Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #3: Shattered Sky audiobook

I absolutely loved Shattered Sky! I'm finally feeling like the Warrior Cats is being taken in a new direction which is much needed. Don't get me wrong, I've absolutely adored all the storylines and series but I now feel as if this new series is completely different and I can't wait to see where the Erins take it.As usual, it was wonderfully written and had all the intrigue​ and plot twists that I love. I don't know how they still manage to write such intricate and amazing storylines after five (FIVE!!) series but I love it and I hope they never stop.

Well, this definitely upped the action and the plot from book 3! Basically it doesn't stop, and there is very little training, hunting etc that can sometimes bog these books down. Everything is geared toward Darktail taking over and the Clan cats resistance. I loved it!I will say again; there should be a lifting of the rule that cats can't mate outside their own Clan -hinthint- because every Clan needs fresh blood and well...there are characters that just need a little romance, ok? and it's been there forever, and it needs to happen. Also, I REALLY want to know which way Violetpaw and Twigpaw are going to choose for their home Clan? A fun book; and it's only the middle of the series. What will occupy the next three books? Payday can't come quickly enough so I can find out haha.

Kitty Clans finally forming Voltron. So proud.

** spoiler alert ** I'm so glad that the confrontation with Darktail is not being dragged out over all six books of this installment in the series. I wasn't sure this would be the case seeing how long it's taking for the villain in the Survivors series to be revealed. This was probably my favorite book of the new series simply because the characters seemed realistic and had relatable motivations. There were still times when Twigpaw seemed whiny and I felt like she needed to get over the fact that she didn't have real kin in the Clans besides Violetpaw (after all, even she realized blood doesn't have to be involved for a strong bond to exist). I will say I didn't like Needletail at all in the previous books because she was bratty and only cared about getting with Rain, but seeing the new side of her while she cares for the prisoners before herself and sacrificed her life to save Violetpaw's made her somewhat redeemable before her death (though I have to say I always shipped her with Alderheart- waaay more than I ever shipped her with Rain). I thought the plot twist that Darktail was Onestar's son was very interesting, but I did start to see it coming as soon as Darktail ranted about what Onestar did to him during their battle. That combined with the fact that he told Violetpaw he was never wanted made me guess the twist before it actually came. I guess his backstory explains why he had a name so similar to a Clan cat's. This is another case of a character who became extremely selfish and annoying finally getting a bit of redemption- though I still strongly dislike Onestar for everything he did anyway. I feel sympathy for him because his son turned out evil and was proof of his past mistakes, but at the same time he became snotty ever since he was promoted to leader of WindClan for no reason, so I still don't like him very much. I wasn't at all shocked that he was on his last life since that was pretty heavily hinted at, though I did think the way he and Darktail died was satisfyingly dramatic while also giving a lot of closure on their deaths. It's sad that Dawnpelt probably died that way herself but her body may never be found (although that must be one huge lake if it's been weeks since she was killed and her body- along with the bodies of the other cats Darktail killed- hasn't washed onto the shore yet). Surely some of the RiverClan warriors could swim around as a sort of search party for any of the dead cats' bodies? But maybe the lake is just way bigger than I imagined. I am excited to see what kind of conflicts will further the plot enough to fill three whole books in the rest of this series without it becoming too boring. I imagine the conflict of finding SkyClan a new home will make up one book, probably told through Violetpaw and Twigpaw as they decide where they want to live. I just hope that none of the rogues come back to try and stir up more trouble because I think they have been thoroughly deafeated and I don't wish to see them anymore. Also I just want to mention that Mistystar is the best leader and I think it's dumb that some cats don't believe in StarClan (like I'm all for representation about different viewpoints and such, but StarClan is literally undeniable in these books and it doesn't make sense for cats to think it's fake. Visions and prophecies that come true, dreams shared by multiple cats, magical powers given to three cats, the fact that leaders disappear to the Moonpool, claim to visit StarClan, then return with nine lives, and the entire battle between StarClan and the Dark Forest make those cats who don't believe in StarClan seem pretty dense. The explanation of Mothwing and Cloudtail believing the ghost warriors were "rogue cats who joined in the battle" is the dumbest excuse to further a plot point I've ever heard of. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention earlier that I thought the lead up to the "epic battle scene" seemed pretty lackluster considering at that point Darktail probably ad about fifteen rogues left fighting on his side while five entire Clans of cats fought against him. Twigpaw (or was it Violetpaw? I already forget) saying that there would probably be a lot of losses to the Clan cats seemed ridiculous considering the sheer number of cats fighting on their side compared to the lousy number of enemies. Or maybe I'm just underestimating again and I don't realize how many cats were actually on Darktail's side.

