Into The Wild Reread!
Its actually been like 6 years since i last fully read this series, so it was fun going back through! Overall i give it a 9/10, one point removed for slightly clunky writing and scene changes.
HOWEVER, Every single sentence that includes Spottedleaf is awful and uncomfortable, so it's actually getting an 8.5/10
Please note that i wrote the notes as i read it and have not edited them
My chapter by chapter thoughts and notes are under the cut!
Prolouge
Iconic opening prologue, but we're really stretching the definition of bracken-colored for mr reddish-brown oakheart here.
When did the clans meet otters
I wonder how Mousefur feels about the last fight alongside redtail being the one where tigerclaw saved her
"Fewer kits than normal" bluestar theres 5 of them i'd say thats a decent number, 6 if we're counting Lynxkit
I dont remember many of the prophecies but i hope they use more star ones, the shooting star is a cool one
Chapter 1
They really love their full stops huh, its slightly jarring, as someone who writes with so many commas
I still love their descriptions of the enviroment
I like how they show Rusty's ignorance towards the necesscity of prey by having his first scene be him toying a live mouse, and that being why he lost it
Rusty, collars are not supposed to pinch, your being mistreated
I dont think ive ever seen anyone remember to add the 'lightly raining' part into an animatic or comic or anything
I like to think he spotted Bluestar in the trees when he says it feels like something's in the woods
I like that rusty's sorta mean, real tween energy
They better bring this fox back
This is painfully lore-dumpy but i love greypaw's total disregard for rusty's anger. And for his disregard for clan code, talking to a kittypet when he shouldn't be. Sets up his later code breaking.
I'm always really concerned about rusty's "just sit there and look hungry" comment, like buddy why do you know that??
Lionheart is canonically handsome
I really like how majestic and respectable bluestar is shown to be in this scene, i can feel her power
Bluestar has been keeping an eye on rusty for a while, spurred by the prophecy, i'd imagine
Chapter 2
I cant tell if bluestar snapping at him so fast is because of how despserate thunderclan is in that moment, or if its a hint to how fast she can turn against people.
Rusty's willignness to look a wildcat in the eye and argue is very interesting, i see where squilf gets it from
'Young kit' i love lionheart
Chapter 3
I like to think the yellow eyes in his dream are yellowfang's
Kittypets know what hours are, i wonder if the clans do
I love smudge, poor guy
They have pine trees on thunderclan territory
I kinda like asshole longtail, hes fun
Great job longtail, you got your ass kicked by a fresh apprentice
Only finished his training two moons ago means longtail is 14 moons, and was probably a solo apprentice. I can see why Bluestar is afraid of not having enough, if the last batch of apprentices only had one.
Interesting that they were so quick to accept Firepaw, but only after he proved himself in a battle. Very telling of their culture.
Graypaw never describe Spottedleaf ever again, its very uncomfortable, "not bad looking either" you are a child
"Neither young nor pretty" this line is especially funny now that grey and dark are brothers, like yeah, thats peak little brother energy
Chapter 4
Ok whos this ginger queen, shes been mentioned twice now
Firepaw stop asking for lore a cat just died
Now i wanna see a redstar au
I like how sassy spottedleaf is with tigerclaw
Tigerclaw in this scene feels so much like Scar, i wish they kept this
I like the lore of the leader's den being carved from a river, wonder if DOTC is consistent with that
Love the sharing tongues and eating lore, the idea of older warriors inviting younger ones to eat with them being an honor
I like that the elders are perfectly fine with firepaw
Interesting that sandpaw isn't actually described as cream or sand colored, but 'pale ginger'
Again, loving the eat rituals with the apprentices eating by the stump
Sandpaw's such a bitch i love her, such a tween mean girl, i can only imagine her with a high, bratty voice
Chapter 5
Two toms sitting in a hollow a few tail lengths away cuz their not gay
Birch, ash, and oak trees are added to the 'trees thunderclan has' list
"Thats treachous talk, kittypet" says the guy who tried to take over all the clans, thus sharing a territory
I like that lionheart supports firepaw's thinking
Thunderclan smells warm, Shadowclan smells sour, Riverclan is...pungent, i guess?
Dust and Sand are such brat siblings
Love the implication that windclan and thunderclan have different stalking types due to their difference in prey, light footed for thunderclan, and maybe heavy on the back legs to make a better kick-off for a run for windclan?
Ravenpaw has been an apprentice for 2 moons, meaning hes 8 moons old, and he probably became an apprentice on the tail-end of longtail's apprenticeship, or just after his warrior ceremony
Chapter 6
Two moons passed, 8 moons old, Raven should be 10 moons
Firepaw can scale ash trees with ease
One of lionheart's favourite phrases is "surprise is the warrior's greatest weapon"
Ok good, the fox was relevant
Thunderclan cats apparently climb trees often, given that halftail apparently used to
Chapter 7
"Easy prey for yellowfang" girl why are you in third person
2 moons in and he already doesnt want to feel pity towards a clearly unwell cat, i can totally see an au where he becomes one of tigerclaw's followers
"You seem in an awful hurry to die" is one of my favourite lines
Arch-cat of stench
Chapter 8
Patrol of tigerclaw, willowpelt, darkstripe, lionheart, and bluestar. One hell of a combo
Yellowfang was spoken of for her bravery and wisdom as a medicine cat, interesting
I like the respect Spottedleaf gives Yellowfang, aware that shes another medicine cat. They've no doubt met before this.
