Tigerheart's Shadow

"I once told you that I would love you no matter what choice you made... I won't make you choose between me and your Clan this time."

— Dovewing to Tigerheart in Tigerheart's Shadow, page 263

Tigerheart's Shadow
General
Author:	Kate Cary
Cover artist:	Owen Richardson
Jacket designer:	Ellice M. Lee
Details
Publish date:	5 September 2017
Identification:	ISBN 9780062467720
Editions:	Hardcover, e-Book, Library
Summary
Tigerheart is torn between his Clan and his heart, and he must discover who he is and who he is meant to be if ShadowClan has any hope to survive.
Resources
Chapter subpages
Chronology
Preceded by:	Darkest Night, River of Fire
Followed by:	The Raging Storm

Tigerheart's Shadow is the tenth book in the Super Editions.

Dedication

Special thanks to Kate Cary

The blurb

An epic stand-alone adventure in Erin Hunter's #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series! Also includes an exclusive ten-page Warriors manga adventure!

In this super edition, set during the events of A Vision of Shadows, one of ShadowClan's most loyal warriors must go on a perilous quest—one that will take him and the ThunderClan warrior Dovewing to the heart of a dangerous territory unlike any they have seen before.

Long one of the proudest warrior Clans, ShadowClan now faces an unprecedented period of darkness and uncertainty. Its deputy, Tigerheart, is determined to help his Clan survive. But a crossroads is fast approaching... and when their medicine cat has an ominous vision, Tigerheart discovers that the only way to save his Clan may be to leave it behind forever.

Join the legion of fans who have discovered the epic adventures, fierce warrior cats, and thrilling fantasy world of the mega-bestselling Warriors series. This stand-alone entry is perfect for new readers and dedicated fans alike.

Alternate blurb

Only a strong sun casts a strong shadow.

The forest is free of the cruel rogue Darktail and his followers—but ShadowClan has nearly been torn apart, and its remaining warriors no longer trust in Rowanstar's leadership. Tigerheart, ShadowClan's deputy, is determined to help rebuild his Clan, but he fears his efforts are only dividing them further.

The few rays of light are the stolen moments he spends with the ThunderClan warrior Dovewing. But a crossroads is approaching for both of them. And when ShadowClan's medicine cat has a vision suggesting that Tigerheart, instead of saving his Clan, may be the cause of its downfall, the ShadowClan deputy is faced with an impossible decision. He must do what is best for his Clan... even if that means leaving them behind forever.

Original blurb

A thrilling stand-alone adventure in Erin Hunter’s #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series!

After suffering for so long under Darktail’s horrible reign, ShadowClan is struggling to rebuild. Tigerheart has always been a loyal ShadowClan warrior—but an omen from StarClan suggests that the only way for Tigerheart to help save his Clan may be to leave it, and the forest, behind.

Set during the events of the current Warriors series, A Vision of Shadows, this Warriors Super Edition takes Tigerheart and the ThunderClan warrior Dovewing on a quest to save one of the proudest warrior Clans. This extra-long, extra-epic adventure follows in the bestselling paw steps of nine previous Warriors Super Editions—and features the fantastic, eye-catching repackaged series look!

Detailed plot description

Looking for a shorter overview? Find one here!

Warning: Rippletail's appearances in Tigerheart's Shadow are a mistake as confirmed by Kate Cary and further installments in the canon. Slatefur was meant to be in the patrol traveling with Tigerheart.

A black tom is standing in a clearing enclosed by thick bramble walls. Cats squeeze in and out of certain dens, doing various things. The tom sees a brown tom with white splotches pad across the clearing to a skinny tom. The old brown tom thanks him for coming, saying that he has been having a cough. Nearby, a tortoiseshell she-cat is talking with a ginger tom anxiously. Another cat, pure white, watches with three young cats beside her. The dream shifts and the tom finds himself in a green meadow. He observes cats lined up, their pelts sparkling with starlight. A black she-cat steps forward to tell him not to be frightened, as they mean him no harm. A broad-shouldered brown tabby joins her and asks the tom to do something for them. He asks what he can do and the she-cat asks if he takes care of cats around him and chooses him to be a messenger. The tabby tom tells him strangers will come to his home who are in need of help. The tom asks if he needs to give them a message and the black she-cat quickly replies to let them guide his paws. He doesn't understand what they mean and the she-cat continues, only for the dream to return to the clearing. Several cats are injured and the bramble walls are torn away. Only the brown-and-white tom stood and observes the cats in the clearing. The black tom wakes up and feels a kit sleeping next to him. He thinks back to the dream, which feels too real to be ignored.

