the blazing star: part seven

Sun Shadow is out exploring the tribe's territory. He knows he needs to get home soon - his mother, Dewy Leaf, worries about him and her new mate, Sharp Hail, will be upset with him for upsetting his mother. He finds a cave and looks into it but a bunch of bats startle him. He heads home after dinner to Sharp Hail's anger. His punishment is taking care of Stoneteller. Normally Sun Shadow doesn't see this as a punishment, but Stoneteller has been sick. Stoneteller is sleeping so he leaves her den. Thinking on his father he wishes to follow him on the sun trail. Quiet Rain sees Sun Shadow is hungry and shares her food with him. Sun Shadow talks about his father, Moon Shadow. He wishes to know him and feels that his father is a hero for leaving the tribe. Quiet Rain points out that in leaving the tribe, Moon Shadow also left behind his pregnant mate. He realizes how lonely Quiet Rain is since she has no mate and all her kits have either died or followed the sun trail. He returns to Stoneteller. She is speaking to cats he cannot see - one of whom is Fluttering Bird. He realizes she is speaking to them about her upcoming death.

Stoneteller's vision fades and Sun Shadow leaves her. He goes to his family's sleeping spot. His mother is awake and he asks her what would happen if Stoneteller were to die. She seems frightened of this possibility but assures Sun Shadow that a new leader would step forward. She hints that it could be Sharp Hail. This news upsets Sun Shadow, as he feels like he would lose what little freedom he has. He returns to Stoneteller and cares for her. Stoneteller assures him that after her death a new Stoneteller will be named. She then tells Sun Shadow that he won't see this. Leaving her to rest he goes outside, where a hawk attacks him. After fighting it off he realizes he must leave. He returns to Stoneteller to let her know he has made his decision. That night as everyone sleeps he tells his family goodbye. Quiet Rain stops him from leaving but before she can say anything Stoneteller dies. Sun Shadow races away before anyone notices and can stop him. He runs blindly, only seeking to place distance between himself and his tribe. A voice calls out after him. It is Quiet Rain. He fears she will try to make him return, but instead she wants to join him. They race off into the night before they can be stopped.

I was a little confused at first over this story, but as Sun Shadow continued to speak I realized he needed to leave. He felt stifled by his family and had a burning desire to meet his father. Poor Sun Shadow, he will reach the clans only to find his father dead. I hope he finds the life he is looking for. And I hope Quiet Rain is happy with her decision to leave her dead daughter behind. I hope she finds her sons and is able to find a life with them.

the blazing star: part six

Gray Wing is upset that his battle plans fell apart, but he is even more upset by the betrayal of Thunder. The cats are forced to retreat, abandoning Clear Sky, but a new plan is quickly formed by River Ripple and Gray Wing. The cats double back and climb a tree, using Sparrow Fur as bait. They then attack One Eye and his rogues. In the end it is Thunder who kills One Eye. Star Flower grieves the death if her father but Thunder orders her driven away.

Star Flower begs Thunder to forgive her, telling him that she really does care about him, but he does not believe her. Tall Shadow leads an expedition to get the flower they need for the sickness. Clear Sky is wounded and Gray Wing goes with Tall Shadow, leaving Thunder in charge. Thunder again tells Star Flower to leave. She asks for her father to be buried. Thunder agrees. When he announces this everyone is upset since they feel One Eye does not deserve it - but Thunder points out that they are different then One Eye. Everyone approves his words and Clear Sky supports his decision. After One Eye is buried, Star Flower gives him a loving eulogy much to the shock of all the cats. River Ripple speaks up and gives One Eye a short, carefully worded eulogy. Cloud Spots returns to the forest with Clear Sky so he can tend to the cat's wounds. Some of the moor cats go with them. Star Flower leaves and River Ripple assures Thunder that there will be other cats, but Thunder is not sure.

Clear Sky heads to his camp with the moor cats. Acorn Fur finds them and is thrilled that they have come to save them. Clear Sky tells her that One Eye is dead and he is here to take back leadership. She tells him to come quickly, giving the impression that something is wrong. She leads them to Petal and her kits, vanished from the camp and dying from the sickness. Petal dies before they can do anything. Cloud Spots stays with the kits to wait for the blazing star. Clear Sky enters his camp, but finds his leadership challenged by Snake. Sparrow Fur arrives and attacks Snake, snapping the other cats into action. They support Clear Sky and Snake leaves, refusing to live under Clear Sky. Tall Shadow arrives with the flower, and the news that Holly is having her kits early.

At the moor cat camp Thunder realizes that Tall Shadow wishes to live in the swamps. When he confronts her about it she refuses to answer him. Holly is in labour but Thunder knows he would just be in the way so he goes to sleep. Gray Wing wakes him up. They are being called away by the spirit cats. They arrive at fourtrees to find the other leaders there. They realize this is a dream and that is why only the leaders are there. The spirit cats tell them that while they have dealt with One Eye they still need to spread like the blazing star. The dream ends. Thunder and Gray Wing discuss it and decide to see in the morning if Tall Shadow also had the dream. She did so the three cats go back to Fourtrees. There they find the rest of the leaders and discuss the dream. Gray Wing tells them that he believes he knows what it means.

