The Exile's Journey

Survivors: The Gathering Darkness #5

by Erin Hunter, Laszlo Kubinyi (Illustrations), Julia Green (Illustrations)

Storm is in exile—and though she’s finally free of the suspicion of her Packmates, she feels more lost than ever. There are only two dogs she knows will never give up on Arrow and his mate, Bella.

To find them, Storm must fight through longpaw dangers, Leashed Dogs, and a forbidding pack of wolves, all in search of a place where she might finally belong.

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

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2018

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

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2'5★
While I liked the book two prevalent ideas were thrown at me:
- there is a lot of filler. A lot. Much of what happens could be summarised and the action moved forward. But then I guess this series could be done in half the books and maybe that is of no interest
- there is a turn to more juvenile action. While the first series did have a darker edge, this one leaves me sometimes thinking it is appealing to a younger audience

All in all we are left more less like we were on previous books, only know we know who the bad dog is (it got confirmed for me, I suspected who the bad dog was a couple books ago) and we are still in the "Storm is a bad dog" lethany. Sigh. As I said, it could have been a more satisfying agile lecture cutting through a couple of books, instead of leaving all the action for the last 5 pages...

[Liza · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was good until the ending when Storm decided to GO BACK TO THE WILD PACK. I don't even care about it being in all caps. I'm downright furious. Those dogs do not deserve Storm. Lucky and Sweet, crap parents, do not deserve Storm. Thank StarClan the next book is the last in the set cause I can't anymore.

[Michelle Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Damn it all to hell! I thought I'd be giving this installment a solid two stars but damn it, that mother-ducking ending INFURIATED me. Damn, damn, damn!!!! Storm may have had blood spatter on her face, but Breeze must have had it in her teeth, damn it!!! How can anyone with two brain cells to rub together be so mother-ducking stupid?! Damn!

FYI (Sept. 28, 2018): I'm sorry if swearing in a review for a middle-grade book offends, but GR is for users 13-years and up, so I didn't feel it was too inappropriate; and I deliberately edited the worst swearing from the get-go (just in case you thought mother-ducking was a real swear word).

[Lovegsd2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the reviews for the last book, I was starting to lose hope in this arc of Survivors. But I'm glad I pulled through and decided to read this book because it was great!

