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A review by ksd1441
The First Battle by Erin Hunter
5.0
Oh my goodness. Last 50 pages. This Warrior's set has taken The Turn. The first two books felt a little sluggish, but this one perked right up. Of course, with a title like The First Battle, you can't expect things to end well. I've read plenty of battles within the Warriors Universe and the one that concludes this volume is on the same level as The Last Hope (from Omen of the Stars). Yes, I am fangirl-ing over a bunch of cats. Shut up. I will be over there deeply bowing to the league that is Erin Hunter.
During the first two books of Dawn of the Clans, I had trouble feeling a connection to any of the characters. Something in this one changed. It was so magnetic right from the start. I was pulled to either side of the issue; I could see their reasonings, their struggles, their beliefs; I understood the actions of each despite their being misinformed. It was a twisty swirly soap opera of cats and it was EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED. And knowing a big battle would end it all? Excuse me while I go drop-kick my hope out the window.
The First Battle has now brought back an element to the Warriors World that I sorely missed in the first two books: StarClan. It doesn't really have that name yet (well, because neither group has been labeled a "clan" yet). But I got starry kitties and prophetic dreams and this huge spiritual surge of emotion that only comes with the Medicine cats and lost-souls. Things aren't completely set up yet, but holy crap those last two chapters... You may notice this book made it to my Tear-Bending shelf. Even though this shelf is reserved for books that make me sorely sad, few have physically made me cry. This book had me bawling (similarly to the ending of The Last Hope). I felt the pain welling and tried to hold it back, but damn you Kitties. One line and it all gushed out. Every single line of dialogue was so powerful. You wouldn't think it came from feral cats. People may not even believe me.
Anyway, I can't see the next three books of Dawn of the Clans losing this rebound. And now I have to wait another six months for the next one. I'll just live with my feels until then.
During the first two books of Dawn of the Clans, I had trouble feeling a connection to any of the characters. Something in this one changed. It was so magnetic right from the start. I was pulled to either side of the issue; I could see their reasonings, their struggles, their beliefs; I understood the actions of each despite their being misinformed. It was a twisty swirly soap opera of cats and it was EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED. And knowing a big battle would end it all? Excuse me while I go drop-kick my hope out the window.
The First Battle has now brought back an element to the Warriors World that I sorely missed in the first two books: StarClan. It doesn't really have that name yet (well, because neither group has been labeled a "clan" yet). But I got starry kitties and prophetic dreams and this huge spiritual surge of emotion that only comes with the Medicine cats and lost-souls. Things aren't completely set up yet, but holy crap those last two chapters... You may notice this book made it to my Tear-Bending shelf. Even though this shelf is reserved for books that make me sorely sad, few have physically made me cry. This book had me bawling (similarly to the ending of The Last Hope). I felt the pain welling and tried to hold it back, but damn you Kitties. One line and it all gushed out. Every single line of dialogue was so powerful. You wouldn't think it came from feral cats. People may not even believe me.
Anyway, I can't see the next three books of Dawn of the Clans losing this rebound. And now I have to wait another six months for the next one. I'll just live with my feels until then.