One Eye is defeated and I am willing to bet Gray Wing is going to suggest they break into five groups. With so much resolved (or about to be resolved) I wonder what will happen next?

dork diaries: tales from a not-so-popular party girl

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: The anti-fairy spray.

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: MacKenzie and Jessica getting attacked by the chocolate fountain.

Favorite Scene: Brandon told MacKenzie no because he wanted to go to the dance with Nikki,

Least Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: When MacKenzie and all her friends quit the Halloween dance (because Brandon said no), making it the problem of a handful of people so Nikki would take the blame.

Least Favorite Scene: When Jessica purposefully dumps the food on Nikki.

warriors: power of three

I enjoyed this book series but it felt a bit like it was lacking direction. However, this is because it was setting up the next series, which is a bit odd but it worked out good. I don't mean to say that this book series was bad, it certainly wasn't. Rather, we sit around for six books waiting for Jawfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf to come into their powers and fulfill their prophecy only to find out that Hollyleaf isn't a part of the prophecy and her brothers have no clue who is. While this was the main story line, it really served to set the next series up where they seek out the third cat and fulfill the prophecy. In the end this series focused on the second story line, which was the mystery of these three cats birth, the betrayal and secrets surrounding it, and, ultimately, Ashfur's insanity and murder. This was a good series. Not quite as solid as "The Prophecies Begin" but certainly far more solid then "The New Prophecy" (though, if we look at "The New Prophecy" as a part one and part two deal, I would have to place part two above this series). Usually, if a book or (movie) can't stand on its own and only serves to set up the next one it is a bit of a failure, but they did manage to avoid that problem by tying up Ashfur's story arc.

On a side note, this series was also a bit different in that it had no real villain. The first series focused on Tigerstar with the minor villains of Brokenstar, Darkstripe, and Scourge. The second series had Hawkfrost as the villain with a return of Tigerstar's spirit. This series had Sol, who was clearly a villain, but who never actually did anything beyond minor manipulation that kept backfiring. It also had Ashfur and Hollyleaf but neither were a true villain. Ashfur was consumed by his grief and went insane. Hollyleaf's entire world crumbled around her and she retaliated against the cat who tried to murder her and threatened to expose her secrets - secrets that to most cats would have been upsetting but not world ending. But to Hollyleaf they were. Neither cat was actually a villain, just two good people who made the worst possible choices, leaving death and destruction in their wake. This is not to say that Hollyleaf murdering Ashfur was okay - it certainly was not - or that Ashfur trying to murder Hollyleaf and her brothers was okay - again, certainly not. But both of these cats had their hopes, their dreams, their worlds destroyed and let their grief consume them to the point that murder was the only acceptable option. In both of these cases it was the fall of a hero - but the fall didn't lead to the birth of a villain, rather to the birth of a broken, desperate cat.

Warriors: Power of Three

1. The Sight
2. Dark River
3. Outcast
4. Eclipse
5. Long Shadows
6. Sunrise

dork diaries: tales from a not-so-fabulous life

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Nikki returning Mrs. Wallabanger's hearing aid

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Brianna attacking the Tooth Fairy/MacKenzie

Favorite Scene: Chloe, Zoey, and Brandon fixing things for Nikki/MacKenzie losing the contest

Least Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: MacKenzie fake inviting Nikki to her party, followed by MacKenzie then going on to invite Chloe and Zoey to her party while purposely not inviting Nikki

Least Favorite Scene: "Bug Girl" on Nikki's locker

diary of a wimpy kid: the third wheel

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Roderick being forced to move to the top of the couch because uncle Gary stole his spot.

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Vice Principal Roy getting pantsed.

Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Anything involving uncle Gary (who I now realize is Roderick's future) like him getting an allowance or playing scratch offs in that video game.

Favorite Scene: Greg freaking out because he thought Abigail had chicken pox. His big moment eith Abigail and he blows it. He is such an idiot sometimes.

Least Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: The overall "date" idea. I don't mean the so called "date" (which was hilarious), rather that Greg decided it was a date between him and Abigail without actually asking Abigail - or even discussing his feelings with Rowley.

Least Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Corny's. *shudder*

Least Favorite Scene Honorable Mention: Abigail's ex boyfriend showing up with his new girlfriend.

Least Favorite Scene: Greg having Rowley lie about having chicken pox.

the blazing star: part five

Clear Sky and his companions make their way back to the moor camp. Jagged Peak is upset as he tells Gray Wing of their failure. Gray Wing, however, is not surprised by this turn of events and is happy they ran away. He has a plan which he reveals later on that night. He wants to lure One Eye to an area where they can attack him and drive him away. Thunder insists they don't kill him, feeling they would be no better then One Eye if they were to do so. Clear Sky agrees, but privately feels that is impossible. Star Flower shows up, asking about their plans and offering to help them fight. Lightning Tail makes it clear she isn't wanted. He quickly destroys the plans Gray Wing has drawn into the earth, but Clear Sky notes that she has already seen them. Star Flower leaves, with a promise to see Thunder later. Thunder begs her to stay but she refuses. Thunder is upset with everyone for refusing to act more welcoming but he stays so the plans can be finished. Clear Sky volunteers to lure One Eye to the spot, since he knows One Eye hates him.

