Firestar's Quest

Last updated
Firestar's Quest
FirestarsQuest.jpg
First edition cover
Author Erin Hunter
Cover artist Wayne McLoughlin
LanguageEnglish
Series Warriors
Genre Children's literature
Fantasy novel
Publisher HarperTrophy
Publication date
21 August 2007
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages510
ISBN 978-0-06-113164-6
OCLC 86090263
LC Class PZ7.H916625 Firs 2007
Preceded by The Darkest Hour  
Followed by Midnight (Chronologically) and SkyClan's Destiny (Plot-wise) 

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

Contents

Firestar's Quest follows Firestar, the leader of ThunderClan, one of the four Clans of cats living in a forest, as he goes on a journey to find the lost fifth Clan, SkyClan. After receiving dreams from the previous leader of SkyClan, Firestar and his mate, Sandstorm, leave ThunderClan to find and rebuild the lost tribe. At the end of the book, the Clan is rebuilt with a leader, medicine cat and territory. It is set in between The Darkest Hour and Midnight.

Firestar's Quest returns to being written from Firestar's point of view as in the original Warriors series, after the subsequent series were written from the perspectives of other characters. The book allowed Hunter Erin to explore the old territories again, having moved to the lake territories in Dawn . An excerpt of Firestar's Quest was released to promote sales of the book, which were very successful. The novel has also received positive critical reception.

Concept and development

The first six books in the Warriors series are written from the perspective of Firestar, while the later Warriors: The New Prophecy [1] and Warriors: Power of Three series [2] are written from the perspectives of other cats. The authors chose to return to Firestar's perspective for the special edition. Cherith Baldry wrote Firestar's Quest [3] and Gary Chalk illustrated the book. [4] Erin Hunter has said the novel was a chance to explore the old territories, [5] which had been left behind in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series.

To promote the book, an excerpt was released online on the Warriors website, [6] and later at the back of the Warriors manga volume Warrior's Refuge . [7] AuthorTracker emails increasingly mentioned Firestar’s Quest as the launch date approached. [5] The book was also commonly mentioned in the author chats on Wands and Worlds. [8]

Background

All of the Warriors novels are listed as being written by Erin Hunter. Erin Hunter is a pen name for four people, Victoria Holmes, who creates the storylines and edits, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, who write the books in turns. [9] [10] Chronologically, Firestar's Quest takes place between the first two series—after the events of The Darkest Hour and before Midnight . [11] Firestar's Quest was put under the title Warriors: Super Edition, as a special edition extra long book. [12]

Sequel

After the publication of the novel, Holmes confirmed the possibility of seeing SkyClan again:

Yes they will! I'm planning the Super-Special for 2010 at the moment, and I think I can reveal exclusively and for the first time ever that it will be set in SkyClan. Yay! Well, it would have been a waste of all those lovely names and characters if we hadn't used them again. [13]

SkyClan's Destiny, the third super edition and sequel tells of a civil war in SkyClan and was released on 3 August 2010. [14] SkyClan was also brought back in the SkyClan and the Stranger manga, including The Rescue, Beyond the Code, and After the Flood. These detail how Sol lived in SkyClan for a time and shows how he came to have such a strong vendetta against the Clans.

Synopsis

Firestar's Quest takes place between The Darkest Hour and Midnight. The novel follows Firestar, leader of ThunderClan (one of four Clans of wild cats living in a fictional forest) on a journey to find a fifth lost Clan of the forest called SkyClan. Firestar and his mate Sandstorm journey upriver in order to rebuild the long-lost Clan. When they arrive at the Clan's former home, they meet Skywatcher, a descendant of SkyClan, who tells them about SkyClan's story, and shows them the Whispering Cave, they also find SkyClan's old home deserted, the caves strangely marked with tiny claw marks resembling those of rats. Firestar gathers together Leafdapple, Sparrowpelt, Sharpclaw, Echosong, Rainfur, Petalnose, Clovertail, Patchfoot, Shortwhisker, Cherrytail, Sagekit, Mintkit, Tinypaw, Rockpaw, and Bouncepaw. Eventually, Firestar re-establishes the Clan and helps the Clan fight the force that destroyed the ancient SkyClan: rats. Though SkyClan emerges victorious, the warrior Rainfur is killed and Firestar loses his second life. As Firestar and Sandstorm prepare to return home, Leafdapple is made the leader and renamed Leafstar on the Sky Rock, which is used to connect to the SkyClan ancestors. Sharpclaw is made deputy of SkyClan, and Echosong becomes the medicine cat.

In the epilogue, Sandstorm and Firestar's new kits are born. They decide to name one Squirrelkit (after her bushy, squirrel-like tail), and the other Leafkit (in honor of SkyClan's new leader, Leafstar). SkyClan blood runs through ThunderClan in cats such as Tigerclaw from his ancestor Cloudstar, a leader of SkyClan from when they lived alongside the other four Clans.

Before Firestar left the forest, a whole series of events happened that weren't shown in The New Prophecy. Such events included the warrior Longtail losing his sight when a rabbit clawed his eyes, Willowpelt being killed by a badger, and Bramblepaw receiving his warrior name; Brambleclaw. Additionally, Sootpaw got a new mentor, Thornclaw. This book is also the origin of the prophecy "There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws." The prophecy was passed on to Firestar by Skywatcher.

