Discover untold stories about three cats of the warrior a SkyClan warrior who lost her way during her Clan’s journey to the lake; the origins of the cat with an unusual ability to speak to the dead; and a new medicine cat’s winding path to her ultimate destiny.
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.
The main thing I enjoyed about this book is that I got to read from the perspectives of characters who hadn't taken the spotlight previously, but I feel like I didn't really learn anything about the characters that I didn't know before, and I was disappointed by that. I thought that if it had just been a little bit longer, the characters would have developed more and the story would have been more interesting. I did enjoy how the timeline sort of jumped around and didn't focus on just one main event, like a lot of these books do.
I’m glad Plebbleshine got her own novella it was good, not great, I would have liked to see more of her younger self but it was nice. I LOVED Trees his should have been longer in my opinion the Sisters concept is so different and I want to see more of it and Trees book had that. Mithwing could have had a whole super edition, but I really liked how her novella was laid out and think that more novellas should be like that. It gave some from when she was young, then apprenticed, then later in life. I liked that better than the usual one important section of their lives novellas. I really liked them all overall and it was intriguing to read about all of their pasts.
As usual, I am always excited when a new warriors book comes out. But now I feel like “Erin Hunter” is running out of material. Why dig up the past when it is all over? (Referring to Mothwing’s Secret”) I would definitely say this book isn’t to die for. (Even though a character dies in every short story 🙄)
Pebbleshine’s Kits- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ First of all, the title is awful. The story isn’t even about her kits!! Just what happened to her after separating with Hawkwing! At least get the title right! 😠 I don’t see any reason why this had to be a novella ... I guess some interesting points were that she met Tree and it was revealed how she actually died. To be honest, I was actually wondering what had happened to her. I never thought Pebbleshine would one to die from a monster... but anything can happen to cat who is alone. Still, it was bland and a lot of deja vu because the whole “loner” act was very familiar.
Tree’s Roots- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This short story was definitely my favorite! Tree is actually one of my favorite characters and reading about him was enjoyable. I liked how they touched base with Tree’s childhood. 😄 Moonlight was really cruel ... she didn’t deserve a son like him. I was so happy when Tree met his father, Root. I really liked that fact that Root become fond of his son and chose to stay together with him until death separated them. Now I know where Rootpaw’s name comes from! I also liked how they included Pebbleshine in the story because she was part of his life... and that concurred with her story. Very very good 👏
Mothwing’s Secret- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was SO hoping her secret will be anything BUT her lost connection with “STARCLAN”. I mean blah blah blah this is OLD STUFF! “Erin Hunter” just elaborated on her lost faith and her connection with Hawkfrost. I was so bored. I mean, I understand that her brother destroyed her faith, but no one cares. I think all the medicine cats know by now and plus “STARCLAN” isn’t talking with anyone anyway (in the present warriors world). This is exactly what I mean by the author running out of ideas. I personally don’t think anyone really needed or wanted any excessive details on what she felt about “STARCLAN”. (If you haven’t gotten my “I hate STARCLAN btw vibe then I have nothing to say to you 😏) This story was just lame. But... there is actually one thing I liked about this story. The fact that Mothwing was scarred after her brother, Tadpole, drowned inspired her to help save others from dying unnecessary deaths. This was her real reason to become a medicine cat and I was pretty touched.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed. I waited months for this book and this is what I get. I hope next time the material is better so I can leave a better review with a happy note instead of a sad one!
Probably one of the better Warriors books. I liked that the first two stories were tied together, and that the last story gave me an insight on life. I always did wonder how she came to be and what life was like for her in the Clans. I had more sympathy for her after reading about her life. I feel bad she lost both . She lost all her family and doesn't even have the comfort to visit them in Starclan! Overall, it was an exceptional read.