Gray Wing goes to survey the area for the battle and runs into a fox. Slate saves him and he finds himself confessing their plans. She offers to help by watching Wind Runner and Gorse Fur's kits for them.

Thunder and Lightning Tail go to ask Wind Runner and Gorse Fur for help. On the way they get into a fight when Thunder finds out Lightning Tail is expecting an apology from him for going off with Star Flower to watch the sunset. Lightning Tail has no real complaint against her other then a gut feeling and the fact that she is a rogue. Thunder angrily points out that he himself was born a rogue. They speak to Wind Runner then move off to River Ripple's territory. On the way there they get into another fight and actually attack each other. They speak to River Ripple then return home. Star Flower is there, waiting for Thunder. Lighting Tail stalks off, disgusted. Star Flower tells Thunder she has found some of the flower they need and she will take him to it. Thunder isn't as happy as she expects, and she comments on this. Thunder realizes he is suspicious of her motives. He brushes off his feelings and goes with her, telling her all about their battle plans along the way.

Clear Sky watches the cats in the camp as he thinks on Star Flower. The flower she led Thunder to was the wrong type. Clear Sky is unsure if the cat is trustworthy but Thunder is clearly in love. He leaves to go set their plan into motion. He approaches the trees where Acorn Fur finds him. She tells him that she has been volunteering for extra border patrols in the hope of finding him. He tells her of their plan. The rogues call out to her and she tells them she has an important message for One Eye.

Thunder and Lightning Tail wait. Thunder wonders where Star Flower is. He and his best friend start to get into yet another fight over the rogue, but Lightning Tail admits he is just worried that Thunder will get hurt. This starts to heal the rift between them. They watch Clear Sky wait for One Eye. The rogue shows up, having traveled through the tunnels. The fight between Clear Sky and One Eye starts. Thunder and his friends race to help when suddenly One Eye's rogues show up. Thunder wonders how One Eye could have possibly learned their plans when he hears One Eye call out to his daughter - Star Flower.

I was beginning to feel like Lightning Tail was overreacting when it came down to Star Flower. I'm glad to see that is not the case. Though, Thunder was a fool to tell her their plans like that. I don't care if he is in love with her and trusts her - she is not a part of this battle so she should never have been given this sensitive information. Hopefully the fight goes well for Gray Wing's group now that their surprise attack has been foiled.

the blazing star: part four

Clear Sky heads back to camp when Petal confronts him, feeling there is something wrong with Alder. Clear Sky dismisses her concerns, feeling that Alder is just tired, but Petal is unconvinced. One Eye appears, telling Clear Sky that he said this would happen. Clear Sky realizes his cats are not standing up to One Eye, and One Eye declares that he has taken over the group. One Eye let's Clear Sky leave, feeling that this will hurt more then a fight. Unsure that his cats even want him there, Clear Sky heads out. On his way, however, he breaks Sparrow Fur out of a makeshift prison that One Eye has her in. Together, the two cats race from the forest.

Gray Wing realizes it is time to go home, so he leaves River Ripple. On his way he meets Wind Runner, who tells him that she is starting her own group. She admits that right now it is just her, Gorse Fur, and their kits but she hopes more cats will join them. Her friend Slate is visiting her. Slate walks Gray Wing part of the way home. When he gets there Tall Shadow is happy to see him, but he is unsure that this is where he belongs.

Thunder is out hunting with Lightning Tail and Owl Eyes. Owl Eyes is worried about Gray Wing, and feels it is his fault his adoptive father won't come home. After catching some prey the cats head home. They run into Star Flower, who wants Thunder to spend some time with her. Lightning Tail becomes upset when Thunder agrees to go off with her. Star Flower shows Thunder a secret spot to watch the sunset. He asks her about the blazing star and Star Flower says she knows all about it, and that it is a healing plant. Thunder feels so happy watching the sunset with her, but once it is done she becomes very brisk and leaves him. He heads back to camp to find Gray Wing and Clear Sky there with the news that Clear Sky has been kicked out of his own group. Jagged Peak interrupts them to say that Holly is sick.

Clear Sky is forced to admit to everyone not only how awful One Eye is but also that Sparrow Fur was in a trap. Thunder tells everyone that the blazing star is a healing herb. Everyone wants to go off after the blazing star and One Eye at once. Gray Wing calms everyone down and points out that it is too soon to go after One Eye - he will be expecting it. Gray Wing says the priority is gathering the flower. Thunder admits that Star Flower told him it is a healing herb and Lightning Tail is furious, feeling that Star Flower is probably lying. Thunder wants to lead the expedition to get the flower but Gray Wing tells him no, he is needed to protect the camp. Instead he makes Jagged Peak leader of the expedition, much to Clear Sky's shock. He also realizes just how badly he has damaged his younger brother's self esteem. Jagged Peak wants to stay with Holly, but she insists he go. Gray Wing also picks Lightning Tail. Clear Sky realizes this is because the young cat is on edge and will be on the lookout for trouble. Clear Sky volunteers to go as well. Gray Wing is unsure, but tells Clear Sky he can on the condition that he understands this is Jagged Peak's mission. Clear Sky agrees, but privately he has reservations.

