Yellowfang's Secret

Last updated
Yellowfang's Secret
Yellowfangsecret.jpg
Author Erin Hunter
Cover artist Wayne McLoughlin
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series Warriors
Genre Children's literature
Fantasy novel
Published2012 (HarperCollins)
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages528
ISBN 978-0-06-208214-5
Preceded by Crookedstar's Promise  
Followed byTallstar's Revenge 

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. [1]

Contents

Yellowfang's Secret follows Yellowfang, the ThunderClan medicine cat, during her early life in ShadowClan. Yellowfang trains as a warrior apprentice, but realizes that she is better suited as a medicine cat, and begins to train as one. The book takes place chronologically at around the same time as the other Super Editions Bluestar's Prophecy and Crookedstar's Promise.

Plot

From a young age, Yellowfang physically experiences others' pain as if it were her own. Sagewhisker, the ShadowClan medicine cat, convinces Yellowfang that this ability would make her effective as a medicine cat if she could learn to control the power. Sagewhisker thus takes Yellowfang on as an apprentice, and Yellowfang takes the medicine cats' vows, including the forsaking of taking a mate. Despite this, she has a relationship with ShadowClan warrior Raggedpelt in secret, and Yellowfang ultimately becomes pregnant with his kits. Yellowfang gives birth in secret, but only one kit, Brokenkit, survives. Yellowfang gives Brokenkit up to another she-cat in the Clan, withholding her identity as the mother. Brokenkit grows up spoiled and mistreated: his father, who is in a position of power, indulges him and refuses to punish him. His adoptive mother shuns him and his adoptive littermates bully him. As a result, he grows into a vicious cat without learning empathy or kindness. While he is growing up, Raggedtail becomes a leader, being renamed Raggedstar. Brokentail receives his warrior name, and becomes ShadowClan's deputy (second-in-command and future leader). Brokentail trains his apprentices with extreme methods, which go unchecked as his father refuses to see the wrong in his son's actions. Brokentail eventually murders Raggedstar to gain control of the Clan, while blaming the death on neighboring WindClan.

Having taken over ShadowClan, Brokenstar institutes a vicious regime, bullying his way to eventual near-totalitarian power. Using his father's death as an excuse, he launches many attacks on WindClan, many of which Yellowfang considers unnecessary. Brokenstar, however, rejects all criticism, continuing the attacks and eventually implementing extreme tactics to sustain his war efforts: he begins training kits before they are six months old (the age laid down in the warrior code as when apprenticeship may begin), and asks the Clan's elders, who cannot contribute to the fighting forces, to leave camp in order to save resources. He additionally orders that all cats must hunt for themselves, and that battle training is to take priority. After many kits die in battle, Yellowfang finally speaks out, leading Brokenstar to falsely accuse Yellowfang of the deaths of two kits, allowing him to exile her from the Clan.

Homeless, Yellowfang enters nearby ThunderClan's territory, where she is apprehended and taken prisoner by Firepaw (a scene initially depicted in Into the Wild from Firepaw's perspective). The manga chapter at the end of the book details Yellowfang, who has become the medicine cat of ThunderClan, feeding the now blind and captive Brokentail (who has been stripped of his -star suffix due to his crimes) deathberries, and revealing that she is his mother.

Critical reception

Barnes and Noble described the series as continuing "in high style". [2]

Publication history

Yellowfang's Secret was published by HarperCollins in hardcover and e-book format on 9 October 2012. [1] [3] The paperback edition was published on 8 April 2014. [4] The novel has also been translated into German and Finnish. [5] [6] Yellowfang's Secret has also been translated into Chinese and French. The Russian translation was released in two volumes.

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.

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 juvenile fantasy novel series, which focus on animals and their adventures. Notable works include the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom book series. Each of the authors play a different role in the production of the books: Holmes creates the plot for each book, 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.

<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>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>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.

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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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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. 1 2 HarperCollins. "Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang's Secret - HarperCollins" . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang's Secret. Critical reception" . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  3. ↑ HarperCollins. "Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang's Secret - HarperCollins" . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  4. ↑ HarperCollins. "Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang's Secret - HarperCollins" . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Verlagsgruppe BELTZ. "Warrior Cats - Special Adventure. Gelbzahns Geheimnis" (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Art House. "Keltahampaan salaisuus - Art House Oy" (in Finnish). Retrieved 30 August 2020.
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