Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #6: The Raging Storm audiobook

** spoiler alert ** It started out slow, with lots of messy conflict and unnecessary romantic subplots that I felt I had to grit my teeth to get through. The bits with Finleap and Twigbranch were miserable, and Finleap was insufferable. The only real plot line I was interested in was the one with Alderheart and ShadowClan. However, the pace really picked up towards the end, when all of the Clans realized their mistakes. It was refreshing for a leader to not only see the error of his ways, but to apologize for it and promise to make it right. Not only that, it was nice to see an antagonist character who was truly good, but did bad things for what he thought was right, and then when punished, accepted that what he did was wrong and tried to fix it not to redeem himself, but simply to do good.Finleap and Twigbranch making amends felt right, rather than forced, and the Clans all working together at the end to make sure everyone had equal share of the territory was genuinely heartwarming and left me feeling happy. I thought this book was going to be full of unnecessary deaths and evil characters and would leave me with a feeling of despair and annoyance, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.

I love this series! It was so good. I cant wait to read the Broken Code!!!!

I loved this series. The sixth series is amazing. It brings such joy into everything. I can’t wait for the next series yahhh

That was a good ending, sometimes they have to much drama, but this one was nice and smooth. Finleaps character changed a lot, in a bad way, I hope that will get better in the next series. I can’t wait to read the next series!

OOOOOOOHHHHH!!! This book was amazing! But, what is wrong with Twigbranch????? This book was so interesting, and by far my favorite book in this sub series. I don't understand why the series HAS to go on. I mean, the Clans are PEACEFUL right now, which usually is very rare!

** spoiler alert ** Tigerstar is still a jerk. Putting your clan first is fine but when it costs the lives of other cats who helped you when Shadow Clan had fallen apart, then it's just cruel. Also, I'm over grumpy Mistystar. I understand that she's been through a lot but she being cruel and calling it taking care of her clan. Also, some cat needs to just be on 24/7 watch on Shadowkit. Tree and Violetshine is my new OTP, they are way too cute together.

This Warriors series has been significantly better than the one before it (Dawn of the Clans), and I was satisfied by the ending. I’m getting pretty close to finishing my full Warriors reread!