Sympathetic eye narrowing
"We found no bodies from either clan" i call bullshit
"Usually she only trains the kits of her deputies" again, bullshit, but interesting concept
Leaders talking with all their senior warriors and not just their deputy for advice
Cultural respect for healers and elders
Chapter 9
They know the word breakfast
Little grey-and-white kit and a tabby kit, probably swift and one of the frost brothers
"Certainly no hardship being around spottedleaf again" you've exchanged about 3 sentences with her
Willowpelt in patrol with her son again
The double mouse eating scene is always so funny to me
Chapter 10
Queens line their nests with balls of down, which are apparently duck underfeathers
Wow, two-ish moons and firepaw doesnt remember smudge at all
I like the parallel between rusty & greypaw and smudge & firepaw
Its actually kind of unsettling how fast he's forgotten his old life, like wow the cult indoctronation really worked huh
Chapter 11
Ravenpaw tripping over his snake, baby boy
Fluffy gray kit, likely cinderkit, no more than 2 moons, meaning they were newborn when rusty joined
Also a tiny black kit and a tortieshell, mystery kits
Rusty's been there for almost 3 moons
Bluestar has serious trust issues huh
"I think i could grow fond of her" ok yeah i see why bluestar x yellowfang exists
Clawface and Stonefur are considered great warriors, at least to Greystripe
Chapter 12
I forget at this point in the book tigerclaw isn't actually known as a bad guy, hes just grumpy and mildly suspicious
Crookedstar is bigger than Lionheart, which means hes fuckin massive
Brokenstar has been leader for 4 moons as of this chapter, meaning he probably became leader around the time spottedleaf got her prophecy. Causation, perhaps?
Eugh can we stop describing spottedleaf as sweet scented
Ough, littlepaw was definitely lying about his age there
Lionheart banter!
Ravenpaw being a good storyteller is my favourite thing
Ah, brokenstar, you mangy bastard
I like that he paused for dramatic effect though, drama queen
I cant tell if Smallear really is deaf or if hes playing it up so he gets left alone
Chapter 13
"But even he will obey bluestar" only for 3 more books
I like that travelling to the moonstone is one of the apprentice milestones
Spottedleaf get your nose off that apprentice
Chapter 14
Leaders cannot eat before the moonstone journey, interesting
Wow, what a dickhead twoleg, also possibly drunk driving
Chapter 15
Love the idea that tigerclaw is just fucking terrified of the moonstone
So bluestar just implied tigerclaw is spiritually weak, interesting
I love the description of the moonstone, it makes it sound so ethereal
Chapter 16
Barley is short and knows Bluestar
"You are tied to your clan like a queen to her kits" oh you have no idea barley
Barley i love you and your inexplicable rat fighting skills
Firepaw knows how to put cobwebs on
This chapter implies coming back from losing a life can take hours
Chapter 17
Blackfoot you asshole put those kits down!!
Yellowfang i adore you
R.I.P rosetail, we didnt know you existed until this chapter
Nooo grandpa lionheart, poor guy
I think its this point that starts the beginning of bluestar's fall, honestly
Chapter 18
Ah, here's tigerclaw's beginning of evil, starting with appointing his cronies as bluestar's bodyguards
Ooo yellowfang still has pain from that leg injury
Wow Yellowfang just called Blackfoot a stupid tank
Darkstripe really just got call shitstripe, huh?
Oh shit, i always thought darkstripe and longtail were aware of tigerclaw's actions from the start, but hes playing them too
Chapter 19
Spottedleaf you cant just tell apprentices about prophies and not give any context
The authors really dont know how to do a scene change, huh?
Firepaw fights light-pawed
Chapter 20
I cant tell if its clunky writing or intentional but the way ravenpaw describes redtail's death is very storyteller-y
Never use the word suppleness again
Brindle really just had her kits silently huh
Elders wash their ears when their expecting rain, more lore thats never mentioned again
Really cute that whitestorm is sitting guard for his mate and kits
Its been like 4 minutes since firepaw stepped out of the nursery, brindle's in there, how the fuck did the kits get stolen
Firepaw you shared 7 sentences with her, why are you so furious
Chapter 21
Can these grown adults stop sending minors on dangerous missions
"Goodbye, my sweet spottedleaf" EW. EUGH. AUGH.
"One of brindleface's kits has a cough" considering tulipkit dies, yeah, she wasnt lying
Something something clawface being a warrior greypaw respected only for him to kill the med cat and kidnap kits
Frostfur's kits are three moons old
Chapter 22
Brokenstar makes them apprentices at three moons and warriors at five
Marigold and Mint were four moons old
Chapter 23
Third time Willowpelt and Darkstripe are in a patrol together
Oh Whitestorm, your not the smartest tom in the clan, are you
Chapter 24
Brokenstar nearly got scar-at-the-end-of-lion-kinged there
It'd be cool if mr lil tabby kit kept the ear scar, i know he doesnt tho
Chapter 25
Tigerclaw really putting on the sad dramatics there
Fireheart and Greystripe, iconic and fitting names!
My thoughts
Solid 9/10, not perfect, bit clunky, but iconic and nostalgic. Im shocked i remembered basically all of it, even tho last time i read the whole thing was about 6 years ago
I think the chapters are too short in places and cut in weird parts, and the authors cant do a scene change for the life of them, but this was 2009, so its fair. Lets just hope they improve (said the fool, foolishly)
Oh, and the spottedleaf thing was terrible and uncomfortable.
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