Dawn (Hunter novel)

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Dawn
NewProphecybook3.jpg
First edition cover
Author Erin Hunter (Pen name of Kate Cary)
Cover artist Wayne McLoughlin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Warriors: The New Prophecy
Genre Children's literature
Fantasy novel
Publisher HarperTrophy
Publication date
27 December 2005
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages368
ISBN 978-0-06-074457-1
Preceded by Moonrise  
Followed by Starlight  

Dawn is a children's fantasy novel, the third book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series. Dawn was written by Kate Cary under the pen name of Erin Hunter. It was published on 27 December 2005 by HarperCollins. [1] The book follows the adventures of the four warrior cat Clans after five questing cats return to the forest with a grave message to find a new home. Together, the Clans cross a mountain range and meet another group of cats, the Tribe of Rushing Water. At the end, a new territory is found beside a lake.

Contents

The book was first published as a hardcover in the US and Australia on 27 December 2005. The book was then released in paperback and e-book formats. Dawn has also been published in the UK, Canada, and China. Themes in the book include religion, conflicting loyalties, and cooperation. The book received mainly positive reviews, but some reviewers criticized the limited prose and number of characters.

Synopsis

Setting

Dawn takes place in three places: the Clans' original forest territory, the mountain range inhabited by the Tribe of Rushing Water, and the lake territory located at the very end of the book. The forest in the beginning is divided into four territories for the four Clans: ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan and ShadowClan. The forest is based on New Forest, which is in Southern England. [2] Later, the Clans wander into the mountains in search of their new territory. There, they meet the Tribe of Rushing Water who give the Clans shelter and food. While with the Tribe, the Clans realize that the Tribe's spiritual ancestors are the Tribe of Endless Hunting, not StarClan: through this difference, the theme of religion is explored. After the Clans leave the Tribe, they arrive at the lake territory which the Clans decide will be their new home.

Plot

Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Stormfur and Tawnypelt have returned to the Clans from a quest with a message from Midnight, the badger: the Clans must move to a new home, or risk death. The destruction of the forest has already begun, with the Clans starving as the food supply has been cut off and their habitat destroyed by the humans building a new road. At the same time, cats are being taken away by humans, including a ThunderClan apprentice, Leafpaw. A patrol is sent to rescue the captured cats, but Graystripe is captured after he succeeds in rescuing Leafpaw and other cats from RiverClan and WindClan, as well as many non-Clan cats.

It is difficult for Firestar, ThunderClan's leader, to convince ShadowClan and RiverClan to leave. Finally, RiverClan decides to leave when their river becomes poisoned by humans. ShadowClan also agrees to leave when a tree cut down by humans falls in their camp. While trying help ShadowClan, Firestar loses his second life when a tree falls on him. Midnight, an intelligent badger from the previous book, had told the questing cats that a dying warrior will show the Clans the way to their new home. The dying warrior turns out to be the spirit of Mudfur, the former RiverClan medicine cat. Mudfur runs through the night sky as a shooting star and drops behind the mountains, telling the Clans that their new territory will be beyond Highstones. The Clans travel together through the mountains, guided by Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Tawnypelt, and Stormfur.

While in the mountains, the Clans meet the Tribe of Rushing Water, and Stormfur chooses to stay with the Tribe with Brook Where Small Fish Swim, whom he has fallen in love with, and his sister, Feathertail's, spirit. Near the end of the book, Squirrelpaw confesses her love to Brambleclaw and he confesses that he loves her back. At the end of the book, the Clans discover a forest around a lake that reflects all of the stars. This was the place where StarClan had sent them.