Very enjoyable novellas, aside from the fact that there are errors (as always.) For example, in Mothwing's novella, Darktail is mentioned to be a Dark Forest cat and from long ago, but this story takes place BEFORE Darktail. Another example is that Blackclaw is still alive after the journey, even though according to the main series he died in what, the third book? That would have been way before this story even took place.
pebbleshine: wish we got more about her but i’ll take what i can get. tree: MUCH needed background on tree - and also the sisters. mothwing: i just love her so much
Tree is a favorite character of mine, and so I was pleased he had a novella. It's insightful to see what the Sisters are like from a tom's perspective. The story felt a little rushed, but altogether not bad. The Sisters are very interesting, and liked learning about them and how Tree came to be the free thinker that he is.
Also, side note, I had no idea that Tree was old enough to be Violetshine's father... lol.
Mothwing's Secret: 3 Stars
I had high hopes for this one, considering how interesting Mothwing's character is. However, this one definitely felt rushed (it only had nine chapters?) and had a lot of repeated scenes from the main series. I felt like they could have dug so much deeper into her unbelief and questions about StarClan. Perhaps she tries to look for evidence? Or asks the other medicine cats for their reasoning about the theology of their ancestors? She's a smart cat, and I would have liked to see more of Mothwing being Mothwing.
Also, Leafpool was barely in it at all, which was just a personal disappointment I had because I like her haha.
Like always, really loved those short novellas when we have pov of others characters. Faves one of those threes was Tree's roots. Loved the learn more about Tree and the time is spent with the Sisters before since he's a tom he had to leave to wander.
Another excellent edition to the backgrounds of three characters. It surprises me every time they put these out. The only thing I would improve would be consistency between these stories and the larger lore.
biggest criticism of this is that mothwing's secret should've been a super edition. yes i'm biased, no i'm not taking notes at this time. give me the magical-lesbian-nun-having-a-crisis-of-faith cat book i deserve.
I thoroughly enjoyed this set of Novella's. A much better improvement compared to the previous set! Spoilers for if you haven't read the A Vision of Shadows series yet.
Pebbleshine's kits was about as tragic as I was expecting it to be. I What I hadn't realised was how short the timeframe was between her death and Alderpaw and Needlepaw finding her kits. It makes me wonder if she'd waited to go hunting that day, maybe she'd have survived. But Pebbleshine's determination is really something. She was determined to find SkyClan again.
Tree's Roots was certainly interesting. I liked reading the Sister's in Squirrelflight's Hope so seeing them from Tree's perspective really showed that all cats are flawed, and that poor Tree really had good reasons for not wanting to see or interact with his mother again. A very good read.
Mothwing's Secret was very well written, and it's always nice to see how Mothwing goes through Clan life whilst not believing in StarClan. Despite her beliefs, she's still determined to heal other cats, and that truly shows what a kind hearted character she is.
Pebbleshine’s Kits: Sweet, but kind of pointless Tree’s Roots: Banger for having a very rare good lesson for children for once Mothwing’s Secret: Kinda fucked up but in a fun way
I enjoyed all three of these novellas- prior to this book I've only read Hawkwing's journey so I was really only familiar with Pebbleshine but I liked Tree and Mothwing as well.
PEBBLESHINE'S KITS This one was okay- I liked the journey, I liked the cats she meets on said journey, I knew she'd die because I spoilt myself beforehand but darn her death still hit hard. I really wish that she made it back to the clans but it wasn't meant to be.
TREE'S ROOTS I loved, loved, loved, loveeed this one. Tree is a cool and unique character. The sisters are different- I loved that they introduced another group of cats with a strange and really horrible culture where they cast out all the males at 6 moons old and are constantly travelling - but I liked it. I wish that we got more books from The sister's POV because they were refreshing, unique and interesting to read about. Root was a cool character and I loved how he took over raising Tree after Tree was banished from The sisters. His death was also heartbreaking but I love that Tree can see the spirits and talk to them and that they get to see each other again at the end. That ending was so wholesome and sweet <3
MOTHWING'S SECRET I knew that people loved Mothwing- now I know why they do. Seeing a medicine cat not believing in Star clan is refreshing and good. And even after the great battle where Star clan comes down to fight alongside living cats she still chooses not to believe - or rather she does know that they exist but she doesn't believe in omens and them guiding her paws every step of the way- that was refreshing and different. I loved seeing more of the dynamic between her and Hawkfrost and Hawkfrost slowly going mad in front of her - I loved her reaction to his death and her seeing him after he died and fought in the battle. I loved her character, I loved her entire arc and this story was just oh so perfect and great. I only wish that she was a Thunder clan medicine cat so we'd see more of her but I still enjoyed reading a story from River clan's POV even though it was a short one. The only thing that bugged me about this one was that it had a lot of time skips and you'd sometimes be back in the clan and some cats that were just present few pages ago died between those time skips so it was just really odd. Still a good book overall though.
