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  • Even aside from giving me a chance to leave The  New Prophecy behind and entering us into the world  

  • of one of my favorite Warriors casts, The Sight  is a monumental step in the Warriors timeline.  

  • It, and Power of Three in general, cement  many of the trends that will stick around  

  • for the rest of the series, three point of  view characters who regularly have chapters,  

  • including more supernatural elements, starting  the point-of-view characters from kithood,  

  • and of course, inventing and including more  supplemental material in between entries of  

  • the main series books. All things consideredit's a pretty good entry into Power of Three.

  • The Sight was released on April 24th of 2007,  once again, almost exactly four months after  

  • the previous book, despite the jump from Sunset  to The Sight including a shift to a completely  

  • different arc. This one was written by Kate Caryand as much as I also love Cherith's writing,  

  • I am very excited to see her return after her  single appearance in the last arc. Kate seems  

  • to focus a little more on character writing and  building out casts, while Cherith focuses more  

  • on enriching the plot elements. For the opening  to an arc with such a wide new cast and status  

  • quo change, it does seem like a good fit to give  this one to Kate. We'll see what she did with it.

  • In the allegiances, Graystripe is no longer listed  as deputy, and Brambleclaw has taken his place.  

  • Between Brambleclaw becoming deputy, Rainwhisker  dying, Sorreltail moving back out of the  

  • nursery and Squirrelflight moving inStormfur and Brook joining Thunderclan,  

  • and Whitewing and Birchfall becoming warriorsThunderclan has 13 warriors instead of 11. But  

  • even despite that massive number of changesthe real meat of the differences in this book  

  • come in the younger generation. As opposed to the  meager two apprentices Thunderclan had in Sunset,  

  • in the Sight there are 6 apprentices even  before the protagonists join them. Berrypaw,  

  • Mousepaw, and Hazelpaw were promotedapprenticed to Brambleclaw, Spiderleg,  

  • and Dustpelt respectively, and Sorreltail and  Brackenfur's kits have become apprentices too.  

  • Cinderpaw is Cloudtail's apprentice, Honeypaw  is Sandstorm's, and Poppypaw is Thornclaw's.  

  • However, it seems that their fourth kitMolekit, isn't here with them. As we learn,  

  • he died before this book began, though after he  got his apprentice name, Molepaw. In the nursery,  

  • Ferncloud and Dustpelt have two more kitsIcekit and Foxkit, and in addition to Daisy,  

  • Squirrelflight has joined with Brambleclaw's  kits: Lionkit, Hollykit, and Jaykit. By the way,  

  • this is the first time in the series wherequeen's kits have been listed in the allegiances,  

  • so it's a good day for all people trying to keep  track of the nursery. Goldenflower appears to  

  • have passed on in between arcs, so Longtail  and Mousefur are the only remaining elders.  

  • For brief other notes, none of the other clan  leaderships have changed, but Tawnypelt is now  

  • listed in the Shadowclan nursery, and Graystripe  and Millie are listed as Cats Outside the Clans.  

  • This book has 70 cats with speaking roles,  a statistic I'd like to start including to  

  • give you an idea of cast sizes that differ across  various arcs and types of supplemental material.  

  • For a quick rundown, the first arc averagedspeaking cast of 44 cats, and The New Prophecy  

  • had an average of 57. In other words, The Sight  beginning with a cast of 70 is a massive step,  

  • more than doubling the cast of Into The WildThis no-doubt contributes to how vast and  

  • lively the Power of Three cast can be. The top 10  characters here have 70% of the lines, about even  

  • with Sunset, and 49% of the characters, nearly  half, are she-cats that have 45% of the lines.  

  • Not perfect but certainly a step up from books  past. Now let's get into the plot of this book.

  • The prologue shows Firestar meeting withscarred gray tom who thanks him for rebuilding  

  • the lost clan and warns him of difficult times  ahead, along with giving him the arc's prophecy:  

  • There will the three, kin of your kin, who  hold the power of the stars in their paws.”  