** spoiler alert ** Premise: Tigerheart has returned to take up the mantle of leadership of the new ShadowClan as Tigerstar. But ShadowClan's revival doesn't immediately bring peace. When they give SkyClan an ultimatum to surrender their land or fight for it, the remaining battle-weary Clans prefer to draw back and let the two feuding Clans settle the dispute themselves. Yet it soon becomes clear that SkyClan's place by the lake isn't the only one that's at stake. The real question is, can the five warrior Clans be saved from the coming tempest that threatens to destroy them all?Story/Writing: Man, I seriously need to learn to adjust my expectations when I come to these books! But I mean that in the absolute best way! I'm just saying that I'd assumed that now that ShadowClan had come back, things would be at least a little easier for the Clans. But this book was kind enough to remind me that SkyClan still needed to fight for their place among the warrior Clans beside the lake. And I do mean fight for it! This concluding volume of the "Vision of Shadows" arc pulls no punches and sheathes no claws when it comes to conflict. It's called "The Raging Storm" for a reason, and not just because there is an actual raging storm near the end. There's a storm of emotions and tension and drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat, especially if you've been reading the whole arc up to this point! It was particularly impactful for me given I've been reading this series in chronological order. So I knew very well already all that SkyClan had gone through to take its rightful place beside the warrior Clans. I also thought I knew well by the time I picked this up that they would still have to go through a ton more before they finally did make their permanent home beside the lake. But boy was I wrong about the latter! I just could not put this book down! I knew that things would most likely turn out well for SkyClan. But man, experiencing the road they take to get there was an emotionally rough yet extremely satisfying trip! The authors of the Erin Hunter team do such a fantastic job of getting us invested in both personal and larger conflicts that the Clans and their important players face. By the time we get to the end, when the storm has passed and the four Clans finally do what they should've done in the first place, it really does feel so earned and that SkyClan has at last been vindicated. It makes you seriously wonder if last peace between all the Clans is finally possible, even though we now know that's not the case given that the authors are still writing the "Broken Code" arc. But still! It seriously gives you the sense that SkyClan's long and hard road of returning to the Clans has at last come to an end!Characters: This cast of characters I honestly think is one of the most morally complex in any of the books. What I mean by that is no one is completely right or completely wrong, completely good or completely bad. If anything, the real villain in the end is the storm. That said, I do kinda feel bad sometimes for StarClan, given how stubborn the warrior Clans can be when it comes to listening to them and taking them seriously.Alderheart – It's fun in this series to look at characters as they were when introduced at the beginning of the arc and compare that picture to how they are at the end. And I think it's safe to say that Alderheart really has come into his own as a medicine cat and as a character. He feels like his own cat rather than just a shadow of Leafpool and Jayfeather. This book in my opinion features him at his best! You really feel for him and his dilemma! He's a simple medicine cat who wants to do the will of StarClan and wants to see it carried out among the Clans as well. Yet he has such a hard time making everyone see reason 'cause everyone is so stubborn and only seems to care about what's right in front of them rather than the bigger picture. Not to mention his friend and fellow medicine cat Puddleshine is reaching death's door from the injuries he sustained in the chain-link fence mesh (Do NOT leave stuff like that lying around!). He's tried everything to the point where he's willing to use deathberry flesh. He's so committed to his job yet he still has to convince even his mentors! That said, it was cool to see him gain ShadowClan's respect and to see him bond with Shadowkit. And it was such a thrill reading about him putting everything on the line to expose Juniperclaw's dirty trick! If there's any kind of lasting peace between the Clans, I seriously hope Alderheart is remembered for his part in it!Twigbranch – It was also great to see Twigbranch really come into her own as a ThunderClan warrior! It was so great to read about her receiving her warrior name (which I think is excellent) in "River of Fire" after all the hard work she's gone through and all the times she's had to prove herself! I was looking forward to seeing her as a full-time warrior, and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed! She's now training her first apprentice and like most first-timers at almost everything, she's having a hard time adjusting. While you could argue she is a bit harsh with Flypaw at times, I admit that early on I felt about as frustrated with her apprentice as she did. That said, you can also tell she's trying and that she does care about Flypaw. Again, like most of us, she tries multiple angles and methods until she finds the one that fits her student, even though actually finding it takes her awhile. This also plays into the particular problem she's having with Finleap – namely that he wants kits and she wants to wait – which, again, is a typical relationship problem, especially for newlyweds. I must say though I'm glad she's being wise about it and recognizing that she wants to get more experience as a warrior and mentor, rather than just rushing into having kits with Finleap in an attempt to immediately solve the problem. It's also great that she's assertive and defends her choice. But of course, her relationship issues aren't the only things she has to deal with. I got so excited when she came up with the idea to gather SkyClan supporters from each of the Clans to go find SkyClan and bring them home. She may not be a Clan leader, but she has serious leadership skills!Violetshine – It was such a joy to see how far Violetshine has come as a warrior and as a character, given her very troubled and unstable – even traumatic upbringing. She's finally found a place where she really belongs, with kin and Clanmates to love and be loved by her. Again, like her sister Twigbranch, she may not be a Clan leader, but she's really inspiring and will clearly do anything for her Clan. She really added the emotional core to SkyClan's dilemma. Both she and they have been tossed around and been through so much that you really wish life would just cut them a break. While she does understandably still feel some sympathy toward ShadowClan, since they raised her, it's clear that she will fight almost anybody to the death for her true Clan. And she'll go with them anywhere, even if that means giving up the tom she loves best (other than her father). Probably her best moment though was just after she helped to rescue