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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 18:20:09 GMT -5
It was really boring, but it's not my least favorite, and I did enjoy reading Blackstar's POV. I don't really feel like typing up a long post because it's almost 100 degrees and my A/C is broken, but if anyone has any questions, I'll answer them.
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Post by rabbit on Aug 12, 2021 18:32:27 GMT -5
I kind of hope they revisit Blackstar's character. The novella showed Blackstar's life before he became leader, but not after, which is what I wanted to see from his pov. What were you hoping for it to be about?
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 18:38:07 GMT -5
I kind of hope they revisit Blackstar's character. The novella showed Blackstar's life before he became leader, but not after, which is what I wanted to see from his pov. What were you hoping for it to be about? I was hoping it would show him before all the Brokenstar/Tigerclaw stuff, which they did in some parts. I did like the set up for it, like how before getting each life, he was thrown into a flashback. I think the reason why I found it boring, is because it was a lot of inner thoughts, and my interests just lie elsewhere when I read. I was also hoping to find out more parentages, which we did, as disappointing as they were.
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Post by rabbit on Aug 12, 2021 19:00:15 GMT -5
I remember almost nothing about ShadowClan pre-Brokenstar. Yellowfang's Secret literally went out of one ear for me (maybe because my subconscious decided to reject it from my mind?). I was kind of hoping for a Blackstar pov to shed more light on Blackstar's relationship with Sol.
It was definitely more slower paced than most novellas.
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Post by rabbit on Aug 12, 2021 19:02:57 GMT -5
It also really reminded me of how gullible Blackstar is. Easy to forget when he is so suspicious of Firestar, given ThunderClan is practically the main character in this series.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 19:03:54 GMT -5
I remember almost nothing about ShadowClan pre-Brokenstar. Yellowfang's Secret literally went out of one ear for me (maybe because my subconscious decided to reject it from my mind?). I was kind of hoping for a Blackstar pov to shed more light on Blackstar's relationship with Sol. It was definitely more slower paced than most novellas. Ooh, that would have been great! Man, Brokenstar is soo easily duped, all heart and no brains that guy. Or maybe all brains and no foresight? Either way, haven't seen such a follower since Darkstripe, though other than the Sol thing, he did a good job of leading ShadowClan. Oh! That's understandable, I loved Yellowfang's Secret (it's one of my favorite SEs) and Tigerclaw's Fury (it's my favorite novella) so I was looking for more content like that, but it was quite different.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 19:04:33 GMT -5
It also really reminded me of how gullible Blackstar is. Easy to forget when he is so suspicious of Firestar, given ThunderClan is practically the main character in this series. You're right! I think Blackstar must be one of the most gullible cats in the series.
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Post by Hollyfall on Aug 12, 2021 19:14:13 GMT -5
I actually quite liked the book, but it definitely was a bit slower paced in comparison to others. I did like how it directly addresses Blackfoot's crimes and gives us some insight into his character. I actually got really sad when Badgerfang is giving him a life, and it's obvious that Blackfoot loved him and feels guilty for agreeing with apprenticing kits.
What did you think about Stonefur and Rosetail giving him a life, even though it looks like they were effectively being forced to? Did it make you change your opinion on Blackstar at all?
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 19:27:14 GMT -5
I actually quite liked the book, but it definitely was a bit slower paced in comparison to others. I did like how it directly addresses Blackfoot's crimes and gives us some insight into his character. I actually got really sad when Badgerfang is giving him a life, and it's obvious that Blackfoot loved him and feels guilty for agreeing with apprenticing kits. What did you think about Stonefur and Rosetail giving him a life, even though it looks like they were effectively being forced to? Did it make you change your opinion on Blackstar at all? I agree, I do like the book, I just found it kind of boring to read, though the scenes where Blackstar feels grief and regret are great, and I like how he felt sympathy for cats like Brokenkit because he was always alone, and he showed concern for his clanmates. It seems to me like he does have a heart, though it seemed like he shut off his feelings when it came to listening to his leaders, or maybe his feelings were the thing driving his choices, I'm not sure. I still don't think he was right in what he did though, but I can understand why he did it, if he was leader though, or if he was following the orders of someone who wasn't his leader, it would be completely different though, but still not morally right. I don't like how they were forced to give him a life, but I did like seeing Blackstar's regret over what he did to them. After reading Blackfoot's Reckoning, my opinion did change on him a little bit, I used to dislike him, now I'm neutral-like. He's not in my top 15 list or anything, but I found him to be actually kind of relatable in some scenes.
