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geo_curler's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Reading this book a second time just reminded me how well the author’s utilized Hawkwing’s perspective. Throughout the entire Warriors Universe, he is still one of the most realistic characters out there, and the authors did a great job of developing his character, especially after the loss of Pebbleshine.
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
3.0
I think that Hawkwing is a good character choice for a special edition, because he plays an important role in the main series, but we don't get to see too much of him. He wasn't a POV character, but he was closely connected to two (Twigpaw and Violetpaw), and learning about his childhood fills in some interesting gaps in the timeline.
However, anyone familiar with the main series will know the basic plot points, which can make this super edition a somewhat frustrating and tedious read. We know that Darktail is a bad person, so it can be hard to read the first half of this novel, where the cats of SkyClan have yet to make up their mind how they feel about it. It often leads to contrived scenarios, where the authors must explain why anyone trusted him in the first place. The question is not, "What would these characters do in this situation?" but "How can we get the characters to behave in the way our story demands?" This is a valid approach to story-writing, but from personal experience, I know that it can be difficult on writers and maybe not the best choice for crafting a believable narrative or relatable characters.
The pacing and overall narrative arc of this super edition leaves me feeling conflicted. On the one hand, I didn't feel like any scenes or time periods dragged on for too long, and I liked how Pebbleshine and Hawkwing started off as rivals (although I didn't fully understand their progression to mates). However, the ending was anti-climactic, since we know that SkyClan doesn't find a home until Twigpaw recovers them. I was curious to see if this book would end with her appearance, but as it did not, there was just an awkward, "Oh, well. Echosong is back, and we still have hope. SkyClan will never give up," which I didn't find very satisfying as a reader.
Still, as far as super editions go, this one wasn't half-bad. I read it in between the fourth and fifth books of the sixth series, which I thought worked very well, because it gave me additional context for a storyline I had already finished and helped me appreciate the new SkyClan characters. I would recommend other fans to read this super edition anytime after the third book of the sixth series, maybe even a little earlier than I did, because it would add a personal investment to Violetpaw's journey to the gorge with her father.
However, anyone familiar with the main series will know the basic plot points, which can make this super edition a somewhat frustrating and tedious read. We know that Darktail is a bad person, so it can be hard to read the first half of this novel, where the cats of SkyClan have yet to make up their mind how they feel about it. It often leads to contrived scenarios, where the authors must explain why anyone trusted him in the first place. The question is not, "What would these characters do in this situation?" but "How can we get the characters to behave in the way our story demands?" This is a valid approach to story-writing, but from personal experience, I know that it can be difficult on writers and maybe not the best choice for crafting a believable narrative or relatable characters.
The pacing and overall narrative arc of this super edition leaves me feeling conflicted. On the one hand, I didn't feel like any scenes or time periods dragged on for too long, and I liked how Pebbleshine and Hawkwing started off as rivals (although I didn't fully understand their progression to mates). However, the ending was anti-climactic, since we know that SkyClan doesn't find a home until Twigpaw recovers them. I was curious to see if this book would end with her appearance, but as it did not, there was just an awkward, "Oh, well. Echosong is back, and we still have hope. SkyClan will never give up," which I didn't find very satisfying as a reader.
Still, as far as super editions go, this one wasn't half-bad. I read it in between the fourth and fifth books of the sixth series, which I thought worked very well, because it gave me additional context for a storyline I had already finished and helped me appreciate the new SkyClan characters. I would recommend other fans to read this super edition anytime after the third book of the sixth series, maybe even a little earlier than I did, because it would add a personal investment to Violetpaw's journey to the gorge with her father.
maloniponi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
wow! I really enjoyed this book! I was nervous after Bramblestar’s Storm but Hawkwing really blew it out of the park! I loved Hawkwings development, his rage, his guilt, his anger, his depression. He went through so much this book; as did ALL of SkyClan. I really appreciated the book delving into the more emotional side of the cats and allowing Hawkwing to FEEL things without being seen as “not warrior-like” Really good book!
leonajasmin's review against another edition
4.0
Hawkwing ended up being a really enjoyable character for me. While I wasn't particularly invested in SkyClan in its previous renditions, his strong character made me far more invested in them. He dynamic with other characters, especially Sharpclaw, Pebbleshine, and Leafstar, made him one of the most developed characters in a Warriors book for some time.
While I found the ending rushed and ending at a point where I didn't expect, the plot was progressing at a good speed. The rise and fall of hope was written really well, and this book felt very emulative of the Original Arc in terms of emotion and being willing to dispose of characters not needed.
While I found the ending rushed and ending at a point where I didn't expect, the plot was progressing at a good speed. The rise and fall of hope was written really well, and this book felt very emulative of the Original Arc in terms of emotion and being willing to dispose of characters not needed.
sophieday's review against another edition
3.0
This is just a theory but are Hawkwings kits Twigpaw and Violetpaw?
ember14's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
enter_the_phantom's review against another edition
3.0
I usually enjoy the Super Editions, but I just didn’t see why we needed this one.
I really expected this to focus more on Darktail and give us a good concrete tie-in to his Vision of Shadows plot. He was such a terrifying and formidable enemy in the Vision of Shadows arc—he very nearly manages to do what so many villains before him have tried and failed at, and he deserved much more than a few chapters worth of backstory in this book. It was so weird to see one of the first genuinely frightening villains we’ve had in a long time reduced to a second-rate baddie here.
Most of the book just follows Skyclan as they wander in circles, something we’ve seen plenty of in previous books, and I’m just tired of it now. With all the implied tragedy in Vision of Shadows, more needed to actually happen to Skyclan than a bird attack and some badgers.
Hawkwing is not an interesting or important enough character to deserve his own Super Edition. Not a lot happens to him, and it’s just boring.
Would have made a much better novella. Honestly kind of dumb that Mapleshade only got a novella and a very ill-developed secondary Skyclan cat gets a whole Super Edition, but oh well.
I really expected this to focus more on Darktail and give us a good concrete tie-in to his Vision of Shadows plot. He was such a terrifying and formidable enemy in the Vision of Shadows arc—he very nearly manages to do what so many villains before him have tried and failed at, and he deserved much more than a few chapters worth of backstory in this book. It was so weird to see one of the first genuinely frightening villains we’ve had in a long time reduced to a second-rate baddie here.
Most of the book just follows Skyclan as they wander in circles, something we’ve seen plenty of in previous books, and I’m just tired of it now. With all the implied tragedy in Vision of Shadows, more needed to actually happen to Skyclan than a bird attack and some badgers.
Hawkwing is not an interesting or important enough character to deserve his own Super Edition. Not a lot happens to him, and it’s just boring.
Would have made a much better novella. Honestly kind of dumb that Mapleshade only got a novella and a very ill-developed secondary Skyclan cat gets a whole Super Edition, but oh well.
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Death
cassidylynnereads's review against another edition
3.0
If I gave out half stars in my ratings, this book would definitely be a 3.5 out of 5 stars, but my personal philosophy is that I don't round up unless I think a book really deserves that extra star rating. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, and there were times when I couldn't put it down even though I was tired. The only reason this didn't get a four star rating is because I'm super picky and there were just a few things holding it back. Despite these few things that I picked out, this was one of my favorite super editions besides Mothwing's Vision. I didn't have any strong opinions about SkyClan or it's cats before reading this book, but now I just want to see them get a happy ending. With my initial thoughts out of the way, I will now be getting into the specifics of what I liked and disliked about this book.