Publication history

The book was first published as a hardcover on 27 December 2005 in the US. The e-book version was released about a year later on 6 November 2007 [3] and the paperback version was released on 14 November 2006. [4] In the UK, the hardcover was released on 1 January 2006, a few days after the US version came out. [5] The paperback version was released eleven months later on 1 December 2006. [6] The Canadian version was released by Tween Publishing on 2 November 2006. [7] Dawn was released as a hardcover in Australia at the same time as America on 27 December 2005. [8] Similarly, the paperback and e-book version were released on the same day as the US, 14 November 2006 for the paperback [4] and 6 November 2007 for the e-book. [3] The Chinese version of Dawn was released on 30 March 2009 with a slightly different cover. 3-D cards featuring Leafpaw were packaged inside the books. [9]

Themes

Themes in Dawn include religion, conflicting loyalty, and cooperation. A reviewer from Children's Literature wrote that it "shows how difficult it can be for four separate and sometimes hostile groups to work together for a common goal, but also shows the rewards of that cooperation". This refers to how all four Clans, who used to fight each other for food, must suddenly help each other for a common goal. [10] Religion and loyalty are explored when the Clans meet the Tribe of Rushing Water, and Stormfur is torn between the Clans and Brook where Small Fish Swim, as well as when the Clans realize that Tribe cats believe in the Tribe of Endless Hunting and not StarClan. [11] The religion issue causes the Clan and Tribe to be slightly distrustful of each other because they do not understand each other. Series editor Victoria Holmes, however, has stated in an author chat that both the Clans and the Tribe are "equally valid" when it comes to faith. [12]

Critical reception

Dawn has been received warmly by several critics. In a review by Booklist , Dawn was said to be "eminently satisfying". [13] A reviewer from Kirkus Reviews said that while the prose of the novel was bad, Dawn had a good plot. The reviewer also said that the author was able to make the reader care about the characters. [13] A reviewer for Children's Literature commented on how difficult it was to not confuse the names, though it did praise the theme of cooperation in the novel. [10] A reviewer for the Detroit Free Press also praised the book and recommended it to animal fable lovers and cat lovers. [14] A review for both Dawn and Starlight from Horn Book Reviews included praise for Erin Hunter's ability to balance "multiple plot lines and points of view, creating a believable world". [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Warriors</i> (novel series) Series of juvenile fantasy novels

Warriors is a series of novels based on the adventures and drama of multiple Clans of feral cats. The series is primarily set in fictional forests. Published by HarperCollins, the series is written by authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, as well as others, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the pilot series was developed by series editor Victoria Holmes.

<i>Into the Wild</i> (novel) 2003 novel by a team with the pseudonym Erin Hunter

Into the Wild is a fantasy novel about the lives of fictional cats, written by a team of authors using the pseudonym Erin Hunter. The novel was published by HarperCollins in Canada and the United States in January 2003, and in the United Kingdom in February 2003. It is the first novel in the Warriors series. The book has been published in paperback, and e-book formats in twenty different languages. The story is about a young domestic cat named Rusty who leaves his human owners to join a group of forest-dwelling feral cats called ThunderClan, adopting a new name: Firepaw. He is trained to defend and hunt for the clan, becomes embroiled in a murder and betrayal within the clan, and, at the end of the book, receives his warrior name, Fireheart, after a battle with another clan. He must face the evil Tigerclaw. The novel is written from the perspective of Fireheart.

<i>Forest of Secrets</i> 2003 novel by Erin Hunter

Forest of Secrets is a children's fantasy novel, the third book in the original Warriors series, written by Cherith Baldry under the pen name of Erin Hunter. The plot is about Fireheart, a ThunderClan warrior, attempting to prevent his best friend Graystripe from falling in love with Silverstream, whom Graystripe is not allowed to fall in love with. Silverstream later dies giving birth to Graystripe's kits. When RiverClan claims the kits, Graystripe makes the difficult decision to join RiverClan. Fireheart also becomes deputy after Tigerclaw, the deputy, attempts to kill the leader, Bluestar. The main theme of the book is forbidden love. Forest of Secrets takes place in a fictional forest based on many natural locations.

<i>Rising Storm</i> (novel) 2004 novel by Erin Hunter

Rising Storm is a fantasy novel, the fourth book in the Warriors series, written under the pen name of Erin Hunter. Rising Storm was written by Kate Cary. The series follows the adventures of four Clans of wild, anthropomorphic cats. The plot follows Fireheart, newest deputy of ThunderClan, struggling to complete his duties as deputy, while still knowing that the previous deputy, Tigerclaw, is lurking in the forest somewhere, seeking revenge against Fireheart and his Clan.