Clear Sky stays in Gray Wing's den, sleeping, until it is time to go. As they make the journey Clear Sky and Jagged Peak start to heal the rift between them by talking about Jagged Peak's upcoming kits. Clear Sky even apologizes to Jagged Peak for kicking him out of their group. Lightning Tail is still upset, feeling that Star Flower is lying to and using Thunder - though, he does admit he can't figure out why. The cats make it safely across the Thunderpath to collect the flowers, but on the way back One Eye and his rogues attack them. Acorn Fur attacks the rogues, giving her brother and friends a chance to escape.

Things are moving along here. One Eye was never going to go away. Clear Sky should have been better prepared for this. He did the right thing by saving Sparrow Fur, however. He is starting to change as a leader and that is good. And he is working to heal things between himself and his younger brother. This is also good and shows a lot of growth on his part that he can admit his own shortcomings.

As for Star Flower, part of me feels like Lightning Tail is overreacting but another part feels like he might be correct. However, I can't see how Star Flower is a bad guy. So far all she has done is pretend to be mysterious and flirt with Thunder. But her briskness after watching the sunset confuses me. Is she actually flirting with Thunder or is she just leading him on? If she is flirting she is acting odd. If she is leading him on I cannot figure out why.

On a final note, two things. One, it looks like Gray Wing might have found a new mate. Two, Wind Runner might have left the moor cats but she clearly isn't ready to forget all that she has learned. I am convinced she is the Wind of WindClan, but she has left the group so clearly she needs to return. Or maybe the moor cats will leave? I suspect Tall Shadow wishes to leave.

notebook of doom

So I did something similar to this with Vampire Kitten (Optimus Prime) and Lone Wolf (Bumblebee) on my other blog when we homeschooled. Little Legs, however, is autistic so he generally needs some prompting. We had to look at the book covers to help him pick out his favorites.

"Notebook of Doom" is a young (and I do mean YOUNG) chapter novel series that follows Alexander Bopp and his two best friends, Rip and Nikki, as they hunt the monsters in their town. They discover the Notebook of Doom that details different monsters as well as the abandoned headquarters of the SSMP - the Super Secret Monster Patrol. They make - and lose - allies in their quest to save their town from monsters that only they (and a few other individuals) can see. They were a fun, light read but Little Legs did struggle with it a little. My goal in switching from story books to chapter books was two-fold. One, he can read story books to himself so he really doesn't need me doing it but I didn't want to sacrifice our nightly reading time. And two, I wanted to expose him to the next level up of reading without putting the pressure on him to do that reading. However, like I said, he did struggle with the chapter books a little. It required a level of attention that I'm not quite sure he has. Some evenings he really struggled to pay attention and I'm not really sure if he actually retained more then a bare bones idea of the story line from night to night. However, "Notebook of Doom" isn't the only chapter book series we tried and unlike some that he clearly didn't care for (like "Owl Diaries") he was receptive to buying more "Notebook of Doom" novels and reading them with me. When we did our monthly book shopping he still preferred story books but he would occasionally want the next one or two "Notebook of Doom" books. I saw this as progress. We have sense moved on to a Scooby-Doo series I read with his brothers years ago, and this he seems to enjoy a lot more, but more on that in the future.

Now, like I said, he needed more prompting, so our conversation is as follows:

WF: What are your thoughts on notebook of doom?

LL: ...

WF: Was it fun? Was it silly? Was it scary?

LL: (writes letters in the air) I traced fun

WF: Which monster was your favorite?

LL: What kind of monsters is there?

WF: (lists monsters while showing book covers) So who was your favorite?

LL: Of the monsters?

WF: Do you want to know my favorite? The snombies - snowman zombies!

LL: It was this one (points to the meat eating vegetables)

WF: The vegetables that eat people? Good choice. Who was your favorite character? Was it Alexander? Was it Rip? Was it Nikki?

LL: (without any prompting) I like Rip.

WF: Me too. He's also my favorite.