  • As Firestar awakes from this dream that he knows  is really a memory from before the Great Journey,  

  • he realizes that the three have come. We then  move to the first new point of view character:  

  • Jaykit, who plays with his siblings, Hollykit  and Lionkit, under the watchful eye of Ferncloud,  

  • who has her own, much younger kits to look out  for. Since their real mom, Squirrelflight, had  

  • difficulty giving them milk and wanted to do more  of her warrior duties, Ferncloud ended up being  

  • one of their main guardians as they grew. JaykitHollykit, and Lionkit are almost old enough to be  

  • apprentices, and they want to start doing things  for the clan, helping out with herbs or patrols,  

  • anything that would get them out of camp. Stillas kits they are turned down, and when they learn  

  • that there are loose fox cubs on the territorythey decide to sneak out of camp and track them  

  • down themselves, an adventure that goes quite  badly as they are chased by the foxes and Jaykit,  

  • after being bitten, falls into the camp. Leafpool  tends to him, along with Spottedleaf's spirit, and  

  • Jaykit learns that while he and his siblings will  be okay, they are all being reprimanded for their  

  • behavior. Leafpool also tells him at this point  that he can't ever become a normal apprentice, but  

  • that his perfect description of Spottedleaf could  mean he should become a medicine cat like her.  

  • However, Jaykit doesn't like that idea at all, and  fiercely declares that he wants to be a warrior,  

  • and hates being blind. Though, as we move  to Hollykit's point of view we see that not  

  • everyone in the clan thinks Jaykit is hopelessHollykit gets angry at the idea that her brother  

  • would be treated as weak or pitiable considering  how competent he is at hearing, smelling, and  

  • sensing things. She stands up to her own fatherBrambleclaw, when he seems reluctant to accept the  

  • idea that Jaykit could be a normal warrior. Both  Hollykit and Lionkit truly love their brother, and  

  • couldn't imagine being without him. While visiting  Jaykit, Hollykit talks with Leafpool about how she  

  • became a medicine cat and learned about the  vast array of herbs. Leafpool tells her about  

  • Cinderpelt, and Hollykit likes the idea of beingmedicine cat, in command of so much knowledge and  

  • skill with an important role in the clan. After  getting Leafpool a couple of poppy seeds from  

  • the back of her store, Hollykit not-so-subtley  inquires into how she would become a medicine cat,  

  • but Leafpool says she hasn't decided whether  to take or who to take as an apprentice.  

  • Meanwhile, we learn that Shadowclan (and later  Windclan as well) have been marking their borders  

  • heavily recently, and that Brambleclaw kept  his confrontation with Hawkfrost a secret,  

  • with him and Squirrelflight taking Hawkfrost's  body to Riverclan to be mourned properly,  

  • and Brambleclaw refusing to share the story with  Lionkit when he was asked. After Jaykit directs  

  • Hollykit to some dock that he needs, Jaykit uses  this instance to convince Leafpool that Hollykit  

  • would make a good medicine cat, and soon after  Hollykit goes to speak with Willowpaw, who is  

  • visiting camp with Mothwing so Leafpool can help  interpret her dream, which finally pushes Hollykit  

  • into asking to be Leafpool's apprentice, an idea  that both Lionkit and Jaykit are perplexed by.  

  • A shocked Leafpool questions her about her  intentions and, mildly approving of them, agrees  

  • to speak with Firestar about it. We then jump to  their apprentice ceremony, where the newly named  

  • Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw are apprenticed to  Ashfur, Leafpool, and Brightheart respectively,  

  • despite some cries that Jaypaw couldn't be made  an apprentice at all. Jaypaw is very upset to have  

  • Brightheart as his mentor, on account of her  seeming like the closest thing Firestar could  

  • have chosen to another blind cat. He wanted to be  normal, and this is anything but a normal pick.  

