Firestar's Quest

Infobox Book
name = Firestar's Quest
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Erin Hunter
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Warriors (novel series)
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = HarperTrophy
release_date = August 21, 2007
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 528 pp
isbn = ISBN 978-0061131646
preceded_by = The Darkest Hour
followed_by = Midnight

"Firestar’s Quest" (Warriors: Super Edition) is a special-edition book in the "Warriors" novel series written by Erin Hunter. "Firestar’s Quest" was first published in hardback on August 21, 2007. The paperback edition was released on May 13 2008, and a Russian translation has already been published."Firestar's Quest" follows Firestar, a fictional feral cat, on a journey to find the lost fifth Clan: Skyclan. "Firestar's Quest" was the first book to once again, tell Firestar's prospective. It is set in between book six in the Original series and book one in The New Prophecy. An excerpt of Firestar’s Quest was released to promote sales of the book, which were very successful. The novel has also received a good critical reception.

Overview

Background

All of the "Warriors" novels are listed as being written by Erin Hunter. Erin Hunter is a pen name for four people, Victoria Holmes, who creates the storylines and edits, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, who write the books in turns.cite web|url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/2998|title=Erin Hunter Chat #4 Transcript - January 19, 2008|work=Wands and Worlds|accessdate=2008-04-13] cite web|url=http://www.warriorcats.com/warriorshell.html|title=Frequently Asked Questions|work=www.warriorcats|accessdate=2008-04-13] Chronologically, "Firestar's Quest" takes place between the first two series--after the events of "The Darkest Hour" and before "Midnight".cite web|url=http://www.warriorcats.com/books.html|title=The Warriors Books|work=www.warriorcats|accessdate=2008-04-13] "Firestar's Quest" was put under the title "Warriors: Super Edition", as a special edition extra long book.cite web|url=http://www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/Juvenile%20Fiction%20Animals%20Cats|work=Alibris.com|title=Books on Juvenile Fiction > Animals > Cats|accessdate=2008-04-13]

equel

After the publication of the novel, Holmes said the following about the possibility of seeing SkyClan again:cquote|Yes they will! I'm planning the Super-Special for 2010cite web|url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/2998|title= Erin Hunter Chat #4 Transcript - January 19, 2008|work=Wands and Worlds|accessdate=2008-02-04] at the moment, and I think I can reveal exclusively and for the first time ever that it will be set in SkyClan.cite web|url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/2998|title= Erin Hunter Chat #4 Transcript - January 19, 2008|work=Wands and Worlds|accessdate=2008-02-04] Yay! Well, it would have been a waste of all those lovely names and characters if we hadn't used them again.

etting

In the forest of the warrior cats, there are four Clans of feral cats who follow StarClan, their spiritual ancestors. StarClan gives nine lives to leaders like Firestar, the leader of ThunderClan, whose mate is Sandstorm. Firestar was raised as a kittypet (a house cat), but chose to join ThunderClan.cite book|title= Into the Wild|last= Hunter|first= Erin|authorlink= Erin Hunter|year= 2007|publisher= HarperCollins|isbn= 978-0060000028]

Plot summary

In "Firestar's Quest", Firestar is troubled by a warrior ancestor he has never seen before. This ancestor, Cloudstar, begs Firestar to rebuild an exiled fifth Clan called SkyClan, which Cloudstar once led. Firestar and Sandstorm find SkyClan's old home deserted, so they must find cats to rebuild the Clan. Rats, which had exterminated the ancient SkyClan, nearly wiped out the rebuilt Clan. Though Skyclan is victorious, a SkyClan cat named Rainfur dies and Firestar loses a life.

During the novel, tensions rise between Firestar and Sandstorm over Firestar's deceased, first and forbidden love, Spottedleaf, a previous ThunderClan medicine cat. In the end the problem is solved. Firestar and Sandstorm leave the newly-rebuilt SkyClan and return to their own Clan. In the epilogue, Sandstorm's new kits are born. She decides to name one Squirrelkit (after her bushy red tail), and the other Leafkit (in honor of SkyClan's new leader, Leafstar, and after Spottedleaf.