Notebook of Doom

1. Rise of the Balloon Goons
2. Day of the Night Crawlers
3. Attack of the Shadow Smashers
4. Chomp of the Meat-Eating Vegetables
5. Whack of the P-Rex
6. Pop of the Bumpy Mummy
7. Flurry of the Snombies
8. Charge of the Lightning Bugs
9. Rumble of the Coaster Ghost
10. Snap of the Super Goop
11. Sneeze of the Octo-Schnozz
12. Rise of the Vanderpants
13. Battle of the Boss Monster

the blazing star: part three

Clear Sky watches on as One Eye and Tom train his cats in fighting moves. Tom leaves to find a rock at One Eye's order and Sparrow Fur arrives, looking for her father. One Eye challenges her as an intruder. He tells her that she must fight him and win to prove she deserves to see Tom. Clear Sky decides to put a stop to it, but One Eye points out that she challenged him so she should fight him, arguing that life outside of their groups operates differently and she needs to understand this. Clear Sky agrees, feeling uncomfortable but finding logic in One Eye's words. However, the fight does not go as Clear Sky imagined it would and One Eye tries to kill Sparrow Fur. Everyone is horrified and Clear Sky tries to stop him. Tom returns and attacks One Eye while Clear Sky and the others race to Sparrow Fur. Everyone works to stop the bleeding. They realize the fight between One Eye and Tom is over with. Clear Sky turns to them to deal with them and finds Tom dead. One Eye is dismissive of killing Tom, arguing that Tom challenged him so it was fine to kill him. Clear Sky sends everyone back to the camp. Then he tells One Eye to get out. One Eye is furious, mocks Clear Sky's rules, and implies more cats will die. He leaves but doubles back and attacks Clear Sky. He leaves again but implies that this isn't over.

Gray Wing wakes up to discover he has slept in. One of Wind Runner's kits has the sickness and she is upset. Gray Wing also discovers that Jagged Peak has given Sparrow Fur permission to visit Tom. He is furious with his younger brother, feeling that Sparrow Fur is too young to go to the forest alone. As upset as his is,though, Jagged Peak calms his down by pointing out the kits have to grow up sometime. He then tells Gray Wing that Holly is pregnant and he is going to be a father. Gray Wing realizes that in protecting his brother he might have held him back. Thunder returns from gathering herbs and makes an announcement about the sickness. He then pulls Gray Wing aside to ask him for advice but Gray Wing decides he has to let Thunder figure out being a leader on his own and declines to help. Gray Wing spots Clear Sky racing over, wounded.

Clear Sky breaks the news to Gray Wing about One Eye and Sparrow Fur. Gray Wing angrily blames Jagged Peak. Jagged Peak apologizes but points out he could not have foreseen this. Gray Wing wants to hurt him as badly as he is feeling and even goes so far as to say Jagged Peak doesn't deserve to be a father. Jagged Peak attacks Gray Wing and the two cats fight until Holly and Clear Sky break them up. Holly is furious with Gray Wing. Clear Sky wants Gray Wing to take Sparrow Fur from his camp, feeling she isn't safe there. Gray Wing tries to take Owl Eyes and Pebble Heart with him but Pebble Heart feels he has to stay with Wind Runner's kit. Owl Eyes goes with Gray Wing. Gray Wing asks him why Sparrow Fur would visit Tom. Owl Eyes tries to explain that they just want to know their father but his words hurt Gray Wing, and Owl Eyes can see that. Gray Wing tells him that Tom is now dead. Owl Eyes is too upset to go and get his sister so Gray Wing has to go on alone. Gray Wing reaches Clear Sky's camp but Sparrow Fur won't go home with him. He is upset but relents when he sees how tired she is. He leaves and heads for Fourtrees. While there he contemplates how no one seems to need him and how he keeps seeming to get in the way. River Ripple arrives and invites Gray Wing to come home with him. Gray Wing accepts.

Thunder watches for Gray Wing. It has been three days and still he has not returned home. They have already checked with Clear Sky and sent out a search party but no one has found the cat. The next morning Thunder sees someone approaching the camp. Thinking it is Gray Wing he races off to greet him. He is disappointed to find Clear Sky instead. Clear Sky has come to discuss the sickness. Tall Shadow suggests they all meet at Fourtrees at sunset. As Thunder waits for sunset Morning Whisker, Wind Runner's sick kit, dies. They bury the kit then Wind Runner announces she and her family are leaving the hollow. As Wind Runner and Gorse Fur leave with their kits, Thunder wonders if he will ever see them again.

Thunder and the others head to Fourtrees where they meet up with Clear Sky and his cats. River Ripple arrives with Gray Wing, much to Thunder's joy. But Gray Wing isn't as happy and he tells Thunder that for now he is staying with River Ripple while he thinks on things. Thunder is upset and confused with Gray Wing's decision to remove himself from the group. The leaders start the meeting. Talk is largely of the sickness and what to do about it. Gray Wing speaks up and says the cats should separate - he also points out that they have too many leaders for their groups. Thunder is shocked at Gray Wing's words, but he is even more surprised when Tall Shadow speaks up and says she likes the marshy area across the Thunderpath. It is decided that for now nothing will change and the cats break up. Thunder cannot believe that both Gray Wing and Tall Shadow want to break the groups up even more. The strange cat from before approaches Thunder again. She introduces herself as Star Flower, and after briefly flirting she leaves again. Thunder and Tall Shadow lead their group home. Thunder confronts his partner about her desire to leave, but Tall Shadow dismisses Thunder's feelings pointing out that for now she is staying.

