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Warriors Super Edition #16
Riverstar's Home
In this Super Edition, discover the origins of the first leader of RiverClan—a mysterious cat whose desire for peace would help shape the dawn of the warrior Clans.
When a storm-tossed river sweeps Ripple away from the park he’s always known, he commits himself to the life of a peaceful loner. Still, as his new island home starts to become a sanctuary for other rogues, he can’t help but feel responsible for their safety, and for the community—and Clan—they are beginning to build. But when an old friend from the park resurfaces with terrible news just as the forest cats’ fights begin to escalate into bloodshed, the cat now known as Riverstar will have to decide which home he is truly committed to protecting: his new Clan or his old family.
When a storm-tossed river sweeps Ripple away from the park he’s always known, he commits himself to the life of a peaceful loner. Still, as his new island home starts to become a sanctuary for other rogues, he can’t help but feel responsible for their safety, and for the community—and Clan—they are beginning to build. But when an old friend from the park resurfaces with terrible news just as the forest cats’ fights begin to escalate into bloodshed, the cat now known as Riverstar will have to decide which home he is truly committed to protecting: his new Clan or his old family.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2023
159 people are currently reading
3574 people want to read
About the author
Erin Hunter
277 books10.7k 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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December 27, 2022I'm sorry, this is a thing????
*screams in utter joy because RiverClan is the best and is severely underrated*
*screams in utter joy because RiverClan is the best and is severely underrated*
September 6, 2023
Ok. So when this book was first announced, I was really excited. I loved Riverstar! And returning to DotC would be nice. But I'm disappointed with what we got with this.
My biggest problem was the way this book removed all the mystery surrounding River Ripple and replaced it with not only the most boring possible option but actively contradicting what was said in DotC. RR has actually not spent seasons longer in the forest territories than the mountain cats; he's there for a year-ish before they come, half of the time locked up in a twoleg nest. He also doesn't have a past relationship (not saying romantically, though that could've been really interesting) with One Eye like he says he does in Dawn of the Clans.
The worst part of this is the fact that River Ripple apparently DIDNT LEARN TO SWIM UNTIL BOOK 2 OF DAWN OF THE CLANS. This guy, with his supposed great connection to the river, had to be taught to swim by Night. What. Why. I would've preffered if, say, RR had always taken an interest in water, perhaps learning to swim at the park.
We also don't see any of how Park life was for the cats, since the book opens up with the park getting destroyed. I was really looking forward to learning more about that, but oh well I guess. We hear about the meditation but that's it, though I did like how that was a reoccurring ritual during the book.
Slash is the worst Warriors villain and I hate that he was in this book, much less the main problem for the last third. Kind of girlboss of Finch to kill him though.
Both of Riverstar's romances felt forced. Flutter is barely even a character and I think Finch would've been better off as his friend. Though I will give credit where credit is due, Night and RR's friendship is really sweet. And I'm glad they make it completely clear that it's entirely platonic. I'm so used to Warriors and literature in general not just letting a man and a woman just be friends.
I hate that Riverstar didn't have to give up anything to be with Finch, whereas she had to abandon her father, her previous children, and the life she enjoyed. There's also scenes where Riverstar orders her to do things or dismisses her worries? Which feels very uncomfortable.
I think that first half RR and last half RR feel like two different characters. First half feels so much more distinct and last half feels like just Some Guy.
I wish we had more of Riverstar being a reluctant leader, the book implied it was going that way but never commited. I wish he told cats to keep calling him River Ripple instead of Riverstar, eventually warming up to the name by the end of the book, and I wished he tried to skip gathering like it was said he did in an earlier book (I forget which one)
I LOVE DRIZZLE! She's super awesome, with such a prominent personality and funny lines. She's a new favourite for sure. And Night was awesome. I did wish some of the loners came back, I wanted to see more of Cleo and her children. I wanted her to leave her shitty husband who let her and the kids wander around in the wilderness because he didn't feel like loosing his soft bed. Also I liked Whistle.
What was up with Hawk? He feels like such a loose end. Why did they just not use him again. Riverstar could've turned him nice as part of his character arc and a show of his leadership style.
Justice for Flutter. She's the worst case of fridging in this whole series. She didn't even have a single line until after her death. And I loved seeing Skystar get his ass kicked.
Overall, a disappointment, but with some great moments.
My biggest problem was the way this book removed all the mystery surrounding River Ripple and replaced it with not only the most boring possible option but actively contradicting what was said in DotC. RR has actually not spent seasons longer in the forest territories than the mountain cats; he's there for a year-ish before they come, half of the time locked up in a twoleg nest. He also doesn't have a past relationship (not saying romantically, though that could've been really interesting) with One Eye like he says he does in Dawn of the Clans.
The worst part of this is the fact that River Ripple apparently DIDNT LEARN TO SWIM UNTIL BOOK 2 OF DAWN OF THE CLANS. This guy, with his supposed great connection to the river, had to be taught to swim by Night. What. Why. I would've preffered if, say, RR had always taken an interest in water, perhaps learning to swim at the park.
We also don't see any of how Park life was for the cats, since the book opens up with the park getting destroyed. I was really looking forward to learning more about that, but oh well I guess. We hear about the meditation but that's it, though I did like how that was a reoccurring ritual during the book.
Slash is the worst Warriors villain and I hate that he was in this book, much less the main problem for the last third. Kind of girlboss of Finch to kill him though.
Both of Riverstar's romances felt forced. Flutter is barely even a character and I think Finch would've been better off as his friend. Though I will give credit where credit is due, Night and RR's friendship is really sweet. And I'm glad they make it completely clear that it's entirely platonic. I'm so used to Warriors and literature in general not just letting a man and a woman just be friends.
I hate that Riverstar didn't have to give up anything to be with Finch, whereas she had to abandon her father, her previous children, and the life she enjoyed. There's also scenes where Riverstar orders her to do things or dismisses her worries? Which feels very uncomfortable.
I think that first half RR and last half RR feel like two different characters. First half feels so much more distinct and last half feels like just Some Guy.
