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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Return To Writing Form, February 10, 2008
After the end of the second warriors series, i had a very sinking feeling that maybe Hunter was losing her craft. While Twilight and Sunset were good, they weren't great, and sort of laged on in the first half, only to pick up at the end. So when i heard about the new series, i was a bit hesitante. Would it prove my worst fears that maybe the Warriors books had finally worn out their welcome? With The Sight, i was pleseantly surprised to find out that wasn't so and now with Dark River, Hunter has gone back to her roots to produce her finest novel since Dawn.
Life in Thunderclan continues on as usual for Jaypaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw, all three working as hard as ever to prove themselves Thunderclan warriors. But all is not well. Rising conflicts between clans put everyone on edge and whispers of battle are being echoed from the youngest kit to the oldest elder, a battle that may very well wash away the uneasy truce that has held the clans together for so long.
Definently a must for all Warriors fans, that will more then likely reinvigorate the series to its former glory and will have all readers begging for the next instalment.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
exciting middle school coming of age fantasy, January 17, 2008
Although their three offspring are quite different in demeanor and skills, Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw believe that their grandfather, the renowned chieftain Firestar, is proud of their apprentices' progress. Lionpaw is training to become a warrior; Hollypaw is studying the warrior code; and finally Jaypaw is learning medicine due to his enigmatic ties to his teacher Leafpool and StarClan.
In spite of the different directions their training is taking them the trio has always remains close. However, as each begins to take a slightly darker path to journey level, they start to pull apart. Lionpaw learns something that he must conceal from his siblings and others; Jaypaw discovers a secret that if revealed would help his ThunderClan at the cost of others including Starclan; and Hollypaw has uncovered a truth that could prevent a war, but no one believes her. As they war within themselves and with each other over what is a warrior, the clans seem headed to a hostile solution.
The second Powers of Three Warriors book is an exciting middle school coming of age fantasy. The story line rotates perspective between the three youthful heroes with the best this time being Jaypaw's segue because he goes beyond the typical quest with an obsession for knowledge as he needs to understand why his calling is medicine; although the other two warrior entries are well written too they progress only slightly. As with the first book (see THE SIGHT), the tone remains impending doom with darkness seemingly inevitable while the three apprentices are not quite as naive as before, but retain a youthful innocence and exuberance that leads to life threatening even while learning what was before.
Harriet Klausner
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15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dark River, December 25, 2007
The second book in the third series of Warriors titles, was by no means the best, but was not all that disappointing either. The constant switching between characters made the plot seem choppy and of no real consequence (giving it the feel of filler) but there was also dark, chilling undertones that made the story come to life.
We follow again the apprenticeships of Lionpaw, Jaypaw, and Hollypaw, all who struggle with their own problems, finding they can rely on their siblings less and less. The two warriors must question the code they live by, while Jaypaw delves deeper into secrets beyond his reckoning, and the meaning of a skill he has only just yet to grasp.
The development of Jaypaw was very good in this book, and he seems to be evening out more, yet becoming more and more interesting. His confrontations with his mentor (Leafpool) and StarClan are heated and mysterious, and it was good to see more of Yellowfang, who it would seem is keeping an eye on the blind medicine cat apprentice.
Lionpaw's story, on the other hand, seems to have gone full circle in this book, leaving me to wonder if his story (Dark River's main plot) was merely just filler. The same can be said for the subplot of Hollypaw in this book. Both of which led to a climax and ending that wrapped themselves up rather neatly. The character development of Hollypaw can only be viewed with a critical eye, and her ranking in fans may drop considerably. Lionpaw, on the other hand, made an interesting choice that may go down well with fans of the series.
The real 'saving grace' of this story was the familiar dark undertones that returned from the end of The Sight (Warriors: Power of Three, Book 1). Among them, Tigerstar's return, the naivety of the three apprentices, and especially the story of those who came before the Clans, doomed in an unforgiving trial of darkness and water . . .
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