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Post by roseberry on Aug 12, 2021 21:40:48 GMT -5
I'm gonna be honest, I liked Blackfoot's Reckoning. Mostly because I never really cared about Blackstar too much. To me, he was just there to be there. I found the story interesting, since I found out things I never would have expected. Not my favorite, but pretty good.
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Post by Skypaw13 on Aug 12, 2021 22:47:47 GMT -5
I just read it recently. It's a weird book because it's a near-perfect idea. Like, I'm sure the outline for it was god-tier. But the line-level writing is so bad that it kind of ruins the whole thing. That's not a criticism I usually have with Warriors: usually it's the opposite where the line-level writing is really good but the structure is off or the plot relies on stupidity. Here, the structure is great, the character arc is great, the timing of events is great, but the actual literal words are just... weak.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 22:53:42 GMT -5
I just read it recently. It's a weird book because it's a near-perfect idea. Like, I'm sure the outline for it was god-tier. But the line-level writing is so bad that it kind of ruins the whole thing. That's not a criticism I usually have with Warriors: usually it's the opposite where the line-level writing is really good but the structure is off or the plot relies on stupidity. Here, the structure is great, the character arc is great, the timing of events is great, but the actual literal words are just... weak. I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but it's good to see you again! I feel that it's been a few days since you were last active, I hope all is well. Okay, so not to derail this thread....what part of the idea of it did you like?
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Post by Skypaw13 on Aug 12, 2021 23:19:46 GMT -5
I just read it recently. It's a weird book because it's a near-perfect idea. Like, I'm sure the outline for it was god-tier. But the line-level writing is so bad that it kind of ruins the whole thing. That's not a criticism I usually have with Warriors: usually it's the opposite where the line-level writing is really good but the structure is off or the plot relies on stupidity. Here, the structure is great, the character arc is great, the timing of events is great, but the actual literal words are just... weak. I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but it's good to see you again! I feel that it's been a few days since you were last active, I hope all is well. Okay, so not to derail this thread....what part of the idea of it did you like? I've been dealing with some health issues, both physical and mental, so I've been mostly unconscious over the past few weeks. Still lurking, but I can't really dredge up the energy to post that often (which is why my big TNP thread has been defunct for a few weeks-- I'm trying to get back into it, but it's been a trip). Thanks for noticing though, that's really sweet of you! I absolutely love character-driven stories, and Blackfoot's Reckoning is a pure character-driven story. A lot of people don't like that for valid reasons. Any story that's on an extreme end of the character vs. plot driven spectrum is going to turn people away, and that's okay. But not me, lol. The book absolutely nails internal conflict and theme. Blackfoot's motivations are clear, his internal struggle is well-defined, and the lesson he learns is powerful and affects him realistically. The structure of the book is really cool too. I really like stories where you're given numbers to follow as the story progresses (kind of hard to explain, can go into it more if you want me to). I could really feel the natural tension of the third act, even though all of these scenes are taking place at different times, and technically the story is told over the course of a single night. The flashbacks were sewn together well and came in a good order. I just overall really liked the idea of this book. The idea being a character-driven reflection on the morally-grey main character's life, told in a series of flashbacks where one life in the 9-lives ceremony comes with one memory. That's a super cool idea. And it's developed well too, at least in the prewriting phase. It's just that the actual writing isn't very good. There's a lot of telling instead of showing, and the lack of descriptions made the chapters feel rushed. It can also get pretty preachy and on-the-nose on occasion, which is never fun.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 23:25:34 GMT -5
I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but it's good to see you again! I feel that it's been a few days since you were last active, I hope all is well. Okay, so not to derail this thread....what part of the idea of it did you like? I've been dealing with some health issues, both physical and mental, so I've been mostly unconscious over the past few weeks. Still lurking, but I can't really dredge up the energy to post that often (which is why my big TNP thread has been defunct for a few weeks-- I'm trying to get back into it, but it's been a trip). Thanks for noticing though, that's really sweet of you! I absolutely love character-driven stories, and Blackfoot's Reckoning is a pure character-driven story. A lot of people don't like that for valid reasons. Any story that's on an extreme end of the character vs. plot driven spectrum is going to turn people away, and that's okay. But not me, lol. The book absolutely nails internal conflict and theme. Blackfoot's motivations are clear, his internal struggle is well-defined, and the lesson he learns is powerful and affects him realistically. The structure of the book is really cool too. I really like stories where you're given numbers to follow as the story progresses (kind of hard to explain, can go into it more if you want me to). I could really feel the natural tension of the third act, even though all of these scenes are taking place at different times, and technically the story is told over the course of a single night. The flashbacks were sewn together well and came in a good order. I just overall really liked the idea of this book. The idea being a character-driven