I want to start off by saying that Gray Wing's death made me straight up BAWL. It was just so sad and so well-written I just I couldn't. ;;
Pros
- As I said, Gray Wing's death was well-written and emotional, as it should have been.
- The rogues being taken in was great. I especially love Fern.
- I like Violet/Thunder if only because Thunder deserved a happy ending and a mate who actually loved him
and wouldn't choose his father after breaking up with him.
- Gray Wing not feeling any different when his kits were born than when Turtle Tail's kits were born. He loved his foster kits so much that he loves them as his own. Seriously, that was just so sweet. ;w;
- Gray Wing and his kits naming the Clans. That was a great way to end his life.
- Slash and his buddies surviving, leaving room for conflict in Moth Flight's Vision without it being a total ass pull.
- Gray Wing's family rallying around him before his death.
- Bright Stream's kits. </3
- Star Flower isn't in the book all that much after her rescue
Cons
- I wish the two traitor rogues hadn't been so glaringly obvious. We knew they'd turn based on their actions, so when they actually did turn and cats got hurt in the process, it wasn't surprising or even particularly interesting.
- Leaf/Milkweed never got confirmed in-story and we barely see anything regarding the ship in this book.
- Clear Sky. Idek where to start with that one.
- The lack of emotion from Jagged Peak and Thunder over Gray Wing's death. They were sad, of course, but they didn't seem too horribly grief-stricken like they should have.
-i know ill probs get disliked for this but.... i still despise clear sky. i don't care if he '''changed'' or not, the fact that he still killed cats - and still caused the deaths of many for his own selfish desires - is unexusable. unlike other cats who have killed, his were for petty reasons, barring one eye [who well.. is the antagonist, duh]. i mean, killed a cat over a bush??? really?? and it's brushed off because 'he's GOOD now, he's CHANGED, see!!! what a nice father!!!' i hope the kits have good parenting, altho i want one of them to be a rebel, just saying
THIS SO MUCH. I cannot stand this cat and his "redemption" did nothing to make him more likable. I mean, in Blazing Star, I did start to like him. It was when he chose Star Flower as his mate in A Forest Divided (with the narrative eventually treating this as an ultimately good thing rather than a creepy and selfish thing like it actually was) is what ruined it and Path of Stars did not earn him any brownie points. Oh, he feels bad about what he did to Thunder? GOOD! He's supposed to! It's called guilt and I hope he feels it for the rest of his life! He screwed up BIIIIIIIIIIG TIME and took forever to see all of the mistakes he made. Hell, in PoS, he even seems to be brushing his mistakes off after reflecting on them. He doesn't even try to salvage his relationship with Thunder. He says like one thing, sees Thunder doesn't trust him yet, then decides, "Oh well, I have new kits now, I'll do better this time." He's just... UUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH.
