Crookedstar's Promise

Warriors Super Edition #4

by Erin Hunter

Two healthy kits have just been born in Riverclan--Oakkit and Stormkit. The whole Clan rejoices, and no cat is more pleased than their mother, who immediately recognizes her kits' innate skill and bravery.

But when tragedy befalls Stormkit and he is permanently disfigured, his mother renames him Crookedkit and casts him aside.

As the young cat grows in strength, he dreams of becoming Clan leader. Then a mysterious cat appears in his dreams, whispering of prophecies untold and destinies undiscovered. She proclaims that Crookedkit will have all that he desires--but he must pledge his undying loyalty to RiverClan.

No cat could ever have imagined the terror and destruction that would lie in one hastily made, seemingly harmless, promise.

Genres: Fantasy, Animals, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Cats, Young Adult

491 pages, Hardcover

First published July 5, 2011

About the author

Erin Hunter is the pseudonym of five people: Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui T. Sutherland, Gillian Philip, and Inbali Iserles, as well as editor Victoria Holmes. Together, they write the Warriors series as well as the Seekers and Survivors series. Erin Hunter is working on a new series now called Bravelands.

Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.

Reviews

[hal · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read Crookedstar's Promise, about a year or two ago, I only gave it four stars. I can't believe I did that. This book is possibly one of the best in the Warriors saga. There wasn't a single thing I didn't love, so now I'm giving Crookedstar's Promise the five stars it deserves.

I always liked Crookedstar, but this book made me respect him so much more. He is definitely one of the best characters in the entire series. Throughout his life, he went through so much struggle. But he survived it and went from being the smallest kitten in Riverclan to the leader. If you know me, you know there are very few books that can make me cry. This one did. When I first read it, I cried when Crookedstar's mother rejected him because of his deformed face . Now re-reading it, tears welled in my eyes when Willowbreeze, his wife (or "mate" as the cats would say, and two of their three children died Overall, Crookedstar is a very complex character, one that is easy to empathize with and relate to. I have so much respect for him.

Overall, an excellent, brilliant, wonderful, AMAZING book. One of my favorite Warriors books.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This definitely was not what I thought it was going to be. I really didn't consider Crookedstar's life very interesting, aside from the fact that something was up with his mouth. Oops. Big mistake.

So here's a quick summary: Stormkit is destined to be a great warrior, and he has to prove that an accident won't change that fact. Even when his name is changed to reflect hardship, Stormkit-now Crookedkit with a disfigured jaw, indifferent mother, and behind in training-has a secret. He's made a promise, one that will bring him to leadership despite trials and cruelty, but one that may also be a source to greater cruelty. What does it mean to put your Clan first above all things?

I had to hand it to the Erins while reading this Super Edition. This one is actually my favorite so far. I'm not much of an emotional reader, but I have to admit this one made me want to cry at the end; it's like the secrets in these series keep on growing. There were tons of tragic twists, and if you examine each one closely and think more on it, *spoiler* like Rainflower abandoning Crookedkit and only favoring his brother, it's even sadder. But there are great themes and questions (especially on fate) that left me still thinking. Like this: can someone else change your destiny? Does what you do affect others' destinies? And, like all super editions do, this book provided great detail on a different character, and in this case, a different Clan and time period, which was a refreshing read.

So, all in all, I really enjoyed this book. Don't read it with sad music in the background (like I did) otherwise you might cry, lol.

[Noella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elk boek van Erin Hunter is toch telkens weer een genot om te lezen.

Deze keer volgen we het leven van Kromster, die als kitten geboren werd in de Rivierclan en de naam Stormkit kreeg. Helaas, door een ongeval brak hij zijn kaak en vanaf toen werd hij Kromkit genoemd, later Kromkaak. Eikenhart is zijn broer.

Doordat hij er anders uitziet, trekt zijn moeder zich van hem terug, wat hem heel veel verdriet doet. Ook door andere katten wordt hij vreemd bekeken. Daar komt nog bij dat hij klein en mager blijft, omdat hij niet goed kan eten doordat zijn mond niet goed sluit. Enkel zijn broer Eikenkit blijft hem volledig trouw.