I wish we had more of Riverstar being a reluctant leader, the book implied it was going that way but never commited. I wish he told cats to keep calling him River Ripple instead of Riverstar, eventually warming up to the name by the end of the book, and I wished he tried to skip gathering like it was said he did in an earlier book (I forget which one)
I LOVE DRIZZLE! She's super awesome, with such a prominent personality and funny lines. She's a new favourite for sure. And Night was awesome. I did wish some of the loners came back, I wanted to see more of Cleo and her children. I wanted her to leave her shitty husband who let her and the kids wander around in the wilderness because he didn't feel like loosing his soft bed. Also I liked Whistle.
What was up with Hawk? He feels like such a loose end. Why did they just not use him again. Riverstar could've turned him nice as part of his character arc and a show of his leadership style.
Justice for Flutter. She's the worst case of fridging in this whole series. She didn't even have a single line until after her death. And I loved seeing Skystar get his ass kicked.
Overall, a disappointment, but with some great moments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
Frustrating is the best way to describe this one.
The magic and mystery of Riverstar as a unique and slightly eccentric character has been completely wiped away with this book. There's a whole lot more needless love drama I didn't care to read about. A lot of this book (about 50%) is just downright recycled plot elements from Dawn of the Clans but this time from Riverstar's POV. Skystar is still the worst (nothing new there, I suppose). The book feels drawn-out and doesn't really get interesting until past the 50% point when we enter "new" territory with Riverstar going to aid his old parkmates and feeling torn between his homes.
I don't HATE this book, it's just very disappointing as many new releases from this series have been as of late. But to be fair I'll list some elements I like: getting to see the park cats again, getting some final closure to the Slash conflict, Night as a character (she's THE best character in this book) and the first official warrior ceremonies being held.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
The magic and mystery of Riverstar as a unique and slightly eccentric character has been completely wiped away with this book. There's a whole lot more needless love drama I didn't care to read about. A lot of this book (about 50%) is just downright recycled plot elements from Dawn of the Clans but this time from Riverstar's POV. Skystar is still the worst (nothing new there, I suppose). The book feels drawn-out and doesn't really get interesting until past the 50% point when we enter "new" territory with Riverstar going to aid his old parkmates and feeling torn between his homes.
I don't HATE this book, it's just very disappointing as many new releases from this series have been as of late. But to be fair I'll list some elements I like: getting to see the park cats again, getting some final closure to the Slash conflict, Night as a character (she's THE best character in this book) and the first official warrior ceremonies being held.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
September 10, 2023
This was a Super Edition I was really looking forward to, so it gives me no joy to say I was disappointed.
The Good:
- I enjoyed the first half of the book when it recounted the events of Dawn of the Clans from Riverstar's point of view. I love that his strength is his kindness and tolerance, and that those traits set him apart from the much more aggressive mountain cats.
- I'm glad that Night is not a romantic interest. It feels so rare to see such a well developed platonic friendship in these books.
The Bad:
- The structure of this book is baffling. The entire crux of the story is that Riverstar is torn between his new Clan life and his old Park life. Despite this, the book devotes no time to showing Riverstar growing up with these cats. They are immediately captured in the prologue not to be seen again for almost 300 pages.
- Speaking of underdeveloped cats, this book more than most was in dire need of a fuller Allegiances page. As it stands, the only cats in it are the Park Cats... from the prologue. I know this book spans a long period of time, but I could not keep track of characters to save my life.
- On the subject of new characters, Flutter should not have been here at all. She is yet another love interest who dies immediately, and is relegated to the confines of Riverstar's grieving. She adds nothing to this story except to enforce that Riverstar is definitely not gay.
- Last, but not least, the characterization of Riverstar that I loved just falls apart as the story goes on. He shifts into someone who stops meditating, is impulsive, impatient, snippy, and whiney. What happened to the calm mysterious cat he is supposed to be?
The Good:
- I enjoyed the first half of the book when it recounted the events of Dawn of the Clans from Riverstar's point of view. I love that his strength is his kindness and tolerance, and that those traits set him apart from the much more aggressive mountain cats.
- I'm glad that Night is not a romantic interest. It feels so rare to see such a well developed platonic friendship in these books.
The Bad:
- The structure of this book is baffling. The entire crux of the story is that Riverstar is torn between his new Clan life and his old Park life. Despite this, the book devotes no time to showing Riverstar growing up with these cats. They are immediately captured in the prologue not to be seen again for almost 300 pages.
- Speaking of underdeveloped cats, this book more than most was in dire need of a fuller Allegiances page. As it stands, the only cats in it are the Park Cats... from the prologue. I know this book spans a long period of time, but I could not keep track of characters to save my life.
- On the subject of new characters, Flutter should not have been here at all. She is yet another love interest who dies immediately, and is relegated to the confines of Riverstar's grieving. She adds nothing to this story except to enforce that Riverstar is definitely not gay.
- Last, but not least, the characterization of Riverstar that I loved just falls apart as the story goes on. He shifts into someone who stops meditating, is impulsive, impatient, snippy, and whiney. What happened to the calm mysterious cat he is supposed to be?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2023
RiverClan super editions stay winning
October 11, 2024
This book was disappointing to say the least. It's a real shame since I was so looking forward to it. I enjoyed the prequel series a lot, and when the website created a poll listing Riverstar as a Super Edition option, I voted for it hoping that the prequels would be expanded.
The first 300 pages are essentially copy-pasted directly from the Dawn of the Clans arc. Any scenes featuring River Ripple were put here with a few paragraphs giving a summary of what he was up to between them. That's extremely backwards from what I expected. I had thought that the prequel's scenes would be summarized and we would be shown what River Ripple was doing behind-the-scenes. But that'd be too much work for the team and HarperCollins. Why write new stuff when you can copy books from 2013-2015?
After they finish re-treading 6 other books' plots with no bonus insight or content, the plot finally starts. Too bad 100 pages of it is traveling from point A to point B, 100 pages is coming back, and about 5 pages in between are given to resolving the conflict.