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d been starting to give up hope for this series, but the writers have pulled it off again. They’ve gone back to writing compelling characters and storylines that don’t feel like they’re the same repetitive plot being drawn out for four books. Finally the bad dog is revealed. I won’t spoil who it is, but I’ll say I’ve known it since two books back. I am satisfied with the reveal and honestly shocked at how well the author did at writing a psychopathic character... because really, that’s what the bad dog is. They’re much more manipulative and secretive than say Terror or Blade, who were just downright insane and not nearly as interesting as villains. Aside from that, there’s new characters introduced who are immediate favorites of mine. There are old characters, good and bad alike, who we get to see again and learn the fates of. Storm finally finds a place in the world, even though she struggles with so much internally. The only thing I hated about this book was the way Storm was treated by everyone she once considered friends, but that’s something that’s been building up since the first book of the second arc. Storm is a precious cinnamon roll who doesn’t deserve any of the crap she’s been given or the inner turmoil it’s caused her. And the fact that she always does what’s right even when others hate her for it makes me love her even more. I don’t know what changed in this book, but the way Storm’s inner monologues were written were so much better than in any of the previous Survivors books, even when it was Lucky who was narrating. Overall, this book is a major improvement than the previous four, and even though I’m not terribly satisfied with the way it ended, I’m super excited to see how this arc wraps up (since I’m assuming anything published under the Erin name has to have a six book arc, otherwise it’s just not an Erin Hunter series). I want to go into a little bit more detail on my thoughts, so only read ahead if you don’t care about spoilers or if you’ve already read the book.
I called it. I called it two books ago, if you look at my review I even mention it, but I guessed the bad dog was Breeze and I was actually right. I was also concerned that the killer would end up being the Fear Dog itself, but I am so glad it isn’t and that we actually get to see such a twisted character like Breeze. I don’t like seeing characters hurt, but I love a well-written villain, and that’s exactly what Breeze is. I noticed before that the things she said to the Pack suggested that Storm was the bad dog, and now Storm herself realizes it. Breeze is definitely crazy, but it’s not so in-your-face. She’s cunning, manipulative, and secretive. She subtly puts thoughts into dogs minds and acts like she’s completely innocent, even a friend to Storm, plus she’s crazy enough to hurt herself to make it look like she’s been attacked by the bad dog too. The only thing I don’t like about the reveal is that apparently Breeze has talked bad about Storm before to other dogs, but none of them call her out on it when it’s revealed she may not be telling the truth and she acts as if she’s always been Storm’s best friend. I find it hard to believe that no one noticed how odd it is that she can act so friendly to someone she’s called a murderer. Also I hate Chase. She doesn’t deserve Mickey at all, and even though she hasn’t physically hurt anyone yet, she’s diabolical in her own right and I can’t wait until Storm can laugh in her face when she’s proven wrong. I’m a little confused about how the next book is going to pan out, since I can’t imagine Storm will spend the whole book as a prisoner and Breeze only gets revealed at the end. I hope the authors don’t make the next book’s plot unbearably dragged out after this one finally pulled away from that.
Misgivings about the next book aside, I love so many of the characters who are introduced in this book. Thoughtful and Peaceful are my new favorites, even though I’m probably biased because wolves have always been among my favorite animals. The Erin Hunter team has branched out to so many different animals, I really hope that the wolf pack gets its own arc, or at least a spinoff standalone or novella. The way the wolf pack works is so well thought out, but the few glimpses Storm gets into their lives barely touch the surface of what could be explored. I want to know so much more about the wolves, and I’m not going to lie, I kind of wished Storm could have found a place with the wolf pack, or maybe Peaceful and Thoughtful could end up leaving and joining Storm’s new pack. I know it’d be hard with all of the different customs, but the half-wolf Alpha was born somehow, so surely another wolf-dog alliance could be possible? And to build up the wolves so much, it seems like they won’t just be gone after this one book. I hope they play some role in the next one. As much as I love Ace Storm (love that representation because I’m Ace myself), I kind of want her to have cute little mixed breed puppies with Thoughtful. They’d be such a cute couple I just can’t.
Speaking of adorable puppies, Nip and Scramble are precious and must be protected. I feel like their interactions with Tufty have more substance than the adult dogs give them credit for. If Martha’s spirit can come and guide Storm after her death, why can’t Tufty’s spirit come and play with her brothers? I feel like the pups really can see something the adult dogs can’t. And I love the idea that we may see wolf and dog spirits interacting in the afterlife.

But dang it if I have to hear about or see the Golden Deer one more time without it finally being caught I’m going to scream. It makes an appearance on the cover so you think it’d be more significant in this book, but I’m equal parts relieved and annoyed that it isn’t.

[MacKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing the wolves and Bella's pack, and the last part was SO full of drama. a lot of it felt filler-y though so that's why it's only 4 stars

[Audri · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed reading this book because of its plot line and gripping details, I didn't like certain scenes because Storm, the main character, was being framed for crimes she didn't commit. I especially didn't like the very last part, when Storm was confronting Breeze about killing Whisper and upsetting Pack life, because Breeze was such a good liar and every dog believed that she was innocent. I would recommend this book to dog lovers and animal lovers.

[slay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the hell this book was brilliant So let’s get started on the review
The characters
Storm
I loved storm her character was so amazingly written and her whole story line was great to did I say how much I loved storm?i love storm!!!
Breeze
Breeze is great I guessed she was the bad dog since red moon rising but it was still brilliant to find out I was right I loved how she would always make it look like storm/arrow was always doing it because they are fierce dogs and breeze would sometimes make herself be targeted to earn there trust

Sorry I don’t really remember the other characters because I read it the day after it came out and I don't have a very good memory anyway hope you liked my review

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very low four stars. Nostalgia may have a factor in this rating, but this book is also pretty good.