Sunnypaw from sinking in the mud, and she gives them a speech that might as well have been pre-prepared given how good it is! She tells them of how she's seen what happens when a Clan falls apart, and that not only is she sure that SkyClan won't go the same way, she will personally make sure that they don't. After all, she arguably single-handedly vindicated her Clan when she saw Juniperclaw beside the fresh-kill pile during ShadowClan's raid of the SkyClan camp, and thereby provided herself as the only witness. Speaking of whom, it's really surprising, especially when you remember that he purposely poisoned one of her Clanmates, that she trusts Juniperclaw with her life and the lives of her kits when he rescues her from the torrent, and at the cost of his own life. Overall, I'm so glad Violetshine has grown into such a strong and confident young warrior, and I can't wait to see her raise her kits with Tree!Tigerstar II and Leafstar – On the one hand, it's easy at first to just place both leaders and their Clans in the basic good and bad category. But this book in my opinion does a really good job at making sure no one is completely right or wrong in this situation – which of course is that Tigerstar wants Leafstar to give up the land ShadowClan gave to SkyClan while she wants him to back off. If you've read the previous books, it's easier to see that both sides to bring up legitimate points. With Tigerstar, I mean, yes, he could've been a bit more diplomatic and less insulting about things. But he's also a new leader, and he's of course nowhere near as terrible as his grandfather was. When he first became leader, ShadowClan had ceased to exist for awhile because of Darktail's villainy and Rowanclaw's disastrous leadership. He obviously loves his Clan and will do almost anything to put them back on their feet. When he's forced to face the fact that his deputy pulled such a dirty trick, he admits he made a bad choice and I approve his new choice of Cloverfoot as deputy. Furthermore, even though he tries to insist that Shadowkit is only having bad dreams rather than visions, you can tell it's because he loves his son and doesn't want to see anything bad happen to him. Plus, he does have a good point that ShadowClan shouldn't be the only Clan to make room for SkyClan. Which brings me to Leafstar. She's obviously an older and much more experienced leader, but you can also tell that her patience and faith are being stretched thin given how she's gone above and beyond in getting her own Clan through one of the toughest periods in its history. She levels some serious accusations against the Clans about how their actions almost never line up with their words. But it feels justified given how we've experienced those hardships along with her and her Clan. Even though she does go against the will of StarClan by deciding to take SkyClan back to the gorge, and ends up trapping them in the flood instead, it's still understandable given how tired she is and wants things to be easy for once.Finleap and Tree – While I'm not the biggest fan of relationship drama being a driving force in a story, I've really come to care about these characters so that I do care about their relationships! First off, there's Finleap and Twigbranch. Despite how much he pushes her to have kits with him, the book does a really good job making us look at things from his point of view. He only really left SkyClan to be with Twigbranch. But when he sneaks off to visit his ill sister and gets into (rightful) trouble for it, he's only now starting to realize that he's left his kin behind along with his Clan. He thinks that the only way he'll ever truly belong in his new Clan is if he has kin. And he believes the only way to get what he wants is to have kits with Twigbranch, even though she doesn't think she's ready yet. It really did get me in the feels to see them argue about it, but that made it all the better when they do make up in the end! As for Tree, you could argue that he's being kinda selfish by preferring the life of a loner over leaving with SkyClan. But you also have to look at things from his point of view, just like with Finleap. He's used to living a loner's life, and he gets so frustrated and downcast when it seems neither ShadowClan nor SkyClan will allow him to do his job and mediate. He thinks he could never fit in as a member of not only SkyClan but any Clan. And yet, as is the case a lot in real life, it isn't until he loses SkyClan and especially Violetshine that he realizes how much both mean to him. So it was awesome to see him guide Twigbranch and her cats on the journey to find and bring back both of them! And what made it all the better was finding out that Tree and Violetshine were going to be parents!Various Other Characters – This part might be a bit shorter than usual, but that's how it is. Like Twigbranch, I felt myself getting really frustrated at Flypaw and how easily distracted she was. But once they found a method that clicked with her, and especially when she went on the quest to help find SkyClan and bring them back, she became much more promising. And even if she is easily distracted, she at least wants to try. I also thought it was fantastic that there were warriors from every Clan (except maybe ShadowClan) who wanted SkyClan to stay and wanted to follow the will of StarClan, to the point where they were willing to go on that quest with Tree and Twigbranch. It was alarming to read about Juniperclaw poisoning Sparrowpelt on purpose, yet it sadly didn't surprise me. What did surprise me though was that he wasn't totally evil but seriously misguided. He did want to help his Clan and to keep them from what he saw as fighting endlessly for their territory. But as Tigerstar said, a Clan that doesn't fight for what it believes in is no Clan at all. I was also seriously surprised when he sacrificed himself to save Violetshine (the cat who told on him) and Shadowkit (the son of the leader who cast him out). I thought Bramblestar, even if he was a bit misguided himself, did the best he could and that he didn't make his decisions lightly, however disagreeable I thought them to be. It was great that he was willing to give SkyClan some of ThunderClan's land and convinced all the other Clans to adjust their borders as well. I was so happy that Puddleshine pulled through, not just for Alderheart's sake or even because I didn't want ShadowClan to once again live through that awful situation of losing their only medicine cat, but because Puddleshine himself is so endearing and likable. But for me, probably my favorite scene in the whole book is when Tree makes Pebbleshine appear, allowing her to say her final goodbyes to her beloved mate and their kits! It was so bittersweet, simultaneously happy and sad. At least she can now rest and move on to StarClan!Overall: Another arc that was bittersweet to finish but did not at all end on a bittersweet note! It feels SO good to have SkyClan back among the warrior Clans again! I can't wait to see how this will form their future and how the young characters who lived through this momentous period will turn out! This is the seventy-fifth title I've read in this series, and I am still eager to read more!

