The Missing Information?
by Jaybird
There has been many good books in the Warriors Saga, and many good conclusions to prophecies, such as Warriors, The Darkest Hour which finishes the "Fire Alone Will Save the Clan" prophecy, and Warriors, Dawn which was the conclusion to the "Darknrss, Air, Water, and Sky Will Come Together and Shake the Forest to its Roots" prophecy. But what about the last prophecy that was finished, "Before There is Peace, Blood will spill Blood and the Lake will Run Red?"
It related to the two half brothers, Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw killed Hawkfrost by stabbing him with the end of the Twoleg fox trap, and Hawkfrost’s blood ran into the lake. Sure, it was suspenseful, but many questions led to this book. Was this book fitting for the end of the New Prophecy Series? Many believe it was not. Questions were unanswered, such as why did Stormfur and Brook come back? Or, could Mothwing really be a Medicine Cat if she didn’t believe in StarClan? But the biggest was not answered, all that shocked readers across the globe, who was the traitor of ThunderClan?
Hawkfrost, as he lay dying, proclaimed he’d had a partner, someone who’d worked with a ThunderClan cat to attempt to murder Firestar. Some believed it was Birchfall, then Birchpaw, who’d done it.
“Birchpaw told me…Blackstar waiting on our territory…Had to come alone…”
Page 290 of Sunset
Birchfall was accused, but not as many times as Ashfur was. People thought Ashfur would have done it out of jealousy and hatred for Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, to get Brambleclaw out of the clan, and to make Squirrelflight feel horrible because her father was dead, to get his revenge for her dumping him. But no one can be sure who the traitor was, because Erin Hunter does not say. Though it does hint in The Sight that Ashfur is still angry at Squirrelflight because she went with Brambleclaw instead of him.
“Not so different that we should trust ShadowClan!” Ashfur growled. “Some cats will always try to take what another cat has.” Jaypaw sensed his mother flinch, as though stung. What did Ashfur mean, exactly?
Pages 174-175 of The Sight
Ashfur clearly was referring that Squirrelflight had almost been his mate, and that Brambleclaw stole her from him. The gray speckled tom’s additude changes in The Sight, because he seems different from the angry, depressed cat in Sunset, but six moons have gone by. That’s a lot of time to get over your feelings. But that’s just the point. Six moons have gone by, and that is a really big gap to explain the unanswered questions. Some think that Sunset was a good book, but a terrible ending for the second series, others believe there should have been seven books instead of six.
But a major thought is also occurring in the minds of readers, is The Power of Three a book series worth buying, or worse, even worth reading? Though Erin Hunter did miss a couple of steps, by leaving a barely finished series and starting a new one, The Sight is definitely worth the read. Though Sunset did not end well, The Sight is an excellent beginning to the Power of Three series. Do not stop reading Warriors, a bad book is bad, but that does not mean a series has to be bad. The Power of Three has a good introductory book, and will sure to have the questions explained in further books, such as Dark River and Outcast, the second and third books of the Power of Three.
It was also answered in an Erin Hunter chat that the gaps were intentional--the plot was summed up at the end of The Darkest Hour because originally, the Warriors series ended there. Meanwhile, plans for a third series existed before The New Prophecy was finished, meaning that remaining questions will be answered later on.