So, yeah. One Eye. Bad news. Majorly bad news. Clearly insane bad news. I cannot believe he attacked Sparrow Fur like that - or killed Tom for no reason. There is no way we heard the last of him.

As for poor Gray Wing, his life is clearly falling apart. He was never my favorite cat, he was too prone to making mistakes and regretting them but refusing to apologize for them. A bit too much like Clear Sky, in a way. But it must be hard, realizing your children want to see their *real* father, realizing that in protecting your younger brother you were holding him back (which, yay on Jagged Peak finding a mate and having kits!), realizing what stepping down as leader really means, etc. It is a bit childish not going back home, but I understand the need to clear ones head. 

Lastly, when is Tall Shadow going to leave and start ShadowClan? And when will Wind Runner take over WindClan? And when will Thunder move to the trees? 

Also, Star Flower is clearly evil.

the blazing star: part two

Clear Sky is out wandering his territory when he runs into Tom. Tom argues to Clear Sky why he should join his group. Clear Sky accepts him, but then Tom brings out another cat, One Eye, and assumes he is welcome too. Clear Sky realizes he has been had and is upset. One Eye attacks Tom for introducing him, saying he can speak for himself. He then catches a bird to show Clear Sky that he is worthy of joining the group. Clear Sky is unsure about Tom and One Eye, and One Eye's behavior is violent and upsetting, but he feels it is better to have the cats in his group then wandering around.

Clear Sky, Acorn Fur, Tom, and One Eye are out in the woods when they hear someone approaching. Tom takes off to confront them and Clear Sky races after, since they are no longer guarding borders.  It is Gray Wing, Thunder, and Mouse Ears. Gray Wing is furious to find Tom, since he had stolen Turtle Tail's kits. Clear Sky is shocked that those were the kits who Tom was with. Mouse Ear is angry that One Eye is in Clear Sky's group, and he warns Clear Sky that the rogue is dangerous. Tom taunts the moor cats over Turtle Tail's death, much to Clear Sky's shock. There is also upset over Clear Sky's admission that he is training his cats to fight, but he points out that there are dogs and foxes to consider. Everyone calms down and parts ways, but it was not a pleasant meeting.

Thunder ponders over his father's words and actions as they head back to their group. Tall Shadow and Gray Wing call a meeting. Mouse Ear's friends are upset that One Eye is a part of Clear Sky's group. Likewise, the moor cats are upset that Tom is living with Clear Sky. Gray Wing speaks of the wisdom of training their cats to fight. Jagged Peak wants to learn as well. Thunder goes to dissuade him but Holly tells Jagged Peak that every cat can train. Turtle Tail's kits are confused why everyone is upset that Tom is in the forest. Gray Wing tells them it doesn't matter what their father did in the past. Sparrow Fur is determined to find out what that is. Thunder, Lightning Tail, and Holly train the cats in fighting moves. Mouse Ear trains with Pebble Heart, but the young cat becomes upset. Thunder realizes it is not Mouse Ear who has upset him, but rather a dead mouse that Mud Paws has found. The mouse died from a sickness, and Pebble Heart is worried. Gray Wing and Thunder dispose of the body.

Back at the camp, Gray Wing reports on the sick mouse. The discussion leads to the spirit cats and Tall Shadow asks Gray Wing if they should tell their new rogues about them. Gray Wing feels they should or they will just hear it from someone else. The rogues are shocked to find out about spirit cats, and just as confused over their claw message. Mouse Ear, however, wonders if the blazing star might be a flower with five petals that he has seen growing across the Thunderpath. Excited speculation immediately breaks out and everyone starts talking over each other. Tall Shadow thinks it means returning to the mountains, Owl Eyes thinks it means following a shooting star, and Wind Runner another fire. Jagged Peak starts to say something about the number of petals when Gray Wing cuts him - and everyone else - off. Jagged Peak looks hurt, which makes Gray Wing feel guilty, but Holly immediately cheers him up. Tall Shadow decides to lead an expedition to the flower.

Thunder, Tall Shadow, and the new rogues go to look for the flower when Tall Shadow realizes most of the moor cats are following them. In the end it is decided that Mouse Ear alone of the rogues will accompany Thunder and Tall Shadow. Pebble Heart also goes with them. Gray Wing is upset to be let behind in charge of the camp. As they make their way to the area where the blazing star grows One Eye attacks Thunder, mistakenly thinking Thunder is trying to steal his prey. Thunder is annoyed with One Eye since they are supposed to be at peace. Pebble Heart realizes the prey carries the sickness and tries to stop everyone from touching it. One Eye doesn't listen and Thunder has to wrestle him away from the prey. Clear Sky shows up and asks what is going on. One Eye says nothing, but Thunder explains. Clear Sky is upset the moor cats were investigating the flower without him and he also questions One Eye about the sickness - but One Eye is evasive in his answers. They quickly invite Clear Sky to come with them and he sends his cats - including One Eye - back to their camp. One Eye is unhappy about taking Clear Sky's orders, but he obeys. Mouse Ear tells Clear Sky that he made a mistake in allowing One Eye into his group but Clear Sky bristles under the accusation. The cats cross the Thunderpath and find the flower. Everyone muses as to what it could mean. Thunder notices that the five petals are pointing away from each other. He asks Pebble Heart if he has any ideas. The young kit says no but Thunder suspects he isn't telling the truth. The cats head home with the flower, Clear Sky bringing some for River Ripple as well. Tall Shadow feels that the swamp area is beautiful, much to Thunder's confusion.

