Fire and Ice (Hunter novel)

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Fire and Ice
Warriorsbook2.jpg
First edition cover
Author Erin Hunter
Cover artist Wayne McLoughlin
CountryUnited States/United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series Warriors
Genre Children's literature
Fantasy novel
Publisher Avon, HarperCollins
Publication date
1 June 2003
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages317 (hardcover)
336 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-06-052559-0
OCLC 55800667
Preceded by Into the Wild  
Followed by Forest of Secrets  

Fire and Ice is a children's fantasy novel, the second book in the Warriors series, written by Kate Cary under the pen name of Erin Hunter. [1] The plot centers around Fireheart and Graystripe, newly promoted warriors of ThunderClan, which is one of the four groups of feral cats living in the wilderness. Fireheart learns that his best friend Graystripe has fallen in love with Silverstream, a warrior from RiverClan, even though it is against the cats' "warrior code".

Contents

The book was first published on 1 June 2003 in the US as a hardcover. Since then, Fire and Ice has been released in paperback and e-book format in other languages. The main theme of the book is that the type of person one is inside is more important than the way one seems from the outside. The book received mixed reviews: the negative reviews criticized the flat characters, and how troublesome it was to flip back to the characters list due to the large number of cats; positive reviews praised the suspense and rising tensions in the book.

Synopsis

Setting

Fire and Ice takes place in a fictional forest which is home to four Clans of wild cats, ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan and WindClan, each of which lives in a territory best suited to their skills/abilities. The authors based the forest on New Forest in southern England. [1]

Characters

Plot

Fire and Ice begins with Fireheart and Graystripe performing a traditional silent vigil after their promotion to warrior status in Into the Wild. In the first couple chapters, the book explains in third person how Fireheart and Graystripe start to get comfortable with being warriors. ThunderClan thinks Ravenpaw is dead, but Fireheart reveals the truth to Bluestar not long before a Gathering, a meeting of the Clans held on the night of a full moon, is held.

As their first task as warriors, Fireheart and Graystripe are assigned to find WindClan (cats that live primarily on the open moors), which had been driven out by ShadowClan, and bring them home. They go to the WindClan camp and search for clues there. On the way, they see some RiverClan warriors hunting on WindClan territory. Graystripe finds the correct scent trail, and they follow it to a makeshift WindClan camp. Fireheart spots Barley's farm a little ways off the trail and the pair hurriedly leaves in fear of the dogs that live on the farm chasing them after they get let out.

Eventually, Fireheart and Graystripe succeed, finding WindClan under a tangle of Thunderpaths (a highway interchange). When Fireheart and Graystripe first find the Thunderpaths, they are confused by the mixed-up scents. After figuring out WindClan is under it, they decide to spend the night right outside the makeshift home and wait until morning to greet the Clan. Then they bring them home.

Soon after, Bluestar apprentices Cinderpaw, a smoky-dark gray she-cat to Fireheart, and Brackenpaw, a golden-brown tabby tom to Graystripe. During a hunting patrol, Graystripe almost drowns after chasing a vole onto thin ice, falling in the river separating RiverClan and ThunderClan, but is rescued by Silverstream, a slender, light silver-gray-and-black tabby she-cat who is a RiverClan warrior. Graystripe and Silverstream fall in love; however, this is against the warrior code, a code of honor that all warriors must follow. And according to the code, warriors cannot fall in love with those not from their own Clan. Fireheart discovers their relationship, and unsuccessfully attempts to discourage them from seeing each other. Graystripe finally agrees to meet Silverstream only at the full moon at the Gathering, when the four Clans meet to share news. Fireheart later realizes that Graystripe has not been keeping his promise. Because Graystripe is often gone to see Silverstream, Fireheart takes over training Brackenpaw along with Cinderpaw.

Tigerclaw, in his ambition to become leader, sets a trap for Bluestar by another Thunderpath, intending to kill her, thus bringing him closer to becoming leader. Instead, Cinderpaw is crippled by the trap. Her leg is broken, and when it heals, she has a permanent limp, preventing her from becoming a warrior. She then trains under Yellowfang to become a medicine cat.

