Warriors: The Darkest Hour by Erin Hunter | Reread Review

The Darkest Hour by Erin Hunter. Warriors, #6.

My copy: Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers), 2006. Paperback, 315 pages.

Source: Own.

Read my reviews of Into the Wild, book #1, Fire and Ice, book #2, Forest of Secrets, book #3, Rising Storm, book #4, and A Dangerous Path, book #5.

Synopsis:

ThunderClan’s darkest hour is upon them, as Tigerstar’s quest for power plunges all the Clans into the most terrible danger any cat has ever faced. In order to save his Clan and his friends, Fireheart must uncover the meaning of an ominous proclamation from StarClan:

“Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest.”

The time has come for prophecies to unfold, and for heroes to rise …

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Some random thoughts on The Darkest Hour:

+ Epic conclusion to the original Warriors series!

+ What’s it about? Taking on Tigerstar head on and fulfilling that damn prophecy from book 1.

+ While Tigerstar is the series‘ main villain, wait until you meet Sourge, this book’s main villain. Yup, the Erins throw everything they have into this finale, which might be the darkest book of the series!

+ The Darkest Hour is basically all preparation for and then a giant battle, and it pulls off this whirlwind setup well.

+ Almost every cat in ThunderClan gets mentioned, and quite a lot of cats from the other clans pop up, too. It’s great to see such a big ensemble cast. Firestar’s awesome, so is Cinderpelt, and Sandstorm, and Graystripe, and Cloudtail, and Whitestorm, and all my favorite characters!

+ It’s just non-stop action! Which is pretty great considering the major lull that was book 4 and a little bit of 5, although book 5, A Dangerous Path, did pick up greatly, but was mostly plotting rather than non-stop action.

+ I didn’t review this book right after finishing it, so I don’t have much to say besides these random, overall thoughts. But it’s a thrilling conclusion to the beloved Warriors series! I know that not everyone is or will be a fan, seeing as these books are middle grade and about cats — but I will forever love them. Because I want to be forever a child and will never stop loving cats. ♦

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Have you read The Darkest Hour?
If you haven’t, would you be interested to?
What’s an epic series finale you’ve read?
Comment below letting me know!
And, as always, happy reading!

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(Reread) Review — Warriors: A Dangerous Path by Erin Hunter

A Dangerous Path by Erin Hunter. Warriors, #5.

My copy: Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers), May 2005. Paperback, 313.

Source: Library. Own. Bought. Gifted. Won in a giveaway. Thank you, source(s)!

Read my reviews of Into the Wild, book 1, Fire and Ice, book 2, Forest of Secrets, book 3, and Rising Storm, book 4.

Synopsis:

ShadowClan has a dark new leader, but will he be satisfied with his power now — or does his desire for revenge burn even more strongly? Fireheart fears that there is a connection between the rise of Tigerstar and the terrible dreams that haunt his nights, murmuring of danger and death.Meanwhile, a mysterious and vicious threat unlike any other has invaded the forest, placing every cat’s life in peril. Fireheart’s beloved leader has turned her back on their warrior ancestors, and Fireheart can’t help but wonder if she’s right. Has StarClan abandoned them forever?

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So this is where the series gets really dark. There are many deaths and some very evil schemes to be found. Tigerstar is just as monstrous as ever, if not more, now that he’s the leader of ShadowClan has has a lot of power at his disposal. Going into A Dangerous Path, I remembered some of the major plot points back from when I read this series as a kid, but I still was shocked and saddened and disturbed when they happened. (Heck, I got teary at the end! Yeah, guys, I almost cried about a book about cats.) Warriors is still very much a middle grade series, but the story takes a very dark turn in the last two books. All the filler that book 4, Rising Storm, basically was is not present in A Dangerous Path at all. It’s almost all plot and plotting, and there are some more great character developments.

(Reread) Review — Warriors: Rising Storm by Erin Hunter

Rising Storm by Erin Hunter. Warriors, #1.

My copy: Avon Books (Harper Collins Publisers), February 2005. Paperback, 315 pages.