As usual, the Erin Hunter writing style is very nostalgic for me and enjoyable regardless of its flaws. But honestly, I don't remember many typos in this one, and this writing always has a decent variety in vocabulary considering its target audience, so there aren't even many things to critique this time anyways.

This book is, unfortunately, a traveling book, which we know the Erins tend to struggle with. And yeah, the usual hunting and finding places to sleep was a bit boring, but for how overdone this premise is, I think the authors did a good job keeping the individual encounters fresh. We haven't seen many Twolegs this arc, so the Leashed Dogs section was pretty interesting, and it gave us closure for Whine, which was unnecessary but a fun touch. The wolves also were a unique addition. They were a good way to show how much Storm misses her pack, though they occasionally felt random; after Bella had her pups, Storm tried to help Peaceful and was warned away from the wolves, and then we just moved on. It felt a bit jarring to have this wolf pack play such a large role for the first half of the story, before abandoning them completely for the last half. Finding Bella and Arrow and finally getting to see what an actual healthy Pack dynamic looks like was a serious breath of fresh air, from this arc and honestly last arc, too. The pups were super cute as well, and Storm's drive to help the Wild Pack felt in-character and was a good motivating force to continue the story. my only real complaint is that Storm doesn't spend much time with Bella and Arrow; after the pups are born, there's maybe one chapter where she's actually with her Packmates before we return to the wolves, and Storm leaves entirely.

Character time!
Storm is still a very likable main character. Her stubborn resolve to help everyone around her, whether it's logical or not, makes her an endearing protagonist despite the frustration of her not understanding cultural traditions. Finally getting to see her interact with other dogs that don't hate her for the plot was a breath of fresh air, and even seeing Whine talk with her again reminded me that Storm is only a bad protagonist when the story forces her to go through the same arc of being trusted and not trusted over and over again. Otherwise, she's incredibly likable and just a generally sweet dog. I ADORED her individual conversations with Bella and Arrow, too, for what they do to reveal Breeze as the traitor, the development it gives the two mates, and Storm finally getting the support she deserves. Even though the book ends with her basically right back where she was last book (just more officially under suspicion), it's hard to be annoyed when her heart is always in the right place, and we've finally made progress in discovering the bad dog.
Bella and Arrow return! The best characters in the whole arc! Whoo! I love these two, which is a little concerning, seeing as all they really have going for them is that they aren't awful and over-suspicious for the sake of the plot, like the Wild Pack. I did really enjoy Storm and Arrow's Fierce Dog bonding, though; it felt very realistic to have them be a safe space for the other (especially Storm, who's basically been emotionally abused for 4 books now). And Bella really feels more mature with Arrow than she did in the first arc; I didn't really notice it until now, but she has slowly developed into a wiser, more likable character (thankfully), even if most of it was off-screen between arcs.
Thoughtful, Peaceful, and the wolves were a nice addition to fill some space. Thoughtful and Peaceful were both unique enough to be memorable, and I appreciate that they didn't overstay their welcome. Storm did end things with the wolf pack on a bit of a weird note, though, so maybe they'll come back next book? I can't remember if they do.