reflection on the morally-grey main character's life, told in a series of flashbacks where one life in the 9-lives ceremony comes with one memory. That's a super cool idea. And it's developed well too, at least in the prewriting phase. It's just that the actual writing isn't very good. There's a lot of telling instead of showing, and the lack of descriptions made the chapters feel rushed. It can also get pretty preachy and on-the-nose on occasion, which is never fun. That's terrible, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope things get better for you soon! Whenever you feel up to it, you can vent to me if you want if it calls for it, but if you don't, I completely understand. You're welcome! I just hope that you'll be okay. Ohh I see, I really love character driven stories too, but I think what I like most above all is character interactions in stories, which BR didn't have a lot of, I mean there were some, but a lot of it was inner thoughts, which is probably why I found it boring, but I still enjoyed it. I know that probably doesn't make any sense, that I enjoyed something that bored me, but I did. The idea is really cool and it's unique, but you listed a lot of great points, some that I didn't even notice like being preachy and on the nose.
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Post by Skypaw13 on Aug 12, 2021 23:40:07 GMT -5
I've been dealing with some health issues, both physical and mental, so I've been mostly unconscious over the past few weeks. Still lurking, but I can't really dredge up the energy to post that often (which is why my big TNP thread has been defunct for a few weeks-- I'm trying to get back into it, but it's been a trip). Thanks for noticing though, that's really sweet of you! I absolutely love character-driven stories, and Blackfoot's Reckoning is a pure character-driven story. A lot of people don't like that for valid reasons. Any story that's on an extreme end of the character vs. plot driven spectrum is going to turn people away, and that's okay. But not me, lol. The book absolutely nails internal conflict and theme. Blackfoot's motivations are clear, his internal struggle is well-defined, and the lesson he learns is powerful and affects him realistically. The structure of the book is really cool too. I really like stories where you're given numbers to follow as the story progresses (kind of hard to explain, can go into it more if you want me to). I could really feel the natural tension of the third act, even though all of these scenes are taking place at different times, and technically the story is told over the course of a single night. The flashbacks were sewn together well and came in a good order. I just overall really liked the idea of this book. The idea being a character-driven reflection on the morally-grey main character's life, told in a series of flashbacks where one life in the 9-lives ceremony comes with one memory. That's a super cool idea. And it's developed well too, at least in the prewriting phase. It's just that the actual writing isn't very good. There's a lot of telling instead of showing, and the lack of descriptions made the chapters feel rushed. It can also get pretty preachy and on-the-nose on occasion, which is never fun. That's terrible, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope things get better for you soon! Whenever you feel up to it, you can vent to me if you want if it calls for it, but if you don't, I completely understand. You're welcome! I just hope that you'll be okay. Ohh I see, I really love character driven stories too, but I think what I like most above all is character interactions in stories, which BR didn't have a lot of, I mean there were some, but a lot of it was inner thoughts, which is probably why I found it boring, but I still enjoyed it. I know that probably doesn't make any sense, that I enjoyed something that bored me, but I did. The idea is really cool and it's unique, but you listed a lot of great points, some that I didn't even notice like being preachy and on the nose. There were some really good character interactions. I did feel that some of them were ruined by bad writing-- like the scene where Blackfoot comes back to hunt for ShadowClan after being a rogue for awhile. That scene is filled with really sweet conversations, but the writing is cringe-inducing with how much it's cramming "Look, Blackfoot's a good warrior at heart!!!" down your throat. This book could have been one of the best in the series if the writer just trusted the reader to understand implications rather than spelling them out.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 12, 2021 23:49:44 GMT -5
That's terrible, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope things get better for you soon! Whenever you feel up to it, you can vent to me if you want if it calls for it, but if you don't, I completely understand. You're welcome! I just hope that you'll be okay. Ohh I see, I really love character driven stories too, but I think what I like most above all is character interactions in stories, which BR didn't have a lot of, I mean there were some, but a lot of it was inner thoughts, which is probably why I found it boring, but I still enjoyed it. I know that probably doesn't make any sense, that I enjoyed something that bored me, but I did. The idea is really cool and it's unique, but you listed a lot of great points, some that I didn't even notice like being preachy and on the nose. There were some really good character interactions. I did feel that some of them were ruined by bad writing-- like the scene where Blackfoot comes back to hunt for ShadowClan after being a rogue for awhile. That scene is filled with really sweet conversations, but the writing is cringe-inducing with how much it's cramming "Look, Blackfoot's a good warrior at heart!!!" down your throat. This book could have been one of the best in the series if the writer just trusted the reader to understand implications rather than spelling them out. Oh, that is true! I feel so dumb reading books sometimes because there are a lot of things I don't even pick up on, but in my defense at least with this book, it's been super hot so concentration was not key here. However, that doesn't explain my other mishaps with this series XD.