Riverstar's character is a far cry from what it was in the Dawn of the Clans arc. He's no longer aloof, confident, and mysterious. He's now a bumbling dumb-dumb who can't make a decision to save his life. (Literally.) Though I suppose the doofy cat on the cover better fits the latter description of him.
The writing in this book is atrocious. All Warrior Cats has mediocre writing. But this one stands out immensely. There are typos every other page, characters' names and genders spontaneously change, and the pacing is absolutely terrible.
This book felt like a waste of my time to read, a waste of Working Partners' time to write, and a waste of HarperCollins' time to publish. It's clear they didn't expect this one to win that poll, so had to scrabble to throw SOMETHING together with no care for quality.
The first 300 pages are essentially copy-pasted directly from the Dawn of the Clans arc. Any scenes featuring River Ripple were put here with a few paragraphs giving a summary of what he was up to between them. That's extremely backwards from what I expected. I had thought that the prequel's scenes would be summarized and we would be shown what River Ripple was doing behind-the-scenes. But that'd be too much work for the team and HarperCollins. Why write new stuff when you can copy books from 2013-2015?
After they finish re-treading 6 other books' plots with no bonus insight or content, the plot finally starts. Too bad 100 pages of it is traveling from point A to point B, 100 pages is coming back, and about 5 pages in between are given to resolving the conflict.
Riverstar's character is a far cry from what it was in the Dawn of the Clans arc. He's no longer aloof, confident, and mysterious. He's now a bumbling dumb-dumb who can't make a decision to save his life. (Literally.) Though I suppose the doofy cat on the cover better fits the latter description of him.
The writing in this book is atrocious. All Warrior Cats has mediocre writing. But this one stands out immensely. There are typos every other page, characters' names and genders spontaneously change, and the pacing is absolutely terrible.
This book felt like a waste of my time to read, a waste of Working Partners' time to write, and a waste of HarperCollins' time to publish. It's clear they didn't expect this one to win that poll, so had to scrabble to throw SOMETHING together with no care for quality.
September 11, 2023
Rating: 5 out of 10
One word comes to mind: mediocre. There were many possible ways that this book could go, being set in the partly blank slate that is the DotC era, and yet the writers chose the most boring route they could think of.
The same goes with Riverstar's character itself: although I didn't quite dislike him, they stripped him of most of the characteristics that would have made him a fun character to read the POV of (and yeah, I voted for him in the polls. I don't regret it: I'm pretty sure any of the other options would've been worse) and just overall made him a lot less interesting than he was originally.
There were a few things I enjoyed about this book, of course: Night and Riverstar's friendship (as opposed to his romantic relationships, which all felt extremely forced and utterly unnecessary) was surprisingly well written, and Drizzle grew a lot on me throughout the story. And yet it's easy to find things you like in a book that's otherwise full of... nothing.
My biggest issue concerning this book, though, isn't specifically about this novel but rather about the current direction of bland conformity that the recent Super Editions seem to be taking. Honestly, I'd much rather read a "bad" book that took risks and tried fun things than an "okay" book that didn't.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to think that the Super Editions have been on a steep decline since Leopardstar's. The Erins really should either put actual effort into these books or just stop writing them altogether for at least a few years (and maybe bring the novellas back for a change). Mind you, this one didn't even have a comic at the end, even more proof that they were doing only the bare minimum.
My recommendation is that you just skip this one. Nothing truly relevant happens in it; there might be a couple cute moments but nothing truly warranting of a five hundred page book.
One word comes to mind: mediocre. There were many possible ways that this book could go, being set in the partly blank slate that is the DotC era, and yet the writers chose the most boring route they could think of.
The same goes with Riverstar's character itself: although I didn't quite dislike him, they stripped him of most of the characteristics that would have made him a fun character to read the POV of (and yeah, I voted for him in the polls. I don't regret it: I'm pretty sure any of the other options would've been worse) and just overall made him a lot less interesting than he was originally.
There were a few things I enjoyed about this book, of course: Night and Riverstar's friendship (as opposed to his romantic relationships, which all felt extremely forced and utterly unnecessary) was surprisingly well written, and Drizzle grew a lot on me throughout the story. And yet it's easy to find things you like in a book that's otherwise full of... nothing.
My biggest issue concerning this book, though, isn't specifically about this novel but rather about the current direction of bland conformity that the recent Super Editions seem to be taking. Honestly, I'd much rather read a "bad" book that took risks and tried fun things than an "okay" book that didn't.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to think that the Super Editions have been on a steep decline since Leopardstar's. The Erins really should either put actual effort into these books or just stop writing them altogether for at least a few years (and maybe bring the novellas back for a change). Mind you, this one didn't even have a comic at the end, even more proof that they were doing only the bare minimum.
My recommendation is that you just skip this one. Nothing truly relevant happens in it; there might be a couple cute moments but nothing truly warranting of a five hundred page book.
September 15, 2023
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. River Ripple was one of my favorite characters from the Dawn of the Clans series. But this one just didn’t deliver for me.
First off, much of the first half of the book is a remix of the Dawn of the Clan series but from River Ripple’s pov. And the second half is mostly traveling which can be fun but gets receptive since they do it at least once in every arc.
I also wasn’t a fan of how River Ripple was portrayed. They took my lovable quiet mysterious contemplative kind peaceful Ripple and made him not like that. He was so angry and flustered throughout the book, and was disappointed that he had only been near the clans for a few moons instead of living there for a long time and having a deep connection to the river.
Lastly, the romance sucked. Majorly sucked. His first mate was barely in it and was killed off page because of course the woman has to die to enhance the man’s character arc. And then his later romance with Finch felt forced. It was like, whoa wait hold up why and when did this happen they had like zero chemistry. And I didn’t like how she had to give up everything she loved just to be with a male.
One thing I did like was Riverstar and Night’s relationship, that was really sweet and well done and I loved how they made sure it was completely platonic.
All right that’s about it. Was rather disappointed in this one but it had its moments, and the meditation stuff was really cool. Maybe read if you’re a die hard Warriors fan or are super into RiverClan, but other than that you can give this one a pass.