I can finally start to discuss the antagonists for real! Only took five books of filler to get to this point.
Breeze is finally revealed as the traitor! Yay! I loved the confrontation scene between her and Storm, and seeing her crazy side at last. Storm putting things together on her own is a little convenient, but I like that it was Arrow and Bella's thoughts on Breeze that made it evident to her. Breeze herself doesn't get to do much in this book, since Storm's away from the pack, but again her insanity when revealing her plans to Storm does much of the legwork for making her feel like a serious villain. I also love how skilled she is at manipulating others and how little she cares for her own safety if it serves the narrative. I can't wait to see all these tension finally come to something in the last installment.
Honestly, I'd argue that the Wild Pack is also an antagonist in this book. If you ignore the repetitive and plot-device nature of the buildup to get here, the pack taking Storm hostage and genuinely believing her to be evil is not only exciting but also a really interesting dynamic, since she knew all of these dogs before. Unfortunately, though, this book doesn't exist in a vacuum, and the four books before this made this pack into nothing more than convenient plot-stallers to drag the story out. So I don't think they were actually very good as a whole. The only good parts were the hints of Sunshine and Tiny trusting Storm; it's nice that not all the dogs are being used as plot devices.

Overall, I had a great time rereading this, even if it was a bit less exciting than reading it in one sitting the day it came out. Nostalgia may have been a factor in my higher rating of this installment, but I do also think this is one of the stronger books in this arc, despite its content being repetitive for the Erin Hunter canon as a whole.


SERIES RATINGS:
A Pack Divided: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dead of Night: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Into the Shadows: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Red Moon Rising: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Exile’s Journey: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Final Battle: Currently rereading

[✨Rebel Fairy Hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sofar the best in the series. Storm has grown as a character and her journey as a lone dog has taught her a few things. Finally, the bad dog was revealed and happy to say it was one of my top 3 suspects. The last chapter waa so full of drama, that I cannot wait to read the Finak Battle :)

[London Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the continuous, drawn out build up that the previous four books have been led up to, this book feels refreshing in return, and everything that was hinted was finally revealed in such a compelling and exciting way that, despite a bit of filler in this book, make it all worth the read. The reveal of the traitor dog was interesting and well-written, even more so when the build up took so long to get to this point.

After leaving the Wild Pack after the constant accusations being thrown at Storm, we follow her journey as an outcast. Though not a whole lot happens in this first part of a book, I love Storm's inner monologue and the loneliness she feels is totally justifiable and makes her decision to return believable. Without any other characters around to mess things up for her or cause drama, we get to spend more time with Storm and her thoughts and fears, and it's all so enjoyable to see after she was treated so terribly. They seem better written and more developed than in the previous books probably because of the fact that there's less other things to cover that could take away some of the time for this.

Upon her wandering, she discovers a pack of wolves, which have become instant favorites from me. The customs and lore of the wolf pack told from an outsider's point of view was extremely interesting and we're introduced to two new characters I couldn't help but love. Thoughtful and Peaceful were both characters I'd have loved to see more of, as well as the wolf pack in general, but the pacing was well thought out and didn't leave me hanging with barely anything to work with, nor did it spend too much time focusing on particular ideas that took away from the main part of the story. Seeing the way the wolves turned against Peaceful after she helped out the dogs acted as a parallel to what was going on with Storm's own life, which was a nice touch.

Storm then comes across Bella and Arrow and stays with their Pack for the time being, and I loved being able to see them again. We got to see a few more interactions with Storm and Arrow that I feel like the last couple of books failed to deliver, all the while being given clues as to who the bad dog is. And that itself is something else.

The reveal of the traitor was done so well and I absolutely love what they did here. To readers picking intently at each event that happened, it probably wouldn't have come as much as a surprise that it was indeed Breeze who turned out to have murdered Whisper and Bruno. I liked that it wasn't extremely obvious and clear to the reader, but the main character still happens to be completely clueless when it comes to this. I've seen that done way too many times before. With Breeze having been more of a side character, we had more to work with. And finally, we actually get a well-developed villain that isn't in-your-face evil without much of a motive other than to kill our main characters. Although psychopathic, her course of actions make sense after we hear a bit about her backstory, being loyal to Terror and all. When reading the final revelation when she admits everything, there were actually points where I could feel Storm's rage, and that's when you know you have successfully written a villain. It's also nice to see a breed not normally portrayed as evil this time around.

