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  • Eclipse is a pretty famous book.

  • Most fans know what you're talking about if you sayThe New Prophecyor “A

  • Vision of Shadows,” but far fewer could tell you the contents of Twilight or River

  • of Fire with any specificity.

  • Defining in our memories which events correspond to which book can be difficult, and given

  • that the arcs are meant to be complete stories when put together, it makes sense.

  • Eclipse, though, is a bit of an exception, as its title conjures images of its most famous

  • scene, and the politics and core characters that preceded and succeeded it.

  • It might be a bit of a surprise, then, to know that I have trouble with the structure

  • of this book, as so much of what people might be picturing as the Eclipse conflict actually

  • bleeds over into and is genuinely concluded in the next book instead.

  • But that's exactly the reason why this series examines one book at a time, to show what

  • was and wasn't included in the space of each entry, and where our memories may be

  • faulty.

  • Eclipse was released on September 2nd, 2008, about 4 months after Outcast and Warrior's

  • Return, about 2 months after Cats of the Clans and The Rise of Scourge, and the same day

  • as another new manga that I will cover in the next episode.

  • It's probably obvious from that summary alone that the number of books has rapidly

  • increased lately with the inclusion of simultaneous mangas along with the two guide books and,

  • prior to that, the first super edition.

  • The authors and, in some cases, illustrators have been switching around quite a bit, with

  • this entry being written by Kate Cary again, but they are all still trying to work on a

  • cohesive world and several separate cohesive stories.

  • Whether or not the Erins, Vicky in particular given she was conceiving all of this, were

  • stretching themselves too thin is yet to be determined, but it's a fair point to make

  • now as we enter the second half of the Power of Three arc.

  • With the first three books covering so little overarching plot and the promises made to

  • cover the three's powers, the fulfillment of the prophecy, Tigerstar and Hawkfrost's

  • training of Lionpaw in the Dark Forest, and the protagonists simply completing their training

  • and getting their names, which they haven't yet, these next three books have an awful

  • lot to do, and not much time, or perhaps focus, in which to do it.

  • Before we get into it though, let's first do a check-in with our allegiances.

  • Stormfur and Brook have returned to the mountains, but with Berrynose, Hazeltail, and Mousewhisker

  • becoming warriors, there are now 16 warriors again instead of 15, and while they have left

  • the apprentice den, Foxpaw and Icepaw have come in, so there are 8 apprentices instead

  • of 9.

  • Things in the nursery haven't changed except for Ferncloud's kits leaving, and the elders'

  • den is also consistent.

  • The only other notable thing in the allegiances is that there is a new cat listed outside

  • of the clans: a long-haired brown and tortoiseshell tom named Sol.

  • I wonder how he will come into play in this book.

  • Anyway, there's a speaking cast of 73 cats this time around, a few less than Dark River

  • and Outcast but still more than The Sight, and the top 10% of that cast has 69% of the

  • lines, still more than Outcast but less than Dark River and The Sight.

  • As far as the she-cat percentage, 51% of the cast is she-cats this time, the first time

  • in the arc that it has tipped over 50%, and that 51% has 42% of the lines, which is less

  • than Dark River and The Sight but still greater than Outcast.

  • That was just not a good book for she-cats.

  • Now that we have that out of the way though, let's take a gander at the plot.

  • The prologue takes place in Starclan, with Yellowfang, Spottedleaf, Whitestorm, and Bluestar

  • hanging out and discussing the prophecy, including an apparent deception of the three apprentices

  • involved.

  • They say it wasn't them who lied in the first place, but are still split on what to

  • do until they just walk away rather than continue to argue.

  • Left alone with Spottedleaf again, Yellowfang says that a darkness is coming that Starclan

  • can't prevent, or even protect themselves from.

  • Okay, I'll bite.

  • Let's see what tremendous threat is coming.

  • Back in the living world, our protagonists are still in the mountains, just outside of

  • the Tribe's territory, and we've apparently skipped over the scene where Jaypaw told his

  • siblings about the prophecy.

  • Stormfur and Brook are staying behind in the mountains, and Hollypaw and Lionpaw are busy

  • contemplating their powers.

