Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #1)

( 738 )

Overview

Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together... and shake the forest to its roots.

The next generation of warrior cats faces a peril that threatens the whole forest in this exciting spin–off series starring the children of the original Warriors heroes.

Packed with riveting suspense, compelling new characters, and classic themes of epic fantasy, this is an adventure not to be missed for both fans of the ...

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Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #1)

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More About This Book

Overview

Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together... and shake the forest to its roots.

The next generation of warrior cats faces a peril that threatens the whole forest in this exciting spin–off series starring the children of the original Warriors heroes.

Packed with riveting suspense, compelling new characters, and classic themes of epic fantasy, this is an adventure not to be missed for both fans of the previous six books and readers unfamiliar with the world of the warrior Clans.

Called by StarClan to fulfill a new prophecy, a group of young cats sets out on a long and dangerous journey, knowing only that trouble threatens the forest, as the adventures of the warrior clans continue.

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Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature
The prolific Erin Hunter (the pseudonymous author/authors of this "created" series) is back with Book One of "Warriors: the New Prophecy." Some of the main characters from the first six books of "Warriors" are present—in name, if not in spirit. It is a definite downer to watch Firestar, the former "kittypet" turned hero, become nothing but a generic spokesman for his clan while the action filters down several generations to the next batch of pussy protagonists. The new plot? Starclan—those deceased feline elders populating the night sky—lay down a new prophecy of doom on the shoulders of four untried cats, one representing each clan. Not only do these four have to learn to tolerate each other, they must also quest for the true meaning of their dreams. The answer, of course, will fill the next five books. In the meantime, there are just too many cats. It takes a close reading of the first fifty pages just to sort them out. Then the half dozen we are left with are fairly wimpy—with the possible exception of Squirrelpaw, Firestar's feisty, but obedience-challenged daughter. Could we have a little more characterization, folks, before your cat franchise goes down the tubes? 2005, HarperCollins, and Ages 10 to 12.
—Kathleen Karr
Kirkus Reviews
This first-in-series animal adventure with a fine plot but recurring preciousness will satisfy a particular readership. Four cat Clans live in bordering countryside territories in tentative peace. They meet only at ritualized times. Each Clan has warriors, apprentices, a medicine cat and a leader. Days are spent hunting and patrolling until a few select cats receive cryptic dreams from their mutual gods about a prophecy of doom. One chosen cat from each clan and two others who refuse to stay behind sneak away together and embark on a journey they don't understand, away from the forest and into dangerous Twoleg territory. A few cats are well characterized, though the sheer number named and the names themselves (Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw) make them blend. Use of "meowed" and "mewed" instead of "said" is contrived (and unintentionally funny); the word "kittypet" (for those who live with humans) is distractingly cloying. Structurally solid; this will please Redwall-genre fans and cat devotees. (name chart, maps) (Fantasy. 8-11)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780060744519
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 4/4/2006
  • Series: Warriors: The New Prophecy Series , #1
  • Pages: 336
  • Sales rank: 82,185
  • Age range: 10 - 12 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.12 (w) x 7.62 (h) x 0.67 (d)

Meet the Author

Erin Hunter
Erin Hunter is the nom de plume of three British writers who create enthralling, animal-centric YA fantasies in the tradition of Brian Jacques's Redwall books.

Biography

Erin Hunter is the nom de plume of three British writers who create enthralling, animal-centric YA fantasies in the tradition of Brian Jacques's Redwall books. In 2003, they launched their bestselling Warriors series with Into the Wild, the story of a domesticated kitten who leaves the comforts of his human home to join a family of feral cats living in the woods. Introducing a captivating world where rival cat clans struggle for survival, the book was an immediate sensation with animal- and adventure-loving preteens. Since its debut, Warriors has become a genuine publishing phenomenon, spawning a string of six-book miniseries, each with its own distinct story arc.