** spoiler alert ** Premise: ShadowClan has been taken over by a gang of rogues unlike any the Clans by the lake have ever seen – and it quickly becomes clear that their malicious leader, Darktail, is far from satisfied. RiverClan finds itself the next target of the tyrannical tom's greed for territory; WindClan cuts itself off from all the others; and all the while, ThunderClan is at a loss at what to do. But for their youngest medicine cat, Alderheart, the answer is obvious, if unexpected: If they want to defeat Darktail, StarClan's prophecy must be fulfilled and SkyClan must be found.Story/Writing: Wow. I've seriously gotta give a hand to the Erin Hunter team. Even though I hadn't expected the threat of Darktail to be ended this early on in the "Vision of Shadows" arc, I will say it was a satisfying end to his tyranny indeed! What this book also does really well is that delivers an equally satisfying payoff to all the emotional drama built up in the previous book, "Thunder and Shadow." Not only that, the payoff came in ways I did not see coming! While unexpected, the conclusion to a lot of the dilemmas that stretched my emotional tolerance thin in the last book really felt like they worked! Were this book in the hands of a lesser writer, the story probably wouldn't have been nearly as convincing and fitting. It would probably feel as if it weren't trying hard enough or trying too hard. The outcomes given to us in this story struck that perfect balance, to me at least. Not to mention some big secrets are revealed and contribute to the story in a way that you can tell the authors put a lot of time and effort into working it all out. Not to mention the pacing is so good! There are a lot of things going on, but it felt like the exact right amount of time was given to each storyline going on simultaneously. While there is some exposition to fill in some of the blanks, it again feels like the right amount and never feels like the authors are trying to give a lazy explanation for how certain things turn out the way they do. And of course there are some seriously intense moments and scenes in this book that caused me to read slower than I usually do, given how much I had to take in. That said, there were also moments and scenes that filled me with a sense of euphoria you can only get when something you've been waiting to happen for so long finally happen! Not the least of which is the return of SkyClan after suffering so much loss and hardship over nearly a year of near-aimless wandering.Characters: If the last book taught me anything about good writing that the rest of the series didn't (actually it already has, but I don't care), it's that characters drive the story and that cats are people too! Well, maybe not that last one but, you know what I mean! And even if some character dilemmas do feel repeated – such as the relationship between two brothers or two sisters, which is pretty common in this series – they feel different enough to be their own thing and not just a rehash of another. That was one thing that drove me nuts about the book (in a good way), that the sisters keep missing each other and the whole time I was thinking, "Come on book, let them reunite!"Alderheart – Barely eighteen months old at this point and already Alderheart has won my heart as one of my favorite medicine cats, and that's not because he's from ThunderClan! I mean, yes, ThunderClan is usually the most focused on out of all the Clans, I'm pretty confident that I would love Alderheart just as much no matter what Clan he came from! He's got a ton of things to deal with and a ton of cats to worry about, both as a medicine cat and as a character. For most of the arc so far, he's pretty much the only character with any certainty that finding SkyClan and bringing them to the lake to live with the rest of the Clans is the key to fulfilling StarClan's prophecy. It just so happens to come about in a way he wasn't expecting. For example, he never really stops to think if Twigpaw and Violetpaw could be SkyClan cats until he sees Hawkwing in one of his visions. He also has to wonder if it's more important to find SkyClan or deal with the immediate threat of Darktail and his rogues. I also shared his heartache and concern for Twigpaw, Violetpaw, and even Needletail. You can tell how attached he is to Twigpaw and how much he loves her (not in that way) when he finds out she's run off to find SkyClan by herself, and even more so when he learns she might be dead. But that makes their reunion later all the more sweet and heartwarming! Yet when he's worrying about Twigpaw while she's gone and even when he thinks she's dead, that doesn't distract him from playing his part in getting rid of the rogues. Even if the idea ultimately failed, I thought it was a brilliant notion to put Darktail