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Post by Skypaw13 on Aug 12, 2021 23:58:49 GMT -5
There were some really good character interactions. I did feel that some of them were ruined by bad writing-- like the scene where Blackfoot comes back to hunt for ShadowClan after being a rogue for awhile. That scene is filled with really sweet conversations, but the writing is cringe-inducing with how much it's cramming "Look, Blackfoot's a good warrior at heart!!!" down your throat. This book could have been one of the best in the series if the writer just trusted the reader to understand implications rather than spelling them out. Oh, that is true! I feel so dumb reading books sometimes because there are a lot of things I don't even pick up on, but in my defense at least with this book, it's been super hot so concentration was not key here. However, that doesn't explain my other mishaps with this series XD. We're under some kind of excessive heat warning (again), so I feel you. There's also an apocalyptic haze covering the sky like there is every year at this time (due to smoke). Between this and my health issues, I may have read an entirely different book than everyone else, lol.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 13, 2021 0:09:20 GMT -5
Oh, that is true! I feel so dumb reading books sometimes because there are a lot of things I don't even pick up on, but in my defense at least with this book, it's been super hot so concentration was not key here. However, that doesn't explain my other mishaps with this series XD. We're under some kind of excessive heat warning (again), so I feel you. There's also an apocalyptic haze covering the sky like there is every year at this time (due to smoke). Between this and my health issues, I may have read an entirely different book than everyone else, lol. Jeez, that sounds terrible, I hope things get better out there. Funny you mention apocalyptic haze, I was just discussing with a friend the other day about some things were kind of reminding me of the four horsemen and stuff and how the apocalypse might be upon us. If it isn't than cool, but if it is then that's not my problem anymore (or anyone else's for that matter). Oh, did you read it while you were sick?
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Post by Skypaw13 on Aug 13, 2021 0:11:51 GMT -5
We're under some kind of excessive heat warning (again), so I feel you. There's also an apocalyptic haze covering the sky like there is every year at this time (due to smoke). Between this and my health issues, I may have read an entirely different book than everyone else, lol. Jeez, that sounds terrible, I hope things get better out there. Funny you mention apocalyptic haze, I was just discussing with a friend the other day about some things were kind of reminding me of the four horsemen and stuff and how the apocalypse might be upon us. If it isn't than cool, but if it is then that's not my problem anymore (or anyone else's for that matter). Oh, did you read it while you were sick? I read it today after you posted this thread, lol. So yes.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 13, 2021 0:15:49 GMT -5
Jeez, that sounds terrible, I hope things get better out there. Funny you mention apocalyptic haze, I was just discussing with a friend the other day about some things were kind of reminding me of the four horsemen and stuff and how the apocalypse might be upon us. If it isn't than cool, but if it is then that's not my problem anymore (or anyone else's for that matter). Oh, did you read it while you were sick? I read it today after you posted this thread, lol. So yes. Oh! Well, I hope this thread didn't spoil anything for you, or did you just see the title and then read it? Or did you already read the spoilers? Do you plan on re-reading it once you feel better? I'm really sorry if I sound like such a nosy person, and for asking so many questions when you're not feeling well.