The Erin Hunter collaboration is an unusual but highly successful one. Characters and story ideas emanate from editor Victoria Holmes, who keeps track of previous plot lines, ensures continuity, and coordinates the details of a complex and growing cast of characters. Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry take turns writing individual books; then everything is vetted again through Holmes, who checks carefully to make sure the stories are told in a single, unified voice. With different writing styles at work, this would seem a daunting task. However, in a 2006 interview, Holmes explained her modus operandi: "I think of it as being able to "speak Erin Hunter", like speaking a different language, and after working on [so many] scripts, I know pretty much at once if a line or phrase doesn't sound right."

Although the Erin Hunter books are written for young readers, they do not shy away from difficult material. The animals face life-threatening dangers and experience pain, grief, and loss -- sometimes even treachery within their own ranks. But the authors are always careful to reinforce positive messages about family, friendship, loyalty, and love. Independently, Holmes, Cary, and Baldry stay busy with their own writing and editing projects; but in 2008, they reunited for a second animal fantasy series. Seekers: The Quest Begins features a trio of bears from different species (black, polar, and grizzly), who join together for an adventure-filled odyssey that will change their lives forever.

Good To Know

Fun facts about "Erin Hunter" and the Warrior books, plus advice for aspiring writers:
Cherith Baldry and Kate Cary have always loved cats -- and writing fantasy stories! Cherith is particularly interested in the stories of King Arthur, with all those glorious battles, knights, and a courtly code of behavior. Kate is fascinated by animal interaction and the way you can read all sorts of hidden motivation into what cats do. She's also not afraid of describing the goriest scenes!

Says Victoria Holmes, "I love being one of the Erins and frequently dream of being a cat running through a forest when I am coming up with new story lines. Teaming up with Kate and Cherith on the Warriors books is an unconventional way of working, but we love writing the books together and it means we can produce them much faster than a single writer could."

They came up with the single name, Erin Hunter, to avoid confusing their readers by having books from the same series filed in different places on the bookshelves.

Erin's advice for aspiring writers: "Read, read, and read some more! Make sure you read a wide variety of stories: fantasy stories teach you about making up completely new worlds, crime-solving stories teach you about handling a complicated plot, stories with lots of characters teach you how to describe relationships. Also, write as many stories as you can, even if no one else reads them. And remember that the best inspiration comes from what's around you -- Kate and Cherith go for long walks through the woods to find new locations for the cats to explore. They also spend hours watching their cats -- and other people -- to see how they behave in certain situations."

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    1. Also Known As:
      Erin Hunter is the pseudonym for three writers: Cherith Baldry, Kate Cary, and Victoria Holmes
    2. Hometown:
      All three writers live in the U.K.

Read an Excerpt

Warriors: The New Prophecy #1: Midnight

By Erin Hunter

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Copyright © 2007 Erin Hunter
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780060744519

Chapter One

Leaves rustled as the young tabby cat slid through a gap between two bushes, his jaws wide open to drink in the scent of prey. On this warm night in late greenleaf, the forest was full of the scuffles of tiny creatures. Movements twitched endlessly at the edge of his vision, but when he turned his head he could see nothing but thick clumps of fern and bramble, dappled with moonlight.

Suddenly he stepped out into a wide clearing and gazed around in confusion. He could not remember being in this part of the forest before. Smooth-cropped grass, glowing silver in a cold wash of moonlight, stretched in front of him as far as a softly rounded rock where another cat was sitting. Starlight sparkled in her fur, and her eyes were two small moons.

The young tabby's bewilderment increased as he recognized her. "Bluestar?" he meowed, his voice shrill with disbelief.

He had been an apprentice when the great leader of ThunderClan had died, four seasons ago, leaping into the gorge with a pack of blood-hungry dogs after her. Like all her Clan, he had grieved for her and honored her for the way she had given up her life to save them. He had never thought to see her again, and he realized for the first time that he must bedreaming.

"Come closer, young warrior," Bluestar meowed. "I have a message for you." Shivering with awe, the tabby tom crept across the shining stretch of turf until he crouched below the rock and could look up into Bluestar's eyes. "I'm listening, Bluestar," he mewed.

"A time of trouble is coming to the forest," she told him. "A new prophecy must be fulfilled if the Clans are to survive. You have been chosen to meet with three other cats at the new moon, and you must listen to what midnight tells you."

