Starlight
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| "Now we must learn to walk in the new skies." |
| — Spottedleaf to the other StarClan cats in Starlight, page 2 |
| Starlight | |
| |
| General | |
| Author: | Cherith Baldry[1] |
| Cover Artist: | Wayne McLoughlin[2] |
| Details | |
| Publish Date: | 4 April 2006[3] |
| Identification: | ISBN 0060827580 |
| Editions: | Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, e-Book |
| More Info | |
| Summary | |
| The warrior cat Clans arrive at their new home and set about exploring and fighting over the unfamiliar territory | |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by: | Dawn |
| Followed by: | Twilight |
Starlight is the fourth book in the New Prophecy arc. Leafpool is the cat on the cover.[4]
Contents |
Dedication
Edit
- For Billy- who left our Twoleg home to become a warrior.
- We still miss him very much.
- And for Benjamin- his brother.
- Who is with him now in StarClan.
The BlurbEdit
- Before there is peace, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red...
- The Clans have finally arrived in their new home, and now they must struggle to establish territories and learn the hidden dangers of this unfamiliar world. Most importantly, they must find a replacement for the Moonstone–a place to communicate with StarClan. But more than one cat is harboring sinister plans that could lead to violence and darkness, and as the warriors wait for a sign, some of them begin to realize that the threats they face in the forest may not be as perilous as the threats they face from within...
The PraiseEdit
- "Action-packed. Certain to please any young reader who has ever wondered what dreams of grandeur may haunt the family cat."[2]
- -Publishers Weekly
- "A suspenseful animal adventure."[2]
- -Kirkus Reviews
- "Erin Hunter's fourth book in the series is the most compelling one so far. The Cat Clans are struggling to establish territories in a world where dangers and resources are yet to be found. Having been forced to leave due to two-leggeds destruction of their world, unexpected alliances were forged between the Clans as they journeyed to an unfamiliar land. Creating new boundaries for the Clans challenges those temporary alliances. It is of utmost importance to reconnect with the StarClan, the warrior ancestors whose guidance oversees the selection of new leaders, medicine cat secrets, and faith that theyre following the correct path. Theres a healthy dose of feline personification, complete with moral and emotional struggles urging the story along. Personal jealousies and passions seem natural in this reading by Nanette Savard. Her subtle voice changes have sufficient dramatic effect to help listeners identify which cat is speaking. For cat lovers and fans of the series, this is a fine rendition."[3]
- -Robin Levin, Fort Washakie School / Community Library, WY
Detailed Plot SummaryEdit
- In the prologue, the reader is introduced to a hillside. It is night time. Thornbushes make a thick wall around a hollow woth rocky sides that slope into a pool, shaped like a full moon. As the thornbraches rustle, cats emerge and pick their way to the edge of the pool. The cat's are from StarClan, hinted by the fact that their pelts shine with a pale light and their pawsteps leave a frosty glitter.
- A tortoiseshell she-cat reaches the pool first and looks around. She says they have found the right place. A blue-gray she-cat replies, revealing the tortoieshell to be Spottedleaf, and saying that they picked the right cats to lead the Clans from the forest. She also says the Clans still have a hard task ahead of them. Spottedleaf reveals the blue-gray cat to be Bluestar, and says the questing cats courage and faith will be tried to their limits and they have come far, they will not give up. Another of the starry warriors then speaks, saying that they, too, had a hard journey, and another cat says they felt the pain of leaving paths that that had walked for so long. Spottedleaf says they must learn to walk new skies, and they must guide their Clans to this new meeting place, where they can speak to medicine cats and leaders, and this will be a home for all five Clans.
- One cat says RiverClan will catch fish from the lake, and another cat says that prey on the hills and beside the water is plentiful, and all Clans will find food, even in leaf-bare. Bluestar still seems uneasy and say that there is more to life than fresh-kill. A bracken-colour tom thrusts himself to the front of the cats and states that the Clan cats are not kits and they know how to avoid Twolegs, dogs, badgers and foxes. Bluestar says that not all trouble comes from Twolegs. She then turns to face the tom, revealed to be Oakheart and say trouble doesn't come from foxes or badgers either, but from with the Clans. Oakheart responds by saying trouble will always come from within the Clans, it is part of what it means to be a warrior. A new voice speaks saying 'trouble from within greatest danger brings." Bluestar turns around, to face the newcomer, it is Midnight the badger. Bluestar welcomes Midnight saying StarClan owes her thanks. Midnight says she has done little, the cats have faced their destiny with courage.