Also sorry to my brother, I know you really liked it and I can kind of get it (RiverClan rocks, as always!) but this one just didn’t do it for me :(
P.S. Skystar is still a massive jerk <3
First off, much of the first half of the book is a remix of the Dawn of the Clan series but from River Ripple’s pov. And the second half is mostly traveling which can be fun but gets receptive since they do it at least once in every arc.
I also wasn’t a fan of how River Ripple was portrayed. They took my lovable quiet mysterious contemplative kind peaceful Ripple and made him not like that. He was so angry and flustered throughout the book, and was disappointed that he had only been near the clans for a few moons instead of living there for a long time and having a deep connection to the river.
Lastly, the romance sucked. Majorly sucked. His first mate was barely in it and was killed off page because of course the woman has to die to enhance the man’s character arc. And then his later romance with Finch felt forced. It was like, whoa wait hold up why and when did this happen they had like zero chemistry. And I didn’t like how she had to give up everything she loved just to be with a male.
One thing I did like was Riverstar and Night’s relationship, that was really sweet and well done and I loved how they made sure it was completely platonic.
All right that’s about it. Was rather disappointed in this one but it had its moments, and the meditation stuff was really cool. Maybe read if you’re a die hard Warriors fan or are super into RiverClan, but other than that you can give this one a pass.
Also sorry to my brother, I know you really liked it and I can kind of get it (RiverClan rocks, as always!) but this one just didn’t do it for me :(
P.S. Skystar is still a massive jerk <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2023
ill never have anything bad to say about this series <3
September 16, 2023
I didn't think that there would be a super-edition worse than Onestar's Confession, but then this happened. The writing team RUINED Riverstar. Dawn of the Clans has been my favourite Warriors arc ever since I read it, and I've always been a fan of Riverstar. The Riverstar in this book and the Riverstar in those six books are not the same cat. Plus, the pacing here is totally messed up. Reading this book honestly felt like a chore, and it was so hard to get through. My one big positive for the book is the character of Night, who I really enjoyed. Everything else, however, is either bad or mediocre.
May 26, 2024
River Ripple was always one of my favorite characters, so seeing that he got his own super edition was pretty exciting. The story was pretty interesting, but unfortunately, the authors completely butchered his character to the point where he was unrecognizable at times. There are so many instances where he'll say a line or two pulled straight from the original series, and the shift between his personality from this book vs. the old books is jarring. a sad day for dawn of the clans enjoyers and an even sadder day for river ripple enthusiasts
February 15, 2024
It was riducously boring. Couldn't get passed page 100. SO BORING I WANTED TO CLAW MY EYES OUT
November 3, 2023
This book was honestly a slog to get through and, in my opinion, rather boring. The vast majority of chapters felt less like exciting material to experience and more like obstacles to endure before the book got good—and even then, it didn't stay good.
The first half of the book, excluding a few chapters at the beginning, are simply retelling Dawn of the Clans—only certain details are changed and River Ripple's mysterious entrances are explained away so that they're no longer quite as interesting. For example, in the main series, River Ripple describes the territory as it was several seasons ago, explaining what the rogues and loners did to battle illness. But in this super edition, River Ripple spends half a year in a Twoleg nest and doesn't make the territory his home for very long before the mountain cats show up. Similarly, in the main series, River Ripple mentions a vague history with One-Eye and other rogues he's dealt with in the past; but we barely see any of that in this super edition, and the lost potential is disappointing. Why doesn't this series explore and expand upon its own canon more?
I also wonder why the authors chose to rehash certain events in Dawn of Clans and not others. But mostly I wish that they spent less time reviewing what we as readers already know. This insistence on seemingly random recaps results in frustrating inconsistencies: scenes where River Ripple should know about Turtle Tail's death—because he had been present when her body was found—but only mentions it casually, like someone who had heard about it secondhand; moments where he meets certain mountain cats before they were made aware of him in the main series; and narration that recontextualizes his actions in the main series and makes it less interesting (in my opinion). As Sunnyfall so neatly points out in her YouTube video about this super edition, once we're in River Ripple's head, he's another cat entirely. We learn that he is incapable of making his own decisions, and his defining character traits in the series are reduced to, "StarClan/Gray Wing/Night told me to do this."
Personally, I hated River Ripple's newly established indecisiveness. It's frustrating to hear him lament about the cats from the park that we barely know (because we didn't see them on screen until they were lost to him), while simultaneously justifying why he won't go back to try and find them. When he treks back to the new park with Arc in the second half of the book, it hammers home how relatively short the journey would have been—and how he could have just followed the river to get there. I was similarly livid near the end, when he displayed the same indecisiveness and unwillingness to leave the park and return to his Clan. River Ripple is turned into a passive character with very few motivations of his own, and I found it incredibly hard to root for him most of the time.
Speaking of the journey to the park, I disliked those scenes in particular. A lot of the travel scenes felt boring and unnecessary, and the way that the cats describe human structures can be charming and quirky, but in this case felt excessive and disorienting. I couldn't picture what they were climbing or why when they were somehow trying to go above a Twoleg tunnel carved in the mountain. Not to mention, the mall and drive-through restaurant (if I understood those descriptions correctly) are out of place for the time period of Dawn of the Clans, which the authors have discussed outside of the books. Turtle Tail was supposedly run over by a Ford Model T, so we should still be in the 1920s. Why did the misadventures involving Twolegs feel so modern in this super edition, decades ahead of their time?
While I didn't like River Ripple in this book, I did enjoy his deputy Night. Knowing next to nothing about her in the main series, this super edition really does her character justice, if no one else's, expanding upon her backstory and making her a genuinely unique character. I like how she grows as a person but remains recognizably herself, going from a loner to a Clan deputy, and I love how her relationship with River Ripple is strictly platonic, even by the novel's end. That's a breath of fresh air in a series (and a super edition) that deals so poorly with romance.