  • This feeling is exacerbated when Lionpaw and  Hollypaw both get to start working with their  

  • mentors immediately, while Brightheart takes  Jaypaw to clean out the elders den and learn  

  • some tips about using your other senses when you  lack sight, information that Jaypaw is already  

  • perfectly familiar with on account of being born  blind. He finds the experience very demeaning,  

  • along with Brightheart's general behavior once  she finally shows him around the territory.  

  • More slice of life adventures ensue, including  Jaypaw falling into the Windclan stream and  

  • being saved by Crowfeather, Whitetail, Heatherpawand Breezepaw, Crowfeather's son with Nightcloud  

  • and a Gathering where Lionpaw meets Heatherpaw  and Breezepaw and Graystripe strolls in with a  

  • new cat, Millie. Millie is a former kittypet who  apparently helped Graystripe get here and is now  

  • his mate, and everyone is happy to see Graystripethough it brings up the question of who the deputy  

  • should be: Brambleclaw or Graystripe. Hollypaw  is having difficulty remembering herbs, seems  

  • more invested in the clan politics than treating  wounds, and actively is squeamish when she sees a  

  • thorn stuck in Millie's paw, which she only found  with Jaypaw's help. So she's fitting into her job  

  • *really* well. On the other hand, when Leafpool  takes her for a single day of battle training,  

  • she seems to be a prodigy and instantly seems  more energized and passionate about the exercise.  

  • But she is still dedicated to becoming a medicine  cat. Choosing Graystripe's side in an argument  

  • between him and Brambleclaw, Firestar decides to  start heavily marking Shadowclan's border too,  

  • and Jaypaw follows Leafpool to the Moonpool as  she consults Starclan about who should be deputy.  

  • Seeing that Jaypaw was able to enter her  dream and hear that it was Firestar's choice,  

  • Leafpool decides that Jaypaw must be a medicine  cat, but Jaypaw still doesn't like the idea.  

  • Firestar keeps Brambleclaw as the deputy, and all  three protagonists get in a fight with Shadowclan.  

  • Hollypaw does really well while Jaypaw is falling  behind as he has to rely on more quick reflexes  

  • with no time to analyze what his senses take  in, but working together they and Thunderclan  

  • all manage to beat back the warriors. Jaypaw is  disheartened and Hollypaw is especially energized,  

  • until she remembers that she has  to treat everyone's wounds now.  

  • Jaypaw is drawn to Tigerstar and Hawkfrost  in his dreams, who say they can teach him  

  • to fight better, but Spottedleaf comes in to  lead Jaypaw to Starclan instead and demands,  

  • very harshly, that he become a medicine catWith deep resignation, Jaypaw realizes that he  

  • could never escape his destiny. Meanwhile  Hollypaw is talking to Brook about her  

  • feelings surrounding being a medicine cat andwarrior. Brook gently helps her consider that,  

  • if doing well is what she wants, she may do  better in a job that she is good at and enjoys,  

  • rather than one that she is bad at and doesn't.  She also assures Hollypaw that she could become  

  • important to her clanmates as a warrior just as  easily as if she were a medicine cat. Hollypaw and  

  • Jaypaw having made up their minds, they switch  careers, but Hollypaw is given to Brackenfur  

  • instead of Brightheart, and the she-cat is quite  hurt. Brackenfur immediately puts Hollypaw to work  

  • and she feels much more comfortable. Meanwhile  Jaypaw is unhappy to be cooped up with the elders  

  • and is getting on badly with Leafpool, who doesn't  put up with his sour attitude and expects him to  

  • just deal with his position as a medicine cat. He  also doesn't seem to get along with Willowpaw at  

  • their half-moon gathering, as the Riverclan cat  would have preferred to see Hollypaw again, and  

  • helps him avoid a ditch. Jaypaw doesn't like being  helped. He also finds out that Mothwing doesn't  

  • dream of Starclan. Yellowfang chides him for  walking in on her like that and abusing the gift  

  • he has, but he doesn't listen and instead looks  into every other dream around him. There's a dog  

  • attack in Windclan, which Brambleclaw, WhitewingAshfur, Graystripe, Birchfall, Spiderleg, Millie,  

  • Berrypaw, and Lionpaw stop. Heatherpaw  thinks Lionpaw was brave during the battle,  

  • but Breezepaw is less than grateful. A sickness  spreads through camp, which Mousefur, Ferncloud,  

  • and Poppypaw catch. Jaypaw ends up needing  to save Poppypaw by going into her dreams and  

  • pulling her back from Starclan, and everyone gets  better. That whole sickness took two chapters,  

  • by the way. Then it's new-leaf. At the gatheringthe leaders decide to arrange a daylight gathering  

  • to ease tensions, where all the apprentices  can compete with each other. So they do.  

