Customer Reviews

Warriors: Power of Three #6: Sunrise

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

WARNING: SEVERAL MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
I rarely cry over books, though I did cry at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but never has a book made me weep with such intensity as Sunrise.

Like many others, I rushed off to my local bookstore yesterday morning to get the long-awaited finale to the Warriors: Power of Three series. I was surprised that after half a year of waiting, I found myself rather reluctant to read the book, going off every ten minutes or so to read or do something else.

It wasn't that the book wasn't good. It's just that I found it a bit unreal. I was soon reading steadily, however. The main characters acted in ways I could not imagine them ever acting. They developed and aged, becoming rich and far deeper than they had been previously. I found the first part a bit stretched and boring, especially the Three striving to find out who their parents were when the answer was staring them in the face and most fans had already figured out who the parents were. Then in the second part, everything began coming to a head and with exciting action alternated with the talking and figuring out.

Sol's presence and the journey to the sun-drown place seemed a bit pointless in my view. The Three were finding things out better on their own by then, and he seemed to need to be brought back into the story simply so that some of the loose ends about him could be tied. There weren't many loose ends, though. Mleh.

Towards the very end, everything was becoming clear to the characters with astonishing clarity. One thing that I found especially enthralling was Leafpool's talk with Hollyleaf. Until then Hollyleaf had been a bit of a generic Mary-Sue, but then she suddenly became the most deep and complex of the Three.

I thought I would give the book 3 stars, but then I came to the end and an extremely clever mix of the resolved and the unresolved concluded the book, with an undeniable promise that there is much more to come.

I am smitten with this book. As an extremely bookish home-schooled ten-year-old, I can say that it is one of the best books I have ever read, particularly considering that it is part of a long series, which can make writing a bit difficult and close. Why did I give it four stars then? There were some things I did not like about the book, but it was very well-written with a wonderful plot, and it is worth reading over. But my sister is reading it now...

There were many other things I wanted to mention in this review, but I have forgotten them. I hope this review will help you.

Today, I had spent most of my time from 9 AM to 11:49 AM twitching in my seat, wishing for the clock to move just a little faster. According to Amazon.com, the sixth book in the third Warriors series had been released: April 21, which was a shock to me, because I had expected it to be April 22. I'm still not sure where I got the extra day, but I'm not complaining because I'm glad I could get it earlier than I had thought.

As for this last book, I can't say that I'm disappointed. However, I can't say that I'm up and down pleased either. There's one thing the sixth book in the previous two series did correctly: it tied up all the loose ends in the series and closed the door on the major plot the cats had faced throughout it. While I enjoyed all the delicious drama and grimaced when a main character died, the book didn't feel quite as satisfying as its predecessors due to the lack of "completeness," one might say, at the end. The series calls itself "The Power of Three" and concentrates on the prophecy surrounding three cats, kin of the clan's leader. Alas, while this prophecy becomes very important, the readers never actually get to see what becomes of it. Instead, we're left with a major cliffhanger (which I consider an absolutely dreadful thing to do in the last book of the series), which promises that this and other questions will be answered in the next series. The first book of that one comes out in mid November. Mid November. I can admit expecting my $16.99 to go towards a certain amount of closure, especially considering the three main characters.

Another comment that struck me upon reading the book: there was a major secret revealed in it that was, unfortunately, not much of a secret. Considering that the "secret" was virtually trotted out and decorated with flashing Christmas lights in the sixth book of the second series, spending nearly half the book learning the first half to the secret (which we already knew as intelligent readers) and the second half of the book learning the last half of the secret (again, it was obvious) led to some sadness from me as a reader. I would have rather the authors dealt with the secret knowing that we, the readers, knew what it was. I also cringe at the thought that the other cats didn't realize this secret as quickly as we did, even if one considered the extra knowledge we gained through the play the authors released via their website, which made the secret even more obvious. Still, they dragged out the secret's telling for an abysmally long time, as if thinking their readers truly couldn't guess it (that's how I felt, at least). Now, if they would have pulled a fast one and proven our guesses wrong, then I would have appreciated the time put into drawing it out. But, no, our guesses were right.