Tigerheart is on his way to meet Dovewing, who he soon learns is expecting kits. Then, Tigerheart tries to convince Dovewing to join him in ShadowClan, but she says she has been having terrible dreams. They are about the nursery filled with shadows, which spewing claims that they must leave the Clans, and their kits will be safe in a strange abandoned Twoleg den. His heart feels heavy as he tries to make the right decision, to leave his beloved ShadowClan or be with his mate, Dovewing. He finally decides to leave with Dovewing, but realizes that two ShadowClan cats were going to join SkyClan. He persuades them to stay, but they are attacked by a badger and Tigerheart's head gets hit in the process. He remembers Dovewing and excuses himself from the two, but Dovewing had already left by the time Tigerheart attempted to reach her. He then falls unconscious, due to the blow to his head.

Tigerheart decides to stay and help ShadowClan recover. Puddleshine later informs Rowanstar and Tigerheart that he had a vision of an orange sun shining and shadows forming, but the sun disappears and the shadows too disappear. Tigerheart thinks the sun is Rowanstar and the message meant that he needed to stay strong for ShadowClan and wills Rowanstar to realize this, but he remains clueless. He then looks to Puddleshine, and is frustrated that even he doesn't realize the meaning.

Rain pummels the lake for days after Dovewing leaves. Tigerheart is returning from a hunting patrol, which is bringing back an average load of prey. After he returns back to camp, he hears that ThunderClan was just here, asking if they had seen one of their missing warriors, which turns out to be Dovewing. Tawnypelt, Tigerheart's mother, then starts pressuring him, asking if he knows anything about Dovewing's disappearance. He lies, and says he doesn't know anything. His mother then points out that he kept talking with her when they were seeking refuge in ThunderClan's camp after Darktail convinced almost every ShadowClan cat to commit mutiny against Rowanstar.

After Tawnypelt leaves Tigerheart, he leaves the ShadowClan camp and crosses the ThunderClan border, intending on intercepting Ivypool and telling her the truth about Dovewing. When Ivypool spots Tigerheart on ThunderClan land, she warns him that he is on ThunderClan land, but nevertheless questions him about Dovewing, saying that she knows that he has come to tell her that he has no idea where Dovewing is. When Ivypool asks Tigerheart if he knows where Dovewing is, Tigerheart says no, but says that he tracked her to the Thunderpath beside the marsh. Ivypool sneers and asks him if the monsters scared him away from tracking her further. Ivypool than calls him a coward and a fox-heart, saying that Dovewing deserved a better mate, and gives him a scratch on his nose. Then Ivypool leaves.

Tigerheart is on a hunting patrol with Grassheart, Strikestone, Juniperclaw, and Snakepaw. It is still raining, and the patrol has little hope of finding any prey. Juniperclaw suggests searching for frogs in the ditches, and Grassheart snorts that there are probably fish in the ditches. Tigerheart tells Juniperclaw that while he was marking borders, Tawnypelt took a hunting patrol to the ditches, bringing back a drowned vole and four slugs. Snakepaw shudders and suggests hunting at the beech patch near the SkyClan border, saying that the beechnuts could attract something tastier than slugs. When the patrol gets to the patch, they find that the beechnuts have all been eaten already, but Snakepaw finds an unopened nut. Tigerheart tells everyone to surround the beech patch and wait for any possible prey. The patrol sees Plumwillow catching a rabbit in ShadowClan territory and confront her. She reminds them of when Sandynose and Rabbitleap let ShadowClan have a rabbit caught on SkyClan territory. Tigerheart lets Plumwillow have the rabbit.

The patrol gets back to camp and Juniperclaw tells Rowanstar about the rabbit incident. Rowanstar, furious at his son for undermining him, leads a patrol to go demand the rabbit back, despite Tigerheart's protests. When the large patrol arrives, Rowanstar demands the rabbit back, to which Leafstar replies that they had already eaten it. Just as a fight is about to break out, Leafstar offers them the next rabbit they catch, and Rowanstar reluctantly agrees. The ShadowClan cats leave, and Tigerheart tells his father that it would be better if ShadowClan remains allies with SkyClan. Rowanstar however is furious at his son, and Tigerheart wonders if this is what he left Dovewing and his unborn kits for.