"What do you mean?" The young cat felt a prickle of dread, cold as snowmelt, creep down his spine. "What kind of trouble? And how can midnight tell us anything?"

"All will be made clear to you," Bluestar replied.

Her voice faded, echoing strangely as if she were speaking from a cavern far beneath the earth. The moonlight also began to grow dim, leaving thick black shadows to creep out of the trees around them.

"No, wait!" the tabby cat cried out. "Don't go!"

He let out a terrified yowl, thrashing his paws and tail, as darkness rose up and engulfed him. Something poked him in the side and his eyes flew open to see Graystripe, the ThunderClan deputy, standing over him with one paw raised to prod him again. He was scuffling among the moss in the warriors' den, with the golden sunlight leaking through the branches above his head.

"Brambleclaw, you crazy furball!" the deputy meowed. "What's all the noise about? You'll scare off all the prey from here to Fourtrees."

"Sorry." Brambleclaw sat up and began picking scraps of moss from his dark fur. "I was just dreaming."

"Dreaming!" grunted a new voice.

Brambleclaw turned his head to see the white warrior Cloudtail heave himself out of a mossy nest nearby and give a long stretch. "Honestly, you're as bad as Firestar," Cloudtail went on. "When he slept in here he was always muttering and twitching in his sleep. A cat couldn't get a good night's rest for all the prey in the forest."

Brambleclaw twitched his ears to hear how disrespectfully the white warrior spoke about the Clan leader. Then he reminded himself that this was Cloudtail, Firestar's kin and former apprentice, well known for his barbed tongue and ready scorn. His impudent talk didn't stop him from being a loyal warrior to his Clan. Cloudtail gave his long-furred white coat a shake and slipped out of the den, flicking the end of his tail at Brambleclaw in a friendly way to take the sting out of his words as he went by.

"Come on, you lot," meowed Graystripe. "It's time you were moving." He picked his way through the moss on the floor of the den to prod Ashfur awake. "Hunting patrols will be going out soon. Brackenfur is organizing them."

"Right," Brambleclaw mewed. His vision of Bluestar was fading, though her ominous message echoed in his ears. Could it really be true that there was a new prophecy from StarClan? It seemed fairly unlikely. For a start, Brambleclaw could not imagine why she would choose to give it to him, of all the cats in ThunderClan. Medicine cats frequently received signs from StarClan, and ThunderClan's leader, Firestar, had often been guided by his dreams. But they were not for ordinary warriors. Trying to blame his wild imaginings on too much fresh-kill the night before, Brambleclaw gave his shoulder one last lick and followed Cloudtail out through the trailing branches.

The sun was barely up above the hedge of thorns that surrounded the camp, but the day was already warm. Sunlight lay like honey on the bare earth in the center of the clearing. Sorrelpaw, the oldest of the apprentices, lay stretched out beside the ferns that sheltered the apprentices' den, sharing tongues with her den mates Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw.

Cloudtail had gone over to the nettle patch where the warriors ate and was already gulping down a starling. Brambleclaw noticed that the pile of fresh-kill was very low; as Graystripe had said, the Clan needed to hunt right away. He was about to go and join the white warrior when Sorrelpaw sprang up and came bounding across the clearing toward him.

"It's today!" she announced excitedly.

Brambleclaw blinked. "What is?"

"My warrior ceremony!" With a little mrrow of happiness, the tortoiseshell she-cat hurled herself at Brambleclaw; the unexpected attack bowled him over and they wrestled together on the dusty ground, just as they used to when they were kits together in the nursery.

Sorrelpaw's hind paws battered Brambleclaw in the belly, and he thanked StarClan that her claws were sheathed. There was no doubt that she would make a strong and dangerous warrior, one that every cat would respect.

"All right, all right, that's enough." Brambleclaw cuffed Sorrelpaw gently over one ear and scrambled up. "If you're going to be a warrior, you'll have to stop behaving like a kit."

"A kit?" Sorrelpaw meowed indignantly. She sat in front of him, her fur sticking up in clumps and covered with dust. "Me? Never! I've waited a long time for this, Brambleclaw."

"I know. You deserve it."