  • Hollypaw wonders if she could fly or how much power they could have and Lionpaw seems dismissive

  • of the idea, saying they need to live in the real world.

  • While they're debating whether or not they're capable of anything and whether or not they

  • still need to protect the clan and follow the code, Jaypaw cuts in to say they shouldn't

  • be talking about it because, assuming other cats believed it, they wouldn't like it

  • and might be scared of them.

  • While hunting, and being upset about Breezepaw, they figure out that Jaypaw can probably see

  • things others can't and Lionpaw isuh, somehow really strong or unstoppable or something

  • in battle.

  • It's a little nebulous.

  • A…somewhat infamous scene occurs where Breezepaw catches and is praised for catching a very

  • fat rabbit and Crowfeather instead chooses to comment on Lionpaw's pigeon.

  • The reasons behind this and potential justifications or morality of this action are so mangled

  • at this point, especially since we never got either character's point of view, so all

  • I can definitively say is that Breezepaw's anger is obvious.

  • What Crowfeather was thinking or feeling is entirely up to interpretation.

  • Although, the interpretation is definitely being pushed in a specific direction as Jaypaw,

  • Lionpaw, and Hollypaw all at different points have expressed or will express disdain at

  • Crowfeather's style of parenting, with less overt warmth than Brambleclaw.

  • Back at the lake territories, Lionpaw is woken up for training by his mentor, Ashfur, who

  • has promised they would go hunting with Whitewing and Icepaw.

  • Lionpaw had a great dream and is annoyed by how curtly Ashfur talks to him, along with

  • how little his mentor listens to his ideas.

  • Ashfur seems very considerate about helping Icepaw learn, and helping Whitewing learn

  • how to teach her, but doesn't afford the same consideration to his own apprentice for

  • whatever reason.

  • After getting some serious praise from Icepaw, Lionpaw goes to speak with Hollypaw about

  • how odd and isolating it is to be part of the prophecy.

  • Lionpaw also contemplates how knowing he's the most special cat ever might make it easier

  • for Jaypaw to do boring chores.

  • Despite all this, life goes on mundanely as usual and Lionpaw laments how there's no

  • point to being special if no cat knows.

  • Side note though, there are several cute background character moments going on here that Lionpaw

  • does not care about, like Icepaw giving her first catch to Longtail and Mousefur and Foxpaw

  • deciding he wants to be called Foxcatcher as a warrior.

  • Another fun famous scene happens here where the apprentices gather to share some leftover

  • honey Leafpool found and Lionpaw, and Hollypaw soon after, brood about how they cannot indulge

  • in such simple pleasures, but one day all the honey will be Lionpaw's because he is

  • very very special.

  • I cannot tell if we were meant to take this seriously but it is extremely funny.

  • Tigerstar and Hawkfrost berate him in his dreams for not showing up while he was away

  • in the mountains, and generally seem to be less than thrilled with his accomplishments,

  • and unconvinced by his new prophecy, taking credit for his prowess themselves rather than

  • saying he has any special power.

  • After breaking down his certainty in the prophecy being about him, they demand that he keep

  • training with them.

  • Back in the waking world, there are actually a lot of cute moments going on, and next up

  • is Toadkit playing with Jayfeather's tail and being scared to get stingy medicine on

  • his nettle pricks.

  • Also, and for no particular reason, Leafpool mentions that she doesn't keep deathberries

  • in the store like Shadowclan does.

  • Anyway, uh, Cloudtail then comes to ask if Cinderpaw is ready for her assessment or if

  • she should wait until her leg is stronger, but with how downtrodden Cinderpaw is being

  • injured and, by her judgment, useless in the medicine den, Leafpool assures Cloudtail that

  • she's good to go.

  • While out with a hunting patrol the next day, though not hunting himself, Jaypaw finds his

  • stick again and thinks about the ancients and their potential connections to the Tribe

  • and maybe even clans.

  • Also, it seems like Windclan has recently crossed the border against Firestar's warning.

  • Cinderpaw's assessment is the next day, which Jaypaw is worried about and Hollypaw

  • wishes she could watch.