Just as good as I expected. As fun as always to get more story and insight into side characters, and those characters pulled me in with their difficulties as well as ever. Does not disappoint at all.
This novella collection wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. Because this book was three books, I will individually review each book and the rating will be the median of the three ratings.
Pebbleshine's Kits: 1.5 stars This one was pretty boring to be honest. I don't really care much for Pebbleshine, and this novella felt really unnecessary because we already learn of Pebbleshine's fate in AVOS and Hawkwing's Journey. We didn't really need to learn about how she got to place where she died, and there weren't any interesting new characters. It isn't so bad that you should skip it, but it isn't good enough that you should read it either.
Tree's Roots: 2 stars This book definitely had pacing issues due to the shortness of this book. Because of the pacing issues, you don't really care when cats Tree cares about die, as you only meet them for a brief period of time and then suddenly they're dead. I think this novella could have been better if they only made the first chapter about Tree's time with the Sisters, so the majority of the book could focus on his progressing bitterness towards them and his relationship with the other major character of the book. This book wasn't bad, but the pacing issues and lack of care for the characters drags down it's mark from average to below average. It's unfortunate, really; Tree is an interesting character.
Mothwing's Secret: 3.5 This novella was the best of the bunch in my opinion. Mothwing is a very interesting character, and it's nice that she finally get a book about her to see her side of things. However, this book is far from perfect. I think the time skips are all pretty drastic, and it would have been better if the book took place all within one time (around the time of Hawkfrost and after his death) and the last chapter could be saved as a time skip to the battle. It just would have made the book a bit less confusing as the characters aren't constantly switching up.
Pebbleshine’s Kits Tbh idek who Pebbleshine is and I’ve never been that invested in SkyClan stories. Anyways, the story is about Pebbleshine getting separated from her clan because she was so adamant about getting the chickens in the monster. On another monster, she causes a kid to sneeze. Love how “that black thunderpath stuff” = asphalt haha. There are some StarClan interventions, and then the end was depressing. I don’t remember who the kits become. - Tree’s Roots “A friendship you choose is sometimes stronger than kinship.” - Besides making an appearance in the previous novella, I have no idea who Tree is and have close to no interest in this random backstory about leaving a very spiritual (and kinda toxic) sisterhood. But there was actually a lot to take away from this: how “we are doing this because this is the way things are” is problematic, gender roles, choosing your own faith, and the importance of having community. This story was also kinda depressing. - Mothwing’s Secret “’What kind of RiverClan warrior doesn’t fight back?’ ‘A tired one.’” - I’ve always been intrigued by Mothwing’s story. I so enjoyed this story – maybe because I’m familiar with the events that happened. There is Hawkfrost’s need to prove themselves, putting the moth wing outside Mudfur’s den, convincing Mothwing to participate in some lies to help boost his power, and ultimately his death. This story is kinda sad too.
What a great collection of novellas, I can say that I genuinely enjoyed reading all of these. Loved the individual character development.