Speaking of which, River Ripple's romantic relationships are completely unnecessary, in my opinion. Many fans loved River Ripple in the main series precisely because he wasn't bogged down by love affairs and misogynistic plotlines. But in "Riverstar's Home," he gets a girlfriend who is fridged on page one, who doesn't speak a single line until we see her in StarClan, and River Ripple laments her loss despite her lack of a single defining character trait.
His last-minute romance with Finch is no better. We see none of their chemistry until suddenly they're in love, and then, just as suddenly, Finch is pregnant, and shegives up her entire life and meager personality to be with him in RiverClan. My blood boiled, and I related heavily to Drizzle, when Riverstar seemed to not care about returning to his Clanmates, all because he had found a beautiful she-cat to fawn over. It genuinely felt like he was fabricating excuses with the river being too high to go home. Why couldn't he just walk, while keeping the river in sight? Why couldn't he take a random detour along the Thunderpath, like he did on the way there (for reasons I still don't understand)? The overarching theme of Riverstar finding a home could have just as easily have existed without these trite and unexceptional romances getting in the way—and it might have been better for a series aimed at middle schoolers (especially young girls) to emphasize elements that make up a home besides getting married and having children. RiverClan is home to Riverstar because of his friends and his Clanmates, because it's the place that he's chosen to be, not because he suddenly has a wife and children who live there, too.
If I were to tweak this story, I would probably turn it into two novellas: one for Night, which covers the first half of the book (how Riverstar arrives in the territories and how Night gradually opens up to living with other cats, plus more information about her backstory and how she's dealt with loss and grief), and one for Riverstar, which covers the second half of the book (when Arc arrives in RiverClan asking for help, through to the battle with SkyClan after he returns home). I would probably write out Finch and Flutter completely, to be honest, or else give their characters more depth and defining qualities. I would definitely skip as much retelling of Dawn of the Clans as possible—and isn't that about 43% of this novel?
Overall, I really did not enjoy this super edition. There were moments that stood out to me (Riverstar intimidating Slash by coming back from the dead and Skystar being a jerk by using StarClan to justify his own greed) and characters that I grew to love almost instantly (Night and Drizzle, in particular). But the vast majority of the novel was a trial to get through, and I mostly kept going because I wanted to get to actual fun material (still holding out hope for the story improving) or because I wanted to be done with the book entirely so that I could read something more interesting—and so I could watch analysis videos on YouTube to see what other people disliked and to compare that to my own set of grievances.
So much of this book happens off-screen, in paragraph-long summaries at the beginning of each chapter, and I don't think that it does justice to River Ripple's character at all, especially considering how beloved he was in the main Dawn of the Clans series. You can see how little time and attention went into this book—how little care—when you notice all of the messy typos and canonical errors: Drizzle being referred to as Drizzled; River Ripple being called Ripple in the narration soon after he'd changed his name; random quotation marks hanging off the page; missing prepositions such as the "on" in "crouched on." It honestly makes me feel disillusioned about this series, because if not even the authors care about this particular story (besides the money it will make them), then why should I?
The first half of the book, excluding a few chapters at the beginning, are simply retelling Dawn of the Clans—only certain details are changed and River Ripple's mysterious entrances are explained away so that they're no longer quite as interesting. For example, in the main series, River Ripple describes the territory as it was several seasons ago, explaining what the rogues and loners did to battle illness. But in this super edition, River Ripple spends half a year in a Twoleg nest and doesn't make the territory his home for very long before the mountain cats show up. Similarly, in the main series, River Ripple mentions a vague history with One-Eye and other rogues he's dealt with in the past; but we barely see any of that in this super edition, and the lost potential is disappointing. Why doesn't this series explore and expand upon its own canon more?
I also wonder why the authors chose to rehash certain events in Dawn of Clans and not others. But mostly I wish that they spent less time reviewing what we as readers already know. This insistence on seemingly random recaps results in frustrating inconsistencies: scenes where River Ripple should know about Turtle Tail's death—because he had been present when her body was found—but only mentions it casually, like someone who had heard about it secondhand; moments where he meets certain mountain cats before they were made aware of him in the main series; and narration that recontextualizes his actions in the main series and makes it less interesting (in my opinion). As Sunnyfall so neatly points out in her YouTube video about this super edition, once we're in River Ripple's head, he's another cat entirely. We learn that he is incapable of making his own decisions, and his defining character traits in the series are reduced to, "StarClan/Gray Wing/Night told me to do this."
Personally, I hated River Ripple's newly established indecisiveness. It's frustrating to hear him lament about the cats from the park that we barely know (because we didn't see them on screen until they were lost to him), while simultaneously justifying why he won't go back to try and find them. When he treks back to the new park with Arc in the second half of the book, it hammers home how relatively short the journey would have been—and how he could have just followed the river to get there. I was similarly livid near the end, when he displayed the same indecisiveness and unwillingness to leave the park and return to his Clan. River Ripple is turned into a passive character with very few motivations of his own, and I found it incredibly hard to root for him most of the time.
Speaking of the journey to the park, I disliked those scenes in particular. A lot of the travel scenes felt boring and unnecessary, and the way that the cats describe human structures can be charming and quirky, but in this case felt excessive and disorienting. I couldn't picture what they were climbing or why when they were somehow trying to go above a Twoleg tunnel carved in the mountain. Not to mention, the mall and drive-through restaurant (if I understood those descriptions correctly) are out of place for the time period of Dawn of the Clans, which the authors have discussed outside of the books. Turtle Tail was supposedly run over by a Ford Model T, so we should still be in the 1920s. Why did the misadventures involving Twolegs feel so modern in this super edition, decades ahead of their time?
While I didn't like River Ripple in this book, I did enjoy his deputy Night. Knowing next to nothing about her in the main series, this super edition really does her character justice, if no one else's, expanding upon her backstory and making her a genuinely unique character. I like how she grows as a person but remains recognizably herself, going from a loner to a Clan deputy, and I love how her relationship with River Ripple is strictly platonic, even by the novel's end. That's a breath of fresh air in a series (and a super edition) that deals so poorly with romance.