It's true that watching the aftermath of the secret's revealing was very interesting, but the point up until that lacked tension, since we already knew what was coming.

Of course, I'll buy cat books whenever they come out. I think the series will have to dive into the toilet for me to consider not buying them, let alone not actually doing it. Cats really are that magnetic.

**MINOR SPOILERS**
This was a nice book, but I cannot honestly say that it quite lived up to my expectations.

I bought it from the bookstore just yesterday, itching to read it as soon as possible. I was hoping to sit down on the couch and escape reality for a while by sinking back into the lives of the forest cats after such a long, expectant wait for this sixth and final book in the Power of Three series.

Well, I can't say that it satisfied my hope. It was of course, a good book; it was worth reading just for the sake of continuing the story line. But there were a number of disappointing factors, which I will explain in the list below.

1. Nothing really happens. The first three-fourths of the book really seemed like a waste of words to me. What with Lionblaze and Hollyleaf on their pointless trek to bring back a cat they don't really care to find, and Jayfeather stuck back at the camp with only his stick for company, the plot line moves at about the pace of a snail.

2. Discovering the true parents. When the plot finally gets moving, it's still not very engaging. The time it takes to discover their identities, and the siblings' shock when they finally discover the truth, is not only hard to believe, but monotonous - the author keeps waving the truth in our faces like a fat, juicy mouse, and our supposedly-intelligent main characters are completely oblivious.

3. Strange behavior. Each of our heroes, especially Hollyleaf, seem to be much more complicated than previously suspected. In a way, this is good, of course. But their current behavior is completely out of line with what we thought we knew of their personalities.

4. Loose ends left dangling. There are still a few mysteries to be cleared up, which of course is nice, as a cliff-hanger - but these seem to be forgotten and left to rot in the trash bin. A couple of them are:
- What about Fallen Leaves? Will he appear in the next book, or are we readers left to wonder and pity the poor cat stuck in the caves for all eternity?
- And Squirrelflight's slip-up? Near the end of Long Shadows, she comes bounding up to the Gathering patrol, soaking wet and covered in mud. Was she really looking for herbs on the ShadowClan border? Is this a clue to unlocking future secrets? Although I don't know how many more secrets ThunderClan can take.

After all the text and work that went into the book, what have we found out? The parents of Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze - which we pretty much already knew. The murderer - which we didn't know, but had speculated on. The new female villain - although she may have died as soon as she was born. We still don't know who the third cat is, although we are given two to choose from. Fourth apprentice? Nope, that remains a mystery. We still don't know what Sol is after, or if he's just a flea-ridden, power-hungry, lazy piece of fox dung.
And the biggest questions of all: Who are the Three? What are their powers? Why do they have their powers? How did they get their powers? Are they ever really going to do anything with their powers?
All of these big gaps are still missing from the puzzle.

So go ahead! Spend your $16.99 to get the book, and read it through. Catch up with the plot and gape at the page every time one of the characters does something irrational. It's worth it. But don't expect too much - don't expect it to be exceptional. I'm giving it four stars because I don't believe it deserves three. Enjoy your book! Hope the next one is better! Happy speculating. :)

It's hard to write a review without spoiling the book. My eight-year-old son and I have been reading the Warriors series together, and we were eager to get to this one because we have become deeply invested in the fates of the three protagonists who had shared their thoughts with us during the previous five books.

I am not upset that there are cliffhangers in this final book of the Power of Three series. What does bother me is that characters who, until now, have been carefully developed and artfully drawn are suddenly behaving in inexplicable manners in order to serve a plot twist that, frankly, fails to satisfy. I'm not talking about the plot twist that everyone saw coming. I'm talking about the one that makes no sense.

