That's an improvement right?

But it's not exactly a great reading experience either, as we bounce back and forth between

two different romance plots: one filled with cruelty and frustration and the other filled

with melodrama and shallow, rushed relations.

Meanwhile the actual plot moves on at a snail's pace, with the majority of chapters in this

book doing nothing for either the plot of this book, or the plot of the latter half

of the arc.

Oh well...let's do this.

Twilight was released on August 22nd of 2006, about three and a half months after Starlight.

Once again this is a book written by Cherith Baldry, which is just about the only new thing

I can say following Starlight.

However, there is something I need to say about Victoria Holmes, who was, as always,

making the outline and deciding the plot beats for the book that Cherith was to flesh out.

Minor spoiler warning for what I will be telling you in just a couple minutes anyway, but this

is the book where Cinderpelt dies.

No, it's more than that.

This is the book where Cinderpelt is told from the beginning that she will die, and

then keeps this a secret for the remainder of the book until she dies, even while Leafpool

decides to run away with Crowfeather and leave Thunderclan without a medicine cat to replace

her.

This is probably the single most powerful element of the book, and whether or not it

works or makes sense on a technical level, there is an emotional resonance that I wouldn't

feel right skipping over.

Without getting into too many details, around the writing of this book, Vicky herself was

diagnosed with a terminal illness, and her experiences with that fueled the writing she

did for Cinderpelt, embedding in it deep levels of grief, resignation, and grace.

It only feels right to acknowledge and respect the meta explanation here.

I wish Victoria Holmes all the best, and I am so glad that she's had more time than

Cinderpelt ultimately got.

And now, I will jump straight into the changes and statistics, so we may quickly move into

discussion of the story.

In something that may or may not be a mistake, Graystripe is still listed as deputy, despite

not being here.

And in something that definitely is a mistake, Leafpool is still listed as Leafpaw under

Cinderpelt, and also as Leafpool in the apprentice category, somewhere she should no longer be

at all.

Mousefur has joined the elders' den but Squirrelflight and Spiderleg were promoted,

so Thunderclan now has 13 warriors, and Whitepaw is the only remaining apprentice.

Ferncloud remains the only queen and Goldenflower and Longtail have been joined by Mousefur

in the elders' den.

The top 10 characters this time have 76% of the lines, tying Midnight for the highest

percentage in this arc, and the 41% of she-cat characters have 62% of the lines, mostly due

to Leafpool and Squirrelflight being the two point-of-view characters for this book.

With that quickly out of the way, let's get into the plot...or, what plot there is.

The prologue gives us a scene in Starclan 

where Bluestar, Tallstar,  Nightstar, and Crookedstar

are consoling some cat over the news that their death is approaching, and there is nothing

Starclan do to stop it, or even know exactly when it will come.

The cat tells them that they have had a good and fulfilling life, even if it was too short,

and they are ready to face what is coming.

The Starclan cats promise that they will always be with the mystery cat, and with a solemn

heart, they awake beside the Moonpool.

We then cut to Squirrelflight and Leafpool discussing Hawkfrost unfavorably, though Leafpool

points out they don't have proof of his wrongdoing.

Squirrelflight backs off, but turns instead 

to complaining about  Brambleclaw taking Hawkfrost's

side on everything.

Ashfur cuts in to call Squirrelflight over, 

in the beginning of one of  the central relationships

to this book.

Brambleclaw steps up to lead a patrol to return those two nameless dead Shadowclan warriors

in place of Firestar, and then decides to lead the clan's battle training.

While Squirrelflight comments on how bossy he is, Ashfur defends him as a good warrior

who could be made deputy.

Ashfur is in favor of Brambleclaw.

Remember this.

Brambleclaw blows up at Squirrelflight for not trusting Hawkfrost for a reason she did

not bring up, and Ashfur steps in to say he isn't being fair, which he isn't.

Squirrelflight is worried that she and Brambleclaw will never be friends again, with him acting

like this.

Brambleclaw being self-righteous, pushy, and volatile and Squirrelflight being mad at this,

with Ashfur at her side is a continuing theme through the remainder of the book, along with

Windclan being generally upset by Thunderclan's prying, and the note that a badger family

seems to be making its home nearby.

