Firestar's Quest - Trip Through Time (Part 16) | Warriors Analysis

Firestar’s Quest, not just the introduction of Skyclan, but also the first super edition! This isn’t often lauded as the best super edition, or harshly critiqued, but it’s honestly a sweet little story to start the super edition style. It does barrel into the “forcing your culture and religion on others” trend a little bit, but at least this time the cats all got a choice and full information of what they were signing up for. And it also has a bit of the maddening Spottedleaf and Firestar dynamic, but this book addresses it and leaves with a better FireSand relationship than anything the first arc gave us. On top of that, the new cast is all charming and the history added to the clans is intriguing, sometimes heartwarming, and full of potential. I have little reason to complain, honestly.
Characters Drawn:
Front: Cloudstar, Birdflight
Back: Spottedleaf, Firestar, Echosong, Leafdapple
Patreon: / sunnyfall
Paws of Stars Fanfiction: archiveofourow...
Contact Email: [e-mail]
Discord Server: / discord
End Card Song: Ponte de Abril - Steve Adams • Video
Thank you to DuplexBeGreat and Lightflame for compiling the line-counts for the series I used in calculating this book’s statistics.

[@Amanecer458]

Firestar’s marital problems

[@spode2091]

Canon name

[@Weirdanimalboy]

Firestar’s Quest to Couple’s Therapy

[@1ndiebird]

ah yes, the bridge from a perfect series to a decent series. firestars quest is one of my favorite super editions, as skyclan seemed so awesome at the time of reading

[@Diamondr11Blue]

Skyclan was SO good and unique, yet they had to be ruined in the newer series. What a shame

[@legrandliseurtri7495]

@@Diamondr11Blue Idk, I think Skyclan has a lot of moments to shine in a vision of shadows and broken code.

[@Diamondr11Blue]

@@legrandliseurtri7495 if you're referring the newer series I would've just rather them be a separate clan because it wasn't worth them moving to the others. They lost too many clanmates.

[@Kelis98]

Firestar’s quest while probably not my favorite SE is still a good book and it tells an interesting story about skyclan one of the most unique clans and one of my favorites.

[@amblonyxx]

I would have loved this to be Sandstorms Quest. Like, she gets all the messages and is reluctant to leave Firestar because she thinks they might become mates soon and she wants kits. But Firestar rejects her once again for Spottedleaf so she goes and restores Skyclan. And never tells Firestar what she did... maybe Brambleclaw could have gone with her because he was frustrated that Firestar still can't see past his parentage.

[@Diamondr11Blue]

Wellll, I kinda understand Firestar being scared of a possible Tigerstar 2.0. Tigerstar was a terrifying villain who tormented all the clans, not just some random villain like Sol and the onestar's kit or whatever

[@Stefi_C]

It would have been so interesting! I'm still waiting for a Sandstorm book, I think it would really be worth it.

[@dolphinsniper]

I mean, if you want to absolutely butcher Firestar's character sure. I can see why it might be interesting.

[@sweetsartcorner]

the whole Firestar/Spottedleaf arc was so weird and kinda creepy from the beginning, it wouldve been really cool for the books to finally aknowledge that and work through it rather than going down the "well, he loves you because he couldnt have me" route

[@kellybarnett9079]

Yessss

[@darkninjafirefox]

I remember reading Firestar's Quest on the plane home from visiting my grandparents. While this one isn't my favorite, I really liked seeing him and sandstorm build a whole clan. I also wonder if Stick, Cora and Shorty were the same ones in Skyclan's destiny? Idk what the timeline there really is

[@kip6427]

Yep they are. In SkyClan's Destiny the group states they helped Firestar find Sandstorm back in FQ

[@darkninjafirefox]

@@kip6427 makes sense, kts been a looooong time since I've read either book

[@emeraldite7296]

All the focus of the Twolegplace cats (namely cora, coal, shorty & stick) is featured in skyclans destiny

[@emeraldite7296]

Sorry and firestars quest (only briefly). This was before I read the super edition

[@Weirdanimalboy]

A different warriors youtuber did a video on how the Firestar’s Quest -> Skyclan’s Destiny -> Skyclan and the Stranger -> Hawkwing’s Journey timeline doesn’t make much sense in terms of time gaps compared to the flow of the main arcs

[@tjtheentertainer9376]

Firestar’s Quest was the first SE I read, so it has a special place in my heart. It also introduced me to SkyClan

[@Diamondr11Blue]

When you release SkyClan has more personality than the entirety of ShadowClan

[@belughlegosi]

This made me appreciate Sand and Fire’s relationship more. Also the first book I read bc for some reason I thought the three were in it and I wanted to read about them so bad

[@salt_liqueur]

I remember being blown away reading this in like 2008. The addition of a secret 5th clan was insanely exciting to me as a kid

[@Phoenix-sb6hl]

Firestar's Quest was my first ever warriors book so I've always had a soft spot for SkyClan & particularly Leafstar. In recent reading, it didn't age wonderfully but is still a good read and I still enjoy the book regardless.