I believe that Raging Storm was a good ending to the vision of shadows arc. However, it is still far from my favorite warriors book. I think Finleap was slightly out of character, and forgiven too quickly for what he did. I am glad Dovewing is safe, as she is still one of my favorite cats. Her child, Shadowkit, is an interested new character, and I hope he stays as one. Violetshine's family will be interesting, and I am excited to find out more. Overall, a good book, and I am excited to see what will happen in The Broken Code.

A beautiful conclusion to the series. Can't wait to see what the seventh installment is going to bring.

I already know how it will end. But, I couldn't sleep and always wondered how they would try to keep the peace between their clans.

** spoiler alert ** "Loyalty is more important than anything."This series as a whole was not perfect, but I'm glad I read it. This series was my gateway into reading, and it holds some of my favorite characters from my childhood. While it was really good to see everyone again, I had my problems with this series. The new characters did not seem fully developed, we did not see as much of the old guard as I would have liked, and some of the plot points seemed rushed. Previously, everything seemed nicely placed throughout the six books, but this time it felt chopped up and sometimes unclear. I also really hated how the romances for Twigbranch and Violetshine seemed to pop up out of nowhere. It was rushed and completely unnecessary. The other thing that I hated was the issues of loyalty throughout this series particularly. Dovewing leaves ThunderClan to be with Tigerstar, and then joins ShadowClan? It's seriously like WTF, that is not the Dovewing I knew from Omen of the Stars. Cats were switching sides ever which way and loyalty to your clan was not taken seriously anymore. That pissed me off more than anything. Loyalty to your clan in this series all together was more important than anything, and I remember it being a really big deal if a cat left or betrayed their clan. Now, it's just like "whatever, no one really cares". The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars is because of the mystery aspect to it. I enjoyed the thrill of wondering what was going to happen with SkyClan and the mystery with the death berries. I'm glad it ended the way that it did, but if I know anything about this series is that peace doesn't last forever.

Definitely another 5+ stars!!I've enjoyed every book from the very1st one. I've laughed and cried througheach of them and this is no exception. Iknow they were written for the youngerreaders, but even though I'm 66 I definitelyenjoy reading them. I adore cats and thesebooks are so entertaining that I can't getenough of them. I truly hope this series goeson and on!! So many heart stopping momentsand nail biting scenes!! There were times I readwith one eye, about to fall asleep because Icouldn't wait to see what happened. Many asleepless night with this series!! Absolutely loveit!!!!

Rating: 7 out of 10A nice ending for the AVoS series! I especially enjoyed Alderheart chapters, and loved seeing him stand up for what he believes in. This one had more romance than the others but, for once, I didn’t mind. Leafstar was fantastic, really showed she cared a lot about her Clan and took the decisions she considered to be the best. Twigbranch really showed her growth and was pretty heroic. Juniperclaw was an unexpected (but pleasant) surprise and I really liked his character. I highly recommend this series to everyone! In my opinion, it doesn’t disappoint.

Loved this book!!

I've been keeping up with the Warriors series for seven years now. The beginning of this latest arc held promise, and at times, I really enjoyed the writing. But the whole series became less interesting with every book. From the beginning, it sounded like Violetshine and Twigbranch were going to have a role as big as the Three from Omen of the Stars. However, that didn't happen. And the end to this series was honestly, just not that great in comparison to the Darkest Hour (original arc) and the Last Hope (Omen of the Stars).Despite my disappointment over how the arc ended, there was a lot of things that I did like about this book (which is why I gave it 4 stars). The relationship between Twigbranch and Finleap wrapped up well with them finally having a good conversation. I'm glad Violetshine got things worked out with Tree, and that Skyclan is settled. The four clans did manage to work together to get Skyclan back permanently, though I do wonder what the heck happened to Tigerstar! He had much promise at the end of Tigerheart's Shadow, but then went off the deep end in this book. I get that fear changes cats/people into what they're not originally (Clear Sky for example), but this was against all previous characterization. In any case, the book wasn't bad, just not up to the end of an arc standard set by other arcs (as pointed out by other reviewers).While I love most of the Warriors books, in my opinion, I think it might be time for an end of the 6 book arcs. The Last Hope was a great place to end everything, but I still enjoyed going back to the beginning with the Dawn of the Clans arc and seeing what came next in Bramblestar's Storm (which also would've made a good place to stop). Novellas and super editions are fine, but the books are starting to get thin and start to sound alike. Not to mention, they're getting weirder in my opinion. Omens, moonstone, moonpool made pseudo-sense. The powers of the 3 were strange, but the reasoning was solid after their origins and the reasoning for them became clear. But now, feeling/experiencing wounds of others like one's own (Yellowfang), Seeing/talking to the dead which sounds like necromancy (Tree), etc. are pushing the limit of even the world of warriors for me.Since I know that there's already a 7th arc being planned, I look forward to seeing what Erin Hunter comes up with next. In the meantime, I'm more than content with the 50+ books already published.