At one point, Fireheart is reunited with his sister, Princess, a fluffy light brown tabby she-cat kittypet living in a Twolegplace (human town). Princess gives Fireheart her oldest kit, Cloudkit the snowy-white young tom, to take into the Clan as a new apprentice. Although Fireheart agrees to accept his nephew as his new apprentice, his Clanmates, with the exception of Frostfur and Graystripe, are reluctant to accept him because of his kittypet blood, even though Fireheart himself also has kittypet blood. Bluestar allows him to stay, and Brindleface the pale gray tabby she-cat becomes his foster mother.

Brokenstar, the former ShadowClan leader, eventually attacks ThunderClan, along with several other exiled ShadowClan warriors. After the battle, the rogues are driven off, with the exception of Brokenstar himself, who is blinded by Yellowfang and is kept as a prisoner. When Fireheart suggests they kill the evil cat, Yellowfang refuses, sadly revealing that she is Brokenstar's mother.

Later, ThunderClan becomes involved in a fight against RiverClan and ShadowClan, when RiverClan and ShadowClan unite and try to drive WindClan out again, and WindClan ally themselves with ThunderClan. When Fireheart is attacked by Leopardfur, a dappled golden tabby she-cat who is the RiverClan deputy, Tigerclaw watches as Leopardfur and Fireheart fight, and does not attempt to join in. Silverstream attacks Fireheart but releases him; he then attacks her but, seeing Graystripe's look of dismay, he releases her. Darkstripe the large, lean, sleek, thin-furred, dark gray tabby tom witnesses the event and reports it to Tigerclaw. Consequently, Fireheart becomes certain that Tigerclaw is not to be trusted.

Publication history

Fire and Ice was first published as a hardcover by HarperCollins in the US on 1 June 2003. [2] The paperback version was released on 1 June 2004, [3] and an e-book version was released on 9 September 2007. [4] An English Kindle edition is also available. [5]

Fire and Ice was published in Canada on 20 May 2004, [6] and in the United Kingdom in June 2003. [7] Other languages that Fire and Ice has been released in include German, [8] Japanese, French, Russian, and Korean. [9] A Chinese version has also been released that includes a 3-D card made of stereoscopic lenticular prints featuring Bluestar. [10]

Themes

The main theme of Fire and Ice is that "it doesn't matter where you come from, only who you are inside". [11] Fireheart is challenged by other cats because he was once a kittypet (house cat), despite having proven his loyalty and bravery as a warrior. [12] Similarly, Cloudkit was initially not accepted by the Clan because he had kittypet parents. [13] Other themes include loyalty, betrayal, and forbidden love. [11]

Reception

Fire and Ice received mixed reviews. The novel was well received by Voice of Youth Advocates , which observed that "Hunter works hard at incorporating authentic cat mannerisms and behaviors" and that "although more sophisticated teens might be put off by the coy dialogue attributes, younger readers probably will not notice and will be caught up in Fireheart's adventures". [14] Children's Literature found the plot to be "flat, repetitious, much too long, and in the end unsatisfying except perhaps to devoted cat lovers or readers who revel in invented worlds". [14] School Library Journal observed that readers unfamiliar with the first novel would find this one difficult to follow and that the "characterizations of the animals are somewhat flat, although it is possible to tell them apart, and the plot's twists and turns seem mapped out and predictable". [15] Kirkus Reviews praised the increased tensions, noting that "Hunter's world keeps getting more finely drawn, and her characters more complex" though readers may be disappointed that Fireheart fails to resolve his "conflicting responsibilities". [14] [16] Booklist likewise praised the novel's tension, noting that the "characters remain true to their feline natures, adding to the plausibility of events in this tension filled story". [16] In a review for both Into the Wild and Fire and Ice, Horn Book Review suggested Redwall fans might find the series appealing. [16]

See also

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 were 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. 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>A Dangerous Path</i> 2004 novel by Erin Hunter

A Dangerous Path is a fantasy novel, the fifth book in the Warriors series, written under the pseudonym of Erin Hunter. This individual book was written by Cherith Baldry. The story centers around Fireheart, deputy of ThunderClan, as he attempts to keep his Clan safe with the help of his ailing leader, while fighting off outside threats such as dogs and enemy Clans.