Source: Own.

Read my reviews of Into the Wild (#1), Fire and Ice (#2), and Forest of Secrets (#3) here.

Synopsis:

Fireheart’s traitorous enemy Tigerclaw has been vanquished and exiled from Thunder Clan — but Fireheart can’t shake the feeling that he’s lurking in the forest, waiting for his chance to strike.

That’s not the only problem facing the young warrior in these blazing summer months, as he struggles to handle sinister omens, an apprentice with a shocking secret, and a devastated Clan leader who is a shell of her former self.

Meanwhile the forest gets hotter and hotter … and everyone braces for the coming storm…

So I’m gradually making my way through rereading all the Warriors books. Rising Storm is book 4 of the original arc, and it’s definitely not as exciting as the previous three, what with Tigerclaw’s evil scheming and Tigerclaw himself not being very present in this book. Still, Rising Storm was a quick and entertaining read, despite focusing too much on Cloudpaw’s bratty behavior and Bluestar’s worsening condition.

(Reread) Review — Warriors: Forest of Secrets by Erin Hunter

Book title: Forest of Secrets
Author: Erin Hunter
Series: Warriors, #3
Publisher: Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers)
Release date: October 2004
Format: Paperback, 312 pages
Source: Own.

Read my review of Into the Wild, book #1, here.
Read my review of Fire and Ice, book #2, here.

Synopsis:

Allegiances are shifting among the Clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want.

Fireheart is determined to find out the truth about the mysterious death of brave ThunderClan warrior Redtail. But as he searches for answers, he uncovers secrets that some believe would be better left hidden.

Forest of Secrets is the third book in the original Warriors arc. And, wowzers, we’re only halfway through the six-part series and things really tuned to shiz at the end of this book! Forest of Secrets isn’t quite as exciting as Into the Wild or political as Fire and Ice, but it’s a great buildup for the chaos that’s going to ensue in the next books. Plus, the climax is intense and something we knew was a long time coming.

(Reread) Review — Warriors: Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter

Book title: Fire and Ice
Author: Erin Hunter
Series: Warriors, #2
Publisher: Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers)
Release date: June 2004
Format: Paperback, 317 pages
Source: Own.

Read my review of Into the Wild, book 1, here.

Synopsis:

Deep in the heart of the forest, four clans of warrior cats coexist in uneasy harmony — but uncertain times are upon them, and dangers threaten the precarious balance of the forest.

Fireheart is a ThunderClan warrior cat now, but his troubles are far from over. As the chill of winter sets in, the cats of rival RiverClan grow restless, while WindClan is weak and facing threats from all sides.

As tensions build to an explosive climax, Fireheart faces not only imminent battle, but betrayal from within his own Clan.

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Fire and Ice is the second book in the Warriors series. It picks up immediately after Into the Wild ends, with Firepaw and Graypaw newly named warriors of ThunderClan: they’re Fireheart and Graystripe now. I think I actually prefer book 1 over book 2 for its complete nostalgia and the lovely introduction to the Warriors universe, but Fire and Ice does improve on a ton of things, like any sequel should.

(Reread) Review — Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Book title: Into the Wild
Author: Erin Hunter
Series: Warriors, #1
Publisher: Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers)
Release date: January 2004
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
Source: Own.

Synopsis:

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying– and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

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Warriors was my favorite series in elementary and middle school. I absolutely adored these books about cats. I own almost 30 of the books. (Yup, I was obsessed.) I’ve read all but the more recent super editions and the prequel series arc, Dawn of the Clans. Yes, there are a gazillion of these books and the later series aren’t quite as good as the first two (Warriors and Warriors: The New Prophecy), but I love these books with all my heart. I remember waiting eagerly for each new volume to come out, but since my mom couldn’t fathom paying $20+ for each book, she forced me to wait until the paperbacks came out for $6. (Ha! Back when paperbacks were that cheap! She did buy me hardcovers for my birthday or Christmas, so I have a few hardcovers among my mostly paperback collection that spans almost an entire bookshelf.)