  • They and Lionpaw end up deciding to follow her in secret so they can see how she does,

  • which leads to another semi-comical scene as Lionpaw and Hollypaw narrate what Cinderpaw

  • is doing to Jaypaw, untilwell, let's say Jaypaw's worry was proven to be valid

  • as Cinderpaw's leg gave out on her during a pounce and she is quickly brought back to

  • Leafpool and Jaypaw.

  • Cinderpaw is more frustrated than before and Leafpool is being stubborn about her initial

  • judgment even as Jaypaw pushes against it because, as he says, she is obsessed with

  • the past and has to accept that she can't always make things instantly right.

  • Abruptly cutting off that conversation before it finishes, we skip to the next morning with

  • Hollypaw as she visits a miserable Cinderpaw and witnesses Poppypaw and Honeypaw get their

  • warrior names without her, becoming Poppyfrost and Honeyfern.

  • The latter is still mooning over Berrynose, even more so now that they're both warriors.

  • Hollypaw is also called with Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, and Brackenfur to speak with Firestar

  • about the Windclan scents found on their side of the border, along with evidence of killed

  • prey.

  • Firestar asks them to go to Onestar and get his side of the story, which they do.

  • They have to go almost right up to the camp before they scent any cats or prey and they

  • meet a cold reception when they arrive.

  • Despite their plea to just talk, Harespring, Ashfoot, and then Onestar all demand that

  • they go home empty-pawed.

  • Brackenfur guesses that they might be low on prey themselves, which Hollypaw privately

  • agrees with, but she believes that it couldn't give them a right to steal prey.

  • When she reports this to Lionpaw, he seems excited at the prospect of a battle while

  • Hollypaw just wants them to keep to their own territory and finds his overt aggression

  • disturbing, briefly wondering if any cat could stop her powerful brother if he decided to

  • fight over the smallest things.

  • Following another harsh training session with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, Lionpaw wakes up

  • with blood in his nest as he was hurt in the real world as well, which is worrying.

  • Lionpaw and Hollypaw later find more prey remains on their side of Windclan's border

  • and Hollypaw is distressed that they would eat prey instead of taking it back to the

  • elders.

  • Hollypaw also finds a fox den that leads to the tunnels and hides it from Lionpaw, which

  • Lionpaw assumes is because she's scared of him starting to see Heatherpaw again.

  • Back in camp, everyone is getting pretty angry about Onestar and Windclan's invasions but

  • Jaypaw's attention is called away by Cinderpaw who is unwilling to do much of anything on

  • her own anymore out of a fear that she won't be able to get better.

  • This thrusts Jaypaw into Cinderpelt's memory in Cinderpaw's head, and prompts Leafpool

  • to again comment how Cinderpaw doesn't know and can't know about her past life, spoiling

  • Cinderpaw rather than pushing her to get better.

  • Jaypaw complains that Leafpool is obsessed with the Cinderpelt in Cinderpaw and Leafpool

  • proves he's right by thinking in that moment about her guilt over her mentor's death.

  • This guilt is causing her enough uncertainty that she's unwilling to do anything to help

  • Cinderpaw heal, which is making her worse.

  • Jaypaw, angered by Leafpool's actions, stomps out of camp and down to the lake where he

  • finds his stick has been carried off into the lake.

  • Firestar, who happens by, rescues the stick for him and thankfully for Jaypaw asks almost

  • no questions about why Jaypaw is so desperate to have this particular stick and keep it

  • here rather than in camp.

  • When he gets back though, the floating wood and thinking about his own terrifying experiences

  • with water gives him the idea to potentially use this for Cinderpaw's treatment.

  • He's going to teach Cinderpaw to swim as a way to strengthen her leg without having

  • to walk on it.

  • The next morning, he sneaks her out of camp and, feeling a little more determined as she

  • now has an avenue to heal, Cinderpaw starts to return to her old energetic self as she

  • goes down to the lake and starts to haphazardly swim in the water.

  • Leafpool catches them, but by that point they have proven Jaypaw's technique to be working

  • and Cinderpaw would like to do it again.

  • At the medicine cat gathering, it sounds like Littlecloud has someone in mind to be his

  • apprentice, and Willowpaw gets her full name, Willowshine before everyone goes to sleep.

  • Jaypaw accidentally intrudes on Littlecloud's dream and hears that Blackstar has been distracted,

  • allowing Russetfur to organize all the patrols as he is losing his faith.

