Post by wheeledwarrior on Nov 6, 2016 17:17:39 GMT -5
So I finally got Hawkwing’s Journey and read it all, so I thought I'd post my thoughts on this story here, and ask what everyone else to read it thought. Keep in mind that I also posted and commented on several spoiler threads before reading.
To start with, the things I liked:
-how Darktail was shown; with his mysterious past, I just wanted to know more about him. And it was clear that the despite all he did, he had some concept of feelings and connections (enough to get the gang of rogues following him, and his devastation upon losing Tree). And it raises some questions too? Where did he learn to fight the point where he could take down two clans, and cause major damage to two more? How did he and the rogues meet? Why does he want to destroy the Clans? I notice he does have what would be considered a Clan name, and mentions the Clan term of deputy, so maybe he's been in a clan before and they mistreated him? I don't know, but his mysterious past and conflicting nature make me want to learn more about him.
-How the journey was portrayed; there was a lot of detail spent on it, and not overwhelmingly so. It was also portrayed as something really dangerous, which it would be for such a weakened group who have only a vague idea of where they're going. Overall, I feel like this is something we should've gotten in and makes up for the fact that there's nothing about Cloudstar’s Journey
-Hawkwing’s growth and development was done very well. He was clearly given enough focus and detail in order to see him mature from someone who's constantly blaming himself for mistakes to someone who can look past them in order to help those still alive. And in the end, he's a confident leader alongside Leafstar, and is able to help point Skyclan in the right direction on his own. At the same time, it was done that an appropriate speed (e.g. it realistically took him a long time to stop grieving over those who lost, and it didn't happen right away). It made him both a believable character, and a likable one.
-Some of the more complex questions of what actually makes up a Clan are answered. I remember some people wondering if Skyclan is truly a Clan, or what it means even be a Clan. But some of those answers are in the book. For example, it's mentioned that the Clan cats look out for each other, which makes them different from rogues. They also help out friends and allies, which Skyclan does several times. So I think that no matter how small Skyclan is or how weak they are, they are still a Clan due to companionship. And some of the more complex aspects of life outside a clan are explored too. For example, Macgyer tells Curlypaw that being a kittypet is not as easy as it seems, because there is no freedom. It's really a different way to look at it, because the life really isn't as "soft" as much as it is restrictive.
Some of things I didn't like
Some of the deaths or disappearances made no sense… Biggest offender here would probably be Ebonyclaw… I mean, she's mentored someone, and outright says that she would have fought in the battle had she been able to… Yet she chooses to stay with her housefolk? It doesn't make any sense… And then there's some cats that are not mentioned that should be… The Skyclan cats talk about having no medicine cats, but where is Frecklewish? Even if she was still a daylight warrior, the other ones are mentioned, so where is she? Rileypool is another bad one… He goes through all this trouble in Ravenpaw’s Farewell, only to die shortly after… I feel like why even introduce him if that was the case… And Echosong’s death either should not have happened toward should've been onscreen… For such an important character just to die offscreen just seems wrong…
Why did the cats make such dumb decisions?
So this one really had me confused and made me wonder if them being driven out was truly for plot convenience… Why would Leafstar suddenly just an outsider after one fight, especially when most of her Clan doubted him after leading the clans of the wrong direction twice (and getting warriors killed even before the attack). That just seems incredibly stupid… And why not trust Echosong all of a sudden? She is a respected medicine cat, and seemed to know what they needed to do, so why stop trusting her…
The journey was so sad, almost too much…
So I get that the journey was meant to be sad, and a miss, and invoke feelings of hopelessness, but it almost did its job too well… It was so sad that it was difficult to keep going. Because there was really no hope for a lot of the time… I mean, there was Sandynose and Fallowfern coming back, as well as Hawkwing finding where they needed to go… And there's the implication that some of the cats they left behind will return... But that doesn't seem to be enough to offset all the sadness that happens in the book …
On another note, has anyone read or was reminded of Watership Down? I noticed that two books share a lot of the same themes, such as animals being driven from their home (both by humans, although in HJ that is not the main reason), idea of a journey being the main focus, someone having spiritual power and not being trusted, a small group of people leaving and having trouble figuring out where they're going, people coming back in the end that were presumed dead (Holly and Bluebell vs. Sandynose and Fallowfern), domesticated animals becoming wild and vice versa (thinking of the warriors turned kittypets versus the hutch rabbits), a place that appears safe but has danger everywhere (thinking mainly of the fake lake versus the warden of the snares), and a lot combat and death before the journey is over. I'm wondering if the Erins heard of it before this, or at least inspired by it when they wrote this book…
To start with, the things I liked:
-how Darktail was shown; with his mysterious past, I just wanted to know more about him. And it was clear that the despite all he did, he had some concept of feelings and connections (enough to get the gang of rogues following him, and his devastation upon losing Tree). And it raises some questions too? Where did he learn to fight the point where he could take down two clans, and cause major damage to two more? How did he and the rogues meet? Why does he want to destroy the Clans? I notice he does have what would be considered a Clan name, and mentions the Clan term of deputy, so maybe he's been in a clan before and they mistreated him? I don't know, but his mysterious past and conflicting nature make me want to learn more about him.