Tree’s Roots: Learning about a different side to the Sisters lifestyle with the toms being guardians of the earth was quite fascinating and caused my mind to buzz with ideas on what exactly their powers are? How much control or influence do they have over the Earth? What does it sound like? Voices? Or humming maybe? I would like an explanation in the future for this. One thing that did slightly confuse me was that it had been established that the female cats of the Sister’s “sang” to the ghosts of their former members, being able to call these cats down from the realm in which ghost cats resided in. Toms are able to communicate with the Earth through meditation and it was made clear that the Earth can hinder or help them. However, Tree’s abilities - and by extension now, Rootspring’s - are seemingly unique in that they can pull dead cats that can’t be seen from the shadows of the Earth, when these ghost cats are still residing with the living instead of moving on. Since Tree seemed to have inherited this from his mother, Moonlight, is this a specific third power harnessed by these cats? And if so, why was it not mentioned in Tree’s Roots? I cannot recall Moonlight ever making a reference to it in the book. Why does only Moonlight have it? What determines who has that one specific gift, as I’ve read it was passed onto Tree by Moonlight. I wonder if it could be a power that is only passed on by the matriarch of the Sisters? These are questions I would like answered, and if it was ever mentioned either in ‘Squirrelflight’s Hope’ or ‘Tree’s Roots’ I would be happy to listen. Apart from that, I really liked how Pebbleshine and Tree’s paths crossed. It added a glimmer of connection between the cats that I haven’t seen much of in other novellas. Overall, I really liked this story and how I was able to glean more information out of how the sister’s thought and behaved than just relying off of what was interpreted in ‘Squirrelflight’s Hope.’
Pebbleshine’s Kits: Man, can I say that I was actually excited to see where this went? The ending was quite sad but I reveled in the ending where Pebbleshine truly relied on herself to see everything through and to stand by her kits, just as she had done when trying to get back to her clan before her death. One new development that I thought was quite creative on the part of Erin Hunter was that she had the idea to climb into a monster to get back to where she had been taken from. Crazy, absolutely. Did it work? No. But this was to be expected to some degree, after all, if it had we wouldn’t see Violetshine and Twigbranch motherless. In addition, as Pebbleshine herself had said, they couldn’t understand her so while it was a tenacious move on her part to get back to her clan, it ultimately didn’t work and I think her character was better off for this. Things weren’t going to line up for Pebbleshine and she had only begun to truly give up when she was trapped in the twoleg house. Thanks to a little self-determination and her dream about Hawkwing she rose to the challenge. What endeared me the most about her character was just how willing and unshakable she was about finding her clan again and being brave enough to face all of this by herself, although she had some help along the way it proved to be temporary time and time again. Not just when she rejected the offer of Bug to stay in the barn until her kits had come, or bidding goodbye to Olive and Tree. But ultimately when she died and was offered the opportunity to watch her kits from StarClan but refusing because she didn’t want to leave them. This help too was temporary, it was a help to guarantee her safety in the stars, to watch her loved ones, to hunt and relax in peace, but again she refused all of it. Pebbleshine is one hell of a warrior, and I have most certainly gained a newfound respect for her character.
Mothwing’s Secret: I was looking forward to this one for a few reasons, one being that I always love to read from a new clan perspective and not just looking from the outside in through another clan cat’s lens. Two, Mothwing admitting to her belief in StarClan come ‘The Lost Stars’ really surprised me but also excited me for this new development of character. I had always wondered whether or not Mothwing would end up in StarClan or if she would become something likened to what Pine was able to do? To visit StarClan for specific occasions, like granting a leader a new life, but then cast out for the remainder of time. I was really happy when I read about her experience with the Dark Forest and I was just waiting for her to spot Hawkfrost. By his description I knew that my poor Hollyleaf had already been killed at that point (stupid Hawkfrost) but I liked that he had actually returned to RiverClan after leaving when Hollyleaf and Ivypool drove off Thistleclaw, Snowtuft, and himself. I enjoyed reading about how her quick but thorough belief of what StarClan represented and questioning how good they were came about. It was towards the end of the chapter but I think it was also reflected in the previous chapters with her disbelief in the outright existence of StarClan, struggling to believe in them and doubting her clan mates faith’s. In the end I thought it was a well structured development and I look forward to seeing how she will react with everything going on as we move further into the new arc of books. I would have more to say on this review except that most of the things that were written about her character were already known through previous books written through Leafpool’s lens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The whole warrior cats series holds a special place in my heart because they made 10 years old Inny, who at that time thought that books were boring, change her mind and actually read without someone telling her that "she has to". Now, it's a lovely series, with well developed characters, the world building is on point, it immerses you into the universe and is dynamic. I believe that the cats are mirrors of human behaviour, making it also a good read for an older audience, able to read between the lines.