Kromkit voelt zich niet geaccepteerd door zijn clan en wil naar de Maansteen. Maar onderweg ontmoet hij Vlek, een eenling, en Misty, zijn partner. Kromkit blijft een hele tijd bij hen.
In zijn dromen ontmoet hij ondertussen Mispeldoorn, die hem laat beloven zijn clan altijd op de eerste plaats te zetten, dan zal hij een groot krijger en leider worden. Kromkit denkt dat Mispeldoorn een kat van de Sterrenclan is, maar ze is er een van het Duistere Woud! Dus hier reeds, in een tijd lang voor de geboorte van Vuurster van de Donderclan, willen katten van het Duistere Woud de clans beïnvloeden!

Onze held beleeft vele avonturen, en wordt uiteindelijk Kromster, de leider van de rivierclan. Hij heeft veel leed moeten doorstaan, vele geliefden verloren, maar kan eindelijk vrede nemen met zijn bestemming, als hij Mispeldoorn heeft kunnen weerstaan.

Dit boek speelt zich ook af in de tijd dat Eikenhart van de Riverclan, en Blauwvact (de latere Blauwster) van de Donderclan elkaar ontmoeten.

ik kon niet stoppen in dit boek, en nu heb ik spijt dat het uit is.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. If I could give it ten stars I would. :-)

Stormkit and Oakkit are born two perfect kits. Until an accident happens to Stormkit. He breaks his jawbone. Rainfur cruelly renames her son Crookedkit and tosses him aside. Forgotten and unloved Crookedkit wants to speak to Starclan. But obstacles block his path to Moonstones. Crookedkit gains new friends and learns from the moons he spent away from Riverclan. But a mysterious cat appears in his dreams and tells him in is time to go home.

As Crookedkit tries to prove his loyalty to his clan, he makes a promise. Mapleshade tells him that if he wants to be the best Warrior ever and Clan leader, that he must put his clan above all other things. Even his loved ones.

After much pain, loss, suffering, and betrayal. Crookedfur becomes leader of Riverclan. But, he has paid such a high price for the promise he made so long ago, to a cat he though was from Starclan.

Loved how this book brought insight into the life of Riverclan. So interesting to learn new clan phrases and rituals. I also though it was interesting to see that Darkforest was rising even before Tigerstar. Mapleshade's life is also explained during this book, explaining how she became the evil cat that she was.

I cried at the end of this book. Poor Crookedstar! :'( He lost everyone he ever loved. This is my favorite of all the Warriors and the best book I have ever read. (It's the only book that has ever made me cry.) Bluestars Prophecy is second. :-) Loved the part about the Gathering when Bluestar and Crookedstar talk. So cool to see each cats perspective.

If you haven't read this book yet you need to. Don't read the manga until the end of the book. You will just spoil the moment for yourself. :-)

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Warriors: Crookedstar's promise" is a story written by the amazing authors known together as Erin Hunter. This book shows the former leader of Riverclan's life story. This book is very similar to another Warriors book by Erin Hunter, Bluestar's Prophecy. The book tells you all about how Crookedstar got his name, and how he was as a kit. Crookedstar overcomes many of his life's challenges, and works his hardest to become the thing he was destined to be: The leader. The book progresses along from the moment Crookedstar was kitted to the time of his death, with many action-packed moments in between. Trust me, if you want a good book, read this.


Two characters in the book that really stand out are Oakheart and, of course, Crookedstar. Oakheart and Crookedstar both wanted to be the leader of Riverclan, but they knew that only one of them could hold the title. Even from the time they were kits, they have always been faithful brothers. Oakheart is a hardy warrior, but is somewhat timid and a tad shy. Crookedstar, however, is brave, loyal, and would never pass down an adventure. A similarity between them is the fact that they are both loyal warriors of Riverclan. However, Oakheart is not always loyal to his clan, as you will find out if you read the book. Another similarity between them is that they are both trustworthy to a certain degree.


Of course, I recommend this amazing novel to any reader, as long as they have read some other books of the series and have at least a nutshell of prior knowledge of the series and the clans.
Next to that, I do not recommend this book to a reader who does not enjoy action, fighting, and adventure. Yes, that's how good this book is. Lastly, I recommend this novel to all fans of the Warriors series, and hopefully it will become your favorite book, as it has mine.


With all of this information, hopefully you want to read this amazing novel in some of your spare time, and have much fun reading it. The author is amazing, and you should read some of her other books too!

