Long Shadows

Long Shadows is another book in the warriors series, the 5th in "Power of Three". It starts off in the prologue, where the oldest and most respected clan leaders have come once again in Starclan to discus what Midnight, a badger who told a passing stranger, the secrets of Starclan. Thunder, River, Shadow and Wind quarrel with Midnight, then the story starts.

Blackstar, leader of Shadowclan, has let Sol take over his clan. Many Shadowclan cats do not believe in Starclan anymore, and there now was no leader or medicine cat. The other clans are disturbed, and some of the Shadowclan cats fear that their clan will disband and become rogues and loners.

One was Tawnypelt, a Thunderclan cat that went to Shadowclan when she was an apprentice, because she felt that Thunderclan could not see her as a loyal cat, because of her father. She, and her kits Flamekit, Dawnkit and Tigerkit, traveled to Thunderclan to live, at least until Sol had left. Flamekit was distraught because he had wished to be Shadowclan medicine cat apprentice, until Sol had changed the ways, so Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Lionblaze think up a way to help them, and the other clans'.

After that, greencough breaks out in THunderclan, and many cats are nearing death. Millie and her kit Briarkit are among the first, and near the end of the book they were close to making the journey to Starclan. Firestar lost a life to it, but thankfully no cat died.

In the end, Tawnypelt's kits help Squirrelflight's to send a fake message from Starclan to Shadowclan, and then real Starclan cats come to see Blackstar, known as Blackfoot because Sol made there no leader, and Shadowclan kicks Sol out of their clan, and the forest is secure once more; or so they thought.

A fire breaks out on Thunderclan territory. Cats run to the safety of a twoleg nest, but Ashfur, Squirrelflight and Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Lionblaze are caught in it. Ashfur threatens to kill Squirrelflight's kits, because he loved her and she chose Brambleclaw above him, which tore his heart out. Squirrelflight tells him that it wouldn't hurt her, because they were not her kits. Ashfur says that he will tell the clan, then runs away towards the twoleg nest, and Squirrelflight's kits would not speak to her.

The night of the gathering, Ashfur's body is found. They realize he was murdered, though no one knows who did it. Many THunderclan cats blame Windclan, and many think of Sol, though no one knows the real culprit, and you will have to read Sunrise to find out.

They then realize that if she was not their mother, then they were not Firestar's kin, so they could not be part of the prophecy...or are they?