<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>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>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>The Lost Warrior</i> (comics) 2007 OEL manga by Erin Hunter

The Lost Warrior is the first in an original English-language manga trilogy based on the best-selling book series Warriors by Erin Hunter. The manga was published by the distributor Tokyopop, and was released on 24 April 2007. It follows Graystripe's adventures trying to escape from the Twolegs, who have taken him in as their kittypet. It is drawn by James L. Barry.

<i>Warriors Refuge</i> 2007 OEL manga by Erin Hunter

Warrior’s Refuge is the second in an original English-language manga trilogy based on the best-selling book series Warriors by Erin Hunter. The manga was published by the distributor Tokyopop, and was released on 26 December 2007 along with Dark River, the second book in Warriors: Power of Three. It follows Graystripe and Millie as they journey to find ThunderClan. It is drawn by James L. Barry.

<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>Bluestars Prophecy</i> 2009 novel by Erin Hunter

Bluestar's Prophecy is a children's fantasy novel in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. This is the second Warriors Super Edition, the first being Firestar's Quest. The book follows Bluestar from birth until her eventual rise to leadership in ThunderClan. It was published by HarperCollins and released on 28 July 2009. It was released in China on 31 July 2010.

James L. Barry is an American comic artist best known for his work on the Warriors manga series through Tokyopop. He has also done online comics, such as The Lost Horn, Lost Marbles, The Last Prophet, Punzel, Your Fun-Packed Rapture Guide, and Rabid Rabbit. He has also exhibited art in New York's Museum of Comic and Cartooning Art.

<i>Yellowfangs Secret</i> 2012 novel by Erin Hunter

Yellowfang's Secret is a children's fantasy novel written by Cherith Baldry under the pseudonym Erin Hunter. It is the fifth "Super Edition" in the Warriors novel series. Yellowfang's Secret was first released in hardcover on 9 October 2012.

<i>Warriors: The New Prophecy</i> Second arc in the Warriors series

Warriors: The New Prophecy is the second arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about cats, who live in four 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> Fourth arc in the Warriors series

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, originally known as Warriors, 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. 1 2 "Transcript Of Erin Hunter Chat #1". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  2. ↑ "HarperCollins: Warriors #2: Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter(Hardcover)". Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  3. ↑ "HarperCollins: Warriors #2: Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter(Paperback)" . Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "HarperCollins: Warriors #2: Fire and Ice (AER) by Erin Hunter" . Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  5. ↑ Amazon.com: Warriors #2: Fire and Ice eBook: Erin Hunter: Kindle Store. HarperCollins. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  6. ↑ Warriors #2: Fire And Ice: Amazon.ca: Erin Hunter: Books. ASIN   0060525592.
  7. ↑ Fire and Ice (Warriors): Amazon.co.uk: Erin Hunter: Books. ASIN   0060000031.
  8. ↑ "Band 2: Feuer und Eis — WarriorCats.de" (in German). Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  9. ↑ "Erin Hunter Chat #3 Transcript — part 2". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  10. ↑ "晨星網路書店Morningstar::│圖書基本資料│" (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  11. 1 2 "Storysnoops Review". storysnoops.com. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  12. ↑ Hunter, Erin (2003). Into the Wild. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-06-000002-8.
  13. ↑ Hunter, Erin (2003). Fire and Ice. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-06-052559-0.
  14. 1 2 3 "Fire and Ice (Warriors Series #2)". Barnes&Noble.com. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
  15. ↑ Prolman, Lisa (1 September 2003). "Hunter, Erin. Fire and Ice.(Book Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)". School Library Journal . Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 "Goodreads Fire and Ice Reviews" . Retrieved 30 July 2010.
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