Thanks for taking your time to read,
~-~Grant S~-~

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

CROOKEDSTAR MY BELOVED THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE U

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Such a great book. I read it in under a day (if you count in hours from when I started) and it's almost 500 pages!!

Characters: 5/5 - Superb as usual! I always love Warrior characters, but in this book there was true spark just like we saw in the original series books. The Clans were divided as they should be and the Clans didn't get along; exactly what I liked! In the more recent books the Clans are way too nice - so it's great to see the Clans arguing between each other again! And I have to say that I really felt sorry for Crookedstar throughout. He developed so much though and he's now one of my favourite cats!!

Plot - 4.5/5 - Very, very interesting to read about his life and how he changed from when he was a kit. There was such a great message that no matter how you look or what's wrong with you, you can still succeed, which is exactly what happened. I really just loved the plot, what else can I say? I know some people may find it predictable as you sort of know what already happens at the end before reading, but that's the idea and you'll obviously know if you've read other Warriors books that take place after this one. But I think there's so much more to find out and explore about his life that it doesn't even matter! So yes, super plot!

Writing - 5/5 - Love the writing style that the Erin's use. They never back away from great description and vivid adjectives, though it's still such an easy style to read and it's split up so nicely. It makes it such a quick read too, which I love. It never feels like the writing drags at all because they tell us what we need to know and then move on soon after, whereas some authors spend ages describing the same thing when there's honestly no point. The writing carried good emotion, too!

Enjoyment - 4.5/5 - Really, really enjoyed this book; one of my favourites of the year so far. It really brings emotions out - from sadness to laughter. As you can tell, reading it so fast clearly proves how good and enjoyable it is. I just couldn't put this down and had to keep reading!! A few very minor things stopping me from giving it a 5, but let's not bother about those...

Overall - 4.8/5 - Like I keep saying, such an amazing book - what's not to love?

[Womana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crookedstar has to adapt to his disability. Mocked and degraded by his clan, he escapes to rid them of his useless presence. Instead he finds individuals who accept him as he is. From that he learns to accept himself. After that, nothing can stop his determination to overcome whatever he faces. As a handicapped person myself, I am encouraged and inspired by this character who understands my struggle so well.

[Quinn Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sounds really interesting and I cannot WAIT until it comes out!

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really want!!!!!!!! NOT PUBLISHED YET WILL BE AROUND JULY 1ST 2011.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In which our fearless leader fucks up his face and almost gets red-pilled. Finally reached peak Super Edition, mrrrrrrow!!!

What to say about Crookedstar's Promise? I went into this one not super eager, while also realizing it is a fan favorite. And, you really have to get through to the end to appreciate what it's doing in the greater Warriors universe. For that wider connection, it gets my seal of approval. I still don't know how to feel about the Super Editions generally - we're falling into a pattern with these 500-page books of bad pacing, tracing the cat's upbringing for 450pgs and only getting to their leadership transformation at the very end. So maybe the titles with their leader names are throwing me off. In any case, this one proved to be a necessary addition to the original series.

We are back to ableist naming, unfortunately! Originally Stormkit, our protagonist breaks his whole-ass jaw on a rock and is renamed Crookedkit. By his mother! At least there's a chance to correct that when he gets his warrior name....except they totally don't correct it, they give him the even worse name, Crookedjaw (points for accuracy??!). For the life of me, I don't know why these cats think it's okay to name each other after their disabilities, but the awful trend persists for generations.

There's also been a bit of a Cruel Moms trend lately, and Crooked's mother, Rainflower, is maybe one of the worst offenders. Where other mothers have arguably suffered from postpartum mental health issues, Rainflower just hates her son because his face got messed up in an accident. It's truly a cruel act, to turn your back on your child because of the way they look and she doesn't really redeem herself throughout his life. Worth noting, though is Crooked's father, Shellheart, who turns his back on his mate in order to support his son. We love a cat who takes time to be a dad!

The "runaway cat" trope shows up again, when Crookedkit feels unwanted and ostracized from his clan and travels to the Moonstone for guidance. He never makes it and instead meets some barn cats who teach him more valuable lessons than the Moonstone would have given anyway - that he is worthy, that he can do what any other cat can do. They teach him to hunt and care for others, and the sense of purpose he gains from it is crucial to his development.

