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A review by enter_the_phantom
Graystripe's Vow by Erin Hunter
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
5.0
One of the best super editions! Graystripe is a beloved character and he deserves no less. I’m so glad his super edition did him justice.
This particular edition touches on a lot of the same themes as Squirrelflight’s Hope did, but is (ironically) much more hopeful. It’s a lovely character study for Graystripe, and does a great job showing the parts of his personality that made us fall in love with him way back in the very beginning of the saga. He really is the perfect cat to tell this particular story, and I think that unlike some of the other super editions ( Hawkwing’s Journey anyone?) this one is a very necessary story in the canon and serves an important purpose without providing a simple or easy answer to the Clans’ problems. The dual timeline is a new venture for this series, but it’s done really well, and fills in a big part of a major canonical event that we were missing before.
I also cannot begin to say how much I adore WarriorClan! They’re clearly meant to be an homage to the fandom itself, especially the many of us who grew up playing Warriors ourselves at recess. They’re the perfect way to continue the legacy of the Clans in the old territory, and the entire idea of a bunch of kittypets carrying on Firestar’s legacy (thanks to Smudge!) is just so incredibly sweet!
I also like that even though the animal-hoarding subplot was darkly realistic, the Twoleg in question was never demonised. I never thought Warriors would be a series to tackle the subject of human mental health crises, but they did it in a very kind way that allows for a happy ending for everyone. This could have been a very damaging portrayal for kids to see, but instead it’s dealt with in an excellent way that explains the crisis gently and sympathetically in a way that children can understand. Shockingly well done.
Overall I just really enjoyed this one, and I think it fits in perfectly with the rest of the series and is what a super edition should be—an intimate character study for a particular important cat that also allows for a deeper look into major events in the canon. More of this, please!
This particular edition touches on a lot of the same themes as Squirrelflight’s Hope did, but is (ironically) much more hopeful. It’s a lovely character study for Graystripe, and does a great job showing the parts of his personality that made us fall in love with him way back in the very beginning of the saga. He really is the perfect cat to tell this particular story, and I think that unlike some of the other super editions ( Hawkwing’s Journey anyone?) this one is a very necessary story in the canon and serves an important purpose without providing a simple or easy answer to the Clans’ problems. The dual timeline is a new venture for this series, but it’s done really well, and fills in a big part of a major canonical event that we were missing before.
I also cannot begin to say how much I adore WarriorClan! They’re clearly meant to be an homage to the fandom itself, especially the many of us who grew up playing Warriors ourselves at recess. They’re the perfect way to continue the legacy of the Clans in the old territory, and the entire idea of a bunch of kittypets carrying on Firestar’s legacy (thanks to Smudge!) is just so incredibly sweet!
I also like that even though the animal-hoarding subplot was darkly realistic, the Twoleg in question was never demonised. I never thought Warriors would be a series to tackle the subject of human mental health crises, but they did it in a very kind way that allows for a happy ending for everyone. This could have been a very damaging portrayal for kids to see, but instead it’s dealt with in an excellent way that explains the crisis gently and sympathetically in a way that children can understand. Shockingly well done.
Overall I just really enjoyed this one, and I think it fits in perfectly with the rest of the series and is what a super edition should be—an intimate character study for a particular important cat that also allows for a deeper look into major events in the canon. More of this, please!