First, One Eye is clearly bad news. I wonder if he will be the obstacle to overcome in this book? I feel like the story is floundering a bit, but maybe that is just me and my impatience. Also, all the signs point to the five petals and five clans. Thunder notices the five petals pointing away from each other and even Jagged Peak even seemed to sense the answer lay in the petals.

warriors: the new prophecy

I really struggled with this series. Actually, I feel like the series is in two halves. The first half/three books, I felt, were really long and drawn out with nothing really happening to move the plot forward. It was a long journey to the lake and then a long journey back home with lots and lots of empty filler. I was starting to get worried that the first series was it and I wasn't going to enjoy another Warriors book ever again and that all subsequent novels were just riding on the coattails of success from the first series. The second half/three books, however, proved me wrong by actually being really good. Those books covered Brambleclaw's struggle with his relationship with his father, sister, and half brother. Moreover, it introduced the Place of No Stars/Dark Forest, which was a really interesting alternative to StarClan, as well as gave a fascinating, manipulative, and devious villain in the form of Hawkfrost, who I really enjoyed (and still believe he was lying about never having been to the Dark Forest before). I was disappointed by how quickly Hawkfrost was written off, however he did have a respectable story arc and I did get to see his return later on. Also, this book series as a whole gave Brambleclaw the opportunity to grow and become more then just Tigerstar's son - which was very obvious as the story went on but was very clear when he chose a dying Firestar over everything else. And, it set up a great twist for Ashfur later on. It also gave us perspective from the cats of other clans - which while I wasn't in love with this, it was good to see things from a point of view that wasn't ThunderClan.

Warriors: The New Prophecy

1. Midnight
2. Moonrise
3. Dawn
4. Starlight
5. Twilight
6. Sunset

the blazing star: part one

Gray Wing finds himself in the mountains. He follows Stoneteller into her room, where she tells him that in order to survive he must be flexible. She also tells him that a great future awaits him and the other cats, but that it will not wait for forever.

Tall Shadow announces that it is time to bury the dead. Thunder and the other cats move to action, first digging a hole then filling it. Some words are spoken with the resolve of this never happening again. Clear Sky looks to the future, and the hope that the spirit cats will tell them what to do. Thunder and Gray Wing realize that this was Clear Sky's problem all along - he was drowing under the responsibility of leadership. Gray Wing steps down as co-leader of the moor cats and appoints Thunder in his place, making Clear Sky, River Ripple, and Tall Shadow with Thunder the new leaders. Tall Shadow wants a promise that there will be no more fighting and that any cat who needs help will receive it. Thunder and the others agree.

Tall Shadow announces that it is time for everyone to go home. River Ripple offers to open his home to whoever wishes. Everyone breaks into two groups, and Thunder is shocked to see Acorn Fur join Clear Sky. She tells Lighting Tail and Thunder that she cannot return to the moor when their parents are not there. Both Thunder and Lightning Tail are upset with her choice, but Thunder convinces his best friend that they need to respect it. Thunder wishes to go to the forest too, but he knows Tall Shadow, Gray Wing, and Lightning Tail need him. As they head back to camp Thunder scents some rogues and calls out to them. Three cats (Holly, Mouse Ears, and Mud Paws) step from the trees. They admit to witnessing the battle but give to hint to seeing the spirit cats. They ask to join the moor cats group.

Almost a moon has passed since the fight, and Gray Wing is at Fourtrees. River Ripple finds him there and tells him he needs to move forward. They agree to meet again at the next full moon and Gray Wing heads home. Gray Wing finds life continuing on as normal at the camp, where training sessions are going on. He is upset to hear Holly teasing Jagged Peak, but Cloud Spots intervenes, telling Gray Wing it is not what he thinks. Gray Wing then asks Pebble Heart if he has had any new dreams. The young kit says no, but Gray Wing suspects he is lying. However he doesn't push him, feeling that Pebble Heart will speak when he is ready.

Gray Wing and the moor cats head to Fourtrees on the full moon. Everyone waits for the spirit cats to arrive and they do. Rainswept Flower congratulates them for their peace then warns them that there is still a problem, which she refers to as a "claw" that "blights the forest." The moor cats fear this means secret battles have been going on. Turtle Tail speaks up, explaining that they will understand in time. Everyone ponders their words. River Ripple points out that what will happen will happen so there is no point in fretting on it. Before the spirit cats go they tell everyone to look towards the Blazing Star. Everyone fears another battle might be coming. They had hoped the spirit cats would give them direction, but now they feel as lost as ever. A random female shows appears, interested in what is going on. She refuses to answer Thunder's questions but flirts with him before leaving, much to Gray Wing's amusement.