Speaking of which, River Ripple's romantic relationships are completely unnecessary, in my opinion. Many fans loved River Ripple in the main series precisely because he wasn't bogged down by love affairs and misogynistic plotlines. But in "Riverstar's Home," he gets a girlfriend who is fridged on page one, who doesn't speak a single line until we see her in StarClan, and River Ripple laments her loss despite her lack of a single defining character trait.
His last-minute romance with Finch is no better. We see none of their chemistry until suddenly they're in love, and then, just as suddenly, Finch is pregnant, and shegives up her entire life and meager personality to be with him in RiverClan. My blood boiled, and I related heavily to Drizzle, when Riverstar seemed to not care about returning to his Clanmates, all because he had found a beautiful she-cat to fawn over. It genuinely felt like he was fabricating excuses with the river being too high to go home. Why couldn't he just walk, while keeping the river in sight? Why couldn't he take a random detour along the Thunderpath, like he did on the way there (for reasons I still don't understand)? The overarching theme of Riverstar finding a home could have just as easily have existed without these trite and unexceptional romances getting in the way—and it might have been better for a series aimed at middle schoolers (especially young girls) to emphasize elements that make up a home besides getting married and having children. RiverClan is home to Riverstar because of his friends and his Clanmates, because it's the place that he's chosen to be, not because he suddenly has a wife and children who live there, too.
If I were to tweak this story, I would probably turn it into two novellas: one for Night, which covers the first half of the book (how Riverstar arrives in the territories and how Night gradually opens up to living with other cats, plus more information about her backstory and how she's dealt with loss and grief), and one for Riverstar, which covers the second half of the book (when Arc arrives in RiverClan asking for help, through to the battle with SkyClan after he returns home). I would probably write out Finch and Flutter completely, to be honest, or else give their characters more depth and defining qualities. I would definitely skip as much retelling of Dawn of the Clans as possible—and isn't that about 43% of this novel?
Overall, I really did not enjoy this super edition. There were moments that stood out to me (Riverstar intimidating Slash by coming back from the dead and Skystar being a jerk by using StarClan to justify his own greed) and characters that I grew to love almost instantly (Night and Drizzle, in particular). But the vast majority of the novel was a trial to get through, and I mostly kept going because I wanted to get to actual fun material (still holding out hope for the story improving) or because I wanted to be done with the book entirely so that I could read something more interesting—and so I could watch analysis videos on YouTube to see what other people disliked and to compare that to my own set of grievances.
So much of this book happens off-screen, in paragraph-long summaries at the beginning of each chapter, and I don't think that it does justice to River Ripple's character at all, especially considering how beloved he was in the main Dawn of the Clans series. You can see how little time and attention went into this book—how little care—when you notice all of the messy typos and canonical errors: Drizzle being referred to as Drizzled; River Ripple being called Ripple in the narration soon after he'd changed his name; random quotation marks hanging off the page; missing prepositions such as the "on" in "crouched on." It honestly makes me feel disillusioned about this series, because if not even the authors care about this particular story (besides the money it will make them), then why should I?
October 2, 2023
Riverstar’s Home was a good book. Riverstar is one of my favorite of the founding leaders, along with Windstar, and I liked learning more about his backstory and the development of early RiverClan. A lot of parts were predictable, and the plot was pretty basic. My favorite character is Night, and my favorite part was when Riverstar got his nine lives and saw Flutter again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2024
The found family vibes in this straight up murdered me.
January 21, 2025
How could you make any cat peaceful? Peace flowed from inside. Peace imposed from outside wasn't peace at all. Only silence
Our Zen alpha boy gets the 500-page deep dive treatment!
Our Zen alpha boy gets the 500-page deep dive treatment!
September 11, 2023
Hippie cat gaslights himself into thinking he has a friends with benefits relationship with the river.
I haven’t read DOTC but I do think this book is a semi summary of that whole series. I find it funny that one of the foundational leaders was briefly a kitty pet. Also the meditation was interesting and I wish that was a tradition that held up in Riverclan but alas. Riverstar is definitely the friendliest and most rational leader that the clans will ever see.
I haven’t read DOTC but I do think this book is a semi summary of that whole series. I find it funny that one of the foundational leaders was briefly a kitty pet. Also the meditation was interesting and I wish that was a tradition that held up in Riverclan but alas. Riverstar is definitely the friendliest and most rational leader that the clans will ever see.
September 7, 2024
Oh Riverstar i love you so...
Read
November 3, 2024TO BE RESTARTED
I just didn’t have time to finish lol
I just didn’t have time to finish lol
April 26, 2024
This wasn’t hundred percent what I had hoped for. I adore the warriors books and almost all of them are five stars for me, but I wasn’t as happy with this book.
It wasn’t that the story was terrible, it was actually really good and entertaining, the issue was more, that it felt inaccurate.
First of the prologue didn’t feel quite warriors enough. It wasn’t as cryptic as they usually are and felt already like part of the story telling.
Half of the book was a recap of Dawn of Clans from Riverstar’s prospective. It wasn’t bad, if you haven’t read it in a while, but I would guess, that if you just read it, it would feel repetitive, as not much was added to the story. Sure you actually get to see how Riverstar’s group grew and how Riverstar developed into the cat we loved in Dawn of the Clans, but it wasn’t answering any mysteries left over, like in Leopardstar’s honor.
The time frame in the recap felt off. It didn’t seem like that much time passed, as would have need to for example meeting the mountain cats for the first time and then meeting an adult Thunder.
I also felt Riverstar seemed wiser in Dawn of the Clans, as he turned out being in Riverstar’s Home.
What I adored about this book was getting more Riverclan content, as well as reading in depth about how cats become Riverclan, not in the sense of joining the clan, but learning to love the water and fish and the like. River hunting and swimming was taught to the cats in such depth in this book, I rejoiced it. I especially loved Riverstar’s connection to river.
And this was a first book, that actually gave us quite the indepth scene, where you see a wild cat actually tamed by humans. We had cats become Kittypets before, but actual taming was not explored like this before.