and his closest Kin to sleep with poppy seeds while the RiverClan prisoners escape. It's an idea only a medicine cat could think of! Not to mention he now has bragging rights now that SkyClan has come to the lake!Twigpaw – Man does Twigpaw go places in this book, both physically and as a character! From the beginning she has serious personal issues to deal with. First her own sister attacks her, or at least makes the attempt. Then she learns she might have other kin besides Violetpaw in a long-lost Clan, only to have pretty much no one support her in her desire to find them. So she goes off on her own. After getting chased by dogs, she gets hit by a car, survives a trip to the vet and escapes, and wanders near-aimlessly for days. Yet Skystar (Yes, I know it's Skystar!) cheers her on in her dreams and she FINALLY comes across SkyClan! Finally something good happens for them both after going through so much for so long! Not only that – she meets her father, at last; and is later reunited with her sister, AT LAST! Despite her youth, Twigpaw has come so far in such a short amount of time. Her courage and determination and hope for something better keep her going, particularly on her search for SkyClan. She never stops loving her sister even when she attempts to attack Twigpaw. And her best qualities are rewarded in the best ways possible! If only one of the sisters joins SkyClan, I hope it's her! She obviously has the skills, judging by how well she climbs trees. But whatever her decision, I know she's going to make a one-of-a-kind warrior that any Clan would be proud to have!Violetpaw – I have to give just as much credit, if not more, to Violetpaw for the things she's gone through and the definite trauma she's endured! Her character arc is pretty similar to Ivypool's from "Omen of the Stars." But whereas Ivypool was spying on the Dark Forest for the Three, Violetpaw literally cannot leave Darktail's "Kin" without risking her life. Despite making the decision to stay with the "Kin" when they take over ShadowClan at the end of "Thunder and Shadow," you can tell early on in this book that she clearly does not want to be there. Yet at the same time, you seriously cannot blame her for the choice she made, while it was obvious that she was manipulated into making it. She wanted to be secure and stable in her relationships. At the very least, she wanted to be with Needletail, who was the closest thing she had to a friend in ShadowClan. Yet the "Kin" are not only even more disorganized than ShadowClan was before it was taken over, it's led by the most unstable and unpredictable cat she's ever met. Not to mention that same cat hangs around her so much it's creepy. You can't help but feel for her and her awful situation! And it makes you root for her all the more when she finally decides she can no longer tolerate Darktail's tyranny and instead chooses to help ThunderClan bring him down by smuggling the most vulnerable cats out and even attempting to drug her so-called leader (for lack of a better way to put it). Even when she's told her sister might be dead, even when she's forced to watch Darktail nearly drown her only friend to the point where she begs him to stop, she never wavers in her resolve! Again, a lot like Ivypool, but she's forced to endure quite a bit more trauma and even tragedy! I'm so glad she and Twigpaw reunited and made up! I cannot wait to see them become warriors!Needletail – Man, talk about going back and forth on my feelings toward this character. The closest previous example I can think of is Clear Sky. While I certainly don't excuse the bad things she's done, I was nothing short of amazed at how convincingly her character turns around! I mean, yes, it does start because Darktail killed her boyfriend, but still! Once that happens, as time goes on, you can tell that Needletail is just as trapped as Violetpaw, if not more. It was honestly kinda touching when she allowed Alderheart and Mothwing to gather some of Mothwing's herbs, knowing very well the danger she would face if she got caught. And what do you know, she does! And she gets caught because Darktail tricked Violetpaw into telling him it was her. So she's tossed in to suffer with the prisoners. She's starved and weakened like they are. Then she's dragged out and is forced to suffer on account of Violetpaw again when Darktail nearly drowns her. And finally, she's ordered to kill Violetpaw to prove her loyalty. Despite how appalled I was at what she'd done in the last book, I knew that Needletail deserved none of the terrible things she suffered. Given that most of it was because of Violetpaw, she arguably had no reason to be loyal to her in the end. And yet not only does she remain loyal to Violetpaw…she sacrifices her own life by letting Darktail and his rogues shred her