  • Jaypaw isn't allowed to attend despite Willowpaw  and Kestrelpaw competing, Hollypaw wins the  

  • sparring contest, and Lionpaw and Breezepaw end up  being buried in the earth and Jaypaw has to use a  

  • psychic vision to lead him to the other toms, dig  them out, and scoop the dirt from their throats to  

  • save their lives. Nightcloud and Crowfeather are  very grateful, and Leafpool complements Jaypaw  

  • on the skill he demonstrated. Then Jaypaw  reads a memory in Firestar's mind and finds  

  • out about the kin of your kin prophecy, which  he realizes is about him and his littermates.

  • This is the first book to begin  with our protagonists being kits,  

  • and it spends 7 ½ of its 25 chapters in that  state, in other words 30%. This is a fair bit more  

  • than later works involving kithood will includeand it does get dragging at times in this book,  

  • but there is a benefit to it as well. With so much  time spent with our characters forced to be in  

  • camp, we have plenty of time to learn about them  along with their relationships with each other  

  • and the world they live in. These three siblings  already have established dynamics before the story  

  • starts, so allowing the reader to understand  that relationship as well is quite important

  • A great deal of the interest in this book comes  not from the plot, of which there is very little,  

  • but from the character interactions. The clan  feels a great deal richer when various cats  

  • get to express their political opinions on border  tensions, the number of outsiders in their clan,  

  • Brambleclaw's position, and more, and the other  apprentices and different parental figures in the  

  • protagonists' lives are all really interesting  to see. I of course have some level of bias in  

  • this area, having bulked up the personalities  of each of them in my head, but even as they  

  • are the different opinions they have about each  other, choices they make, and relationships they  

  • form with different protagonists help to not only  make the clan deeper, but show us more facets of  

  • our main characters. It's not quite like the  first arc, in that the cast is much larger and  

  • more varied and the story itself doesn't have  much plot to take up space, but it is a far cry  

  • from what The New Prophecy offered. Precisely  *because* nothing much happens, we get a book  

  • full of random character moments to pull from when  examining the cast of this arc, and that can be a  

  • really gripping experience for some peopleeven without a plot occurring alongside it

  • Everyone knows this already but the presentation  in Jaykit's first few chapters is really well  

  • done. Nothing is described visuallyand various cats seem to think of him as  

  • more fragile than his littermates, but they  never outright state that he is blind. You are  

  • able to experience the world naturally through  his perspective, and come to understand him as  

  • a character and his place in the relationships  around him without his first notable feature being  

  • the blind cat.” Warriors isn't exactly known  for its good representation of disabilities,  

  • including where Jaypaw is concerned, but this  particular introduction piece is really nice

  • With that out of the way, I believe we need to  actually discuss the issues with disability in  

  • this book. Let's be clear that the excessive  tip-toeing around Jaypaw and doubts about his  

  • competence aren't automatically bad, because they  are portrayed to be wrong within the narrative.  

  • Both Jaypaw and his siblings, our points of viewimmediately and consistently defend him and find  

  • the clan's disrespect to be confusing, angeringfrustrating, and entirely unfair. However,  

  • there are two big issues with Jaypaw's story. Keep  in mind that I am not physically disabled myself,  

  • and I encourage everyone to look into the thoughts  and feelings of people who are and have more time  

  • to speak on this topic. For my part though, the  first issue I see is that Leafpool and Spottedleaf  

  • force him into the position of medicine cat, with  Spottedleaf very forcibly telling him that he has  

  • a gift and he must take the position because  it is his destiny, and Leafpool specifically  

  • citing his blindness a couple of times as  a reason that he should be a medicine cat.  