Nothing much happened here. I am curious what the blazing star and claw are. I am also wondering when the borders will be re-erected. Plus the Moonstone, plus five groups instead of two...

warriors: the prophecies begin

I really should have done this long ago, however as I started working on my book series page it never occurred to me how easily it would become overrun.

So, for the record, this is (so far) my favorite Warriors series. In part because it was my first but also because it is the most solid. It has a clear cut beginning (Rusty discovering the life of wild cats), middle (Firepaw/heart realizing something is going on with Tigerclaw and eventually outing him) and end (Firestar taking down Tigerclan followed by Scourge). Which, yes, Scourge was a tad thrown in but Tigerstar did have his revenge later on and it gave the warrior cats an epic throw down battle that didn't happen between Tigerclan and Lionclan - which very well could have destroyed the four clans if it had. And, Firestar was my favorite for a long time - certainly throughout this series. It is not often that the main character is my favorite (actually it is never - even here technically Whitestorm is my favorite) but this series manages to pull it off.

And, there were some very impressive twists and turns - and so much triumph and sorrow. Bluestar's kits. Bluestar losing her mind. The depths of Tigerclaw's treachery. Ravenpaw's escape. Brokenstar's revenge. Yellowfang finding a home. Yellowfang's secret. Brokenstar's murder. Dustpelt's rejection of Tigerclaw. Longtail choosing the correct side. Darkstripe refusing the correct side. Sandstorm's change of heart. Dustpelt calming down. Cinderpaw's accident. Spottedleaf's death. Tawnypaw rejecting Thundeclan. Bramblepaw's determination to make Thunderclan his home.

All in all this is (and probably always will be) my favorite Warriors series.

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin

1. Into the Wild
2. Fire and Ice
3. Forest of Secrets
4. Rising Storm
5. A Dangerous Path
6. The Darkest Hour

200 books: august 2019

I didn't intend to take the month of August off from blogging, but so much was going on between summer plans and home remodeling plans and life in general that it just happened. However, hopefully I will get back on track now. First up is this post catching you up on all of our reading goals. Next up is a post about the "Notebook of Doom" books that Little Legs and I read together. Then there is a special guest blog post by Lone Wolf - he really struggled with it but he did good. Then we will move on to the next "Warriors" book that I have been reading. Following that will be some posts about the Warriors series I have read - which is an idea I should have explored long ago. If there is any time left after that, I will move on to the next "Wings of Fire" book. We shall have to see. All in all I see a pretty busy blogging month ahead of me!

A note about August: I am only 1 book away for reaching my goal for the year! Very annoying! Also, Vampire Kitten is only 10 books away from doubling his goal. I forgot to mention last month that Little Legs had more then doubled his reading goal, so I want to give a shout out about that now. He is also only 2 books away from tripling his goal! We should have that done the first week of September, so long as no disasters strike. Anyway, onto the books!

August books:

1. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Vikings - Vampire Kitten
2. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Twisters and Other Terrible Storms - Vampire Kitten
3. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Dinosaurs - Vampire Kitten
4. The Odyssey Graphic Novel - Vampire Kitten
5. The Walking Dead: What We Become - Vampire Kitten
6. The Walking Dead: Fear the Hunters - Vampire Kitten
7. Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Vanderpants - Vampire Kitten
8. Plants vs Zombies: Snow Thanks - Lone Wolf
9. The Walking Dead: Fear the Hunters - Lone Wolf
10. The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle - Lone Wolf
11. Scooby-Doo and the Groovy Ghost - Little Legs
12. Scooby-Doo and the Mummy's Curse - Little Legs
13. Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Vanderpants - Little Legs
14. Notebook of Doom: Battle of the Boss-Monster - Little Legs
15. Scooby-Doo and the Hoopster Horror - Little Legs
16. Scooby-Doo and the Bowling Boogeyman - Little Legs
17. Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle - Little Legs
18. The Giant with the Golden Hair - Wandering Falcon
19. Zita the Spacegirl - Wandering Falcon
20. Return of Zita the Spacegirl - Wandering Falcon
21. Legends of Zita the Spacegirl - Wandering Falcon
22. Chinese Fairy Tales - Wandering Falcon
23. Ancient Chinese Fables - Wandering Falcon
24. Seven Hundred Chinese Proverbs - Wandering Falcon
25. Earth Magic, Sky Magic: North American Indian Stories - Wandering Falcon
26. Beauty and the Beast - Wandering Falcon
27. The Serpent Prince - Wandering Falcon
28. The Wisher's Handbook - Wandering Falcon
29. No Room: An Old Story Retold - Wandering Falcon
30. The History of Blue-Beard - Wandering Falcon
31. The Sisters Grimm: The Inside Story - Family

The breakdown:

Vampire Kitten: 7

Lone Wolf: 3

Little Legs: 7

Wandering Falcon: 13

Family: 1

Total: 31

Vampire Kitten: 90/50

Lone Wolf: 41/25

Little Legs: 37/13

Wandering Falcon: 99/100

Family: 13/12

Total: 199/200