But the BrambleSquirrelAsh team drive out the badgers, so I guess we'll never see

them again.

Leafpool meanwhile is spacing out and doing poorly in her duties since her thoughts are

consumed with Crowfeather, and fumbling her words as she learns Sorreltail is going to

have kits, with Brackenfur.

After more BrambleSquirrelAsh feuding, they get into a fox fight and promptly decide this

is a great time to march over to Windclan with their injuries to speak with Onestar.

The new Windclan leader is acting rather cold and distant, and gets upset with Firestar

for watching over him like a kit.

He declares that Windclan owes nothing to anyone and that they are just as strong as

the other clans before sending the Thunderclan cats, along with his old friend, out of his

territory.

Crowfeather and Leafpool each tried to get Squirrelflight to talk to the other about

them, but Squirrelflight remains oblivious to their connection.

At the gathering, the clans venture across the new tree bridge and onto the island for

the first time.

Every cat spends some time exploring the area first and Hawkfrost pulls Brambleclaw aside

to talk, while Mothwing and Leafpool chat 

happily with their tails  entwined and Squirrelflight

and Ashfur inspect the shoreline.

The clans definitively sort out their borders, and decide on a new rule that cats will be

able to walk across other territories within two fox-lengths of the lakeshore to get to

gatherings, the Moonpool, or simple visits when necessary.

Feathertail gives Leafpool a message for Mothwing, who Starclan cannot reach, and tells her she

is happy about her and Crowfeather's budding relationship.

Mothwing believes in Leafpool even if she doesn't believe in Starclan, and accepts

the warning.

Then there's...more, BrambleSquirrelAsh feuding, and Birchpaw is made Ashfur's apprentice.

The medicine cats, save for Mothwing and for some reason Leafpool, receive a vague set

of warning images from Starclan, and Leafpool and Crowfeather decide to meet up in secret

at some point.

Also, Daisy arrives!

She is asking to join Thunderclan with her kits, Berry, Mouse, and Hazel, since Floss's

kits were taken by the twolegs, and it seems like Thunderclan is a safe place.

But the decision about her has to wait, because a terrible and unexplained sickness is spreading

through Riverclan.

Leafpool goes to help Mothwing, calms her down, and is greeted by Reedwhisker, who has

to introduce himself since even the characters in the story can't remember who this guy is.

Also, it seems like Hawkfrost is still undermining and insulting Mistyfoot. Great.

Willowkit leads them to Beechpaw, and, when they find out something is stuck in his throat,

manages to skillfully remove the blockage with ease.

Seems like she wants to be a medicine cat, and she's pretty good at the job.

Unfortunately, her work with Riverclan made Leafpool miss a meeting she had planned with

Crowfeather.

Meanwhile, Shadowclan is having trouble with 

those two mean kittypets,  so a patrol of Thunderclan

and Shadowclan cats fight them off and that's done.

A couple of side plots happen, one with Cloudtail spending a lot of time with Daisy and Brightheart

being jealous and the other with Brightheart spending a lot of time with Cinderpelt doing

medicine cat duties. and Leafpool being jealous.

Then Leafpool finds out that Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost are training with Tigerstar in their

dreams, and decides to do nothing about this.

Another gathering happens,  with more Onestar-hostility 

and clans getting generally angry at each

other, and Crowfeather suggesting that he and Leafpool run away together.

Leafpool is hiding her relationship  from Squirrelflight...so 

I guess that sister telepathy thing is really

gone now, and they get in a fight about it, but when Brambleclaw nearly catches Leafpool

sneaking away, Squirrelflight covers for her immediately.

Even when there are tensions between them, Squirrelflight would clearly do a lot for

her sister.

Squirrelflight doesn't find out what's happening, but Cinderpelt does, and she is

very angry about it.

