Sunrise (book)

Sunrise, formerly known as Cruel Season, is the sixth volume in the Power of Three series. The title was changed because HarperCollins felt that Cruel Season sounded like a sad way to end the Power of Three. Hollyleaf is the cat on the cover. .

The Blurb
'''There will be three, kin of your kin. . . who hold the power of the stars in their paws.'''

The secret of Hollyleaf's, Jayfeather's, and Lionblaze's true identities has been revealed, but one shocking question remains unanswered. Now, in the harshest days of leaf-bare, Clanmate turns upon Clanmate, danger lurks behind familiar faces, and one more warrior may be lost forever....

The Praise
Coming Once Available "Praise"
 * -Praiser

Detailed Plot Summary

 * Sunrise begins with Leafpool repeating a long-used ritual to send Ashfur to StarClan. While she is doing it, she discovers a tuft of fur in Ashfur's claws, which scares her because it's the fur of a cat she knows. She tries to convince herself it came from one of Ashfur's buriers, but Ashfur's claws wouldn't be strong enough to tear fur out from a carrier. Leafpool, in a lot of pain, then wonders if it's her fault he's dead.


 * Meanwhile, in StarClan, Yellowfang argues with Bluestar, saying that the secret that they kept buried for so long is eating away at ThunderClan. Yellowfang comments that Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze might not even be the three, and Bluestar objects. Yellowfang then mentions that Bluestar may have destroyed ThunderClan with all the lies.


 * Lionblaze is in the Place of No Stars, fighting Tigerstar. He attacks Tigerstar, who has fear in his eyes for a moment, saying that Lionblaze would never be brave enough to kill him. Lionblaze steps away, saying, "You're already dead."


 * ThunderClan discusses Ashfur's murder, and many think that a WindClan cat killed him. Brambleclaw questions Lionblaze since he was Ashfur's last apprentice, and Lionblaze answers that he knows nothing, since he and Ashfur were never very close. Sorreltail comments on how much Brambleclaw is concerned about Lionblaze, causing him to think, "He's not my father!"


 * Firestar then sends a patrol to WindClan to find out if one of them killed Ashfur. While there, Lionblaze sees that Breezepelt, Crowfeather's obnoxious son, and Heathertail, Lionblaze's old friend, might be together now. Ashfoot says that she sighted Sol near the sight of Ashfur's dead body, and this leads to the thought that Sol killed Ashfur. Hollyleaf reveals that she secretly met with Sol once, and the Clan takes Sol's last words to her as a threat.


 * Firestar sends Birchfall, Brambleclaw, Brackenfur, Hazeltail, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze to the Sun-Drown-Place to find Sol, and on the way there Hazeltail injures her nose, and Birchfall nearly drowns. Hazeltail also sees her father, Smoky. On the journey, the travelers run into some dogs and are saved by a dark brown tabby she-cat called Jingo. Jingo brings them to a group of cats that once sheltered Sol, and the cats seem to hate Sol. After the travelers leave, they run into Purdy and then Sol, and they bring both back to ThunderClan for questioning.


 * Lionblaze is on the flat rocks with Honeyfern and Berrynose. Millie and Graystripe's kits, Bumblekit, Blossomkit, and Briarkit, are playing on the rocks until a poisonous snake pops up behind Briarkit. Honeyfern jumps and pushes Briarkit out of the way, but in the process she is bitten by the snake, and all Leafpool does is stare at Honeyfern's littermate, Cinderheart. Leafpool also says that the poison already took hold of Honeyfern and she can't do anything. Honeyfern dies, and Berrynose is heartbroken.


 * Jayfeather, on the other hand, tries to figure out the mystery herb that Leafpool mixed in with Mousefur's tansy at the time of his birth. He later brushes against it, and Littlecloud tells him it's parsley, used for stopping milk in nursing queens if their kits die. Jayfeather then realizes his real mother must have had to take it to stop her milk. Jayfeather then realizes that his mother is Leafpool. She confirms this, and she tells Hollyleaf as well. When she talks with Hollyleaf, she also reveals that Hollyleaf was Ashfur's killer.


 * The three pester Sol about the prophecy and their real father, until Yellowfang comes to Jayfeather in a dream and brings him a crow's feather, revealing that their father was Crowfeather of WindClan. Hollyleaf, the one with the strongest faith in the code, is shattered. Jayfeather gets back to camp and helps deliver Whitewing's kits.


 * At the Gathering, Hollyleaf reveals the secret and calls Squirrelflight and Leafpool cowards and liars. Crowfeather denies that he ever had kittens besides Breezepelt, and he states that Leafpool and their kits mean nothing to him at all. When Cinderheart asks Hollyleaf what she'd done, she says she'd done the right thing, but Cinderheart says that everything to do with it led to more pain, as if channeling Cinderpelt. Hollyleaf then realizes that she hates her adoptive mother and real mother, and she figures that the whole thing was Leafpool's fault. She then stops Leafpool in the medicine den and tries to force her to eat deathberries. Leafpool then states that if she died, it would all be over, but if she lived, she would suffer more. Hollyleaf lets her go and escapes into the forest with Jayfeather and Lionblaze following to get away from the Clans. She then runs into the tunnels to the Dark River, but a landslide falls on her as Jayfeather and Lionblaze are unable to get her out. It is unknown what has happened to her.


 * Now that there are only two, Jayfeather and Lionblaze think about the prophecy. Then when Dovekit and Ivykit come out of the nursery, Jayfeather realizes that one of them is part of the prophecy they thought Hollyleaf was part of.