[@Stefi_C]

Right now I'm reading "Firestar's Quest". XD I only read the first half of the book in a month, because I found it pretty boring; not that it isn't interesting, but I just didn't feel like "I can't leave it", leaving was the exact thing I felt. Now that I found Sky and some "SkyClan modern members" I hope it will start being more interesting. I'm kinda glad that Spottedleaf didn't show up so often, honestly. XD So Firestar and Sandstorm can develop their relationship more, without the pretty ghost around. And I also think it would have been nice to be written from Sandstorm's point of view, to find her exact feelings and thoughts and how she is thinking of Firestar (her little text in "Enter the Clans" wasn't enough for me). But overall I hope I'll have a better opinion on it in the future. And I love your drawing! ^^ Your artstyle is so nice. Can't wait for the next video. :3

[@Annonimous1000]

This was my first super edition ever read, and I quiet enjoyed everything but the journey bit of it.

[@dolphinsniper]

Definitely a great story, SkyClan, and the efforts in rebuilding it are absolutely fantastic, and SkyClan is always going to be one of my favourite clans because of this. I also have to admit that I feel like the Fire/Spotted scenes were unnecessary for sure, and Firestar really should have been more decisive.

[@caitlinw8351]

would love a video describing the changes you’ve made in Paws of Stars book by book. would love if it’s long and unedited lol. loving reading it so far but i barely remember the original story and can’t fully appreciate the changes you’ve made outside of your videos recapping OOTS and POT

[@ThePaulineu]

Thank you for your work! I'd love to hear more of your personal feelings about the books in the next episode!

[@maxliu1099]

I really loved this book when I first read it, but the more I reread it, the more it seemed like Firestar just decided to abandon his clan for some clan he never heard of because his ghost wife told him to. And the rats also become worse and worse as the villains the more you look at it. Like seriously, you’re telling me that a clan of twenty to thirty something cats just got destroyed because of an army of rats lead by a cat-speaking rat. Feels like a childrens cartoon

[@Kelis98]

Can’t say I agree cause it was important to firestar that no clan get left behind especially since this is a clan that needed help. Plus he did have graystripe to look over things As for the rats, admittedly they are weird but it’s unique at least and didn’t take me out of it

[@Moony1568]

It’s funny how you draw the line at cat-killing rats, but not the love triangle between firestar, his mate who has stuck by him through turmoil, and a dead cat he only spoke to like… twice when she was alive.

[@sweetsartcorner]

I like that they fleshed out how much Firestar let down ThunderClan and Graystripe by leaving the way he did in Graystripe's Super Edition! He left a clan that was still recovering from everything that happened in the first arc with a cat who never wanted to be leader and did not have the respect or trust of the cats he was supposed to be an authority for. And then requested his friend lie to everyone else in fear of upsetting some long dead cats by calling them out for their shitty choices.

[@teamcynda6202]

Firestars quest was a banger

[@janicehuang2626]

This is the first Warrior cats book I owned and I read it so many times. I did not realize how late into the series it was written in. I thought it might have been written just before the last book of the New Prophecy or shortly after. Out of the super editions I have read, I have to say Bluestar's Prophecy is my favorite.

[@_shad3_71]

The cats be having long tails XD Cute drawing though!

[@kenyaholloway-reliford8213]

Personally, I find this book to be very underrated. Yes, the first half before we get the gorge is a mess. IMO, we didn't need to see every little detail of what happened between the arcs (Willowpelt's death especially felt anticlimatic), and Firestar and Sandstorm's relationship drama is so forced and cliched that I'm glad it doesn't get much focus afterward. But then we finally get to the Skyclan stuff, and feel like this was the last hurrah for quality writing in the series. There so much intrigue, emotion, and tension, and you really come to know and feel for even the new characters. It makes me think of an rpg, where you build your team and bond with them over the course of an adventure. But, then again, it really shows how much the writing could improve if the Erin's were willing to take creative risks such as this.

[@legrandliseurtri7495]

I agree that the section of the book that is actually about skyclan is so much fun. Despite the few pages available, everyone gets clear personnality and motivations, and it's just really cool to see these strangers evolve into a clan. It's a shame that the begining is so damn slow, however.

[@kip6427]

The more I reread these books, the more I realize I seriously despise Firestar's character. He's meant to be this noble leader, and yet in the prophecies begin and here he makes the worst decisions. Hiding Tigerstar's half-murder of Graypool for no good reason, and then spending all of the series mooning after Spottedleaf, a cat he knew for not even a moon, rather than his actual mate.

[@isabellp.5730]

Yeah, and I mean good characters have flaws and make flawed decisions. The problem is, Firestar never faced any serious consequences for his flaws, and he never grew from them. Those two examples you wrote could have been good plot points for him to suffer for and grow from, but he didn’t. I’m with you, his character is insufferable.

[@kip6427]

@@isabellp.5730 He is always shown as a highly respectable and noble cat, no matter what. Breaking the warrior code, hiding murders, being a very, very morally flawed character? Perfect noble leader, yep. They ruined him so much to keep the drama and story going. I especially hate his relationships with Spottedleaf and Sandstorm, because *sandstorm was completely correct.* She said that Firestar loved Spottedleaf more, and he quite literally did. He favored Spottedleaf to Sandstorm time after time, and yet Sandstorm was shown as being unreasonable. Sigh

[@TheAshfurApologist]

You do realize that's what makes him a great character right? He's not perfect from the get-go, it's his journey as he becomes the greatest leader in the series. You get to see how he matures and grows as a character, learning from his faults and overcoming them. It honestly makes him a very relatable character... nobody is perfect.