so Violetpaw can get away! Geez! She may once have been on my potential villains list, but now I know for sure that Needletail is a hero!Darktail – Wow…just…wow, was Darktail absolutely terrible in this (in the weirdly good sort of way)! Despite his claims that kinship should not depend merely on blood relations and that all cats are equal (both of which are true), reading this book showed me what an absolute sadist he is! He's honestly probably the most sadistic villain in the series. Even more than Scourge! Whereas Scourge was certainly bloodthirsty, Darktail looks for ways to emotionally break his victims, which is arguably worse than simply shredding them. He knows how to play to a cat's weaknesses, he obviously is very good at attracting cats to his cause – such as when he tricks the kittypets into joining the "Kin" – yet he's also very much willing to commit what we would call war crimes. He not only sends the elders and kittypets to the front line of battle, he also holds the injured RiverClan warriors hostage and won't even allow them to bury their dead! Not to mention, man…that scene where he forces Violetpaw to watch while he nearly drowns Needletail will go down in my book as one of the most disturbing and traumatic scenes in the series. And you can tell all the while that he enjoys every bit of suffering he doles out. That said, I do appreciate that we finally learn of his origins. We learn why he hates the Clans so much and why he's so determined to destroy them. Who'd have thought he had daddy issues? Onestar's rejection of him clearly left him nuts, and his mother certainly didn't help much when she fostered and encouraged his hatred of everything to do with the Clans and Onestar in particular. Yet despite all his attempts to inflict as much suffering as possible on the Clans, he dies in the most poetically justifying way by getting drowned in the lake himself.Various Other Characters – Speaking of Onestar, after reading quite a few books where he's descended into a shell of his former self, I was surprised at how much sympathy I felt for him! While I did kinda already know that Darktail was his son, I was curious as to how that happened and how his son became so evil. And it actually does make sense of not only Darktail's behavior but Onestar's as of late at this point. He got romantically involved with a kittypet, and knew he could never live it down with his Clan, so he turned both her and their son away. What really got me though was what Darktail told Onestar during the opening battle, which caused him to call WindClan to retreat – that the Dark Forest would gladly welcome a father who rejected and later killed his own son – and basically made him fear for his last life. That really made my opinion of Onestar change – especially when he sacrificed his last life in the noblest if most tragic way possible, when he and Darktail drown each other in the lake during the final battle. With that in mind, I liked how the other leaders were portrayed as well. I felt particularly bad for Mistystar. Her warriors got the worst of the opening battle, and then RiverClan's territory was invaded while they were still vulnerable. And even if Rowanstar is partly at fault for not driving out the rogues in the first place, I'm glad he gained much more of a backbone and even regained the respect of most of his Clanmates at the end. Bramblestar was an incredible leader as always. In fact, he's got even more to deal with than usual – particularly having to let three whole Clans live in the hollow in addition to his own. I'm so happy that Leafstar has finally taken her place in the leader council, so to speak. She adjusts well and proves to be as diplomatic and wise and discerning as she's always been. I thought Loki and Zelda were cute and even admirable for their commitment to help the Clans defeat Darktail, given they were kittypets he recruited. I thought the RiverClan prisoners fighting back was such a thrilling part to read. But the one minor character I was most invested in was Hawkwing. From the moment they first appeared, I was certain that Twigpaw and Violetpaw must be the children of Hawkwing and Pebbleshine. And I was so happy to be proven right! It is sad that Pebbleshine isn't alive to be with them, but it was still so heartwarming to see this father finally reunite with the daughters he'd never met till then but always loved before they were even born!Overall: Not only am I now halfway through the "Vision of Shadows" arc, this is also the seventieth title I've read in the series. I currently have less than ten left to read until I'm caught up with this series, which is kinda surreal. But anyway, this book itself was so thrilling and so emotionally satisfying, and I'm looking forward to seeing SkyClan finally settle by the lake!