It's not rocket science to understand that, when a book or series of books offers a "surprise" ending, the reader ought to be able to go back over the previous material and find considerable support for the proposition that he or she should have - or at least could have - seen this coming. I'm not saying the writer has to drop anvils on the reader's head (although this was done with regard to the parentage of the three protagonists of this series). But the plot twist should have prior textual support and should never ever flatly contradict information that has been presented - repeatedly and by characters who "know" - as fact. That's not misdirection (a fine and well-tried literary technique): that's lying.

The error is further compounded when the so-called surprise violates just about everything the reader knows by virtue of having experienced large parts of the story from the viewpoint of the character at issue. You don't establish a character as a reliable third person narrator and then have her do things that contradict every single thing the reader learned about this character's core beliefs and emotional truths while inside this character's very own head.

You don't spend over a thousand pages establishing a character as fundamentally incapable - both morally and temperamentally - of committing a crime and then make that character the criminal just because no one would see it coming.

You. Just. Don't. If the reason no one sees it coming is that, under the reality you the author have established it would never ever happen, you don't do it. And having the character suddenly start committing crimes at the end of the story just in order to serve your plot twist doesn't make it better. It makes it worse.

My son and I will continue with the next series in the hope that things by the lake are not what they seem to be as of the end of this book. If this "surprising" turn of events happens to be a bit of red herring thrown our way to make the ultimate resolution more interesting, then I will take back much of my criticism.

Having been a fan of the popular Warrior cat books, as the third Warriors series, Power of Three, went on, I found myself growing disappointed. The old fire of the classic Warriors books seemed to have died, engulfed more by the greed to publish a hundred of these books and crank out more words on the brittle page.

But being a hard-core fan, I knew I would buy it anyways, and I read this book with apprehension, because I wanted to love it, and as it turned out, I wasn't disappointed.

We were left as shocked and excited as the Three when we learned Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw are not their true parents, and this book races to tie up old lies, loose strings, and hidden shadows lurking under the inky words. In a struggle against the bitter cold and their own wars in their hearts, the Three begin to unravel a terrible secret never meant to strike surface of the murky pool it was under for so long, while a murderer still meets the ranks of ThunderClan.

I found myself immensely in love with this book. I am not sure which Erin Hunter wrote it (as you may know, there are three co-authors behind the glossy title 'Erin Hunter'), but she did a fine job. It's a powerful, exciting, even ground-breaking read for some Hollyleaf fans, the best of the Power of Three series, I feel. The writer did a noticeable job of making this book memorable, and living up to the secrets she'd so carefully painted in previous books.

So if it's such a great book, why not slap five golden stars on it's furry face?

Well, here's the only regret I have about this book. As exciting as it is, to finally hear the truth, to cheer Jayfeather on as he slowly clips the puzzle pieces into place and realizes the truth, well, it doesn't make an excuse for the dull parts. There are rust signs on some bits of the book, that made me flip a couple pages ahead just to get to more interesting parts. But what can I say? No book can truly be perfect.

So buy it? Yes. Read it? Certainly. But expect what you want to expect, because everyone's go their own opinion about this ground-breaking novel, which I think deserves a memorable spot in the memory of this beloved, throat-grabbing series.

Like many avid "Warriors" fans I rushed out to get "Sunrise" as soon as it was released! On returning home I devoured it like a famished kit after a long leaf-bare of scarce prey. However, as I read I kept craving more depth in the characters, as well as in the secrets that Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze were uncovering. These three kitties put all else aside and became obsessed with trying to uncover a secret, that any reader who paid the least bit of attention to the previous books already knew. I was very disappointed in this tale and deeply saddened by the ending. There were few surprises, whilst the part of the story that did present somewhat of a shock was not well thought out and seemed to be inserted in the storyline just to give it some substance. This it failed to do! Instead the "clincher" leads the main characters into situations where they deviate from their cherished codes of honorable behavior, making the story implausible as well as unsatisfying. Surely the Erins (Erin Hinter is actually a pen name used by three writers) can do better then this!