Later that night, Tigerheart returns to camp and sees Rowanstar talking with Tawnypelt. His mother approaches, encouraging him to talk with the leader, and the tabby complies. Rowanstar tells him he shouldn't have interfered, and upon the mention of the rogue, Darktail, the dark ginger leader seems to flinch at the memory, saying that leading a Clan with a doubtful deputy is hard. Tigerheart wonders how he can trust his father when he knows more, and Rowanstar asks if he'd rather lead; the brown tom declines, so the ShadowClan leader orders him not to question what he says anymore.

After the talk, Tigerheart runs into Scorchfur and Snowbird, who promptly tell him they'll only listen to him, despite the many protests. The deputy questions if he'll ever escape ShadowClan's grip on him to be happy with Dovewing. Later that night, he still remembers what Scorchfur and Snowbird said, worrying about his unborn kits and mate, before deciding to go to Puddleshine. Tigerheart wakes the medicine cat, who informs him of his dreams with the deputy. His dreams are about Tigerheart's shadow darkening the camp until everything else disappears, and this convinces the brown tabby to depart from ShadowClan, which he follows through with after Puddleshine sleeps.

Tigerheart continues past the marshes and to a field, guessing Dovewing done the same, and tries to ignore the thought of his mate being hurt at him letting her make the journey on her own. He carries on, spotting a Twolegplace in the distance, and decides to see if any kittypets know of a gorse-spined den. Crossing the meadow, he reaches the cluttering dens, and runs into a ginger tabby, who attacks him, but Tigerheart easily overpowers him. The kittypet leaves, and he sees a cream she-cat, who tells him her name is Rose. He questions her about the gorse-spined den, and Dovewing, before the ginger cat appears again.

Tigerheart once again defeats him, and the kttypet, Fuzzball, is wondered at the idea of warriors. Both kittypets show no knowledge of Dovewing's gorse-spined den, so Rose brings him to another cat, a black-and-white tom named Ajax, who leads him to a Thundersnake, since he knows of the city where Dovewing is going. Tigerheart refuses to go inside the long monster, instead wanting to take the Silverpath to get to the city. The tabby tom goes hunting with Fuzzball and Ajax, and although they make lots of noise, yowling and rushing after rabbits, Tigerheart manages to catch one with the help of Fuzzball. Ajax avoids eating, and Fuzzball gives up on his bit after a while.

Tigerheart sets off again, walking along the Silverpath, and sees a hill cut off into a tunnel. He gets nervous, but keeps walking, the darkness cold as he heads onwards. A Thundersnake comes speeding down the tracks as Tigerheart avoids it, then it disappears down the rails. He finds a piece of Dovewing's gray fur, and knows he's on the right track.

The tabby wakes from a dream, and recalls Darktail leading his Clan into a violent battle against SkyClan. The ShadowClan cats are badly beaten, and the entire time the rogue leader eggs his Clanmates on, but doesn't join and sacrifice even more. Tigerheart remembers his travels, for days on end he walked, and got his first taste of deer meat, although he was ashamed to eat food killed by the Thundersnake. Ahead, the ground slopes into what Tigerheart sees as a gorge, and he spots a mouse. With some careful stalking, the dark tabby catches it, but Twolegs begin emerging onto the ledge, causing him to run into some shells.

The shells are escorted into the Thundersnake, and the doors shut, trapping Tigerheart. The monster ends up in a tunnel with other Thundersnakes, and when the doors open, the brown tom makes a run for it and escapes. He runs away, and past Twolegs as he hides in some shadows, frightened. He hopes one of the Thundersnake tunnels leads to the outside world, and as he follows one, he runs into the smell of another cat. In an opening with mesh, Tigerheart sees a hostile loner, who mentions rot-pile cats as bullies trying to chase him from the station.

The cat, Dash, makes an offer to help Tigerheart if he aids him with defeating the rogue cats, which he agrees to, pitying Dash. The brown tabby teaches the loner some fighting moves to deal with the nasty rot-pile cats, and the pair moves in, ready for the skirmish. As Dash fights Floyd, Tigerheart throws Mae, one of the rogues, off a trash pile and onto the ground below; the brief battle ends up with the rot-pile cats leaving, and Dash helps him find his way out of the station and to the gorse-spined den, before returning back to his home.