Half way through we finally started into an original story, which was honestly brilliant and considering Riverstar is one of my favorites, I love getting to know a new aspect of his life.
For a good few pages, when the original plotline started, I didn’t like what happened with his personality. He suddenly showed an uncharacteristic uncertainty, fear and anger, but fortunately it settled again.
But even in the original plotline, it felt we had some inaccuracies. In A Starless Clan, we are met by Parkcats, that hint at the story in this book. But the location where the cats met this group in both books, didn’t match up, which bothered me a bit.
Overall I had fun with this book. I was a little disappointed, because I usually like the warriors better and this was one of my favorite cats, but it was fine overall. My expectations are simply very high for this series by now.
It wasn’t that the story was terrible, it was actually really good and entertaining, the issue was more, that it felt inaccurate.
First of the prologue didn’t feel quite warriors enough. It wasn’t as cryptic as they usually are and felt already like part of the story telling.
Half of the book was a recap of Dawn of Clans from Riverstar’s prospective. It wasn’t bad, if you haven’t read it in a while, but I would guess, that if you just read it, it would feel repetitive, as not much was added to the story. Sure you actually get to see how Riverstar’s group grew and how Riverstar developed into the cat we loved in Dawn of the Clans, but it wasn’t answering any mysteries left over, like in Leopardstar’s honor.
The time frame in the recap felt off. It didn’t seem like that much time passed, as would have need to for example meeting the mountain cats for the first time and then meeting an adult Thunder.
I also felt Riverstar seemed wiser in Dawn of the Clans, as he turned out being in Riverstar’s Home.
What I adored about this book was getting more Riverclan content, as well as reading in depth about how cats become Riverclan, not in the sense of joining the clan, but learning to love the water and fish and the like. River hunting and swimming was taught to the cats in such depth in this book, I rejoiced it. I especially loved Riverstar’s connection to river.
And this was a first book, that actually gave us quite the indepth scene, where you see a wild cat actually tamed by humans. We had cats become Kittypets before, but actual taming was not explored like this before.
Half way through we finally started into an original story, which was honestly brilliant and considering Riverstar is one of my favorites, I love getting to know a new aspect of his life.
For a good few pages, when the original plotline started, I didn’t like what happened with his personality. He suddenly showed an uncharacteristic uncertainty, fear and anger, but fortunately it settled again.
But even in the original plotline, it felt we had some inaccuracies. In A Starless Clan, we are met by Parkcats, that hint at the story in this book. But the location where the cats met this group in both books, didn’t match up, which bothered me a bit.
Overall I had fun with this book. I was a little disappointed, because I usually like the warriors better and this was one of my favorite cats, but it was fine overall. My expectations are simply very high for this series by now.
September 25, 2024
I have to get my first thoughts out now which is FAR OUT I FORGOT HOW MUCH I HATED SKYSTAR!!! Why is he the actual worst. No wonder they were driven out of the forest.
It took me a while to get into this super edition as I don't like the fact that it was a different narrator than the rest of them. It was also a bit slow as well and felt like it could have ended in multiple places. I don't like when the super editions feel like a series crammed into one book, and a lot of it was the same as Dawn of the Clans arc but from a different point of view.
The different storylines were good though. I liked seeing RiverClan become established, and I liked Riverstar's point of view.
It took me a while to get into this super edition as I don't like the fact that it was a different narrator than the rest of them. It was also a bit slow as well and felt like it could have ended in multiple places. I don't like when the super editions feel like a series crammed into one book, and a lot of it was the same as Dawn of the Clans arc but from a different point of view.
The different storylines were good though. I liked seeing RiverClan become established, and I liked Riverstar's point of view.
April 30, 2025
Before he was Riverstar, he was Ripple then River Ripple. Ripple is a young cat living in a Twoleg park with his parkmates when he slips off of a bridge and is swept downriver. He makes friends with some loners who teach him to fish and swim, but he longs to go back to the park. As time passes, he becomes more attached to the river and the cats who live near it including a new group of cats from the mountains. Who is he, and where does he belong?
May 22, 2025
It's been a while since I've read one of these, but I always like going back to the ancestors and seeing the formation of the Clans. River Ripple is a very different sort of protagonist to what we usually get. He was a refreshing change of pace, and I love it whenever anyone beats Clear Sky's ass.
February 2, 2024
one of my all time favorite characters and now one of my all time favorite books!! i LOVED this one more than i can even put into words
March 23, 2024
drizzle>>
Read
August 10, 2024Man, was this book a struggle to finnish... Only reason I didn't dnfed it is because it's a Warriors book, but I ended up skipping lots of pages as the story didn't interest me
January 7, 2025
A little boring but I enjoyed the characters and it wasn’t bad overall
October 13, 2023
I really like the story of Riverstar.
April 10, 2025
A Review of Riverstar's Home by Erin Hunter
Riverstar's Home by Erin Hunter is a warm and familiar addition to the Warriors series. While it offers an engaging story of survival and leadership, it sometimes feels a bit too predictable and struggles to fully capture the essence of its feline characters.
The story follows Riverstar’s journey from a lonely stray to the leader of his own Clan. His struggles to survive and build a community are compelling, and the tension of overcoming obstacles makes his growth feel rewarding. However, the characters’ emotions and decisions often feel more human than cat-like, which makes it harder to stay fully immersed in their world. At times, it was easy to imagine Riverstar with human traits, making the story feel less like a tale about wild cats and more like a human drama in fur.
Riverstar’s rise to leadership follows the classic underdog-to-hero storyline, which is satisfying but a bit predictable. His sudden relationship with Finch near the end of the book felt rushed and lacked the depth it needed to feel natural. I was more interested in his bond with Night and wished the story had explored that connection more deeply instead of introducing a last-minute romance that didn’t feel fully earned. Besides, I was hoping that this book will not have any romance in it.