Unfortunately "Sunrise" was disappointing on all levels. This book is just not up to the standards of its predecessors. It read as if the authors took short cuts, didn't really care about the characters and treated their devoted readers as if we have cobwebs in our brains! With all this said, if you are an avid "Warriors" fan, like I am, you will end up reading "Sunrise." I suggest getting it from the library, and not expecting too much from the plot. The tragic finale leaves the reader unresolved, with too many untidy loose ends and gaping holes in the storyline. But, those of us who love our Warrior kitties are stuck with "Sunrise" for now! I do hope that the authors step up and give the next book a more credible plot, characters that remain true to their natures, and more all around depth. Come on Erin Hunter, give your loyal fans the respect we deserve!

After reading through the original series, the New Prophecy, and finally the Power of Three, this series was my least favorite.
Reasons:(this may contain a few spoilers),
-The main characters Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather didn't seem to have alot of depth to them. Lionblaze wasn't even likable to me. It seemed that they were not that smart which had already started of since the beginning of the series.
-Sol.Why is he so important! Starting since book 4, Sol wasn't much of a problem for me. And then they go on a search after him. In this way, I sort of believe Lionblazes view of Sol. Why did they always want answers from him? I don't know. Like StarClan said,"Everything will come in time".
-HoneyFern. Killed by a snake. Why! I thought that was really unneeded.
-And of course, Hollyleaf becomes a stupid cat. Trying to feed Leafpool deathberries? Not cool.
Although, I'm looking forward to the Omen of the Stars.
That basically wraps it up.

This book is horrible. I am shocked at how badly it was written. It makes you lose respect for classic characters along with new ones. The ending is depressing and the way one of the "main characters" dies is not very appropriate for a kids series (the character basically commits suicide). I dont even have kids and I think this... Hollyleaf acts totally different in this book, and not in a good way. Also, what happens to Leafpool at the end? The whole series is a waste of time as this book does not wrap it up. They just leave you hanging so you can waste more money on the next 6 books. Also, the plot of this series isnt that great and it tends to drag. The original Warriors series (1st 6 books) are the best. The 2nd series is just okay for me. I hope this next series will be better but I think its time for these ladies to wrap it up before the series is ruined. If you want to read this series I recommend doing what I did and rent them at the Library. They are not worth spending 10-16 dollars per book.

I was EXTREMELY disappointed by SUNRISE. I have been a fan of the WARRIORS books for years, with no disappointments until now. I understand why they made the horrible choices in this book as much as I like peanut butter (which I don't). SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Don't read anything between the two lines if you haven't read SUNRISE yet!
_________________________
*They had Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather be the kits of Leafpool and Crowfeather, even though that breaks the warrior code twice at once!
*Hollyleaf just HAD to reveal the truth about her, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather's parentage for all to hear at the Gathering, even though that effectively sacked Leafpool from her post as a medicine cat!
*They killed off Hollyleaf!
*They had new cats such as Antpelt appear out of nowhere, and granted a new name to Willowpaw, making her WillowSHINE, without doing anything to make it so!
___________________________
So, those are the four main reasons I didn't like SUNRISE. A fan should read it if they're obsessed with the WARRIORS books and can't help it, but otherwise, don't go within a 10-mile radius of any copies of SUNRISE.

First off, I love Erin Hunter's work! I love Warriors!
Second, this book...this LAST book, was very disappointing. I was expecting it with a more cheery ending since the last book of the series normally has a good ending. This one, not one bit was all that great.
*SPOILER*
I did get excited about the plot where the young 3 cats wanted were trying to find their real parents. That was the only good part.
Most of the story was pretty slow. There was chit-chatting and not enough great action that most of the other books of Warriors had.
I rated this 2 out of 5 stars. To be honest, I am going to quit reading warriors until they're in paperback. Not worth spending [...] bucks on a hardcover. If this story was REALLY good, I'd buy the next book on the first day in stores.