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cobycoyle's review against another edition
2.0
This one just pissed me off tbh. Mistystar comes across as much more understanding and intelligent in the other books than this one. I get learning Mothwing is an atheist basically lol is a shock but still, how were you about to say “let Willowshine do it” especially with her own son? And turning your back on her when you were basically like “omg she’s my bestie”? Like even the other medicine cats had accepted it, get over yourself.
hnagarne's review
3.75
i cannot deal with the erins calling the prison where featherpaw, stormpaw, mistyfoot, and stonefur were held a fox den in the darkest hour; a willow tree in leopardstar's honor; and a rabbit hole in mistystar's omen!!!!! consistency where
anyway this was an interesting crisis of faith for mistystar i suppose, and i enjoyed the glimpse into riverclan as always. also i did in fact almost burst into tears for her leadership ceremony because i am a sentimental sap
i'm also glad they acknowledged she's old because she was a warrior in BOOK ONE. bluestar had already been a leader for several seasons by the time firestar came to the forest in into the wild, so her kits were already at least a year old then, though honestly i imagined them as older than that?
anyway this was an interesting crisis of faith for mistystar i suppose, and i enjoyed the glimpse into riverclan as always. also i did in fact almost burst into tears for her leadership ceremony because i am a sentimental sap
i'm also glad they acknowledged she's old because she was a warrior in BOOK ONE. bluestar had already been a leader for several seasons by the time firestar came to the forest in into the wild, so her kits were already at least a year old then, though honestly i imagined them as older than that?
rabenfeder's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
2.0
This novella frustrates me, because it feels like Mistystar takes the whole book to learn what I (as a reader) and what she (as Mothwing's self-proclaimed friend) know what's true: that Mothwing is a good medicine cat. I don't believe that this was the authors' intention, but it's especially frustrating for me to read about Mistystar doubting Mothwing, because it reminds me of how people with disabilities are often condescended to because other people think they know more about the disabled person's limitations than the disabled person themself. Now, I'm not saying that Mothwing's atheism is the same thing as a disability, but it is one reason why I sympathize with Mothwing and have trouble connecting to Mistystar in this book. If Mothwing says that she can fulfill her duties as a medicine cat and get help when she needs it, then Mistystar has no right to contradict her, especially when all evidence supports Mothwing's competence and capabilities.
On the subject of Mothwing's atheism, I really wish that her reasons for not believing in StarClan made more sense (for one thing, she's literally SEEN leaders die and come back to life, and that's not even counting everything that happens in "Omen of the Stars," which to be fair has yet to happen during the events of this novella) and that her timeline for becoming an atheist was consistent. (Based on "The New Prophecy" and Mothwing's conversation with Leafpool, I thought she stopped believing in StarClan when Hawkfrost revealed that he had faked the moth's wing sign, but Mudfur in this novella seemed to imply that she had always been without faith due to her parentage, in much the same way that Cloudtail is ThunderClan's token non-believer.)
I realize that I am fixating on Mothwing in this review much more than on Mistystar, and that's because Mothwing stood out more in this novella to me than the titular character. I would have preferred for Mistystar to have a storyline more centered on her than on a character (Mothwing) whose drama (being a medicine cat who doesn't believe in StarClan) has already been addressed at length by a character (Leafpool) whose perspective was prominent in several books ("The New Prophecy").
I am not rating this book lower, because I enjoy the aesthetics of RiverClan and many characters who make appearances in this novella (Bluestar, Mothwing, Feathertail, Crookedstar, Mudfur, etc.). Even when their storylines aren't especially compelling, the aesthetics of the characters' names alone sets a distinctive tone that I appreciate. Still, I'm not sure what I got out of this book besides frustrated and indignant.
On the subject of Mothwing's atheism, I really wish that her reasons for not believing in StarClan made more sense (for one thing, she's literally SEEN leaders die and come back to life, and that's not even counting everything that happens in "Omen of the Stars," which to be fair has yet to happen during the events of this novella) and that her timeline for becoming an atheist was consistent. (Based on "The New Prophecy" and Mothwing's conversation with Leafpool, I thought she stopped believing in StarClan when Hawkfrost revealed that he had faked the moth's wing sign, but Mudfur in this novella seemed to imply that she had always been without faith due to her parentage, in much the same way that Cloudtail is ThunderClan's token non-believer.)
I realize that I am fixating on Mothwing in this review much more than on Mistystar, and that's because Mothwing stood out more in this novella to me than the titular character. I would have preferred for Mistystar to have a storyline more centered on her than on a character (Mothwing) whose drama (being a medicine cat who doesn't believe in StarClan) has already been addressed at length by a character (Leafpool) whose perspective was prominent in several books ("The New Prophecy").
I am not rating this book lower, because I enjoy the aesthetics of RiverClan and many characters who make appearances in this novella (Bluestar, Mothwing, Feathertail, Crookedstar, Mudfur, etc.). Even when their storylines aren't especially compelling, the aesthetics of the characters' names alone sets a distinctive tone that I appreciate. Still, I'm not sure what I got out of this book besides frustrated and indignant.
terrabme's review against another edition
4.0
It was not as good as the title let on. Also the main character (Mistystar) had a strong bias or "stuck upness" towards one of the other characters, which, in my opinion, was a turn off. I still reaaly liked the book.
indigosparrow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
leonajasmin's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting insight into becoming a leader and the secrets a leader must keep from the rest of their Clan. It had an appropriate level of tension for the length of the book and good pacing with the different Clan and from the POV of a recurring character who has been out of the limelight for quite a while being bonuses.
cherrymandering's review against another edition
2.0
Definitly more about Mothwing than Mistystar, I'd say, though i see why it was written from her perspective. Wasn't a fan of how hopeless Mistystar was written, as i've always percived her as strongwilled in what she wanted, but came out much too overbearing in this, where Mothwing was the strongwilled one. Nice to look into Riverclan life, but just a unfortunate plotline to do it in.
lelenita's review against another edition
5.0
Mistystar is a great character and I loved reading about her. I love Mothwing too and I think she truly deserves to be a med cat.