the reviews I’m reading where ‘wahhhh BristleRoot deserved a happy ending! I hate that Bristle died this is the worst book ever!’ Grow up, my god. That angst will fuel your writing like it never has before. Go write an AU fic. The fact that every last shred of hope that anyone could have for them to be together in the end was effectively destroyed by the Erins… that is just *chefs kiss* I love angsty shit like that. I didn’t give a hoot about these two before but now I honestly love them. The pain really sold them for me, and I’m kinda looking forward to Rootspring’s future.
- Shadowsight: Unconventional to have a medicine cat without a StarClan connection and I love it. I do think his ‘destiny being fulfilled’ is pretty lame, though. I’m going to hang onto hope he’ll be able to ‘see into the shadows’ again if the need calls for it, that seems incredibly useful considering the Clans’ history of creating Evil Cats That Must Destroy Clans.
The book loses a star because it’s Warriors and because Mistystar and Bramblestar are still alive :( And Bramblestar still has 8 lives left… fml.
Though the book itself was a quick read, the plot dragged at times. A lot of plot points felt dragged out for no reason in particular—especially the bits in the Dark Forest where they faced off against Ashfur and kept getting defeated and chased around… over and over again. Not to mention the chapters where Shadowsight was trying to convince the Clans to lift a paw to make sure their ancestors’ world isn’t absolutely decimated… like that should’ve been a no-brainer, omg. I hate that there always has to be arguments played out in these books, especially when one side makes no sense at all.
A few bits were clearly fanservice and I’m not sorry to say I loved every bit of it. My reaction when Firestar took over Rootspring’s body and we got his POV for like a single page… I was losing my shit. I’m 25, I first picked up Warriors when I was like 11 and The New Prophecy arc had just started. Firestar is literally a legend to me 😂
However, I can’t forgive the idea that the living Clans would send THAT battle patrol into the Dark Forest… like, guys, it sucked. Graystripe and Mistystar are practically fossils and they thought it would be a good idea to go on a battle patrol? Ok.
My favorite parts:
- Dark Forest cats joining the ‘good guys’: I actually loved this—I’m a sucker for redemption, and at the very least this rounded out some of these characters and allowed readers to sympathize with them. I wouldn’t be surprised if a plot point of the next arc was a redemption path for Dark Forest warriors willing to repent to prove themselves worthy of StarClan.
- Changing the warrior code: When Ashfur was telling everyone how dumb the warrior code was… I felt that. I was thrilled with the turn the end of the book took—StarClan making revisions to the code? Asking the Clans to decide on new rule changes? Hello??? Literally everything I’ve hoped and dreamed of for this dumb series.
- Bristlefrost x Rootspring: I hoped they wouldn’t end up being a cliche forbidden love couple and I’m so glad the Erins finally dared to do something different with these two. I think the dirtiest thing to do to a couple is to make them forgettable by giving them a happy ending. Like, does anyone give a shit about Lionblaze and Cinderheart? Twigbranch and Finleap? Violetshine and Tree? The answer is no. I can’t believe some of the reviews I’m reading where ‘wahhhh BristleRoot deserved a happy ending! I hate that Bristle died this is the worst book ever!’ Grow up, my god. That angst will fuel your writing like it never has before. Go write an AU fic. The fact that every last shred of hope that anyone could have for them to be together in the end was effectively destroyed by the Erins… that is just *chefs kiss* I love angsty shit like that. I didn’t give a hoot about these two before but now I honestly love them. The pain really sold them for me, and I’m kinda looking forward to Rootspring’s future.
- Shadowsight: Unconventional to have a medicine cat without a StarClan connection and I love it. I do think his ‘destiny being fulfilled’ is pretty lame, though. I’m going to hang onto hope he’ll be able to ‘see into the shadows’ again if the need calls for it, that seems incredibly useful considering the Clans’ history of creating Evil Cats That Must Destroy Clans.
The book loses a star because it’s Warriors and because Mistystar and Bramblestar are still alive :( And Bramblestar still has 8 lives left… fml.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2021
I first read the OG Warriors series back when I was in middle school. Recently I've been rereading the series and catching up on the new books to see what I've been missing, and what new ideas the Erins have introduced. The answer is: not much.