  • Runningnose tells Littlecloud to help him restore his faith and Jaypaw wakes up annoyed

  • that he got nothing useful from this meeting.

  • Hollypaw has a bad dream about Lionpaw sneaking up on her from the tunnels and is awoken for

  • the pre-dawn patrol to Windclan's border.

  • While out, she spots what she thinks is a lion, but considering she mistook her brother

  • for a fox in her dream, her recognition of animals might not be entirely accurate right

  • now.

  • Also, when Hollypaw later chats with Cinderpaw, it seems that she too is burdened by how important

  • she is and how much responsibility she has when compared to her friend.

  • Leafpool and Jaypaw help Millie have her kits, two she-cats and a tom named Briarkit, Blossomkit,

  • and Bumblekit.

  • Also, it seems that some cats are still annoyed with Millie for keeping her kittypet name

  • and Spiderleg is annoyed with his kits for being kits.

  • Amidst all this, Jaypaw suddenly gets a vision of some sort of cold, pressing, all-encompassing

  • darkness and a strange tom enters camp.

  • His name is Sol, and he seems very calm and knowledgeable in the clans, despite being

  • a stranger to them.

  • Thornclaw doesn't know why he escorted the tom into camp, and both Jaypaw and Leafpool

  • sense the power he wields, at least in his words, so they follow him into the forest.

  • There, he tells them that a great emptiness is coming and the sun will go out, which Starclan

  • didn't tell Leafpool but which Jaypaw recognizes from his vision.

  • Sol is escorted out of camp and Jaypaw hopes that he is wrong.

  • That night, Windclan attacks Thunderclan in their camp and Onestar says it is because

  • they are true warriors, fighting for the prey and territory they need and standing up to

  • Thunderclan, who apparently believes they are the most important clan around the lake.

  • With an initial skirmish over, Windclan flees and Thunderclan breaks into patrols to follow

  • them into the forest.

  • It turns out Windclan used the tunnels to get here, and Firestar gets his patrol, including

  • Lionpaw to start blocking one of the entrances so they can't use it again.

  • As they are working, a Windclan patrol attacks.

  • Hollypaw's patrol is doing well for a while, but are overwhelmed as more warriors come,

  • and Brambleclaw orders Hollypaw to go to Blackstar for help, which she does with some reluctance.

  • Tawnypelt takes her to him, and with Russetfur's prodding, Blackstar agrees to assist so with

  • the extra help of Shadowclan, Hollypaw launches back into the fight.

  • Back in camp, the queens, elders, and Cinderpaw are all preparing to fight despite their differing

  • weaknesses and Jaypaw decides to go out into the territory to bring injured cats back to

  • the hollow, which Leafpool reluctantly allows after several requests.

  • Jaypaw is also told by Graystripe to warn Firestar about Riverclan having joined the

  • fight on Windclan's side.

  • All four clans are now fighting on Thunderclan's territory.

  • Lionpaw is doing really well in the battle and takes Riverclan's arrival as a new challenge

  • to race off and deal with, but Firestar appears ready to consider retreat.

  • Lionpaw is stopped from beating a trembling Mosspelt by Firestar, who says she knew she

  • was beaten and he didn't need to keep pushing, leading Lionpaw to briefly regret his wild

  • anger.

  • He seems ready to keep fighting on his own though while his allies are bleeding, and

  • then he sees Heatherpaw.

  • Convinced that she told her clan about the tunnels and brought danger to his clan, he

  • attacks her, but she says Sedgekit was the one who told Windclan instead.

  • Lionpaw doesn't believe her though and declares she will be his enemy forever before he lets

  • her run.

  • Crowfeather comes to check on his apprentice and Lionpaw, still filled with anger, nearly

  • kills them, horrifying both Windclan cats just as the sun goes out above their heads.

  • Everyone is terrified by the sudden dusk-like light in the middle of the day, and the fighting

  • stops, but the sun does eventually return and the medicine cats are left to check every

  • cat's wounds while the clan wonders what happened.

  • While they're checking, Squirrelflight collapses and it turns out she was hiding a long, deep

  • wound across her belly.

  • All of her family crowds around worriedly, but once the medicine cats have done their

  • job it's in Starclan's paws.