I liked that we got more perspective on other characters in this book, and it wasn’t focused on just one. I wish that the timeline for Skyclan was a little more clear, since the Skyclans Destiny book but hopefully the next book will show more. I loved this book a lot and I can’t wait to read the next.

Why does this feel like the end of Vision of Shadows already?

Just when you thought things couldn't get more complicated between Violetpaw and her relationship to the Kin, THEY DID!!! In my opinion, anyways. It was always so back and forth with her. I've lost count of the times she switched sides. And I'm mad at Needletail. 'Cause Needletail was supposed to be good. She was such a complex character, who changed and grew so much. I'm at least glad I knew her...*sighs*.Anyways.Twigpaw and Violetpaw's relationship is annoying.Whenever one of them didn't return a purr the other one flipped out and hid in the den and filled the pages with mournful murmurings of, "Why is she ignoring me? Why didn't ____ switch to my clan? Doesn't she love me?" IDIOTS! Just because your sis decides not to switch Clans and start a whole new way of life, doesn't mean she doesn't love you! And the amount of sneaking back and forth they did between their Clans was ridiculous. There were probably scent trails of opposite Clans all over their territories. And of course our special snowflakes don't get punished, because they're SPECIAL, a fact repeated to us many times over the series. Way too much sister drama. Honestly, I'm glad I don't have a sister now after reading about what it's like...And for the record, Violetpaw actually has a backbone and was way cooler than Twizzlepaw.Violetpaw was so much more mature.And Onestar was a mousebrain, but everyone knew that. And then at the end when they're all praising him for being such a "noble" leader, I was completely lost. When was Onestar EVER noble? He was just...annoying. And idiotic.

YES! IT HAPPENED!The event that I have been waiting for since Firestar's Quest has come out!I'm still in shock.I will say that (view spoiler)[ the 'death' of Twigpaw was very unnecessary, and I could tell from the beginning that she was going to be alright. (hide spoiler)]Also... did Darktail go mind-crazy? I couldn't tell if he was evil or insane the entire book. And, especially for being a kids book, this book was really dark and gory. I mean, drowning a cat for not being loyal enough? Blinding a cat? Starving cats almost to death? I mean, Erins, chill out a little. One little nitpick that I had was that I felt that the story went to fast, especially with things such as (view spoiler)[ Twigpaw and Violetpaw reuniting with Hawkwing. Their relationship was perfect the second they met. That's not how that works. (hide spoiler)].Otherwise, I loved it!

I couldn't put this book down. Literally! I finished it in a day! This book was a great continuation to the A Vision of Shadows series. To be honest, I'm not sure what the new conflict will be for the rest of the series. But I love how all the new characters have developed throughout the series and I'm excited to see how much more they will develop throughout the second half of the series. The energy in this book never stop, the tension and emotions were high. I enjoy reading about my favorite character in the entire Warriors collection, Alderheart, and how his emotions were portrayed in this book, especially through his love for Twigpaw and Violetpaw. As always, the Erin Hunters have never ceased to amaze me through the warriors saga!

The state of ShadowClan's uncorrected opinions on the warrior code has caused Rowanstar to lose not only his territory but Darktail has even managed to sway warriors and apprentice's to join him from the Clan. Darktail, his rogues and his ideals are a threat to all of the Clans but they won't be able to defeat him if the rifts between the Clans continue to widen. RiverClan is barely recovering, ThunderClan and ShadowClan are figuring out how to share a camp and Onestar has forced WindClan to sever all ties to the other Clans and close their borders.Alderheart is convinced that his original prophecy to find the remaining cats of SkyClan is essential to the survival of all five Clans. Will the Clans be able to fulfill the prophecy StarClan laid out for them before Darktail and his rogues destroy the Clans and the warrior code in one fell swoop?There is a LOT of upheaval in this book - the appearance of Darktail and his rogues have taken a toll on the Clans and made age old Clan vs. Clan complaints regarding behavior make a return. I really have grown to like Violetpaw's character and she has come along way from where she was. As for Twigpaw, she's still a little bit to much like Alderpaw with all the self doubt and constantly needing assurance for something but she DOES survive a solo trek to come back with SkyClan in tow. Onestar's big secret isn't as shocking as it was cowardly, he at least admitted his mistake to all Clan cats but not before it became essentially a requirement. As much as I didn't like Needletail's attitude she redeemed herself in a really big way and she reminds me a little bit of Yellowfang.Solving the prophecy given to Alderheart was a little anticlimactic for me, I know that having SkyClan at the lake will complicate several matters. They really were only relevant to finally being able to drive the rogues from the territory after each clan remembers where their strengths lie. Violetpaw and Twigpaw having kin within the SkyClan wasn't a huge surprise even though it wasn't who they were looking for. I am interested to see where they will choose to go - with their blood kin or stay with the Clans that raised them. I would recommend this book (and series) to middle-grade readers who love cats (or anyone who does), low fantasy and anthropomorphism.

