Into the Wild

Into the Wild is the first book in the Original arc. Firepaw is the cat depicted in the center of the cover.

Dedication

 * For Billy—who left our Twoleg home to become a Warrior.
 * We still miss him very much.
 * And for Benjamin—his brother
 * who is with him now in StarClan. 


 * Special thanks to Kate Cary

The Blurb

 * Fire Alone Can Save Our Clan...


 * For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying - and some deaths are more mysterious than others.


 * In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty... who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

The Praise

 * "The author has created an intriguing world with an intricate structure and mythology, and an engaging young hero. The supporting cast of players is large and a little confusing, but there are standouts who give dimension to the tale. The difficult life of a feral cat is described in some detail, and a fair amount of violence is included. The ending is left ambiguous-there is definitely more to come. This is not as elegantly written as Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series (Philomel), but it's another option for fans of animal adventure / fantasy stories."
 * -Mara Alpert, School Library Journal


 * "In this first spine-tingling episode in the planned Warriors series, Firepaw learns the ways of the wild life, facing many dangers and treachery both within and without his new clan. Intelligence notwithstanding, the cat characters are true to their feline nature, making this sure to appeal to fans of Clare Bell's long-popular Ratha's Creature (1983) and its sequels and also to followers of Brian Jacques' ongoing Redwall series."
 * -Sally Estes, Booklist


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


 * "A suspenseful animal adventure…. Teen readers will readily identify with Firepaw’s strenuous efforts to fit into the group, applaud his courage to follow his own convictions, and rejoice at the promised sequel."
 * -Kirkus Reviews

Detailed Plot Summary

 * In the prologue, a group of feral cats known as ThunderClan are battling against their rival, RiverClan, by a river for control over a territory called Sunningrocks to which both Clans have equal claim. Redtail, ThunderClan's deputy, soon realizes ThunderClan is badly outnumbered and orders the battle patrol to retreat. Tigerclaw, a ThunderClan warrior, reluctantly follows the order, angered that RiverClan should celebrate a win over territory so quickly. In the ThunderClan camp, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, is trying to seek answers from StarClan, troubled by that night's defeat. At that moment, Spottedleaf, the medicine cat of ThunderClan, receives a prophecy from StarClan, echoing to Bluestar that "Fire alone can save our Clan."


 * A kittypet named Rusty wanders into the woods after dreaming about hunting a mouse in the wild. He is breifly attacked by Graypaw, a ThunderClan apprentice. Instead of fleeing, Rusty turns and fights back. Unbeknownst to the two young cats, two warriors from ThunderClan are watching - Lionheart, Graypaw's mentor, and Bluestar, ThunderClan's leader. Impressed after having seen Rusty and Graypaw fight, Bluestar offers Rusty a chance to join their Clan of feral cats and train as an apprentice. He is given until dawn to think about his answer. Smudge, his kittypet friend, discourages him from joining, saying feral cats should not be trusted. After Rusty has made his decision to go, however, Smudge sees he cannot change his friend's mind and the two friends decide to be with each other for one more morning.


 * The next day, Rusty is escorted to the ThunderClan camp by Lionheart and another ThunderClan cat, Whitestorm. Most of the cats disagree with a kittypet joining their ranks, especially Longtail, who relentlessly taunts Rusty. Rusty fights Longtail after being persuaded by Lionheart to prove his loyalty and worth to the Clan. Rusty's collar snaps off during the fight, which is taken as an omen from StarClan that Rusty belongs in their Clan. Bluestar gives Rusty the apprentice name of Firepaw and officially appoints him as a Clan apprentice. Not long afterwards, another apprentice, Ravenpaw, rushes into camp with the news that Redtail has been killed in a skirmish near Sunningrocks. Tigerclaw soon follows with Redtail's body, claiming Redtail to have been killed by Oakheart, the RiverClan deputy. Tigerclaw says he has killed Oakheart in vengence. Lionheart is made deputy in Redtail's place.