There's a lot of things set up in this arc (and all the previous ones) that start building up towards a great climax. There's lazy exposition and half-fleshed-out protagonists, sure, but their struggles with the main conflict and themes is what keeps you reading. You just HAVE to find out what happens to these characters, because you come to care about them and relate to them in different ways. This last series especially starts asking some interesting questions: What good is the warrior code? How much should it be followed? How much should StarClan be depended on? and so on. The problem is that I was asking these questions by the first book of The Broken Code, and by the end of the series these questions aren't answered but just beginning to be asked by the characters.
In my opinion the biggest issues with the series have to do with pacing and structure. It's not that we don't care about the characters. It's not that we don't want to see what happens next. It's just that some plots and character arcs get reused and recycled to the point that it becomes predictable, or hard to make something "new" out of it. But more than that, there's not much consistency to the rules of the universe. Which, let's be honest, is not a new phenomenon in the Warriors series. But for example, these are the most egregious things that stood out to me:
Maybe I'm pointing out these things out of pettiness, but as a long-time fan of the series, I really want to see it improve. I want to see the universe and characters pushed in new directions, but so far, I've only been mildly entertained at best, and annoyed at worst. This series needs better planning (which I realize is hard to do when you have three or four different authors writing it), but overall, I wouldn't say it was a waste of my time to read either. There were things I loved, things I didn't love, and things that landed somewhere in between. Your mileage may vary.
There's a lot of things set up in this arc (and all the previous ones) that start building up towards a great climax. There's lazy exposition and half-fleshed-out protagonists, sure, but their struggles with the main conflict and themes is what keeps you reading. You just HAVE to find out what happens to these characters, because you come to care about them and relate to them in different ways. This last series especially starts asking some interesting questions: What good is the warrior code? How much should it be followed? How much should StarClan be depended on? and so on. The problem is that I was asking these questions by the first book of The Broken Code, and by the end of the series these questions aren't answered but just beginning to be asked by the characters.
In my opinion the biggest issues with the series have to do with pacing and structure. It's not that we don't care about the characters. It's not that we don't want to see what happens next. It's just that some plots and character arcs get reused and recycled to the point that it becomes predictable, or hard to make something "new" out of it. But more than that, there's not much consistency to the rules of the universe. Which, let's be honest, is not a new phenomenon in the Warriors series. But for example, these are the most egregious things that stood out to me:
Maybe I'm pointing out these things out of pettiness, but as a long-time fan of the series, I really want to see it improve. I want to see the universe and characters pushed in new directions, but so far, I've only been mildly entertained at best, and annoyed at worst. This series needs better planning (which I realize is hard to do when you have three or four different authors writing it), but overall, I wouldn't say it was a waste of my time to read either. There were things I loved, things I didn't love, and things that landed somewhere in between. Your mileage may vary.
April 15, 2023
Rating: 9 out of 10
I have a bad history with the finales of series I like. Hence why I was already bracing myself for disappointment when this first came out. Luckily, it never came!
This was just a great ending to the arc, in all possible aspects. To be honest, I wasn’t quite expecting it to end this way, but it was awesome anyway. I loved that it was bittersweet and that it focused more on the characters than on anything else.
The worldbuilding was surprisingly good? I actually wasn’t expecting a fully comprehensible explanation of Ashfur’s powers and how StarClan and the Dark Forest work, but that’s what we got, and I really damn enjoyed it!
But the best part was, by far, the character arcs. I could spend paragraphs and paragraphs talking about how well they tied up each protagonist’s arc, but I’ll save you the boredom and go straight to the point: they were perfect. Bristlefrost, who had always been my least liked protagonist in this arc, suddenly became a favorite. Though Rootspring’s arc had come to its climax a couple books ago, I was more than glad he got such a good ending. And you can’t imagine how happy I was with Shadowsight’s especially, how great it felt to see one of my lifelong favorite characters getting a well written, satisfying conclusion.
Still, this was not a full 10 out of 10 for a couple of minor reasons. First, there were a few chapters that felt too much like filler to me, which wouldn’t have bothered me if it weren’t because there was so much stuff to cover! They really could’ve used that extra page time for more productive things. And second, despite how much I loved this ending, I feel like they could’ve done more. This arc was so, so full of potential, and I don’t think they used all of it.