  • The clan discusses how the battle was neither won nor lost, and while Lionpaw seems perfectly

  • happy to keep fighting, the rest of the clan is battered and unwilling to face another

  • fight so soon.

  • Jaypaw then tells Lionpaw about Sol's message and its connection to the day's events, leading

  • them and Hollypaw to seek Sol out to find more about the prophecy that even Starclan

  • doesn't know.

  • They find him in an abandoned twoleg nest and, using leading questions and a calm, hypnotic

  • voice, Sol presents himself as a wise figure who knows more about the prophecy than they

  • do.

  • He says that the power is theirs to control rather than Starclan's or the warrior code's,

  • which knocks Hollypaw off her paws as she can't imagine what would happen if she was

  • more powerful than the code.

  • The three ask Sol to live just outside their territories so they can keep talking to him

  • and getting advice, which he agrees to.

  • However on the way back they run into a Shadowclan patrol and Sol decides to stay with them and

  • Blackstar instead, instantly breaking the three's trust as soon as he got it.

  • Yellowfang then comes to Jaypaw in his dreams with some other Starclan cats and says that

  • he needs to serve his clan without asking too many questions because all will eventually

  • be revealed, which does absolutely nothing to calm him.

  • Back in camp, normal things are happening but it also seems like Millie is developing

  • a cough.

  • That's not great.

  • Squirrelflight is doing better though, in that she's healing but definitely not all

  • better yet.

  • Lionpaw is also visited by Tigerstar in his dreams, without Hawkfrost, and when Lionpaw

  • says he might not need Tigerstar's training anymore, the dark tabby furiously attacks

  • and holds Lionpaw down as he wakes up.

  • A gathering is happening that night and Millie has whitecough, but it's okay because Jaypaw

  • can still come.

  • Windclan comes as well, eventually, and it is actually Shadowclan who seems to be missing

  • until Blackstar comes in, alone with no one but Sol, and declares that Shadowclan won't

  • attend any more gatherings.

  • Sol knows more than Starclan and Blackstar has long since lost faith in the strength

  • or accuracy of his ancestors, so he is going to avoid following their lead now.

  • Jaypaw talks to Yellowfang and finds out Starclan can't do anything about it, so by his account,

  • it's time for the three to fulfill their destiny.

  • Lionpaw has a nightmare about killing Heatherpaw and feels horrified about how violent he has

  • become, but after a couple of quick clan scenes and a discussion of what they can, or rather

  • can't do about Sol and Shadowclan, we are ready to end the book off on a high note as

  • Hollypaw, Lionpaw, *and* Cinderpaw are made warriors, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Cinderheart.

  • This is a dense book, and I think it is arguably the best one in the arc.

  • There are various funny, heartwarming, and telling moments to distinguish each of the

  • characters and their relationships to each other.

  • I could easily argue that, even more than The Sight, this book is one of the best in

  • the series for just showing off a unique and interesting cast of characters who I would

  • happily watch just living their lives and chatting.

  • In addition, this is one of the biggest moments I would point to in saying how important it

  • is that Jaypaw be a medicine cat.

  • I don't agree with Spottedleaf and Leafpool's initial reasons for forcing him into the position,

  • but his dealings with Cinderpaw in this book show him to be one of the most passionate,

  • innovative, and effectual medicine cats the clans have ever had, and it is amazing that

  • he doesn't get his own name at the end of this book along with his siblings.

  • If I were writing this series myself, hint hint, I would use this as one of the main

  • reasons for Jaypaw to realize that he does want to be a medicine cat, when given the

  • choice.

  • Lionpaw, or Lionblaze now, is also given pretty good material in this book as an overly dramatic

  • little boy dealing with his own newfound importance and also a cat with intense anger issues and

  • an inability to be beaten that leads him to being cocky and violent in ways that scare

  • his sister, his enemies, and, later, even him.

  • Definitely some rich stuff to chew on emotionally in helping him develop.

  • Hollypaw, now Hollyleaf, really isn't a focus for this one, which is unfortunate as

  • she's the only main character we still don't have a definitive power or journey set for.

  • She muses about how Windclan's attack and, briefly, Sol's corruption of Shadowclan

  • compare to the warrior code but she's definitely more sidelined than either of her brothers.

