Warriors 4: Rising Storm (The Prophecies Begin), by Erin Hunter, published in 2004, is a fun and thrilling adventure into the world of cats who survive in the wild. Book one followed the journey of a house cat named Rusty, who meets cats in the wild, organized into clans. Now his name is Fireheart, and he has taken on the role of deputy of ThunderClan, ever since Tigerclaw has been ousted (as told in book 3).
In Rising Storm, the first act of the book takes us through the lives of the cats in ThunderClan ever since Tigerclaw’s betrayal was uncovered. Bluestar, the head of ThunderClan, is morose and sullen after her trusted deputy was found to be untrustworthy. Cloudpaw, Fireheart’s nephew, has become his apprentice, though he is discovered venturing back into twolegs (humans) territory, which is against the rules. Yellowfang, the head medicine cat, is training Cinderpelt (Fireheart’s last apprentice before she injured her leg on Thunderpath–the road where cars and trucks are driven). And then there is Darkstripe, who is ever so suspicious of Fireheart ever since he has taken Tigerclaw’s place as deputy.
And with Tigerclaw on the prowl with other rogue cats, Fireheart must stay vigilant at all times, with the other cats on alert. He also wants to check on Graystripe–his best friend who is now living with RiverClan–but the risk of venturing there will leave the clan at risk. And when a pair of ShadowClan cats arrive to their territory sick, helped by none other than Cinderpelt (the apprentice medicine cat), Fireheart must weigh the consequences of helping them or betraying his clan.
Without revealing what happens in the last act, a catastrophic event changes everything for ThunderClan, including the fate of some characters. Warriors 4: Rising Storm is a gripping story that takes the series in a new direction. As the characters evolve, Fireheart must learn to be a leader, while balancing the safety of the other cats with the warrior codes.
Fallton Havenstonne 