Midnight (book)

Midnight is the first volume in the second series of six warriors books, called the New Prophecy.

The Blurb
Darkness, Air, Water, and Sky will come together...

The wild cats of the forest have lived in peace and harmony for many moons - but a doom that will change everything is coming. Strange messages from their warrior ancestors speak of terrifying new prophecies, danger, and a mysterious destiny.

All the signs point to young warrior Brambleclaw as the cat with the fate of the forest in his paws. But why would the son of wicked cat Tigerstar be chosen to be a hero? And who are the other cats mentioned in the prophecy? All Brambleclaw knows for sure is that the strength and courage of the greatest warriors will be needed now, as the quest to save the Clans begins.

... and shake the forest to its roots.

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 animal adventure."
 * -Kirkus Reviews

"This series is patterened in the same style of classics by J.R.R. Tolkien or Brian Jacques. Read this, and you'll never look at your plain old tabby the same way again."
 * -Cleveland Plain Dealer

Detailed Plot Summary
Midnight is the first novel in Warriors: The New Prophecy, the second series of novels. It opens twelve moons after The Darkest Hour with StarClan choosing four cats to go on a journey. Later in the series, it is revealed that Twolegs (humans) plan to destroy the forest for a new and even larger Thunderpath (a super-highway). A prophecy is revealed that states: Darkness, air, water and sky will come together and shake the forest to its roots. This is the prophecy that this novel and the next two revolve around.

New cats of all Clans, particularly of ThunderClan, are introduced. Bramblepaw, Tigerstar's son, has become Brambleclaw. Firestar has had two kits with Sandstorm, named Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw. Squirrelpaw is apprenticed to Dustpelt, and Leafpaw is apprenticed to Cinderpelt in preparation to become the next medicine cat of ThunderClan. It is revealed that Brambleclaw is the chosen cat from ThunderClan, Feathertail (Graystripe's daughter) is the cat from RiverClan, Crowpaw is the cat from WindClan, and Tawnypelt (formerly Tawnypaw, Brambleclaw's sister) is the cat from ShadowClan. Squirrelpaw tags along and Stormfur insists on accompanying them to protect his sister, Feathertail, to trek into the unknown world.

While Leafpaw and Cinderpelt search for herbs, StarClan sends Cinderpelt an ominous warning in some burning bracken, which she interprets to mean that fire and tiger will destroy the forest. Leafpaw concludes that the warning must mean Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw, the daughter of Firestar and the son of Tigerstar, respectively. They share the warning with Firestar, who later decides to keep Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw separated. His plan fails when Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw meet with Feathertail, Stormfur, Tawnypelt, and Crowpaw at Fourtrees, and the cats begin their journey to the sun-drown-place (their name for the sea, because of the way the sun sinks into the water).

Their guide, an old loner named Purdy, is confused and fights break out between them because of this. Eventually, they reach the sun-drown-place and enter a cavern inhabited by a highly intelligent badger known as Midnight, who reveals to them that the humans will destroy the forest, that the cats must either leave the forest or die, and that a dying warrior will lead them to their new home. The book ends with a short epilogue back in the forest, where the humans begin to destroy ThunderClan's territory.