Erin Hunter’s writing is clear and easy to follow, staying true to the tone of the Warriors series. The descriptions of the river and surrounding environment are vivid, helping to bring the setting to life. However, the writing sometimes leans too heavily on human-like emotions, which pulls away from the idea that these are wild cats with instincts and behaviors different from humans.
One of the more impactful parts of the story was Riverstar’s internal struggle between staying loyal to his park friends and committing to his new Clan. This conflict felt real and showed his growth as a leader. However, no single moment stood out as truly unforgettable.
Riverstar's Home is a cozy and enjoyable read, especially for longtime fans of the Warriors series. The familiar themes of survival, leadership, and family provide comfort, but the story doesn’t take many risks. Its reliance on familiar story arcs and character behaviors holds it back from feeling as fresh and immersive as it could be. Still, it’s a satisfying story for anyone looking to revisit the world of the Clans.
Riverstar's Home by Erin Hunter is a warm and familiar addition to the Warriors series. While it offers an engaging story of survival and leadership, it sometimes feels a bit too predictable and struggles to fully capture the essence of its feline characters.
The story follows Riverstar’s journey from a lonely stray to the leader of his own Clan. His struggles to survive and build a community are compelling, and the tension of overcoming obstacles makes his growth feel rewarding. However, the characters’ emotions and decisions often feel more human than cat-like, which makes it harder to stay fully immersed in their world. At times, it was easy to imagine Riverstar with human traits, making the story feel less like a tale about wild cats and more like a human drama in fur.
Riverstar’s rise to leadership follows the classic underdog-to-hero storyline, which is satisfying but a bit predictable. His sudden relationship with Finch near the end of the book felt rushed and lacked the depth it needed to feel natural. I was more interested in his bond with Night and wished the story had explored that connection more deeply instead of introducing a last-minute romance that didn’t feel fully earned. Besides, I was hoping that this book will not have any romance in it.
Erin Hunter’s writing is clear and easy to follow, staying true to the tone of the Warriors series. The descriptions of the river and surrounding environment are vivid, helping to bring the setting to life. However, the writing sometimes leans too heavily on human-like emotions, which pulls away from the idea that these are wild cats with instincts and behaviors different from humans.
One of the more impactful parts of the story was Riverstar’s internal struggle between staying loyal to his park friends and committing to his new Clan. This conflict felt real and showed his growth as a leader. However, no single moment stood out as truly unforgettable.
Riverstar's Home is a cozy and enjoyable read, especially for longtime fans of the Warriors series. The familiar themes of survival, leadership, and family provide comfort, but the story doesn’t take many risks. Its reliance on familiar story arcs and character behaviors holds it back from feeling as fresh and immersive as it could be. Still, it’s a satisfying story for anyone looking to revisit the world of the Clans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Solid three stars, I guess? This book was so weird. I can’t organize my thoughts, honestly. It was simultaneously extremely disappointing and actually really interesting at the same time.
It feels like the book spends the entire time saying the clans are bad but also the clans are the best, perfect, ONLY way to live. . . The message, if there was any, about clan life was completely lost in my opinion. It feels like the writers wanted to explore the fact that clan life isn’t perfect in this book, but they ended up losing all the nuance of that argument along the way. To make it worse, River Ripple, or Riverstar, I guess, pretty much stopped being interesting and unique as soon as he got his nine lives. After his nine lives ceremony, his character and everything he’d learned was flung out the window. His relationship with Finch was SO rushed and written poorly, even by Warriors standards. Skystar’s development also completely disappeared at the end of the book, and almost all of the conflict was just conflict for conflict’s sake. . . Which Riverstar recognized until he just didn’t anymore. *sigh*
I loved Arc and the park cats. Like, I REALLY loved Arc’s character. He was, to me, by far the most interesting character in the story (except Night! Night appreciation please! The second female cat in Warriors to never take a mate, yay!). Why was Arc so interesting, you ask? Well, he was a developed, interesting cat who HELPED the clans but DIDN’T join them and had DIFFERENT beliefs and practices! What? Is this Warriors?
Long story short, this book was a mess as usual. Most of the recent Super Editions have been just bad, and while this one didn’t destroy cannon like others have, it still wasn’t great. The characters were undeveloped, the plot was all over the place, the romance was terrible, and the interesting bits weren’t really focused on. (Slash came back, yay glad that got resolved in like two chapters. . . He used to be so scary. . .)
Anyways, I’m interested to read the next Super Edition, whatever it may be. . . Hopefully this book is a stepping stone to getting back to good Warriors Super Editions!
It feels like the book spends the entire time saying the clans are bad but also the clans are the best, perfect, ONLY way to live. . . The message, if there was any, about clan life was completely lost in my opinion. It feels like the writers wanted to explore the fact that clan life isn’t perfect in this book, but they ended up losing all the nuance of that argument along the way. To make it worse, River Ripple, or Riverstar, I guess, pretty much stopped being interesting and unique as soon as he got his nine lives. After his nine lives ceremony, his character and everything he’d learned was flung out the window. His relationship with Finch was SO rushed and written poorly, even by Warriors standards. Skystar’s development also completely disappeared at the end of the book, and almost all of the conflict was just conflict for conflict’s sake. . . Which Riverstar recognized until he just didn’t anymore. *sigh*
I loved Arc and the park cats. Like, I REALLY loved Arc’s character. He was, to me, by far the most interesting character in the story (except Night! Night appreciation please! The second female cat in Warriors to never take a mate, yay!). Why was Arc so interesting, you ask? Well, he was a developed, interesting cat who HELPED the clans but DIDN’T join them and had DIFFERENT beliefs and practices! What? Is this Warriors?
Long story short, this book was a mess as usual. Most of the recent Super Editions have been just bad, and while this one didn’t destroy cannon like others have, it still wasn’t great. The characters were undeveloped, the plot was all over the place, the romance was terrible, and the interesting bits weren’t really focused on. (Slash came back, yay glad that got resolved in like two chapters. . . He used to be so scary. . .)
Anyways, I’m interested to read the next Super Edition, whatever it may be. . . Hopefully this book is a stepping stone to getting back to good Warriors Super Editions!
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