As Tigerheart approaches the den, three cats emerge from the darkness, hostile, and after explaining he needs to find Dovewing, Fierce, the tortoiseshell, leads him into the gorse-spined nest, Cobweb and Ant at his sides defensively. Once inside the den, Tigerheart sees cats hurrying to help sick ones, and worries his mate may be injured. He finds her in her nest, staring at him, and she hisses that he didn't meet her, prompting the dark tom to apologize and explain he couldn't leave ShadowClan. The mates make up, and Dovewing notes that the group's name is the guardian cats, and they help sick and hurt cats.

Tigerheart drifts into sleep with Dovewing, but eventually she wakes him up, and Spire and Blaze approach them; Spire talks about him and Dovewing being the cats he expected, and his words confuse Tigerheart. Dovewing introduces the black cat as Spire, and the little ginger-and-white kit boasts that he's the best around. Spire turns and walks away just as he had came, mumbling to himself, and Fierce tells the pair not to worry since the black tom always does that. She says Blaze keeps the healer grounded, introducing another cat: a brown tabby named Cinnamon. The group of cats launch into conversation about a warrior's way of life compared to the guardian cats', and some cats hunt, heal, and some guard.

Tigerheart asks how they learned to heal, and Fierce mentions Pumpkin, a cat who once lived with forest cats, stayed in the den and educated the group on herbs. The stray left, and Fierce explains how the group began experimenting, but now a fox has taken the land with the herb patch. She requests Tigerheart helps the cats, and he agrees, even if Dovewing has her doubts and worries. As he takes after Fierce and some other guardian cats, he looks back at Dovewing, belly swollen with kits, and thanks StarClan for bringing him to the den.

Monsters bark and shriek as the dark brown tabby follows the patrol, fearful of getting lost in the bright city, and as they walk down an alley, Fierce says once the alley ends, it's just Thunderpaths and monsters. The group heads into a tunnel to avoid the monsters, and exits close to the herb patch. Tigerheart goes to find the fox's den, and it jumps them, knocking the cats off their paws. The guardian cats try fighting it, but the fox only gets mad, and bites into Cobweb's back, but drops him after a fierce assault by the patrol.

Just as the cats begin to scare it, another fox appears, causing Tigerheart to flee with his companions into the tunnel, realizing the two are mates, he believes the land may be lost to them. Two days later, Tigerheart's injuries have healed, and Cobweb is recovering, but he worries the foxes will take over the land for good, destroying the herb supply. He encourages Fierce to excite the group about fighting off the foxes, and she replies that they don't have territory. After some discussion, the guardian cats support Tigerheart's idea of learning battle moves, and even Fierce agrees.

He starts by teaching them basic moves, and helps with their positions and stances as they train, remembering his days teaching Sleekpaw moves on battling the other Clans, before the apprentices rebelled and ShadowClan was destroyed. Fierce and Tigerheart form a plan, reminding the cats around to distract any enemies in case another guardian cat is in trouble. Dovewing suggests baiting out the foxes using her, but Spire volunteers in her place, Blaze supporting him eagerly.

Next morning, the guardian cats set out for the herb patch, and Spire sets himself up as the prey, yowling, which draws out one of the foxes. Then the black cat darts away, and Fierce appears, raking her claws down the fox's side as it turns to face her, angry. More of the cats appear, surrounding the fox, and dive in for attack; Pipsqueak bites its tail, causing it to yelp, and the vixen comes running. The foxes face a bad attack, and they run away, leaving the herb patch quickly as the patrol celebrates their victory.

Back at the den, some of the cats return with prey, Mittens declaring there to be prey for everyone, and she thanks Tigerheart. Spire and Blaze discuss herbs as Pipsqueak settles in the sunlight, and as he talks about the guardian cats with Dovewing, Tigerheart wonders if his kits will really grow up as strays.

When he wakes, the tabby tom sees Spire leaving the den with Blaze, and decides to follow him, finding the black tom outside. As Tigerheart stays behind, Spire reveals he knows of his presence, and he comes forward, starting a conversation about Blaze always following the healer. The black tom mentions how Twolegs always go into the den above and yowl each morning, so Tigerheart stays to listen. Spire tells him of a dream, with a tree cutting through shadow to reveal light, and the tabby begins asking questions about the type of tree, although Spire has no answer.

The humming from the Twolegs begins to grow, and the two toms head back into the gorse-spined den, to find Blaze practicing battle moves with Dovewing. She asks him what happened, and when he tells her about the healer's dream, the gray she-cat points out that Spire has dreams all the time, angering Tigerheart. He argues back, then Dovewing goes into labour. She gives birth to three kits, one tom and two she-cats, but Tigerheart feels stressed about the ties that bind him to ShadowClan now that his mate has her kits.