I really enjoyed this book. Each story was really good. I loved getting to read more about Mothwing and see more of her story from her point of view. And Pebbleshines kits absolutely broke my heart, it was awful but good if you know what I mean, but it was nice to see what happened to her once she'd been separated. And Trees story was good too, but also really sad. I felt sorry for him. But it was a really endearing story with him and his Dad and I really enjoyed that.
I enjoyed each novella in this collection a little more than the last. "Pebbleshine's Kits" is my least favorite, since it rehashes a story I already know (having recently read "Hawkwing's Journey"). I didn't think that it added anything new or interesting about Pebbleshine's characters, although I did appreciate the dog named Bunny who's best friends with a cat.
"Tree's Roots" was much better, in my opinion, since I've been interested in this character's murky past for a while. My main disappointment is that it wasn't Tree's own idea to change his name. I'm glad he had a good relationship with his father, at least, but something about their initial interactions made me think that Tree wasn't following his heart in switching his name but merely following the rules of his other parent to please him. Still, I love Tree, and I liked this novella very much!
"Mothwing's Secret" was probably the same quality as "Tree's Roots," but since Mothwing is one of my favorite Warrior cats, I have to rank it first! I am so relieved that this novella begins in the past, rather than showing the era of "Mistystar's Omen" from a different perspective. This story does a fun job of exploring Mothwing's numerous secrets, and my heart broke a little to see her describe her relationship with Hawkfrost. She cares so much about her family, and I somehow love her even more after reading this! I do wish that there had been more Leafpool in this novella, specifically because I want to see how Mothwing's "I don't believe in StarClan, but I believe in you" mindset translates now that Leafpool is a member of StarClan. I would love to see how Mothwing reconciles those two opinions, and I would cry for a reunion scene between these two.
Lastly, I appreciate how this novella spliced together the different eras of Mothwing's atheism, which I've often felt alternate throughout the main series with little rhyme or reason. Before reading this collection, I picked and chose which explanations I thought fit Mothwing's character best. But now, I have a better idea of how she has justified her stance against StarClan in different eras of her life. "Mothwing's Secret" really felt like a miniature Super Edition, spanning across a large part of her life, and it held my attention very consistently throughout!
A Warrior's Spirit is a great collection of novellas that I am happy I read right after Hawkwing's Journey - not only was their short format refreshing after the long super edition, but Tree's Roots and Puddleshine's Kits go hand-in-hand with Hawkwing's Journey - so I highly recommend reading this collection after that! Mothwing's secret, on the other hand, is a good read after The New Prophecy and before Mistystar's Omen.
As for the actual novellas; Puddleshine's Kits was entertaining! I really like her character, and the ending was surprising but really made sense with what we know about her at that point. Tree's Roots was likewise very interesting, and the fact that it managed to get me really attached to a lot of the characters in such a short span of time is really impressive. Finally, Mothwing's Secret had... wait for it... GOOD MOTHWING CHARACTERISATION! I've been so disenchanted with her character since it seems to change drastically all the time for no good reason (*ahem* The Broken Code *ahem*), but finally, I've gotten a piece of Warriors canon that Treats Her Right. This characterisation of her matches what was established in The New Prophecy far better than most of her other appearances, while also showing character growth and changes.
In summary? I'm pretty sure this is the best collection of Warrior's novellas I've read, and I say that having read almost all of them. The characterisation was stunning and well-defined for all three novels, and I really grew attached to all the characters in a short period of time. Go read this one!
I was actually pretty impressed with this collection overall. I don't think I hated any one of the novellas, which was good.
Pebbleshine's Kits Here's the thing--I don't care about SkyClan. But this was a lot less unbearable than most SkyClan books, particularly because Pebbleshine was pretty resourceful, if a bit dumb at times. Also, did not realize that Tree was that much older than Violetshine? Huh.