-How the journey was portrayed; there was a lot of detail spent on it, and not overwhelmingly so. It was also portrayed as something really dangerous, which it would be for such a weakened group who have only a vague idea of where they're going. Overall, I feel like this is something we should've gotten in and makes up for the fact that there's nothing about Cloudstar’s Journey
-Hawkwing’s growth and development was done very well. He was clearly given enough focus and detail in order to see him mature from someone who's constantly blaming himself for mistakes to someone who can look past them in order to help those still alive. And in the end, he's a confident leader alongside Leafstar, and is able to help point Skyclan in the right direction on his own. At the same time, it was done that an appropriate speed (e.g. it realistically took him a long time to stop grieving over those who lost, and it didn't happen right away). It made him both a believable character, and a likable one.
-Some of the more complex questions of what actually makes up a Clan are answered. I remember some people wondering if Skyclan is truly a Clan, or what it means even be a Clan. But some of those answers are in the book. For example, it's mentioned that the Clan cats look out for each other, which makes them different from rogues. They also help out friends and allies, which Skyclan does several times. So I think that no matter how small Skyclan is or how weak they are, they are still a Clan due to companionship. And some of the more complex aspects of life outside a clan are explored too. For example, Macgyer tells Curlypaw that being a kittypet is not as easy as it seems, because there is no freedom. It's really a different way to look at it, because the life really isn't as "soft" as much as it is restrictive.
Some of things I didn't like
Some of the deaths or disappearances made no sense… Biggest offender here would probably be Ebonyclaw… I mean, she's mentored someone, and outright says that she would have fought in the battle had she been able to… Yet she chooses to stay with her housefolk? It doesn't make any sense… And then there's some cats that are not mentioned that should be… The Skyclan cats talk about having no medicine cats, but where is Frecklewish? Even if she was still a daylight warrior, the other ones are mentioned, so where is she? Rileypool is another bad one… He goes through all this trouble in Ravenpaw’s Farewell, only to die shortly after… I feel like why even introduce him if that was the case… And Echosong’s death either should not have happened toward should've been onscreen… For such an important character just to die offscreen just seems wrong…
Why did the cats make such dumb decisions?
So this one really had me confused and made me wonder if them being driven out was truly for plot convenience… Why would Leafstar suddenly just an outsider after one fight, especially when most of her Clan doubted him after leading the clans of the wrong direction twice (and getting warriors killed even before the attack). That just seems incredibly stupid… And why not trust Echosong all of a sudden? She is a respected medicine cat, and seemed to know what they needed to do, so why stop trusting her…
The journey was so sad, almost too much…
So I get that the journey was meant to be sad, and a miss, and invoke feelings of hopelessness, but it almost did its job too well… It was so sad that it was difficult to keep going. Because there was really no hope for a lot of the time… I mean, there was Sandynose and Fallowfern coming back, as well as Hawkwing finding where they needed to go… And there's the implication that some of the cats they left behind will return... But that doesn't seem to be enough to offset all the sadness that happens in the book …
On another note, has anyone read or was reminded of Watership Down? I noticed that two books share a lot of the same themes, such as animals being driven from their home (both by humans, although in HJ that is not the main reason), idea of a journey being the main focus, someone having spiritual power and not being trusted, a small group of people leaving and having trouble figuring out where they're going, people coming back in the end that were presumed dead (Holly and Bluebell vs. Sandynose and Fallowfern), domesticated animals becoming wild and vice versa (thinking of the warriors turned kittypets versus the hutch rabbits), a place that appears safe but has danger everywhere (thinking mainly of the fake lake versus the warden of the snares), and a lot combat and death before the journey is over. I'm wondering if the Erins heard of it before this, or at least inspired by it when they wrote this book…
