SNOWTUFT!!!! i really love how in this arc we’ve gotten not only an evil starclan cat, but a dark forest resident cat willing to do good. its super cool!!!!
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: shadowsight, a dark gray tabby, looks towards a snowtuft, a skinny white cat with a large scar running from his ear to his belly. the two stand in the dark forest, a place with red grass, dark trees with no leaves, and a dark blue, empty sky. a sinister white mist comes from the right side of the drawing. snowtuft looks sad, but determined. below the image is a quote. “But surely I have the right to exist? Something is destroying my home, and I don’t understand why.”]
i’ve already said something along these lines but there is truly nothing funnier than the remaining dark forest cats being sooo put off by ashfur. they’re like oh my god why are you here get out of my house. well i guess i’ll just have a redemption arc now
I really didn’t think this was a strong book, and it’s possibly the book that has me convinced I may have just outgrown this series. But there are a few good standout moments. We have some neat character interactions for sure...but...all in all... the characterization can be really weak and inconsistent and the pacing is horrific and it’s really hard to get a sense of time in this one. I feel like the entire plot happened within one day (which COULD have been neat...if done well) There is a LOT of standing around and talking, and way too many “We need to gather everyone and talk about X” or “We need to ask if it’s ok to go to the Dark Forest” scenes.
Bristlefrost served no purpose other than to pine over Rootspring. Literally. This book had some serious characterization murder and I just feel so bad for her. I truly think the authors didn’t know what to do with her POV and her chapters were just...awful other than getting to see a few good Thunderclan moments. Don’t get me started on her being called “the fastest cat in the clans” even though that has never once been brought up before...and Windclan exists.
Crowfeather bringing up that Squirrelflight and Bramblestar have an unhealthy relationship and Bristlefrost being like “But I know she loves him!” felt like a weird callout to the fandom and vaguely insulting.
Also...Bristlefrost has no reason to be as attached to Squirrelflight and Bramblestar as she is. It just makes the stakes feel....weird and empty. I feel like it would have made more sense to give her POV to Sparkpelt if they wanted to go for this angle. I guess Squirrel and Bristle have built up a believable friendship, but she seems more attached to Squirrelflight than Rosepetal. It almost feels like they should have made Squirrel her mentor. In particular, it would have been more interesting for Bristlefrost to resent Bramblestar and have complicated feelings towards his return BECAUSE of her attachment to Squirrelflight.
Lionblaze getting roasted was amazing but Graystripe being chosen to lead was a lame cop-out no one wanted.
That conversation between Tigerstar and Shadowsight was great, and I love seeing the relationship between Mothwing and Shadowsight...even if it feels like a bit of a jarring change from the last book. It would have made more sense to have him share those scenes with Puddleshine instead...but I think they know that Mothwing is a popular character and wanted to utilize her.
No spicy feelings with Rootspring other than trying hard not to laugh at the scene where he was about to die and he, quite literally, has the thought “damn I’ll never get to bang Bristlefrost”
The Dark Forest stuff WAS neat and spooky and we stan Snowtuft.