Moonrise

Moonrise is the second volume in the second series of six warriors books, called the New Prophecy. Feathertail is the cat on the cover.

The Blurb
'''Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together. . . and shake the forest to its roots.'''

Moons have passed since six cats set out from the forest on a journey to save their Clans. Now they are traveling home again, but on their way through the mountains, they meet a tribe of wild cats with a secret... and their own mysterious prophecy to fulfill. Stormfur can't understand their strange fascination with him, but he knows the danger they face is real.

Meanwhile, back in the forest, Firestar and Leafpaw watch ThunderClan's world crumbling around them. Will the questing cats make it back in time to save the Clans, or will they be too late?

The Praise
"Action-packed. Certain to please any young reader who has ever wondered what dreams of grandeur may haunt the family cat."
 * -Publishers Weekly

"A suspenseful adventure story that urges readers onward."
 * -ALA Booklist

"In the latest in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series, the six cats, four of whom have been chosen by the StarClan to save the clans, discover the "midnight" that they are "to listen to" is actually a badger named Midnight. The animal reveals the StarClan's warnings and sets the six on a path through the mountains to return to the clans. Once in the mountains, the companions encounter a tribe of cats with its own way of doing things and a mysterious prophecy. Told in alternating narratives, the story follows the intrepid questers and the plight of the clans as the "Twolegs" make incursions into the forest. The danger intensifies as does a sense of possible doom. The conclusion is a cliffhanger that will leave readers eager for the next installment."
 * -Sally Estes, American Library Association

Detailed Plot Summary

 * Several moons have passed since six cats set out from the forest on an urgent journey to save all of their Clans. They are now traveling home again, but face many challenges along the way.
 * They debate whether to travel through Twolegplace or go through the snowy mountains. On Midnight's suggestion and from fear of the dangers that they encountered in the previous book, Midnight, they decide to travel through the mountains. In the midst of the snowy danger, Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Feathertail, Stormfur and Tawnypelt stumble across a group of feral cats living in the mountains, who belong to The Tribe of Rushing Water.
 * The somewhat friendly Tribe takes the questing cats in to shelter them and feed them. Stormfur takes an interest in Brook Where Small Fish Swim, a young she-cat, one of the Tribe's prey-hunters.


 * But they have their own prophecy to fulfill: they see Stormfur as their only hope, the silver cat mentioned by the Tribe of Endless Hunting, their spiritual ancestors. Taken as a form of prisoner, Stormfur is forced to protect the Tribe from Sharptooth, a blood-thirsty mountain lion with a taste for the smaller cats' blood.


 * Brambleclaw and the rest of the Clan cats rescue Stormfur, but later decide to return and help get rid of Sharptooth by leading him into a trap. However, they do not have time to set up the trap, as Sharptooth appears. Feathertail jumps up at the roof of the cave, dislocating a rock spike that crushes the wild cat, yet she also dies from the impact.




 * It is thus revealed that the silver cat of the prophecy was Feathertail, not her brother Stormfur. The Tribe celebrates and the Clan cats mourn their companion, who is later buried at the base of the Cave of Rushing Water's waterfall, which is a great honor.
 * The remaining five cats continue traveling home. Tawnypelt is the first to spot Highstones in the distance, remarking that they are almost home.
 * Meanwhile, Leafpaw, the ThunderClan Medicine Cat apprentice, has to deal with the threats at home. The destruction of the forest has begun, it being uprooted by the Twolegs. Near the end of the book, she enters into what seems to be a Twoleg trap for cats. Sorreltail tries to to call out for her, but it is too late. Leafpaw recalls hearing many other cats call for her, one of them being Spottedleaf. This indicates that the other cats were most likely from StarClan.
 * Meanwhile, Leafpaw, the ThunderClan Medicine Cat apprentice, has to deal with the threats at home. The destruction of the forest has begun, it being uprooted by the Twolegs. Near the end of the book, she enters into what seems to be a Twoleg trap for cats. Sorreltail tries to to call out for her, but it is too late. Leafpaw recalls hearing many other cats call for her, one of them being Spottedleaf. This indicates that the other cats were most likely from StarClan.

Publication History

 * Moonrise (EN), HarperCollins (hardcover), 2 August 2005
 * Восход луны (RU), OLMA Media Group (unknown binding), 18 October 2005, translated by Veronica Maximova
 * Moonrise (EN), HarperCollins (paperback), 25 July 2006
 * Moonrise (EN), HarperCollins (e-book), 6 November 2007
 * Clair de lune (FR), Pocket Jeunesse (paperback), 5 March 2009, translated by Aude Carlier
 * 月明り (JP), Komine Shoten (unknown binding), 18 March 2009, translated by Yukako Takabayashi
 * 新月危機 (CN), Morning Star (unknown binding), 1 April 2009, translated by Gao Mei
 * Mondschein (DE), Verlagsgruppe Beltz (hardcover), February 2011 (expected), translated by Klaus Weimann