As Tigerheart hurries to catch up with his patrol, he reflects on how easily the guardian cats' life style began to annoy him. Leaf-bare set upon the city cats, with no real prey other than scraps, and as he scavenges, he secretly hopes for at least a bird to bring to Lightkit, Pouncekit, and Shadowkit. He wonders if the city dwellers know what it's like to really be cold, since the den shelters them from the worst of leaf-bare's reign, and when Dovewing will make the journey back to the lake with him. As Fierce digs bones from a trash can, he goes off to find Cinnamon.

The brown she-cat is cornered by strays, and Tigerheart leaps in to defend her, hissing. He begins arguing with one rogue, a gray she-cat, about the scrap cans, yet Fierce doesn't interfere, once again claiming the guardian cats don't have territory. The two groups part ways, but Tigerheart feels as though their argument is only the beginning after the gray rogue spits at him about not getting comfortable.

Back at the den, Spire comments about the scraps Tigerheart brought, but the tabby had tried to avoid the black cat after his claim about Shadowkit's visions. As they talk about scraps, Tigerheart pointedly says the bits of crowfood aren't warrior food, and Spire says that his kits will be warriors. The brown tom leaves the den, spotting some pigeons on top of a roof, and looks around, noticing a thrush perched on the low branches of a tree. He doesn't think he'll catch it, and is disappointed, until it lands closer, pecking in some grass. Tigerheart jumps and manages to kill the bird, taking it back to Dovewing and his kits. As the young kits eat the prey, Tigerheart remembers Spire telling him they'll be warriors.

Outside the den, Dovewing insists going out for fresh air with her mate, and as he follows a patrol, the gray she-cat's smell is fresh and nearby. Just then, the rogue emerges from some bushes, meeting the hostility of Tigerheart, accusing her of tresspassing, although Fierce blankly says there isn't territory. Tigerheart and the rogue, Fog bicker about having territory until Fierce leaves with her cats and he follows her.

Tigerheart asks Dovewing about staying, and she replies with her own question about him rushing back to the lake. He mentions his desire for his children to live in ShadowClan, and she talks about living in ThunderClan. He wonders if Dovewing stopped caring for the Clans, or if she really enjoys staying with the guardian cats. Dovewing says she wants her kits to be safe, and the journey home may be dangerous for them. She challenges him about endangering their kits' lives to return to ShadowClan, and hurries to catch up with the patrol.

Upon reaching some trash bins, Tigerheart spots some rats, and gives chase, squeezing through a mesh fence to follow as they flee. During the chase, the rats suddenly turn the other way, running right by Tigerheart and into freedom. Fog approaches, some rogues behind her, and he angrily says they chased the rats away. Tigerheart warns the other cats to stop scavenging where he and the guardian cats do, before leaving with Fierce's patrol, sure that Fog is trouble.

Back in the gorse-spined den, Lightkit asks her father why he calls healers medicine cats, and Tigerheart says it's because at the lake, it's what they're called. Shadowkit states it's dark in the forest, and the dark brown tom wonders how his son knows so much about the forest, despite his usual talk of it. Tigerheart spots Fierce with Rascal and a few other cats, remembering how she went on about a special gathering with lots of food hosted by Twolegs, and how gathering the good-smelling scraps is easy. He goes to join the patrol, and they set out for the gathering.

Upon reaching it, the group splits up, heading off to collect their own selections, whilst Tigerheart manages to catch a grouse. However, Rascal brings Fog's gang to Tigerheart's attention as they arrive in the same place. He orders the guardian cats to keep gathering food, and finds Fierce, warning her of Fog's threatening presence. Just then, the gray rogue approaches with some of her gang members, and one of them reaches for Tigerheart's rabbit, but he slaps it away in time.

They engage in a battle, and Tigerheart gains the upper hand against the rogues, that is until he knocks into a Twoleg, causing it to yowl and trigger a panic in the clearing. The brown tabby flees, letting go of Fog as the Twolegs stare, his patrol quickly following with their own catches as Tigerheart holds his grouse. In the alley, Fog approaches once more, her own rogues behind her, and the dark tom steps back to let Fierce deal with her.

The gray she-cat's gang spreads out behind her, clearly hostile, and Tigerheart feels doubtful that if a battle happens, his side may lose their prey and be hurt badly. As Fog suggests handing over their scraps, Fierce stands her ground against the rogue leader, refusing to give up the fresh-kill. Tigerheart paces forward, sliding out his claws, telling her he taught the guardian cats how to fight like warriors. Fog backs off, and leaves with her group.