  • One cat who does get a lot of focus though is Cinderpaw, now Cinderheart.

  • She has a genuinely compelling journey towards realizing her own strength again and finding

  • a way to move past her injury without hurting herself further or wasting away in the medicine

  • den.

  • However, while a lot of her journey is told through Jaypaw's choices as a medicine cat,

  • a lot more of it is told through the lens of her reincarnation and Leafpool's feelings

  • about it.

  • Cinderheart carries Cinderpelt's memories in her head enough for Jaypaw to think they

  • are in her conscious brain, she has impulses to protect kits based on Cinderpelt's last

  • memories being of dying to protect kits, and she is able to help out with wounds after

  • the big battle, not because she learned anything in the medicine den but because of intuition

  • based on Cinderpelt's knowledge.

  • I already said my piece about the Cinderpelt reincarnation stuff though, twice now, so

  • I'll let it be.

  • On a new note, Onestar has certainly changed since his reluctant strength in The New Prophecy,

  • but I wouldn't truly call it badly handled at this point in time, because Firestar's

  • attempts to reach out to him and Onestar shutting him down for thinking his clan is the most

  • important feels like a natural progression if Onestar's aim is looking strong and independent

  • to his clanmates, half of whom participated in a coup against him.

  • We don't see much of that development since we aren't in Windclan and I think some of

  • it could have been made more explicit in the Firestar and Onestar dialogue we got, but

  • at this point I still consider him a good, albeit tragic character.

  • One truly odd thing in this book is the pacing, however.

  • The first three chapters essentially wrap up the Tribe plot from the last book, chapter

  • 5 is our first hint of there being problems at Windclan's border, chapter 9 is the first

  • hint that Blackstar may be losing faith, we briefly meet Sol late in Chapter 11, and then

  • 4 chapters, 12-16, are spent on what comes to be known as the Eclipse battle because

  • of the book it is in and the event that ends it.

  • Even after that, though, it isn't until chapter 20 that our protagonists meet Sol

  • again and as soon as they talk to him and are enthralled enough to invite him back as

  • their mentors, Sol willingly, in clear view of them, chooses to stay with Shadowclan instead

  • because it's…maybe a more valuable option to him?

  • There was no need for Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw to follow him to Shadowclan's camp

  • and see him abandon them for Blackstar.

  • Sol willingly doing this in front of the very powerful and trusting young cats he only just

  • got the trust of makes him look stupid, which is the opposite of what he should be as a

  • master manipulator archetype.

  • Of course, I already covered a lot of this in my video dedicated to Sol but now that

  • it is coming up in the timeline, it feels especially important to point out how quickly

  • his potential was ruined.

  • And then, three chapters later, we see Sol again, having effectively taken over Shadowclan

  • and corrupted Blackstar away from Starclan before the book ends.

  • Whatever Sol is doing will have to bleed into the next book, which feels a little odd given

  • how much time it took to get us to the point of Sol being a threat or even a presence at

  • all.

  • Sol's existence as a threat lasted only 4 chapters at the very end of this book, despite

  • Eclipse being known for him, and his lack of presence in the narrative or effect on

  • anything before the final chapters renders him feeling more like an odd rushed side character

  • than a primary villain.

  • Piling on the sickness happening with Millie, Windclan's feud with Thunderclan, the training

  • Lionpaw is doing in his dreams, Squirrelflight's injury being healed, Hollypaw's entire arc

  • and power, and Jaypaw getting his name are all at least touched on but not remotely resolved

  • by the end of this book can make it feel like this book and whatever comes next will be

  • more of a two-parter rather than either entry being able to stand on its own.

  • Eclipse is, as I said earlier, a dense book with a lot of different plot and character

  • beats for our main cast and characters all across the clans, but throwing so many disconnected

  • elements together without enough time for all of them or connections between them can

  • leave the book feeling a little disjointed as well, especially when examined in isolation

  • without the preceding or succeeding books.

  • But with two books left to go, we'll just have to see if Sol is capable of rising to

  • be the antagonist this arc really needs when we return to the main series in a future episode,

  • of our trip through time.

Eclipse is a pretty famous book.

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