Something is pulling him back to the clan, though, and unfortunately it's Mapleshade and the Dark Forest. I'm glad for the return of this particular evil, and it's kind of an entangled slow burn as to why Mapleshade targets Crookedkit. Mapleshade's plan to gain Crooked's trust relies on a looooot of deception, and our boy is very nearly taken for a full-on ride to the dark side.

Where there's deception, there's also loyalty, though, and Crooked's critical thinking kicks in just enough for him to question how his definition of loyalty to his people is different from Mapleshade's. When Mapleshade plants a squirrel with a broken jaw in the camp, it's taken as a sign from Starclan that Crookedjaw be appointed deputy, and he soon becomes leader when Hailstar is killed. It's all he's ever wanted, yet when it comes time to thank Mapleshade, he turns his back on her. The radicalization attempt ultimately doesn't work on him.

The Dark Forest first appears to be a subplot, but the entirety of this book (and its connection to the original series) hinges on Mapleshade's radicalization efforts from the Dark Forest. As I understand it, she is essentially the architect behind Crookedstar's rise to power, as well as the annihilation of his entire family. I'm curious as to how much she is actually controlling their deaths...there's a suggestion, at least in my mind, that supernatural forces are at work - if she wants certain cats dead, she orchestrates it. Sadly, this facilitates a connection to the original series, as the manga at the end tells of Silverstream's death while birthing her kits. As probably the first memorable death in the series, it hits hard that it was purposely done in the name of vengeance. And it's unsettling how evidently powerful a Dark Forest cat can be.

I've been thinking about this book a lot, trying to align my thoughts with the fan consensus that this is not only the best Super Edition, but possibly one of the best books in the whole Warriors universe. Maybe I just wasn't as in tune with Crookedstar, a cat with a minor to nonexistent role in the regular series.

By the end, so much more was revealed, throwing Crookedstar into a trifecta with his brother and Bluestar. Bluestar has long been my favorite Warrior cat, and her Super Edition tying so closely to Crookedstar's grounds the whole universe a bit better. I think the Super Editions come off disjointed because they weren't written in timeline order. Crookedstar's anchoring itself to Bluestar's serves as a good bridge to the original series.

[Brinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading all of the new Warriors stuff, I appreciate this one even more. Something about returning to the original forest with the original cast is so special. I loved Crookedstar, and I loved the nostalgia I got while reading this

[Willemijn jufwillemijnopallstars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kromsters Belofte speelt zich in dezelfde tijd af als Blauwsters Voorspelling en Geeltands Geheim. Je merkt alleen weinig van wat er in de andere Clans gebeurt. De RivierClan en de DonderClan hebben in dit boek wel meerdere gevechten op de Zonnerotsen.

Kromster wordt geboren als Stormkit, maar door een val breekt hij zijn kaak en krijgt hij een heel scheef gezicht, daarna besluit de leider om hem Kromkit te noemen. Kromkit voelt zich niet welkom in de Clan, iedereen kijkt hem raar aan. Hij besluit weg te lopen, maar komt ook weer terug.

In Kromsters Belofte lees je over het leven dat hij had voor hij Kromster is geworden. Ook Eikenhart en Blauwvacht hebben een vrij grote rol in dit boek.

In dit boek worden veel kittens geboren die in de latere boeken een grote rol gaan spelen. Ik zal 1 naam noemen: Luipaardkit.

[LM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crookedstar’s Promise became after this re-read one of my favorite Warriors books and my second favorite Super Edition, closely after Tallstar's Revenge.

This book takes place in the old forest and follows the life of Crookedkit on his way becoming the RiverClan leader Crookedstar. This means that we get RiverClan’s perspective, yes! Especially in the later arcs, the Erins often seem to forget that this Clan still exists, even though it has such an interesting culture like how they decorate their camp or how they have a different vocabulary than ThunderClan cats (this will change with River, finally!).

Compared to Bluestar's Prophecy, this book is so much better at showing us what a hard way Crookedstar had to go to become a leader. Even as a kit, he was an outcast just because of an accident he had – Clan cats treating disabled cats bad as always, especially his mom treats him so terrible that she doesn’t even want to look at him and insists on changing his name. This is all so sad; I just want to hug Crookedstar because he’s perfect as he is. In both of those books, the MCs have to endure many deaths. I thought that in Crookedstar’s Promise, they had a purpose for the whole plot as well and were not only there to let Crookedstar suffer, in contrast to the death Bluestar experienced.