Continues...
Excerpted from Warriors: The New Prophecy #1: Midnight by Erin Hunter Copyright © 2007 by Erin Hunter. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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Table of Contents

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 738 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(628)

4 Star

(57)

3 Star

(28)

2 Star

(5)

1 Star

(20)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 744 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 1, 2005

    Warriors is the Key to Happiness

    Warriors is awesome. One of the best book series in a good long while. The characters are structered excellently. The plot twists and turns throughout each of the chapters. It's a real page turner, you're always left pondering for what will happen next.

    17 out of 23 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 29, 2005

    The New Prophecy? New Warriors?

    Every single Warriors book was beyond excelent and beyond a number of stars! If i was to rate this book 1-10, i'd give it a 25!I like it A LOT!!!!!!!! I've read the Warriors series seven-ten times total! I love these books!!

    13 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2005

    Firestar has faded

    The New Prophecy just doesn't appeal to me. I miss Firestar and Sandstorm and Graystripe. Now, they've all just faded.

    10 out of 23 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 18, 2012

    Comics?

    Are these comics in here or are they normal books? I love the Erin Hunter series. I think that its ideotic that people are complaining. If i had facebook I'd probly like it. They keep getting better as i go on. My cat at home is very much like these cats. She's a kitty-pet but will stay outside for very long and sometimes even sleep. Wow i also LOVE Kathryn Lasky who wrote Wolves of the Beyond,and the Gardians series. I enjoyed those and i think that those who have read Warrior Cats will enjoy those books very much. I also love Harry Potter, though it doesn't have Wolves, Cats, or Owls its truly amazing. Please, i think you'd like them. Like Twilight? You'll like Harry Potter even more. HP rules, so will you once you read them.

    So here i am again with MORE!!!!!! So. A new Wolves of the Beyond is back in may and I'm sooo exited. I don't know of any other books i like so much. Warrior Cats Comics i enjoy cause its easy to read. Please tell me if there are any Warrior Cats Comics. I hope you took my advise and are reading harry potter Right Now!
































































    7 out of 21 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2013

    Ehhhh

    I dont like it as much as the other books. I wish that it was still in Firehearts, i mean Firestars perspective. I guess I'm not used to the change yet. I got bored in th middle. Sorry Erin Hunter, it wasnt as great as I expected it to be. Its just my opinoin, and Im not insulting anyone for liking it. Just consider my thought...

    6 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 21, 2012

    Warrior cats

    I love all his books!!!!!!!!! He must REALLY love cats!

    6 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2012

    I enjoyed it

    6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 26, 2011

    He

    This is the best book of all time!

    6 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 24, 2012

    Awsome

    Ilove this book:)

    5 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2012

    Hazelstar is renaming her clan.

    Hazelstar' s clan is now called Flickerclan because of the relzation that there was already a treeclan.

    4 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 18, 2005

    Firestar!

    A little sad Firestar isn't the main character any more, but the book was awesome! Can't wait the rest of 'em!

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 30, 2005

    Warriors

    Wow, another book! It seems like I have been waiting forever!!!!! Thank goodness...I knew the series would not end!

    4 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2013

    Anonymous

    I agree with all the people that want Firestar to be the main character. Now it is really boring. I dont think I am going to buy another Warriors book again.Thanks Erin:(

    3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 3, 2013

    Firestar

    I want Firestar in the books more.

    3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 26, 2012

    Anonymous

    I wish firestar was the main charecter again but its still good.

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 2, 2012

    Have not read the warriors

    I have herd it is a good book want to read it really badly

    3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 5, 2012

    WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TLKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    3 out of 19 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 10, 2012

    Weird

    OK, this kinda ticks me off. In the darkest hour, the clans all fight BloodClan for their territory. Some die, including Whitestorm and Firestar. They win. And then after all of that, the Clans leave the forest! What the heck!!!

    2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 7, 2012

    Why pt 2

    Why is firstar not the main charactor anymore? I wanted to know his relationship with Sandstorm. I also wanted to know what he feels about being the clan leader. Come on Erin make firestar the m.c again. I want him to be the main charactor again. Please!

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 14, 2012

    OK

    This book is good but it skipped a lot of events that should happen.

    2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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