Once again I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a Warriors book... it seems that this series has potential to be one of the most exciting yet! The action from the last book didn’t let up once throughout Shattered Sky, but it was nice to see so many characters come together for a common purpose. Here’s hoping I can remember one in five names, though, with all these new characters.

This book surprised me. I thought it wouldn’t be that good and I wouldn’t enjoy it but it was actually pretty good. (My fav part though was probably when they quoted darth vadar 😂). I also liked how they put in onestar’s secret.

I loved this book because if there are people who like cats this is a good book.This book would be perfect for 5th graders who like cats.If you like series you will like this series.Twigpaw goes out to find Skyclan but what if she can't get Skyclan back home at all.

I think the Erins are trying to kill us! The last half of this book just flew by! The events in this book made me gasp and it got so bad, to point that my cat had to keep coming up to me to make sure I was okay haha Onto the next book!

Darktail is certainly proving himself to be a true villain. If I dared to suggest it, I'd even say he was worse than Scourge was. And we all know what he's like. But the Erin's are certainly outdoing themselves this time. While I've enjoyed every Warriors book so far, I must say that this series does the best at keeping you hooked.And also, SKYCLAN!

im so mad im still here reading these books- and they're GOOD??? im lividhad me crying in a couple places -ACTUALLY CRYING-!! I am a 25 year old adult and this warriors book made me CRY, you do not know my FURY that these books are making me cry when i've been reading them since i was 8 i have clearly lost control of myselfthere's cat fascism now? so that's cool. this fun and exciting book for kids introduces concepts such as prisoners of war! war *crimes*. espionage! betrayal and murderous intent!so yeah just another warriors book /sI really did enjoy it (I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID). recently for a lot of Warriors I've been feeling like the story-line has been going through the motions like 'border skirmish here. one clan is being a jerk here. big battle here. someone dies. la-di-da-di-da--but this arc is really grabbing me, gdangit! im actually intrigued and terrified of the villain ((view spoiler)[ who i'm not totally convinced is dead, same for Onesie over here (hide spoiler)]) and I relate to Alder{redacted} so much that it makes me mad, how dare. especially as someone in the medical community. this dumb orange cat reminds me of how it was when i first started working in the nursing field and HOW DARE THIS BOOK BE RELATABLEi put the next one on hold from my local library as soon as i got this one- UGHHhi read my previous review for the books in this arc beforehand and it cracks me up how much some of it came back- like how Onestar is a turd. though my comment about riverclan having nothing to do kinda bit me on the butt, woopsieregarding the BIG PLOT TWIST it kinda makes sense??? and honestly it answers everyone's question we've had since the very beginning- (view spoiler)[WHY DID ONEWHISKER BECOME SUCH A MEANIE AFTER HE BECAME LEADER (hide spoiler)] and now we know. it's because of B a Ck sTo ry~ though im still kinda playing around in my head on if that's something that was just slapped in there or if it was planned from the very beginning. i have QUESTIONS--one thing that kind of upsets me about (view spoiler)[ onestar's character and death is how unimpressed i felt by it. i actually CRIED when purdy died and it was the dumbest thing ever (cats knowing what and how to do CPR cracks me up, that's gonna fuel me for WEEKS-), but when onestar (APPARENTLY) "dies" (I'm very much not convinced he's dead. show me the body), i felt NOTHING. and i feel like that kinda means something. at the very least to me it means that his character was kind of ruined- at least to me he was. and that kinda sucks. like this is a character we've known since BOOK 2, FIRE AND ICE from the OG series! it's the equivalent of watching Ravenpaw die or something and yet- having Onestar supposedly "die" gave me nothing more than a feeling of....'meh. oh well'. and that really sucks. because i remember really liking him. so i'm bummed that it's reached this point where his even something as monumental as his death doesn't really mean anything to me or hit any kind of powerful emotion like when Firestar or Sandstorm died. idk. just stinks all around (hide spoiler)]REGARDLESS. im gonna keep reading the arc. because i'm curious. and i have questions. and i wanna see where all this is going. and gosh darnit i'm still hooked on these stinkin cat books