I’m so glad I can finally say The Broken Code has been my favorite Warriors arc of all time! In this first reread I did nothing but grow to appreciate it more, and I can already foresee a lot more rereads to come.
Note: For the reread, I got this as an audiobook, and let me tell you, it was awesome! Though it took me longer to finish it due to the format, the audiobook experience was really atmospheric and gave the book even more personality than it originally had. I definitely recommend it!
I have a bad history with the finales of series I like. Hence why I was already bracing myself for disappointment when this first came out. Luckily, it never came!
This was just a great ending to the arc, in all possible aspects. To be honest, I wasn’t quite expecting it to end this way, but it was awesome anyway. I loved that it was bittersweet and that it focused more on the characters than on anything else.
The worldbuilding was surprisingly good? I actually wasn’t expecting a fully comprehensible explanation of Ashfur’s powers and how StarClan and the Dark Forest work, but that’s what we got, and I really damn enjoyed it!
But the best part was, by far, the character arcs. I could spend paragraphs and paragraphs talking about how well they tied up each protagonist’s arc, but I’ll save you the boredom and go straight to the point: they were perfect. Bristlefrost, who had always been my least liked protagonist in this arc, suddenly became a favorite. Though Rootspring’s arc had come to its climax a couple books ago, I was more than glad he got such a good ending. And you can’t imagine how happy I was with Shadowsight’s especially, how great it felt to see one of my lifelong favorite characters getting a well written, satisfying conclusion.
Still, this was not a full 10 out of 10 for a couple of minor reasons. First, there were a few chapters that felt too much like filler to me, which wouldn’t have bothered me if it weren’t because there was so much stuff to cover! They really could’ve used that extra page time for more productive things. And second, despite how much I loved this ending, I feel like they could’ve done more. This arc was so, so full of potential, and I don’t think they used all of it.
I’m so glad I can finally say The Broken Code has been my favorite Warriors arc of all time! In this first reread I did nothing but grow to appreciate it more, and I can already foresee a lot more rereads to come.
Note: For the reread, I got this as an audiobook, and let me tell you, it was awesome! Though it took me longer to finish it due to the format, the audiobook experience was really atmospheric and gave the book even more personality than it originally had. I definitely recommend it!
December 31, 2021
Amazing book. Snowfall, I do not agree with your rating and review because Erin Hunter has written so many great books. In the last hope, many cats died including Firestar. I was devastated to see my favorite character die. I loved that book so much that I continue to reread it. If you don’t like that book, ok. That’s just how they wrote it. The book has so much intensity that it makes me see what is really going on in the book itself. Bristlefrost gave her life defeating Ashfur. She is a hero. As for Snowtuft, he too, died a warriors death. These two cats should go down in the hall of fame as some of the greatest warriors regardless of their actions. I am not sad to see Ashfur die because he has hurt Squirrelflight in so many ways. Graystripe fought as hard as any warrior could despite his age. He deserves rest in Starclan with his family and friends. I was so surprised to see Darktail in the Dark Forest with his followers because he was not really a clan cat. Nor his followers. Rootspring is so brave going after Bristlfrost and Shadowsight. He loved Bristlfrost so much that he was willing to joining her clan after her death. I wish that Bristlfrost and Rootspring could of had a future together. I never thought I would se the day that Darkstripe died. He had no fear of dying. Redwillow gave his life helping the clans gain connection with Starclan again. He died in the black lake fleeing from Ashfur. I never expected to see Mapleshade still alive in the Dark Forest. The clan cats that died because of Ashfur fought so hard to end his cruel destruction. I also never expected to see Needletail to be in Starclan, but she did save Violetshine’s life. Juniperclaw was brave attacking with Starclan and the clan cats even though he was in the Dark Forest. He, has the trust of the Dark Forest and Starclan now that he defends the path between borders. Erin Hunter, thank you for writing all of these books! I can’t wait until River comes out! Keep writing more Warrior books!
Your #1 fan,
Firestar
Your #1 fan,
Firestar
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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