However, Spottedleaf almost immediately comes  to Leafpool in a dream, and tells her both that  

she should let Brightheart help Cinderpelt as  she has been doing, and that she should follow  

her heart when it comes to Crowfeather. Leafpool  specifically asks if this means she is allowed to  

run away with him, and Spottedleaf only answers by  fading away with a smile. Leafpool of course takes  

this to mean that she has Starclan's permission,  and leaves. Cinderpelt is worried, and guilty,  

but more than anything she seems drained.  Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw also learn about  

it and journey to Windclan, thinking that's where  Leafpool went to be with Crowfeather, but Windclan  

was under the impression that Crowfeather had gone  to Thunderclan, so despite Onestar's reservations,  

they ally to search for the pair together.  However, they don't find them. Brightheart gets  

frantic about driving Leafpool away by taking over  so many medicine cat duties, and Squirrelflight  

takes the moment to wonder if she would run away  for either Ashfur or Brambleclaw. She is fairly  

sure she wouldn't for Ashfur, but is entirely  unsure about Brambleclaw. Over with Leafpool,  

she and Crowfeather spend...I'll be generous  and day a day together before meeting Midnight,  

who tells them that the other badgers they drove  out are angry and will attack soon. Crowfeather  

briefly tries to convince Leafpool to let Midnight  warn them, but they quickly agree that they have  

to go back and help their clans. Various cats in  Thunderclan express their sorrow over Leafpool's  

disappearance, which is promptly cut off by  a badger attack, and also Sorreltail having  

kits...simultaneously. Everyone is quickly thrown  into chaotic fighting, Daisy and her kits escape,  

and Sootfur dies. Meanwhile, Leafpool tries to  give Crowfeather a tearful goodbye but he decides  

to come with her to Thunderclan first. They come  back to find the fighting already in progress and  

Cinderpelt dying, as she was injured while helping  Sorreltail with her kitting. Leafpool fights off  

the badger and promises her mentor that she won't  leave again. Cinderpelt explains that she knew  

she would die, and she wasn't going to force  Leafpool into any decisions even knowing that.  

Crowfeather tells her that he loves her,  but her heart and place is with her clan,  

and they can wait to be together again until  they walk in the stars together. Midnight and  

Onestar show up with Windclan to help them win  the battle, and Midnight assures them that the  

badgers are too weak to consider fighting the  clans again. Sorreltail has also had four kits,  

who will soon be named Honeykit, Poppykit,  Molekit, and Cinderkit, after Cinderpelt,  

who died saving them. Crowfeather is accepted  back into Windclan, and in the cliffhanger of  

the century that everyone was waiting for,  *Stormfur and Brook* appear in Thunderclan's camp.

Who the cat in the prologue might be is kept as  something of a mystery, but between the clues  

about them being a medicine cat and being not old  but not young either, the pool is narrowed down  

substantially. It then becomes clear from hints in  her behavior throughout the middle and end section  

of the book that it was Cinderpelt, who keeps  secret but worries about her impending death.  

Her story is the best part of this  book, but not a central part of it.  

It is subtly developed in the background  until her death comes, and gives a great  

facet to her character. I have no complaints  on her end. But as for the rest of the book… 

Brambleclaw is a pushy, entitled, patronizing  nightmare for the whole book, to Squirrelflight  

especially but also every other member of the  clan save for Firestar. He calls Onestar by  

his warrior name, insults kittypets in front of  Cloudtail and Firestar, and treats every cat like  

they are bratty apprentices with no competence.  Not only is he keeping up and going harder into  

his comradery with and trust in Hawkfrost, but  he also starts just insulting Squirrelflight,  

specifically and regularly, demeaning her  competence and intelligence with no provocation.  

Additionally, virtually any time that she tries to  spend some free time hanging out with or chatting  

with Ashfur, Brambleclaw butts in to accuse them  of lounging around when they should be working,  

with the authority of a deputy, which he is  not. And does he ever apologize for any of this?  

No. Every cat around him says sorry for the  tiniest slip-ups; Birchkit, Squirrelflight,  

and Ashfur all apologize to him over the book for  small mistakes that made him angry, and he doesn't  

even have the grace to accept these apologies.  He simply grimaces, growls, or repeats an order  

he doesn't have the authority to give in the  first place. Whether or not you like Brambleclaw,  

this book's portrayal of him is of a truly cruel,  petty, condescending, and presumptuous cat who has  

no business even leading a patrol, let alone  trying to be deputy. And the fact that this is  

who he becomes as soon as we lose his point of  view is not reassuring. Antagonizing every cat  

in the clan who even looks at you funny is not  at all how any sort of leader should behave.