It's not only great to see Crookedstar’s character development, but also the development of side characters who haven’t gotten as much attention yet, like Mudfur, Leopardstar and obviously Oakheart. Even though their mom is so mean to Crookedstar, Oakheart still loves him, and their sibling love is so perfectly portrayed – they may be my favorite Warriors siblings of all time. Even when Oakheart became an apprentice and a warrior before him, Crookedstar tries not to be jealous of him.

The plot was also quite interesting for a Warriors biography. I really enjoyed the episode where Crookedstar goes to the cats at the barn and lives with them because he can’t take the life in the Clan. I always wondered how that would be for a Clan cat that can’t deal with their Clan at all and the Erins here shows us one way how this would go. The barn cats were so much less judgmental than the Clan cats and they were able to help Crookedstar to flourish and grow.

Crookedstar has not only to deal with his own terrible mother but also with the worst mother in the whole series aka Mapleshade. After reading Omen of the Stars, you instantly realize that it’s not a StarClan cat that trains Crookedpaw but a cat from the Dark Forest. I was worried for Crookedpaw the whole time and felt so bad for him that it took him so long to realize where he’s actually training.

It's also great to see the events happening in Bluestar’s Prophecy from RiverClan’s perspective. I love the interactions between Crookedstar and Bluestar and how they realize that it’s hard to have friends from different Clans. We also have the good old Sunning Rock beef that kinda gets resolved thanks to a creative solution by Mudfur – one of my favorite scenes in the book.

I have some minor critique points here and there that I have with almost every book in the series (a tom talks to a she-cat one time and everyone thinks they’re dating or medicine cats not telling other cats the prophecies they heard about them), but those were not as bad here, so I could tolerate them here.

Overall, Crookedstar’s Promise is an amazing Warriors book with a great developed and lovable protagonist and gives us an interesting detour into the life of RiverClan cats!

Warriors - Super Editions
➳ Firestar's Quest: ★★★★
➳ Bluestar's Prophecy: ★★★
➳ SkyClan's Destiny: ★★★.5
➳ Crookedstar's Promise: ★★★★★
➳ Yellowfang's Secret: ★★★.5
➳ Tallstar's Revenge: ★★★★★
➳ Bramblestar's Storm: ★★★.5
➳ Moth Flight's Vision: ★★★★.5
➳ Hawkwing's Journey: ★★
➳ Tigerheart's Shadow: ★★
➳ Crowfeather's Trail: ★★★
➳ Squirrelflight's Hope: ★★★
➳ Graystripe's Vow: ★★★★
➳ Leopardstar’s Honor: ★★★.5
➳ Onestar's Confession: ★★★
➳ Riverstar's Home: tbr
➳ Ivypool's Heart: tbr
➳ StormClan's Folly: tbr

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly dark for a Warriors bark, easily the darkest one so far. It was also one of the most touching though and I liked the "you decide your own fate" concept. It was neat reading a book from a different Clan's perspective (SkyClan's Destiny doesn't count in the same sense because they didn't have any interactions with other Clans.) Learning more about some of the cats we didn't know much about before was great, as was reading something from the point of view of characters who were not ThunderClan's biggset fans, to say the least, and to have them be really vocal about it.

The darkness was shocking, coming from a Warriors book, but I feel like it freshened the series up a bit and I overall really enjoyed it.

[michelleee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really mad at Crookedstar's mother for doing what she did. That's just so mean and irresponsible. I'm glad that Crookedstar was able to pull through and become a leader even though it was really hard for him, good job!

This was a really good book, super engaging and was such a fun read! I will definitely continue to read more from this series.

[zzzoe.k · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why are the super editions just so good?!?

[MacKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SCREAMING AND CRYING

[Taylor H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Stormkit wanted was to be Stormstar, leader of RiverClan. But when an accident at Steppingstones breaks his jaw leaving him disfigured, he is held back from apprentice training, everything falls apart. Now renamed as Crookedkit, he agrees to train in his dreams with a StarClan warrior, Mapleshade, speaking of greatness in his destiny. Under one condition...he must be loyal only to his Clan.
The plot is his life after breaking his jaw and the events that follow, as well as his promise to Malpleshade. I disliked how his relationship with his mother changed after his accident. She seemed to stop loving him because of how he looked and began favoring his brother Oakheart. I liked how his unwavering friendship with his brother never changed even after his accident,for he was not ashamed of how his brother looked. I also liked how strong his relationship with Willowbreeze was despite how he looked, she was able to look past his jaw and see the true-hearted warrior inside, unlike his mother. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, emotion, a tinge of romance, and deep detail. This book gives people the DETERMINATION to keep trying no matter what has happened in your lifetime.
Read Alikes: Yellowfang's Secret, Bluestar's Prophecy, Mapleshade's Revenge

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an awesome Super Edition story! When Crookedstar and Oakheart grew up they are really naughty because they constantly likes to break the warrior code. But before Crookedstar got his name he is called Stormkit because he was born in a storm and then he broke his jaw, his mother Rainflower, gives him the name Crookedkit. When he was little he was seeing cats that was all ready died. One of the lesson I learned is that you should never ever promise something that you don't fully understand because there might be some really bad that is going on and that you don't know what is going on. Crookedstar promised that he will be loyal to his clan above all things. But he doesn't understand what that means and all he cares is to train with Mapleshade who he thought it was a Starclan cat. But when he start to love cats, Mapleshade a Dark Forest cat start to kill every cat that he loves because he broken he promise. But overall it was not that dark and it teaches me not to promise some one that I don't know.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how closely this book was to Blue Stars book. It was cool to see all of the events from a different point of view. Also at the beginning of the book Goosefeather hadn’t yet been losing his sanity, so why other than a plot convenience did he scare stormkit?!?? Also what was he DOING in the dark forest?!??? I read his novella and I am so confused why he should even be mentioned in the book. This book was really fantastic, it was well written, not too much stuff shoved into it, and had tons of meaning and heart and was better than some of the other more main characters books.

[Madeline Flowers]

Sooooooo worth reading. It's long, but full of action.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying these latterly-written prequels very much - they round out the world of the cats by taking us to all the other clans and making bit parts the centre stage.

[Littlebookterror · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO I HAD TO GOOGLE THIS BUT APPARENTLY IN THE GERMAN EDITION THEY ADDED A WHOLE PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING HIS NAME CHANGE FROM CROOKED TO STRIPE AND I KINDA LOVE IT? BUT ALSO HATE IT? I'M CONFLICTED

While this story did not have the same impact as the other two special editions, I still stand by my point that these are all very well crafted and definitely worth the read. I also feel the time jumps were better paced than with the other stories.

I knew very little about Crookedstar, so I was excited to see his story told. Except for his accident, there was much more that defined him and makes his story a unique one. I was a bit saddened to see so little of Oakheart throughout (I just need his book, let's be real) but it didn't take away from anything else.

There are so many parallels between his story and Bluestar's, I kind of regret not reading them side by side.

Now for some spoilery thoughts:
- First of all, have there ever been so many potential and future leaders in one Clan at any point in history ever? Crookedjaw, Oakheart (fight me on this), Leopardfur and Mistykit and then later on Timberfur. It seems almost overkill.
- Shelheart and Rainflower have such a typical relationship with reversed roles. It's so cool to see Shellheart very much involved in his kits' life and Rainflower slacking after Stormkit's accident. It made perfect sense; I loved that Rainflower was never redeemed, nor painted as a villain, three-dimensional characters, yay!
- Mapleshade and the whole Forest of Darkness: It makes so much sense that Crookedpaw believes she is from StarClan, why would he question that? And Thistleclaw being there as well was a lightbulb moment
- I do believe Crookedjaw was chosen as Leader too soon. He was so young and inexperienced and Deputy for even shorter. I also believe it was Mapleshade's doing.
- Willowbreeze dying and her namebearer Willowkit as well was cruel. I forgot Silverstream had no sibling and considering she dies so soon as well :C
- This means Crookedstar lost Oakheart and Silverstream in such a short time. Oh, boy, he truyl is cursed.
- I cannot believe Crookedstar never told Oakheart why Bluepelt couldn't raise her own kits, I mean why not??

