Star excerpt is out!

My goodness, the prologue is awesome. I guess we have confirmation of Dark Forest warriors keeping their fatal wounds. Curlfeather's contempt is just delicious. "You tried to kill my kit" while gloating about how she had "real control" over her is exactly everything I love about Curl as a character. She's fascinating!

Read the whole excerpt... And I fully admit I was about to fall for Berryheart's trap there. I was like "Oh god, they're redeeming her? And they disposed Splashtail from leadership offscreen??? Lame!! I'm not sure if this book will stick the landing in that case!" and then the ending suckerpunched me lol. Classic Berryheart trick.

Really happy with Frostpaw so far! Her being adamant over everyone being distracted by Whistlepaw's quest was pretty funny, and I like how she helped out Whorlpelt there.

I don’t care about the book’s contents, I’m just still annoyed none of those kits are apprentices. ShadowClan, WindClan, and SkyClan’s kits should all be apprentices by now.

While it's probably just the lore changing for the millionth time as usual, I'm not entirely convinced Splashtail is actually speaking to the real spirit of Curlfeather in the prologue - her grotesque wounds (which afaik aren't a previously established feature of Dark Forest residents?) and the fact he keeps having these reoccurring nightmares of her belittling him where he can't even move his body almost has me convinced that this 'Curlfeather' is just a manifestation of his guilty conscience and paranoid insecurities. Similar to the dreams in Ivypool's Heart.

Please... anything at all to actually add some depth to Splashtail's character.

Unpopular opinion but I’m really liking Splashtail as a villain and what happens when you give power to the wrong cat; Icewing mentioned in IH that they were so desperate for a leader that they didn’t realize they gave it to an evil cat. His rise to power feels believable considering all RiverClan’s been through and I’m enjoying his character quite a lot. I so wish we got more of Curlfeather as an active villain, I’m liking that she seems to be a hallucination manifesting for Splashtail or genuinely just haunting him from beyond the grave.

My one confusion is that RiverClan doesn’t seem to care that he killed Harelight? He was a respected warrior and everyone seemed pretty shocked at his murder. Maybe the book will go into it later.

Sunbeam and Nightheart were okay in this chapter. I love how resolute and adamant Frostpaw is being and I sincerely hope she gets some closure and some therapy considering all that the poor girl has been through. I like Tigerstar seemingly being a decent leader so far as well. Honestly though, I wouldn’t be surprised if Frostpaw joins ShadowClan considering they’re treating her much nicer than her former Clanmates are besides Icewing, Duskfur, and Mothwing.

Book is looking to be moving fast and I’m hoping they can stick the landing. 

I am very very sure that this Curlfeather is either a manifestation of Splashtail’s own paranoia, or if it is really her she appeared that way just to traumatise him, I do not think that is her permanent state of being if it is her real spirit

Medicine Cat apprentice anymore? She became a warrior apprentice in Shadow.