 * Firepaw is not immediately assigned a mentor of his own and instead trains with Ravenpaw and Graypaw and their mentors, Tigerclaw and Lionheart. Firepaw soon learns that kittypets are thought to be soft and useless by most Clan-born cats. Despite being seen as inferior, he is slowly able to adjust to his new life. He trains hard to become a respected member of the Clan, hoping to earn full warrior status. On his first solo hunting assignment, Firepaw comes across Yellowfang, a medicine cat who was exiled from ShadowClan. He immediately begins to attack, knowing rogue cats are not tolerated in enemy territory. After realizing the old cat is starving, however, he hunts a rabbit for her out of pity and eats the remains himself, breaking the Warrior Code in the proces.


 * A ThunderClan patrol soon arrives, lead by Bluestar. Bluestar recognizes Yellowfang as ShadowClan's former medicine cat and the Clan takes Yellowfang into camp as a prisoner. To speed up apprentice training, Bluestar appoints herself as Firepaw's official mentor. As punishment for breaking the Warrior Code, Firepaw is put in charge of nursing Yellowfang back to health. At a Gathering, Brokenstar, the leader of ShadowClan, reports that ShadowClan has recently driven out a cat that has killed ShadowClan kits. He makes it clear that this rogue should be killed as soon as any cat found her and urges the Clans to keep a close eye on their kits. The ThunderClan cats rush back to camp, suspecting Yellowfang to be the cuprit, but since there is no proof, Bluestar tells the Clan that Yellowfang will remain in the camp and shall not be harmed.


 * ShadowClan, after finding out about ThunderClan's posession of Yellowfang, rage an attack on ThunderClan's camp. Lionheart is killed in the battle and Bluestar appoints Tigerclaw as the new deputy. Firepaw's natural curiosity is aroused when he finds himself becoming suspicious of Tigerclaw. Ravenpaw, Tigerclaw's apprentice who had witnessed the earlier events at Sunningrocks, tells Firepaw that it was Tigerclaw, not Oakheart, who killed Redtail, presumably in his ambition to become deputy. Tigerclaw suspects his secret has been discovered and begins to secure his position by harassing Ravenpaw and making sure no cats, not even his Clanmates, trust the apprentice.


 * Soon after, two ThunderClan kits are stolen and Spottedleaf is found dead near the nursery. Firepaw, who had developed a close bond with the medicine cat, is devastated. Tigerclaw immediately blames Yellowfang for the disappearance of the kits as well as the death of Spottedleaf. Yellowfang is not present when the kits are discovered missing, further heightening the Clans' suspicions. Bluestar intervenes and remakrs there is no proof that Yellowfang is at fault, refusing to blame her for the crime just yet. Tigerclaw makes the assertion that Ravenpaw helped Yellowfang steal the kits, causing Frostfur, a ThunderClan queen, to chase Ravenpaw out when he tried to check up on the other kits. Firepaw and Graypaw, realizing their friend is in great danger as long as he remains in the Clan with Tigerclaw, take Ravenpaw to a new home with a well-known loner named Barley who lives in a barn outside of WindClan territory.


 * Firepaw, determined to prove Yellowfang innocent, goes with Graypaw to find and rescue the missing kits from ShadowClan. They come across Yellowfang, who is revealed to be attempting to rescue the missing kits herself. Yellowfang tells the apprentices she had left camp as soon as she knew the kits were missing and had smelled the scent of Clawface, a ShadowClan warrior, in the nursery. With the help of a ThunderClan patrol led by Whitestorm and a patrol of senior ShadowClan warriors who are against Brokenstar, they raid ShadowClan camp and drive out the real kit snatcher, Brokenstar, along with his followers. It is revealed that Brokenstar had been mercilessly training kits early so he could have more warriors for his Clan. After Brokenstar is driven out, ThunderClan promises to leave ShadowClan in peace for one moon while they adjust and find a new leader. The ThunderClan cats, including Yellowfang, return with the kits to their camp, where Firepaw and Graypaw inform the Clan it was Clawface, not Yellowfang, who had stolen the kits and killed Spottedleaf. Firepaw tells the Clan that Ravenpaw had been killed by a ShadowClan patrol. Bluestar asks Yellowfang to be ThunderClan's new medicine cat, to which she accepts.