<i>The Darkest Hour</i> (novel) 2004 novel by Erin Hunter

The Darkest Hour is a children's fantasy novel, the sixth and last book in the original Warriors series by Erin Hunter, featuring the fictional character Firestar, a cat. The series revolves around a group of wild cats living in four Clans, ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan. It was published on 1 October 2004, by HarperCollins. The story chronicles the events directly after A Dangerous Path and leads to the final battle for the forest.

<i>Midnight</i> (Hunter novel) 2005 novel by Erin Hunter

Midnight is a fantasy novel, the first book in Erin Hunter's Warriors: The New Prophecy series. Following The Darkest Hour and Firestar's Quest, and preceding Moonrise, it was released 10 May 2005. The novel centers on a group of feral cats living in four Clans: ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan.

<i>Moonrise</i> (novel) 2005 novel by Erin Hunter

Moonrise is a children's fantasy novel, the second book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series. The book, which illustrates the adventures of four groups of wild cats, was written by Erin Hunter, with cover art by Wayne McLoughlin. Moonrise follows six cats, Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Feathertail, Stormfur, and Tawnypelt, as they return to their forest home from a journey to the ocean. They travel through the mountains, where they meet the Tribe of Rushing Water, a new group of cats first introduced in this novel. The Tribe cats are being attacked by a savage mountain lion called Sharptooth. The Clan cats eventually agree to help the Tribe get rid of Sharptooth. Series editor Victoria Holmes drew inspiration from locations such as the New Forest and the Scottish Highlands.

<i>Starlight</i> (novel) 2006 novel by Erin Hunter

Starlight is a children's fantasy novel, the fourth book in Erin Hunter's bestselling Warriors: The New Prophecy series. The hardback was released on 4 April 2006 and in paperback on 27 March 2007.

<i>Sunset</i> (novel) 2006 novel by Erin Hunter

Sunset is a fantasy novel, the sixth and final book in Erin Hunter's Warriors: The New Prophecy series. The book begins with the group of cats known as ThunderClan rebuilding its camp with the help of its old friends Stormfur and Brook following a badger attack in Twilight. As the book progresses, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight overcome a previous conflict and fall in love again, but Brambleclaw continues to visit the spirit of his evil father Tigerstar in his dreams. Brambleclaw manages to convince ThunderClan leader Firestar to choose a new deputy to replace the long missing Graystripe and is surprised when he is chosen. Brambleclaw's half-brother Hawkfrost attempts to kill Firestar in order that Brambleclaw might become leader of ThunderClan, but Brambleclaw saves Firestar and kills Hawkfrost, fulfilling the prophecy "Before there is peace, blood will spill blood and the lake will run red".

<i>The Sight</i> (Hunter novel) 2007 novel by Erin Hunter

The Sight is a children's fantasy novel. It was released on 24 April 2007, and it is the first installment of the Warriors: Power of Three series by Erin Hunter. The book was recommended as Children's Summer Reading by the Washington Post Children's Book Club.

<i>Warriors: Power of Three</i> Third arc in the Warriors series

Warriors: Power of Three is the third arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about anthropomorphic feral cats. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2007 to 2009: The Sight, Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, Long Shadows, and Sunrise. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui Sutherland and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. Power of Three details the experiences of protagonist of the first series Firestar's three grandchildren, initially known as Jaykit, Hollykit, and Lionkit, whom a prophecy foretells will have "the power of the stars in their paws". The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and bad. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in Warriors: Power of Three have won a significant literary award.

<i>Firestars Quest</i> 2007 novel by Erin Hunter

Firestar's Quest is a volume in the Warriors novel series by Erin Hunter.

<i>Warriors Return</i> 2008 OEL manga by Erin Hunter

Warrior's Return is an original English-language manga volume written by Erin Hunter as part of the Warriors series. It is the third and final in a trilogy following Graystripe, a fictional wild cat trying to find his Clan. It was released on 22 April 2008. It is drawn by James L. Barry.