- Spottedleaf is next to speak, saying the Clans have travel a long way and suffered much sadness that StarClan were powerless to ease she continues, sayingthat they kept going, even when StarClan lost sight and hearing of then through the mountains, when they walked the paths of a different Tribe, but now they have to learn to be the four Clans again. She goes on, saying that there will be a lot of pain, mostly for the cats who traveled to the sun-drown-place, and they will not find it easy to forget their friendship. Oakheart speaks next, saying that they have to mark out new territories soon, and there will be trouble while this happens. Bluestar speaks, saying that every warrior that is loyal will do what is best for the Clan they belong to.Oakheart replies, says so long that it is for the Clan and not for themselves. Another voice enters, saying that isn't where the danger lies, he can see one power-hungry cat, who does not deserve it. Tom with a crooked jaw speaks next, revealing the new voice to be Nightstar. The tom with the crooked jaw echoes Nightstar's words, saying how dare he say, "not deserved". Nightstar speaks again, revealing the crooked-jawed tom to be Crookedstar, Nightstar goes on to say that the power is not deserved yet.Crookedstar asks if Nightstar wanted all the warriors as timid as mice. Another cat, a thick-furred gray she-cat.
- She says she has seen what will come, and there are dark times ahead. Anxiety stirreds the other StarClan cats. Bluestar asks the cat to tell her what she means, and Bluestar reveals the she-cat to be Yellowfang. Yellowfang hesitates, saying she does not know for sure what it means, and they won't like what she has to tell them. Her voice grows deep and quiet as she whispers the prophecy, "Before there is peace, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red." Bluestar stiffens and looks into the water as a red stain appears, and streches across the whole pool. Spottedleaf looks into the pool, too, and Bluestar asks if she is looking for what will happen to Firestar, Bluestar then continues to say that she should not look to hard because sometimes there is nothing they can do. Spottedleaf says that she will do anything to help Firestar, she would protect him with the power of all of StarClan. Bluestar warns that even that might not be enough. StarClan begins to pad away.
- The cats have just discovered the lake as their new home. The four Clans temporarily set up a camp by the lakeshore and decide that the next day they will sort out territories and a Gathering place. During a meeting, Firestar calls up Squirrelpaw and gives her the warrior name Squirrelflight, becoming the first cat to receive a warrior name by the lake and acknowledging StarClan's presence. The next day, the leaders call upon the four remaining cats that went on the journey, (Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Crowfeather, and Tawnypelt) as well as Mistyfoot of RiverClan to explore all around the lake and find territories and a camp for each Clan. They depart on this new journey around the lake.
- The cats come across a spot that seems ideal for RiverClan. Continuing on, they find a coniferous forest which seems to suit ShadowClan, although they find two kittypets and get involved in a fight. Desperate to prove herself by finding ThunderClan a camp, Squirrelflight runs ahead and accidentally falls down a large circular stone hollow. She recovers quickly and then realizes that it would be a perfect place for the ThunderClan camp. Brambleclaw, however, seems reluctant, but they keep it in mind. The cats later cross a moorland which Crowfeather thinks would suit WindClan. The five cats return and announce their findings to all of the other cats. They plan to leave the next day.
- That night, while every other cat is sleeping, Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, goes to Firestar and tells him that Tallstar is dying. Firestar asks Brambleclaw to follow him, as well as Onewhisker, at Tallstar's request. Tallstar tells them that he does not wish for a cat like his deputy, Mudclaw, to lead WindClan, and wishes to replace him with Onewhisker as deputy. He performs the ceremony, but without using the traditional words. Shortly afterward, Tallstar dies, leaving a stunned Onewhisker. The next morning, Firestar and Onewhisker announce this to the other Clans, much to Mudclaw's anger. Onewhisker appoints Ashfoot as his deputy, although he has not yet received his lives and name. The medicine cats worry if there is another Moonstone here for Onewhisker to do so.
- After settling into the new camp, Mousefur falls ill. Leafpaw realizes that Mothwing had given the elders water from a small pool by the lakeshore before the Clans split up again, and the water was contaminated by a dead rabbit. The cats recover after quick care from the medicine cats. However, Leafpaw goes to WindClan and tries to cure Morningflower with watermint, as the elder is seriously ill.