[@kip6427]

@@TheAshfurApologist But he doesn't though. He is never once shown as a bad guy, or doubtable whatsoever by how the books write him. He is never shown as having flaws or growing from them. The only memorable time when his flaws are even mentioned is in this book, Firestar's Quest, and it's shown as *Sandstorm* getting over her unreasonable jealousy(which, in fact, wasn't so unreasonable). The only time when he's considered "mature" is when we can't see inside his head and he never leaves his den.

[@sunniwithani]

@@kip6427 and they killed off Spottedleaf specifically so he didn’t have to choose. Meaning he would have had to debate which he would choose even after spending his entire life with Sandstorm. It just makes me sad that his heroic character is underscored with basically being a cheater who just didn’t have the opportunity.

[@sweetsartcorner]

the books' obsession with the Firestar/Spottedleaf thing is so annoying, Firepaw was a literal child and these cats had like 2 whole conversations, yet we're supposed to think it was some epic romance??

[@hawktalon7890]

Honestly, that's the exact reason I'm not invested in most Warrior Cats relationships. Very little development and often wild age gaps to the point where the characters have nothing in common.

[@sweetsartcorner]

@@hawktalon7890 yeah I don't know if I ever really felt anything about a canon warrior cats ship, they tend to not take time to develop them at all and half of them have something disturbing going on

[@hawktalon7890]

@@sweetsartcorner Conceptually a couple of them were interesting at least, but after around the 3rd or 4th forbidden romance I started to hate that too lol

[@timothythecowboy967]

Tbh, i read this book two days ago and it quickly became one of my favorite SE. I teared up multiple times reading it.

[@Diamondr11Blue]

This was favorite big edition. It was a long journey but meeting a new unique clan and introducing more characters was good. Just a shame thw series tanked after the big move to the new territory

[@Weirdanimalboy]

9:00 Wait a minute, you’re telling me the worst part of Skyclan’s Destiny was planted in Firestar’s Quest 😭😭😭

[@toastcrumbs8646]

Tbh if you dont Read this book after you finished first series you probaly dont understand, leafkit and squirrelkit were born in fs quest. Then later its really important to vision of shadows

[@marinuki667]

My parents aren't keen with spending money on 80 books no the same series, so I'm on the seventh arc and have only read two super editions besides that: Firestar's Quest and SkyClan's Destiny. I'm always amazed by the fact that this isn't even the best super edition for most people... Can they even get ANY better than any of the ones I've read?

[@CrookedStar263]

I feel like the ancient clan leaders could have taken in the other kits, elders n younger apprentices instead of letting them slowly starve

[@Hadeshy]

I actually read this book in timeline order. Just before Midnight that I bought the same day. (The third arc was still being published in my country back then and I had NO IDEA it came out with them) So when Firestar reveived the three prophecy? Let's say it was a long suspens for me lol

[@douglasspooner1258]

Can you make a video based on what you think happened to the Warrior Cats Movie

[@sxnsetrblx1523]

Please tell me why no one talks about the weird timeline with Firestars quest and the new prophecy because skyclan was not there on the great journey which the great journey was during the new prophecy where they left the Forest right? and squirrelflight and leafpool they were born in the end of firestar's Quest so like how how did that work because like squirrelflight and leafpool they were already born like on midnight the first book of the new prophecy and they were on the journey so how did that work like what happened there that is the biggest timeline issue I have ever seen

[@Sunnyfall]

Skyclan was formed in and stayed in the gorge, several days of journeying away from the forest territories. When the forest was destroyed, Skyclan wasn't effected and didn't even know, so they didn't move to the lake or anywhere else. Firestar and Sandstorm remain the only cats, for now, who live among the four main clans and know about Skyclan at all.

[@rileymanders2167]

more cats

[@teamtwistedtoons]

Ive never really liked Firestar and so i just. Straight up refused to read Firestar's Quest

[@AdelaTomankova]

I didn't like Sandstorm in this, she just seemed so whiny.

[@Amanecer458]

I have been in that way if my husband cheated me with a Ghost

[@Diamondr11Blue]

Well think about it this way, her to be mate was basically flirting with a spirit cat who A, isn't even here, B, was way older than him, C, was a med cat who can't have kids

[@Stefi_C]

@@Diamondr11Blue These are my exact reasons why I don't like Fire&Spotte. XD 👍

[@Diamondr11Blue]

@@Stefi_C I think they did this so it didn't look like Firestar was always 100 percent perfect and gets the first girl he meets. But Sandstorm is no pushover and that's good

[@Stefi_C]

@@Diamondr11Blue If Firestar would get the first girl he met than he would rather take a woman, considering Spottedleaf's age. XD And that's not perfect. I think Sandstorm suits him better and is original too, after bullying him at first.