<i>Cats of the Clans</i> 2008 book by Erin Hunter

Cats of the Clans is a field guide in the Warriors novel series. The novel itself consists of biographical details and paintings of the most notable cats. The information is given the form of stories told to three StarClan kittens. The narrator is Rock, a mysterious hairless blind cat.

<i>Long Shadows</i> 2008 novel by Erin Hunter

Long Shadows is a children's fantasy novel, the fifth book in Erin Hunter's Warriors: Power of Three, and was widely released on 25 November 2008. The book follows the adventures of Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather. The book has sold over 250,000 copies.

<i>Thunder Rising</i> 2013 novel by Erin Hunter

Thunder Rising is a children's fantasy novel in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Thunder Rising is the second book in the Dawn of the Clans arc, the first being The Sun Trail. Dawn of the Clans follows a group of anthropomorphic cats as they struggle to find peace within themselves, before the rise of the five Clans in the later Warriors series, ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan. The cats were previously part of a larger group, the Tribe of Rushing Water, and left during a famine when the Tribe's leader had a vision directing the cats to leave in search of food. Thunder Rising follows a young cat, Thunder, as he grows up under his uncle's care after his father abandoned him. He is torn between the cat that raised him and longing for the acknowledgement of his biological father.

<i>Warriors: The New Prophecy</i>

Warriors: The New Prophecy is the second arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about cats, who live in 4 established clans and follow a code to keep the peace between them from breaking apart completely. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2005 to 2006: Midnight, Moonrise, Dawn, Starlight, Twilight, and Sunset. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. The New Prophecy details the Clans' journey to a new home when humans destroy their original territories. The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and bad. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in Warriors: The New Prophecy has won a significant literary award.

<i>Warriors: Omen of the Stars</i>

Warriors: Omen of the Stars is the fourth arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats who live in Clans. It is made up of six novels published by HarperCollins from 2009 to 2012: The Fourth Apprentice, Fading Echoes, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Forgotten Warrior, and The Last Hope. The novels were written by Erin Hunter, a pseudonym that refers to authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, as well as plot developer and editor Victoria Holmes. Omen of the Stars details the experiences of Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing, who, as part of a prophecy, have special powers. The arc's themes deal with forbidden love and the effect that being different can have on relationships. Though the Warriors series has appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, none of the novels in Warriors: Omen of the Stars have won a significant literary award.

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin is the first story arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2003 to 2004: Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, and The Darkest Hour. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. The sub-series details the adventures of the housecat Rusty, who joins ThunderClan, one of four Clans of feral cats living in a forest which adjoins the human town in which he originally lives. The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and evil. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in the Warriors sub-series have won a significant literary award.

References

  1. ↑ "Warriors: The New Prophecy #3: Dawn, By Erin Hunter" . Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Transcript Of Erin Hunter Chat #1". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Warriors: The New Prophecy #3: Dawn AER by Erin Hunter (E-book)" . Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Warriors: The New Prophecy #3: Dawn by Erin Hunter (Paperback)". Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  5. ↑ Dawn (Warriors: The New Prophecy): Amazon.co.uk: Erin Hunter: Books. ASIN   0060744553.
  6. ↑ Dawn Warriors Avon Paperback Warriors: The New Prophecy: Amazon.co.uk: Erin W. Hunter: Books. ASIN   006074457X.
  7. ↑ Warriors: The New Prophecy #3: Dawn: Amazon.ca: Erin Hunter: Books. ASIN   006074457X.
  8. ↑ "Warriors: The New Prophecy #3: Dawn by Erin Hunter (Hardcover)". Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  9. ↑ "貓戰士二部曲新預言之三-重現家園". www.morningstar.com.tw. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  10. 1 2 "Dawn (Warriors, Warriors: The New Prophecy Series, Erin Hunter, Book — Barnes & Noble" . Retrieved January 6, 2008.
  11. ↑ Dawn (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 3). ISBN   006074457X.
  12. ↑ "Transcript of the Second Erin Hunter Chat". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  13. 1 2 3 "Reviews: Dawn BETA". Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  14. ↑ Collison, Cary (January 11, 2006). "New chapter books offer intrigue, fantasy and humor.(Book Review)". AccessMyLibrary. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
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