Sunset (novel)

Last updated
Sunset
NewProphecybook6.jpg
First edition cover, featuring Hawkfrost in the center image [1]
Author Erin Hunter
Cover artist Wayne McLoughlin
LanguageEnglish
Series Warriors: The New Prophecy
Genre Children's literature
Fantasy novel
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication date
26 December 2006
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages320
ISBN 978-0-06-082769-4
OCLC 70673118
LC Class PZ7.H916625 Sun 2007
Preceded by Twilight  
Followed by The Sight  

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".

Contents

The book was first released on 26 December 2006, in the US as a hardcover. It then was released as a paperback, e-book, and audiobook. The book was the third in the series to be released in audiobook format. The audiobook was read by Nanette Savard, whose performance was praised by AudioFile . Sunset received mixed to positive reviews from reviewers.

Plot summary

After the badgers' fierce attack destroys much of ThunderClan's camp, Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook) and Stormfur, old friends of ThunderClan, help to rebuild the camp. The battle is not without its consequences, as both the medicine cat Cinderpelt and the warrior Sootfur die. The battle rekindles Squirrelflight's love for Brambleclaw (following a conflict between the two during the previous book), leading her to have an argument a few days after with Ashfur, whom she had moved to following her separation from Brambleclaw.

All of the Clans are grieving for the death of Cinderpelt. Leafpool finds herself struggling between grief and betrayal, for she has not seen Cinderpelt in the ranks of StarClan. During a visit to the Moonpool, where medicine cats share dreams with StarClan each month, former medicine cat Spottedleaf goes to Leafpool in a dream and shows her that Cinderpelt is reborn in the form of Cinderkit, one of Sorreltail's four kits whom Cinderpelt died protecting.

After months of waiting and with persuasion from multiple characters, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, finally declares that his friend and deputy Graystripe is not going to return after being abducted by humans in Dawn. When a dream from StarClan, the spirits of the cats' ancestors, tells Leafpool that Brambleclaw should be the new deputy, Firestar agrees and appoints Brambleclaw as the new deputy. The decision is met with objection because Brambleclaw had never mentored an apprentice, a requirement for becoming deputy. The matter is cleared when Firestar declares that Brambleclaw will mentor Berrykit when the kit turns six months of age and mentions Leafpool's dream from StarClan to his warriors.

Tigerstar, an evil cat who is dead, continues to visit his sons (through different mothers) Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw in their dreams and when Brambleclaw becomes deputy, Tigerstar reveals his plan for Brambleclaw to take over ThunderClan and WindClan and for Hawkfrost to take over RiverClan and ShadowClan. Brambleclaw firmly rejects this idea but agrees to make up a plan with Hawkfrost when they are awake.

During the meeting, Brambleclaw hears a cat struggling in pain. He finds Firestar caught in a fox trap (wire snare) and Hawkfrost urges Brambleclaw to kill the ThunderClan leader so that Brambleclaw can become the new leader. After struggling with his desires, Brambleclaw refuses to kill Firestar and frees him from the trap. Hawkfrost attacks Brambleclaw, but Brambleclaw kills Hawkfrost with the trap's sharp stick by stabbing his neck. Before he dies, Hawkfrost claims to Brambleclaw that a ThunderClan warrior helped him with his plan and that their fight is not over.

The prophecy "Before there is peace, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red", given to Leafpool in an earlier book, is fulfilled; since Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost are half-brothers, they share the same blood and are kin, and as he stumbles down to the lake, blood pours from Hawkfrost's neck, making the lake run red.

Publication history

Sunset was released as a hardcover in the US and UK on 12 December 2006. [2] The paperback version was released about a year later on 25 September 2007. [3] Sunset has also been released in CD audiobook and e-book format. [4] The audiobook was read by Nanette Savard, whose performance was praised by a reviewer for AudioFile, who stated: "Nanette Savard brings out the youth of the cats who are struggling to help their clan survive and to protect each other from outside danger". [5] The book was also re-released in the UK on 29 September 2011, with different cover art.

Critical reaction

Sunset managed to boost the Warriors series into second position on The New York Times Best Seller list in the children's series section. [6] It also received praise from reviewers for Barnes and Noble, who said the book had an "addictive bite". A reviewer from Children's Literature compared the novel to a soap opera, with conflict after conflict. These conflicts, the reviewer noted, added depth to the novel. The reviewer closed by saying that while not well-written and difficult to understand without knowledge of previous books, Sunset was still entertaining. A second review, also by Children's Literature, was lukewarm, saying it had a "steady pace" but could be "more frustrating than satisfying" for readers. [7] Booklist praised the book, saying, "As series fans will expect, the action here proves as compelling as the relationships between cats and the dynamics among the clans". [8]

Related Research Articles

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<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".

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<i>Midnight</i> (Hunter 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

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

Twilight is a children's fantasy novel in the Warriors novel series written by Erin Hunter, a pseudonym used by multiple authors. It is the fifth book in the series The New Prophecy and continues the cat clans' adventures while seeking a new home. It was generally well received by critics.

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

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

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

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

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<i>Sunrise</i> (novel) 2009 novel by Erin Hunter

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<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.

<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: 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. ↑ "Warriors". Archived from the original on 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2010-09-21. The official Warriors website uses this portion of the image for the image of Hawkfrost.
  2. ↑ "Sunset (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #6) Hardcover". harpercollins.com. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Sunset (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #6) Paperback". harpercollins.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Sunset (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #6) Audiobook". harpercollins.com. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  5. ↑ Sunset (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #6) Editorial Reviews. HarperFestival. 26 December 2006. ISBN   9780061214974 . Retrieved May 31, 2010– via Amazon.
  6. ↑ HarperCollins Authortracker email, Erin Hunter. Feb. 8, 2007
  7. ↑ "Sunset (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #6)". Barnes & Noble.com. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
  8. ↑ Estes, Sally (February 1, 2008). "Sunset.(Warriors: The New Prophecy series)(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)". AccessMyLibrary. Booklist . Retrieved July 14, 2010.
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