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Post by Skypaw13 on Aug 13, 2021 3:15:10 GMT -5
I read it today after you posted this thread, lol. So yes. Oh! Well, I hope this thread didn't spoil anything for you, or did you just see the title and then read it? Or did you already read the spoilers? Do you plan on re-reading it once you feel better? I'm really sorry if I sound like such a nosy person, and for asking so many questions when you're not feeling well. I read the spoiler thread back when it came out, so this thread wasn't very spoilery. There's also not much to spoil in a character-driven work, lol. I'll probably reread it eventually, but not super soon. And I don't mind your questions at all! I just may take a bit of time to respond sometimes.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 13, 2021 4:32:37 GMT -5
Oh! Well, I hope this thread didn't spoil anything for you, or did you just see the title and then read it? Or did you already read the spoilers? Do you plan on re-reading it once you feel better? I'm really sorry if I sound like such a nosy person, and for asking so many questions when you're not feeling well. I read the spoiler thread back when it came out, so this thread wasn't very spoilery. There's also not much to spoil in a character-driven work, lol. I'll probably reread it eventually, but not super soon. And I don't mind your questions at all! I just may take a bit of time to respond sometimes. That is true lol. That is completely understandable! Take all the time you need, but if you really want to reply, it better not be a day after a month from this date or else the dreaded...necropost XD
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Post by crowspirit on Aug 13, 2021 6:14:10 GMT -5
I liked the book, because it was really unique with all those flashbacks Blackstar received.
He was confronted with the bad things he did and could decide if he wanted to redeem himself or not.
Blackstar has always been a favourite of mine and I'm glad that they did him justice – neither demonizing, nor justifying him.
He's probably the best morally grey character in the series – alongside Skystar.
And I'm also really glad they remembered Rosetail.
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Post by Rainsplash on Aug 13, 2021 7:14:24 GMT -5
I thought it was good. Slow-paced, but I liked it since it seemed rather peaceful. There aren't annoying misunderstandings, big trouble, or whatever. Just... Blackfoot thinking. Feeling sorry for everything. Now that I think of it, Stonefur and Rosetail being forced to give lives doesn't sound that great, but I'm fine with it since it gave Blackfoot a chance to think back on the things he did terribly wrong.
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Post by *Ottersplash* on Aug 13, 2021 15:06:11 GMT -5
Honestly? Blackstar deserved a whole Super Edition. He's never been a big focus in the books really, and deserved one more than Leopardstar
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Post by Chicken on Aug 13, 2021 15:31:01 GMT -5
Honestly? Blackstar deserved a whole Super Edition. He's never been a big focus in the books really, and deserved one more than Leopardstar Agreed, though I don't mind that Leopardstar is getting an SE, at first I was a little disappointed that it wasn't Reedwhisker, and that Onestar lost the poll, however, I would prefer that if a former POV character gets a book, then it should be a novella, and the SEs should go to cats who don't already have tons of content in the main series.
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Asexual
#07B04C
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Name Colour
Ṣanɗypaw™
The Shiny User
🎵Guess that's just the way it goes, easy come, easy go🎵
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Post by Ṣanɗypaw™ on Aug 13, 2021 17:12:13 GMT -5
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Chicken! What was your favorite moment in the book?
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Post by Chicken on Aug 13, 2021 19:03:28 GMT -5
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Chicken! What was your favorite moment in the book? Thanks! I really liked the moment where Russetfur was sick and Blackfootstar laid by her and licked her side fur or something? I thought it was sweet, and it showed like a tender/compassionate side of him. What was your favorite moment?
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Post by Rainstorm1026 on Aug 13, 2021 20:24:57 GMT -5
It was really boring, but it's not my least favorite, and I did enjoy reading Blackstar's POV. I don't really feel like typing up a long post because it's almost 100 degrees and my A/C is broken, but if anyone has any questions, I'll answer them. I feel stupid for asking is, but what about it did it lack? Just curious.
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Post by Chicken on Aug 13, 2021 20:29:21 GMT -5
It was really boring, but it's not my least favorite, and I did enjoy reading Blackstar's POV. I don't really feel like typing up a long post because it's almost 100 degrees and my A/C is broken, but if anyone has any questions, I'll answer them. I feel stupid for asking is, but what about it did it lack? Just curious. What do you mean? Like did I feel that there was stuff missing from it? Or why I found it boring?
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