Themes

In an AuthorTracker email, Victoria Holmes says that one of the main themes of Firestar's Quest is "two cats are genuinely torn between following the warrior code and doing what they believe is right for themselves". In the book, Firestar is asked to find and rebuild SkyClan which described as Holmes "will take him a long way outside the warrior code and all that he believes in". [5] A review commented that "themes of faith and responsibility give it depth" and also added that "It's quite satisfying watching Firestar and Sandstorm assemble a ragtag group of cats into a true Clan," and compared to movies such as The Bad News Bears to Major League. [15]

Publication history

HarperCollins published the hardcover edition of Firestar's Quest and released it on 21 August 2007. [16] The book had a 150,000 first release. [17] After the release, Erin Hunter went on tour to talk about Firestar's Quest with fans. [5] HarperTrophy, an imprint of HarperCollins, released the paperback version of Firestar's Quest on 13 May 2008. [18] Russia has published a translation of Firestar's Quest. [19] The German version of the book has also been released as both a hardcover and audiobook. [20] The United States, [18] the United Kingdom, [21] and Canada have English versions of Firestar's Quest. Canada launched the book early on 9 August 2007. [22] Firestar's Quest ended up on many bestseller lists, including the New York Times Best Seller list. [5]

Critical reception

A reviewer from Children's Literature gave a very positive review, calling Firestar's Quest a “fantastic extension” to the Warriors series, and near the end of the review, the critic said Firestar's Quest showed that the Warriors books had evolved “from simply entertaining to thought provoking adventures”. [23] A review by Booklist noted the longer length of the book and also praised the mission and new characters introduced in the book. [24] Publishers Weekly also gave a positive review writing "Fans of the Warriors books will excitedly delve into Firestar's Quest, the latest edition to Erin Hunter's bestselling series." [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

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.

Erin Hunter is a collective pseudonym used by the authors Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Clarissa Hutton, Inbali Iserles, Tui T. Sutherland, and Rosie Best in the writing of several children's fantasy novel series which focus on animals and their adventures. Notable works include the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom book series. For each book, Holmes creates the plot and the others take turns writing the books. Dan Jolley, though not an official Erin Hunter author, also writes the stories for manga published under the Hunter name. James L. Barry, Bettina M. Kurkoski, and Don Hudson are included under the pseudonym as the illustrators of the Warriors mangas. Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter are also included as the illustrators of the graphic novel adaptation of The Prophecies Begin.

<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>Fire and Ice</i> (Hunter novel) 2003 novel by Erin Hunter

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. 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".

<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

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

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

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

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

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<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".

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

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<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.

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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. ↑ Hunter, Erin (2005). Dawn. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-06-074457-1.
  2. ↑ Hunter, Erin (2007). The Sight. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-06-089201-2.
  3. ↑ "• Erin Hunter". www.warriorswish.net. July 6, 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "Gary Chalk (author of Redwall)". Goodreads . Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Warrior Cats Now: AuthorTracker". Webs . Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "WARRIORS: Super edition: Firestar's Quest". www.warriorcats. Archived from the original on 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  7. ↑ Hunter, Erin (2007). Warrior's Refuge. TokyoPop. ISBN   978-0-06-125231-0.
  8. ↑ "Transcript of the Second Erin Hunter Chat". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  9. ↑ "Erin Hunter Chat #4 Transcript — January 19, 2008". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  10. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". www.warriorcats. Archived from the original on 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  11. ↑ "The Warriors Books". www.warriorcats. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  12. ↑ "Books on Juvenile Fiction > Animals > Cats". Alibris.com. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  13. ↑ "Erin Hunter Chat #4 Transcript — January 19, 2008". Wands and Worlds. Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  14. ↑ "Warriors Super Edition: SkyClan's Destiny" . Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  15. ↑ "Book Review: Firestar's Quest". Wands and Worlds. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  16. ↑ Hunter, Erin (21 August 2007). Warriors Super Edition: Firestar's Quest (Warriors) (Hardcover). Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0061131646.
  17. ↑ "On Sale in August - 7/23/2007". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  18. 1 2 Hunter, Erin (13 May 2008). Warriors Super Edition: Firestar's Quest (Warriors) (Paperback). Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0061131677.
  19. ↑ Послание. OZON.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  20. ↑ "Band : Special Adventure Feuersterns Mission — WarriorCats.de". warriorcats.de. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  21. ↑ Firestar's Quest (Warriors) (Hardcover). ASIN   0061131644.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  22. ↑ "Warriors: Firestar's Quest (Hardcover) by Erin Hunter". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  23. ↑ Albright, Meagan. "Firestar's Quest (Warriors Super Edition), Warriors Super Edition, Erin Hunter, Book — Barnes & Noble". Children's Literature. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  24. ↑ Estes, Sally (September 15, 2007). "Firestar's Quest.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)". AccessMyLibrary. Booklist . Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  25. ↑ "Reviews: Firestar's Quest BETA". Catalog.dclibrary.org. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
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