The book ends on a cliffhanger that gets you wondering about Storm's fate, and I can only hope the finale will be as well executed as this one and not too dragged out and anticlimactic. Either way this has been the best book of the arc so far and it's definitely worth the read.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

In sum, nothing really happened in this book. I zoomed through it because all that really happened was just Storm traveling. A little happened here and there, and the blurb made it sound like the wolves would have a huge part in this book. They did not...

And I know this is aimed at kids but...the identity of the Bad Dog is revealed finally, and I guessed it ever since the first book of this arc. It was a little too obvious. I'll just leave it at that.

It had its moments, though. It really shows what it feels like to have an identity that comes with labels that you get judged for. It explains how Storm feels when she is oppressed because of her species, and the book does a good job of showing just how lonely Storm is. I just wish the book didnt go by so quick...so quick to the point where I feel like this book was just filler.

[Chloe Coulman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it was full of adventure. What happened was there was a dog, Storm, who had to leave her pack. because she was accused of being the pack killer and sabotager. She was looking for her friends who previously left the pack and ran into humans (called longpaws) and they took her in and she has to escape them because she is wild, she runs into a wolf pack that hates dogs, and fierce dogs who have a death wish on her because she killed their alpha who killed her two brothers and her mother and had attempted to kill her. If she finds her new pack, her friends- she will find out who the real killer of her old pack is and will need to go back to stop them, after her friend gives birth.

[Taco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fun new characters, and gotta admit, the absence of the Wild Pack significantly improved the book. I loved Coco, Rex, Peaceful, Thoughtful, and the new pups. While I already knew it was Breeze, reading as Storm slowly found out was entertaining. Bella's birthing scene was a tearjerker in the best way possible. And while the rest of the Wild Pack can go to hell, Sunshine truly lives up to her name. Her, Arrow, and Bella prove that despite events that may suggest otherwise, you can still be confident in your friend's innocence. In other words, these lousy animals have no excuse for turning on Storm. Lucky included, there's a special place in hell for him and Sweet.

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t like the Gathering Darkness series at all. It makes me angry andI could rant about it for a very longgg time. But this that said, this is probably the best book in the Gathering Darkness series. The big reason of that is probably because it doesn’t take place in the Pack for the most part. But for those looking into the Survivors series read the first series first and then maybe go into this one. The first series was a hundred times better but this one just makes me sad.

[K.Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Exile's Journey is a great book. It is the most suspenseful book in the Gathering darkness series. Though Strom was an important and loyal dog to the Wild Pack, she left to find where she is free of dogs' suspicion. On her journey to find where she belongs, she has to survive wolves and her former packmates, Fierce dogs. Erin Hunter is a great author of many books including this one.

[Terryn Rowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! If the last book was extremely dry and boring, this follow up was action packed and filled with twists! Even if you already know who the "bad dog" is, there are still many surprises to be found in this book. I am eagerly anticipating the release of the sixth book for this series!

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Storm and her life away from the Wild Pack. Her life is a roller coaster of different emotions. Another great book in the series. I would have given the book a 5 if the part where she met the long paws was a tad easier to see in the mind's eye but overall a good read.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The penultimate book in the Gathering Darkness arc is the most ambitious and far-reaching one up to this point. A lot happens, which was all very interesting. I'm now really excited to read the sixth book.

[Nadia T · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I think the only thing worse than a character dying is betrayal....

[N Kru · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was rather boring up until the end when the action happened. It was better than all the other books though, which seemed to stall. It's nice to finally have some interesting stuff happen.

[Véronique Laplante Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. Can't wait for the next one.

[Addy Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, though it was a little on the slow side. Can't wait to read the next book.

[Alexis Nunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never wanted to punch a dog before especially not as much as I want to punch Breeze

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book brought me more anger then enjoyment everyone makes me so mad the first 2 books were really good and promising but like now it just the same things over and over and over again

[Seah Wee Leong]

good

[Krys · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

best of the entire series.

[rat. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storm is way too good for the Wild Pack, honestly