  • This treatment is especially worrying in contrast  to the gentle talk Brook had with Hollypaw,  

  • where she suggested new ideas, encouraged herand didn't force her into any one direction,  

  • leaving the choice of changing careers  up to Hollypaw herself. While [Jaypaw]  

  • is a stubborn cat who may not have accepted the  position that he was best at without prodding,  

  • this behavior was still wrong, and especially  tying his blindness into this destiny makes  

  • the duty of a medicine cat feel likepunishment that Jaypaw never got to accept,  

  • rather than a choice he made. If one were to  leave this in, I think it would be required that,  

  • first, both Spottedleaf and Leafpool avoid tying  blindness into this destiny of his, second that  

  • they eventually realize that forcing his paw  was wrong and apologize, and third that Jaypaw  

  • eventually gets the chance to become a warrior  if he wants to, leaving the choice entirely up  

  • to him. If, by that point, he has realized that  helping cats as a medicine cat is what he wants,  

  • then that is fine. His intense passion as he  saved Poppypaw's life and similar experiences with  

  • patients later leads me to believe that he might  actually enjoy the job of a medicine cat. But it  

  • should be his choice, no other cat's. The other  major issue, though, has less to do with Jaypaw  

  • specifically. There is a wider trend throughout  Warriors, so far and unfortunately continuing  

  • into the future, that cats with disabilities  are often relegated to being medicine cats,  

  • elders, or death fodder. Cinderpelt and Jayfeather  have both been forced to become medicine cats,  

  • Longtail retired to the elders' den, though we  still don't know how much of that was his choice,  

  • and Snowkit was only introduced to be killedfew chapters later. Brightheart and Deadfoot,  

  • the Windclan deputy, are the only exceptions so  far, though Deadfoot's disability has not yet  

  • been confirmed at this point in the release  order and Brightheart will unfortunately  

  • never get an apprentice again after Jaypaw leftdespite being promised one. It's possible that no  

  • single one of these cats' stories is particularly  egregious, but as a collective, and with no stark  

  • counterexamples, it starts to become a problemBut that is all I'll say on the subject for now

  • From the first chapter, Hollypaw's identity in  this book surrounds being a strict follower of  

  • the warrior code, and encouraging that attitude  in the cats around her. However, she is also a  

  • bit of a hypocrite, as she is willing to go with  her brothers to chase down a fox outside of camp  

  • and doesn't put up much of a fight once she  hears that the clan would like them for it. One  

  • especially telling line comes when Firestar asks  her if she would wander off again after chasing  

  • down the fox cubs, and she responds that she  wouldn't do anything to stop herself from becoming  

  • an apprentice. It wasn't that she wouldn't do  anything wrong, or dangerous, or against the code,  

  • but that she didn't want to jeopardize her  position. This is an early indicator that her  

  • core motivation may actually be ambition, which  is solidified through her choices in career,  

  • and why she ended up switching to beingwarrior. I doubt that is something she'll give up

  • Lionpawdoesn't have much of anything, yetDespite him being a point of view character,  

  • this book was really about Jaypaw and Hollypawand he only played a small supporting role.  

  • This isn't ever a balance that will be  completely fixed, but at least the next  

  • book will give him something to do with  those two Windclan apprentices he met.

  • The Sight is a really calm book to  read, with nowhere to go and nothing  

  • to do except learn about the characters and  culture of the clans at this point in time.  

  • But its lack of any throughline and insistence  on cramming three tiny plots in the last few  

  • chapters to have a climax is jarring, and  perhaps a display of lacking quality. Still,  

  • the prophecy looming over the beginning  and end promise a far larger story to come,  

  • so we'll see how it plays out in future  episodes, of our Trip Through Time.

Even aside from giving me a chance to leave The  New Prophecy behind and entering us into the world  

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