Moonrise (novel)

Moonrise

First edition cover, featuring Feathertail in the center image.
Author	Erin Hunter
Cover artist	Wayne McLoughlin
Language	English
Series	Warriors: The New Prophecy
Genre	Fantasy novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	August 1, 2005
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	320
ISBN	978-0060744540
Preceded by	Midnight
Followed by	Dawn

Moonrise is the second book in Erin Hunter's bestselling Warriors: The New Prophecy series. It was first published on August 1, 2005 as a hardcover by HarperCollins. Exactly one year later, the paperback edition was released. The book has been praised by Barnes & Noble and Booklist, although Kirkus Reviews was not as warm. The plot follows Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Feathertail, Stormfur, and Tawnypelt on their quest through the mountains, their stay with the Tribe of Rushing Water, and the death of Sharptooth and Feathertail. The Tribe of Rushing Water was used to portray the theme of religious conflict.

Plot summary

Several moons have passed since six cats set out from the forest on an urgent journey to save all their Clans. The six cats are now traveling home again. From fear of the dangers that they encountered in the first book Midnight, they decide to travel back through the mountains to return to the forest. In the midst of the snowy danger, the six cats stumble across a group of wild tribal cats, who belong to The Tribe of Rushing Water.

The friendly Tribe takes the questing cats in to shelter them and feed them. Unknown to teh Clan cats, the Tribe cats have their own prophecy to fulfill that says a silver cat will save them from Sharptooth, a savage mountain lion that has a taste for cat. They see Stormfur the silver cat mentioned in the prophecy of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, the Tribe cats' spiritual ancestors. Stormfur is forced to protect the Tribe from Sharptooth and not allowed to leave until he does. However, the six clan cats manage to escape and leave the Tribe. As they leave, they find a group of the Tribe that was sent out to kill Sharptooth and not allowed to return until they did. Upon hearing this, Stormfur feels guilty about leaving and a devises a plan to kill Sharptooth. Together, Stormfur and his friends succeed by anguishing Sharptooth and leading him into a trap. However, as they duel the wild cat, it is revealed that Feathertail, Stormfur's sister and the daughter of Graystripe, is the real silver cat. In order to save Crowpaw from being killed, Feathertail jumps up at the roof of the cave, jumps onto a rock spike from the roof of the cave, plummets to the floor with it, falling on Sharptooth and crushing him, but also killing herself.

Feathertail is honored by being buried at the base of the Cave of Rushing Water's waterfall, and the remaining five cats continue traveling home towards their Clans. During their stay, Stormfur fell in love with Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook), a Tribe prey-hunter, and is forced to say goodbye to her and Feathertail.

Meanwhile, Leafpaw, the ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice, has to deal with the threats at home. The destruction of the forest has begun, and the whole forest is being uprooted by the Twolegs (humans). During the near end of the book, she enters into what seems to be a Twoleg trap for cats. Sorreltail tried to call out for her but she was too late, since Leafpaw was captured by the Twolegs.

The book ends with Squirrelpaw noticing Highstones at the edge of WindClan territory and exclaiming, "Highstones! We're almost home!"

Publication history and writing

Moonrise was published on August 1, 2005 as a hardcover. The publisher was HarperCollins. On August 1, 2006, the paperback version was released by HarperTrophy. Both the hardback and the paperback have been released in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. Russia has also released Moonrise. Later, the book was released as an eBook and a Kindle. The Kindle version was released by HarperCollins e-books on November 6, 2007.

Often in chats, the authors have talked about the death of Feathertail and what it was like writing it. Cherith Baldry said that it was hard to write the end of Moonrise. Someeone asked why the authors kill off characters like Feathertail, Victoria Holmes, the editor, responded:

"Because deaths are so much fun to write about! Seriously, the essence of all good stories lies in drama and conflict, and what is more dramatic than losing a beloved character?"

Setting

In the Warriors world, there are four Clans, all of which believe in a group of their spirit ancestors called StarClan. In the previous book, Midnight, StarClan told four cats from the four Clans, Brambleclaw, Crowpaw (Later in the books Crowfeather in honor of Feathertail), Feathertail and Tawnypelt, to find a badger named Midnight who would tell them what would soon threaten their home. Squirrelpaw (An apprentice from the same Clan as Brambleclaw) and Stormfur (Feathertail's brother) also came along on the quest. Squirrelpaw's sister, Leafpaw, remains home as she continues learning to be a medicine cat. Midnight reveals to them that their forest will be destroyed by Twolegs (humans).

Critical reception

Moonrise was received warmly by critics. Barnes & Noble said the novel had "intense action" and a "poetic grandeur". Kirkus Reviews criticized the novel for mundane writing, as well as the easy to confuse names and the use of "meowed" and "mewed" instead of "said", but praised the plot and suspense. Booklist praised Moonrise for its "cliffhanger" ending "that will leave readers eager for the next installment ".

Moonrise also reached the New York Times bestseller list.

External links

• The official Warriors website.