 * After the battle, Firepaw and Graypaw are promoted to warriors and receive their warrior names - Fireheart and Graystripe. Just before their vigil is supposed to begin, Fireheart tries to tell Bluestar about Tigerclaw's betrayal, but she silences him by reminding him about his vigil. The story ends as the two new warriors guard the camp until dawn.

Trivia

 * In the allegiances, Firepaw is listed as an apprentice, even though he doesn't join ThunderClan until later in the book.
 * Kate has stated that she thinks that the cats in the background of the cover are Graypaw and a cat from another Clan.

Publication History

 * Into the Wild (EN), HarperCollins (hardcover), 21 January 2003
 * Into the Wild (EN), HarperCollins (paperback), 1 January 2004
 * Into the Wild (EN), Collins UK (paperback), 5 April 2004
 * Na Wolności (PL), Amber (paperback), 2004, translated by Agnieszka Różańska
 * Retour à l'état sauvage (FR), Pocket Jeunesse (unknown binding), 17 March 2005, translated by Cécile Pournin
 * Divoké Kočky (CZ), Albatros (hardcover), 2 October 2006, translated by Peter Petráková
 * Into the Wild (EN), HarperCollins Children (paperback), 3 April 2006
 * Į tyrus (LT), Garnelis (unknown binding), 2006, translated by Danguole Žalytė
 * Vào Trong Hoang Dã (VI), Da Nang (paperback), November 2006, translated by Huong Lan
 * ファイヤポー、野生にかえる (JA), Komine Shoten (unknown binding), 22 November 2006, translated by Kanehara Rui
 * Hív a vadon (HU) Egmont (paperback), 2007, translated by Andrea Márton
 * 야생 속으로 (KR), Gimyoungsa (unknown binding) 30 January 2007, translated by Gimyiseon
 * Стань диким! (RU), OLMA Media Group (hardcover), 2008, translator unknown
 * In die Wildnis (DE), Verlagsgruppe Beltz (paperback), September 2008, translated by Klaus Weimann
 * 荒野新生 (ZH-TW), MorningStar Press (paperback), 31 October 2008, translated by Gao Mei
 * In die Wildnis (DE), Verlagsgruppe Beltz (audiobook), January 2009, translated by Klaus Weimann, narrated by Ulrike Krumbiegel
 * ファイヤポー、野生にかえる (JA), Komine Shoten (unknown binding), 20 February 2009, translated by Kanehara Rui
 * 呼唤野性 (ZH-CN), China Children's (unknown binding), 1 March 2009, Zhao In
 * De wildernis in (NL), Baeckens Books (hardcover), 7 January 2009, translated by Huberte Vriesendorp
 * Into the Wild (EN), HarperCollins (e-book), 13 October 2009
 * Villiin luontoon (FI), Art House (unknown binding), October 2009, translated by Vesa-Matti Paija
 * Vahşi Doğa (TR), Artemis (unknown binding), 2009, translated by Barbaros Bostan
 * V divjino (SI), Mettis Bukvarna (hardback), 6 May 2009, translator unknown
 * Na Floresta (PT), Wmf Martins Fontes Ltda (paperback), 2010, translated by Marilena Moraes
 * Ritorno Nella Foresta (IT), Sonda (unknown binding), 2010, translated by Sarah Kaminski and Maria Teresa Mliano
 * V divočine (SK),Mladé léta (paperback), 2011, unknown translator
 * U divljini (HR), Znanje (Paperback), 9 November 2011, translator unknown
 * Ud i vildnisset (DK) Sohn (unknown binding), 2011, translated by Gabriela Lundbye
 * Metsikusse ellu (EE), Tiritamm (paperback), 21 November 2011, translator unknown
 * En territorio salvaje (ES), Salamandra (paperback), March 2012, translated by Begoña Hernández Sala