Pre-release history

Firestar had narrated the first six books. For the later 'cite book |title= Dawn|last= Hunter|first= Erin|authorlink= Erin Hunter|year= 2005|publisher= HarperCollins|isbn=978-0060744571] and ' series,cite book|title= The Sight|last= Hunter|first= Erin|authorlink= Erin Hunter|year= 2007|publisher= HarperCollins|isbn=978-0060892012] other cats were chosen to speak. Fanscite web|url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/52|title=Transcript Of Erin Hunter Chat|work=Wands and Worlds|accessdate=2008-03-25] and a critic both disliked this move.cite web|url=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Midnight/Erin-Hunter/e/9780060744519/?itm=7&bnit=H&bnrefer=GOODSOLDIER|title=Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy Series #1)|work=Barnes and Noble|accessdate=2008-03-25] Firestar was chosen to narrate the special edition. Cherith Baldry wrote "Firestar's Quest".cite web|url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/124|title=Transcript of the Second Erin Hunter Chat|work=Wands and Worlds|accessdate=2008-03-25] Gary Chalk illustrated the book. Before the novel was released, the editor said "Firestar's Quest" was “utterly brilliant”. Erin Hunter also said the novel was a chance to explore the old territories, which had been left behind in the books in the "Warriors: The New Prophecy" series.

To promote the book, an excerpt was released online on the Warriors website,cite web|url=http://www.warriorcats.com/bookquest.html|title=WARRIORS: Super edition: Firestar's Quest|work=www.warriorcats|accessdate=2008-03-25] and later at the back of the "Warriors" manga volume "Warrior's Refuge".cite book |title= Warrior's Refuge|last= Hunter|first= Erin|authorlink= Erin Hunter|year= 2007|publisher= TokyoPop|isbn= 978-0061252310] AuthorTracker emails mentioned increasingly "Firestar’s Quest" as the launch date approached.

ales

HarperCollins published the hardcover edition of "Firestar's Quest" and released it on August 21, 2007.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Super-Firestars-Quest/dp/0061131644|title=Warriors Super Edition: Firestar's Quest (Warriors) (Hardcover)|work=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-03-25] 150,000 copies were released.cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6461984.html|title=On Sale in August - 7/23/2007|work=Publisher's Weekly|accessdate=2008-03-25] The sales were very successful, sending it to bestseller lists.Fact|date=August 2008 After the release, Erin Hunter went on tour to talk about "Firestar's Quest" with fans.cite web|url=http://www.warriorcats.com/atarchive.html|title=Erin Hunter AuthorTracker Message Archive|work=www.warriorcats|accessdate=2008-03-25] HarperTrophy, an imprint of HarperCollins, released the paperback version of "Firestar's Quest" on May 13, 2008.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Super-Firestars-Quest/dp/0061131679/ref=ed_oe_p|title=Warriors Super Edition: Firestar's Quest (Warriors) (Paperback)|work=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-03-25] Russia has published a translation of "Firestar's Quest".cite web|url=http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/3639716/|title=Послание|work=OZON.ru|language=Russian|accessdate=2008-03-25] The United States, the UK,cite web|url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061131644/ref=nosim/authordatabase|title=Firestar's Quest (Warriors) (Hardcover)|work=Amazo.co.uk|accessdate=2008-03-25] and Canada have English versions of "Firestar's Quest". Canada launched the book early on August 9, 2007.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.ca/gp/switch-language/product/0061131644?ie=UTF8&language=en%5FCA|title=Warriors: Firestar's Quest (Hardcover) by Erin Hunter|work=Amazon.ca|accessdate=2008-03-25]

Critical reception

A reviewer from Children's Literature gave a very positive review. In the review, "Firestar's Quest" was called a “fantastic extension” to the Warriors series, and near the end of the review, the critic said "Firestar's Quest" showed that the Warriors books had evolved “from simply entertaining to thought provoking adventures”.cite web|url=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&bnit=H&bnrefer=GOODSOLDIER&EAN=9780061131646|title=Firestar's Quest (Warriors Super Edition)|work=Barnes and Noble.com|accessdate=2008-03-25] A reviewer noted themes such as "faith and responsibility" in the novel. The review stated these themes gave the story depth and compared it to "The Bad News Bears" and "Major League", movies with similar stories.cite web|url=http://www.wandsandworlds.com/blog1/2007/09/book-review-firestars-quest.html|title=Book Review: Firestar's Quest|work=Wands and Worlds|accessdate=2008-04-05] Another critic noted similarly that the series was becoming more thought-provoking.

ee also

* Warriors (novel series)

References

External links

* [http://www.warriorcats.com The official "Warriors" website]