[Kate Matson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
"I can give you everything you ever dreamed of, if you promise to be loyal to your Clan above all other things. Do you make that promise?" Crookedstar—leader of RiverClan—stands at the head of his Clan as one of the most revered warriors in the forest. But a promise carelessly made moons ago could prove to be his downfall, as he is forced to choose over and over between the allure of power and the safety of those he loves.
Characters:
The characters were well displayed, but some of them made me want to punch them in the face. While others made me want to purr like a cat. I love the way Erin Hunter can make sure not one character is ever left out, and they always have multiple pop ups everywhere.
Pace:
This was incredibly fast paced. I started reading it thinking it was going to be slow, but was proven wrong very quickly. I flew threw it without a care in the world. If I wanted to, I could have read it in one day.
Plot:
Hunter NEVER lets you be bored during this book. There is never a boring moment; only excitement. I was gaping at something one moment, then curling up with happiness the next. There's always something awesome going on. That's the main reason why it's so fast paced.
Secrets:
There is soooo many secrets revealed in this book! It ties up to almost every loose thread in the other warrior books. Whenever a secret was revealed, I just had to put the book down, and gape at the wall. It was to much to take in at once.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to Warrior fans. It is perfect for 10+. I wouldn't recommend reading this if you haven't read any of the original warrior books.

[Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my second favorite out of the Super Editions, behind Bluestar's Prophecy. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it made up for that with the marvelous manga follow-up. Crookedstar's speech to Mapleshade was very well done. I also though the author did a VERY good job with the Crookedstar and Willowbreeze relationship. Willowbreeze's death and Crookedstar's reaction were genuinely saddening, it generally doesn't take much to make me tear up... Another thing I like was how this book runs parallel to Bluestar's Prophecy, showing several events depicted in it from a different perspective. Mapleshade was also a rather well-written villain, although, I have to say, I thought her motivation was a little weak... Her backstory itself is understandable, she just doesn't have the best reasons to be targeting Crookedstar. I also think the author shouldn't have done the "Crookedstar becomes suspicious of Mapleshade, but she plays the sympathy card and wins him over again" scenario as often as she did.

[Hawkstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stormkit and Oakkit were born into a storm but after breaking his jaw on a rocky riverbank, the kit's mother Rainflower cruelly asks Stormkit to be renamed Crookedkit and completely abuses her son by neglecting him because of his disability which leads Crookedkit to the Dark Forest where he gets nightly training by Mapleshade. Undaunted by his cruel mother, Crookedkit grows up to be RiverClan's most respected leader Crookedstar, showing that even the weakest kit can become a fair and wise cat if you just set them down on the right path.

I, myself, am disabled both psychically and mentally so I sympathize with Crookedstar as I have also been through some really tough times myself. I was ridiculed a lot when I was younger as I was a very earlier riser so I know what it feels like to be left out of the group because of something that I can't change. This is my second favorite Super Edition as it hits home with me more than the previous ones so I would defiantly recommend it.

[ness · Rating 4 out of 5]

GREAT. LOVED IT. i read this edition in the beginning of middle school but my memory was super hazy so i'm happy i reread. crookedstar's promise has to be one of my favorite special editions aside from tallstar's revenge. i actually even teared up toward the end when /spoiler thing happens/. i've seen a lot of fanart of mapleshade online but i literally had no clue who she was before this book so i might reread the sections where she shows up so i have her moments & personality clear in my head.

oh and actually let me add here i enjoyed brambleberry and crookedstar's friendship very much. her supporting him when his mother was neglectful as a kit, and then being wary but supporting him as an apprentice and warrior.

[cal ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my absolute favorite book as a kid, and i'm so glad i took the time to re-read it <333

i spend a lot of time reading longer, more complex books, and i'm so glad a took a minute to read something that feels easy to fly through. it really reminded me of how much i enjoy reading, and how much this series meant to me as a kid. plus, i don't think i properly appreciated the level of foreshadowing included with Mapleshade, Crookedstar, and Silverstream. i was really surprised by how much this book genuinely hit hard at moments, especially towards the end.

lots of love for the warriors series<3

[Marifer Rdz · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me Crookedstar’s promise is one of my favourite Super Edition warrior cats books.

The story is about Stormkit a healthy kitten but one day his world turns upside down, he is permanently disfigured. Stormkit’s mother rejected him because of his face, renamed Crookedkit he dreams of one day becoming a clan leader.
This is a powerful but sad story, packed with adventure
I do recommend this book, Crookedstar’s promise is a must have of the Warrior cats series!