Tree's Roots I actually really liked going into Tree's background and his time with the Sisters--it's such a starkly different view than Squirrelflight has of them in Squirrelflight's Hope, and it's interesting to see that.
Mothwing's Secret Oh bitch this was the best one. Not only did it cover two of the events that make me the most emotional (destruction of the Old Forest, battle with the Dark Forest), but it also answered the question "How can there be cat atheists after Omen of the Stars?" and the answer is "now they know StarClan exists they just don't care."
We get stories for dear Pebbleshine, free-spirited Tree, and dedicated Mothwing. Each story sheds light on how these cats came to find their purpose—whether in the clans or beyond.
I really liked how Pebbleshine and Tree’s stories connected. It explains how these two families become so intertwined as the series goes on. Pebbleshine is also such a courageous warrior and mother! I loved getting to spend some time with this spirted cat.
Also, I really appreciated Mothwing’s story. She’s such an interesting cat—because she is a medicine cat who doesn’t believe in StarClan.
It’s almost scandalous.
It makes her a very distinctive figure in the Warriors world. I really liked how her story shed some light on her complicated feelings towards StarClan as well as how she still fit into this community despite her differences.
Her story really speaks to the importance of following your own path even if it looks different from others.
Anyway.
Another recommendation~
(Also, I still want Firefern/Fallowfern’s story. She’s a deaf cat in the Warriors world that survives to elderhood. What is her story???? Please tell me, Erin Hunter.)
This set of novellas was pretty good, all the books had my attention the whole time.
Mothwing's Secret 4.5/5 This book was just fine, but it was mostly about the stuff we already knew, about how Hawkfrost put the moth's wing there and that her father was Tigerstar, so it wasn't very interesting, but I still really like Mothwing. Tree's Roots 5/5 This book was my favorite out of the 3. It had the origin of Tree, and we got to see him struggle with being sent away, and I could relate to him, if I had been sent away at a young age with no one else I would be really scared and sad, I thought it was really sweet how he reunited, and how he saw Pebbleshine, I love it when that happens. Pebbleshine's kits 5/5 I liked this one it was pretty slow, but it was still a good read and I liked having her pov, she had this "I know I can do it" personality and I liked that.
BAUMS WURZELN Eine Gruppe weiblicher Katzen, die jedes männliche Junge im Alter von 6 Monaten verstoßen? Das ist wirklich mal etwas Neues. Interessant mal eine andere Gruppierung mit anderen Bräuchen und Glauben kennen zu lernen. Baum ist als Charakter definitiv spannend und hier seinen Hintergrund näher kennen zu lernen war toll.
MOTTENFLÜGELS GEHEIMNIS Eine Heilerkatze, die nicht an den SternenClan glaubt. Ich denke wir alle schätzen Mottenflügel und ihre Fähigkeiten als Heilerkatze. Mit Maulbeerglanz an ihrer Seite, ist der FlussClan gut aufgestellt. In dieser Geschichte erfährt man allerdings nicht wirklich etwas Neues, weshalb ich den Sinn nicht ganz verstehe. Eine Seite einer Geschichte, die wir aber so schon kennen. Eher langweilig.
Pebbleshine is such a badass and her love for her daughters is so strong. I wish she had lived, she deserved that after how hard she worked.
Learning about Tree's origin was so interesting, him not holding onto is anger for the sisters reveals so much about his character and his future role in the clans.
I loved that they finally went into depth about Mothwing's denial of Star Clan. Even when she sees that they are real, she refuses to give them the time of day and for good reason. She has a fair point for not relying or talking to them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Probably one of my fav collections of novellas!! I loved spending more time with pebbleshine and especially tree bc he’s always been a super interesting character to me (do I love that he hung out with the cat that was expecting his future wife?? I mean nooo but it is what it is and at least he was still pretty young 😭)
And I love mothwing and always have mothpool forever!! I really wish we got some more riverclan perspectives in the modern arc tho bc they truly are so irrelevant compared to the other clans rn 😭😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.