- At the full moon, the Clans meet back by the lakeshore for the Gathering. It is cut short by foxes which attack; some warriors fight them off and there are no injuries, but the cats take this as a sign that this should not be the Gathering spot. Later, Mothwing confesses to Leafpaw that she feels she isn't cut out to be a medicine cat, and that she doesn't even believe in StarClan, which takes Leafpaw by great surprise.
- During Gatherings and times when the Clans are together, Brambleclaw has been spending more time with his brother Hawkfrost, which doesn't sit well with Squirrelflight. Brambleclaw has his first dream in which he meets Tigerstar and Hawkfrost. Tigerstar praises the two of them for their courage with this ordeal and tells him that he has great plans for them. There is also much tension erupting in WindClan which seems to be divided in two: Mudclaw's supporters and Onewhisker's supporters. ThunderClan fears trouble is coming from this.
- One night, Spottedleaf comes to Leafpaw in a dream and tells her to follow her. Sorreltail accompanies Leafpaw, and the two of them go far up on ThunderClan's territory near the border with WindClan. Spottedleaf takes Leafpaw to her destination: a pool of water which reflects the stars and moonlight. Leafpaw sees all of the cats of StarClan there including Bluestar, Feathertail, Lionheart, and all of the cats that died of hunger during the famine in the old forest. Bluestar tells her that this place, the Moonpool, is where medicine cats will come to share tongues with StarClan. She goes back to tell Cinderpelt, and the two of them tell all of the other medicine cats. Later, during the half moon, Leafpaw receives her full medicine cat name, Leafpool.
- The next day, Mistyfoot rushes into ThunderClan and says that Mudclaw and Hawkfrost have been meeting at night. She then says that Hawkfrost and a patrol went out at dawn that day and hadn't returned, and she suspects they've gone to attack Onewhisker's followers in WindClan. Firestar assembles a patrol to accompany him to fight, and sure enough, a battle has started on WindClan territory. Leafpool is left behind with a couple other ThunderClan warriors in the camp. Two ShadowClan warriors invade and Leafpool is nearly killed, almost falling into the hollow when they run into her, but Crowfeather comes to her rescue. Leafpool proclaims her love for him as he does for her.
- Brambleclaw ends up pursuing Mudclaw and Hawkfrost, and fights Mudclaw. Mudclaw has the advantage over Brambleclaw until Hawkfrost saves him. Mudclaw claims that he and Hawkfrost had an agreement: Mudclaw would take over and make Hawkfrost deputy, despite him being RiverClan. Hawkfrost denies this. Just then, lightning strikes a tree, crushing Mudclaw and making a bridge to an island, which was earlier mentioned as a possible Gathering spot. All cats gather around and celebrate Onewhisker's victory, and he says he will go and receive his leader name and nine lives as soon as possible. In the final scene, Squirrelflight sees Brambleclaw talking with Hawkfrost, and she walks away from him, ending their friendship.
Publication HistoryEdit
- Starlight (EN), HarperCollins (hardcover), 4 April 2006[3]
- Starlight (EN), Harper Audio (audiobook), 18 April 2006, narrated by Nanette Savard[5]
- Звёздный свет (RU), OLMA Media Group (hardcover), 2006, translated by Veronica Maximova[6]
- Starlight (EN), HarperCollins (paperback), 27 March 2007[7]
- 星光指路 (CN), Morning Star (hardcover), 1 June 2009, translated by Gao Mei[8]
- Starlight (EN), HarperCollins (e-book), 16 January 2010[9]
- 星の光 (JP), Komine Shoten (unknown binding), 24 February 2010, translated by Yukako Takabayashi[10]
- Nuit étoilée (FR), Pocket Jeunesse (paperback), 4 March 2010, translated by Aude Carlier[11]
- Sternenglanz (DE), Beltz & Gelberg (hardcover), 12 November 2011, translated by Friederike Levin[12]
- Sternenglanz (DE), Beltz & Gelberg (audiobook), 12 November 2011[13]
See AlsoEdit
References and CitationsEdit
- ↑ Revealed on the dedication page
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Revealed on the back cover
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Information from amazon.com
- ↑ Revealed in an author chat
- ↑ Information from amazon.com
- ↑ Information from ru.wikipedia
- ↑ Information from amazon.com
- ↑ Information from cn.wikipedia
- ↑ Information from amazon.com
- ↑ Information from Komine Shoten
- ↑ Information from Pocket Jeunesse
- ↑ Information from [1]
- ↑ Information from [2]