Back at the den, Shadowkit and his siblings listen to their father's story of fighting a badger eagerly. After that, Dovewing puts her kits to sleep, and comments about not being judged for her relationship with Tigerheart by the Clans. She admits that she'll join ShadowClan once back at the lake, since her mate values being the next leader greatly. She reminds him how his Clanmates used to beg him to lead, so he does have a chance. She begins to doze off next to him, and Tigerheart spots a shadow moving outside the den; he looks up and sees Fog, assuming she's scouting out the den for herself, and is determined not to let her take over the guardian cats' home.

Tigerheart and Fierce form a plan to get Fog's gang to help when they chase away the foxes from her old home, although some of the guardian cats don't seem to like it. Upon the suggestion Fog joins the guardian cats, the broad-shouldered tabby rants about her not caring for anyone but themselves, so she'll end up destroying what they've built. He suggests getting their rival on their side to drive the foxes away after some doubts rise, but the guardian cats break out into argument over Clans and strays.

Rascal and Mittens arrive back into the den, bringing news of Fog's scent and her gang's outside the den, showing they've been scouting it out. Fierce tells everyone that they'll need to defend their home, so Tigerheart's battle moves are needed to do so. Dovewing brings her kits along for the session, and the dark tabby spots Spire, eyes glazed, prompting him to guess he's having a vision. The black tom says aloud he won't live beside the widewater, but his friend Blaze will, and Tigerheart thinks of the lake immediately.

The brown tom leaves the den, and goes to help Fierce and the others with some battle moves. Blaze tests out a move on Tigerheart, and succeeds against the warrior, eager to help the guardian cats. Just then, he picks up movement, and sees some of Fog's rogues scouting out the territory, and he wishes Fierce did stake claim on the land. As he continues to aid in the battle training, a squeak from Poucekit alerts him to where she's trapped in a mesh cage, mewling. Tigerheart tries to get the door open, but cannot, and panics at the firmness of the latch.

A monster rolls up, and a Twoleg goes to collect more traps around the back of the Gathering den. Fierce fetches a stick to free the kit, and with Tigerheart's help, they manage to open it, giving time for Pouncekit to escape before it slams shut. The dark tabby thinks of how small he and his friends are in the large city, and even if they leave, the forests and fields may prove to be dangerous. The Twoleg reappears again, carrying a trap, with Streak inside, trying to escape, before being thrown into the monster, and carried away as it leaves.

Growler leads Tigerheart and Fierce to another trap, with a tasty smell drifting from it. Cobweb comes up with a way to close the traps before others become trapped, and he rushes off to do his task with the rest of the cats, while Tigerheart approaches Fog and tells her of his plan to chase the foxes out from her old home. The rogue leader refuses to help, but does promise to leave if the guardian cats drive out the troublesome foxes.

In the den, Mittens announces more traps have been left out by Twolegs, ones big enough to capture a fox. Tigerheart admits Fog refused to helping, but will leave if the five foxes are chased out; when Mittens angrily says that shoving them in the traps and letting them get taken away is better, an idea sparks in the brown tom's mind. He suggest using the traps to capture the foxes, because if his plan does work both them and Fog's cats will leave, solving their problems for good.

The dark tabby runs into Tuna while he's out, and decides to tell the rogue all about his plan to get Fog's old home back. The next morning, Tigerheart exits the guardian cats' den, the sky dark and rain drizzling the earth below gently. He knows it's the right time to capture the foxes, then hears Tuna behind him, coming as promised, but Fierce remains distrustful about him. The patrol sets off, with Tuna in the lead, and upon reaching the fox-ridden home, Tigerheart splits the cats up into groups.

Fierce lets out a yowl, and once the foxes see her, they lunge, and the guardian cats explode out from hiding, throwing themselves into battle. Tigerheart runs away, remembering the plan, some foxes in hot pursuit. He stops, and jumps onto one of the foxes, clawing it, then begins speeding off again, heading for the guardian cats' den. The plan succeeds, with the foxes being trapped in each indiviual cage set up, and Fog appears, agreeing to leave.

A few days later, Tigerheart is woken up by Dovewing wailing about her kits. He scrambles up as she begins questioning the surrounding cats if they've seen her children, pelt bushed. Dovewing and Tigerheart leave the den frantically to find Shadowkit, Pouncekit, and Lightkit, and find them outside, sitting on a tree branch, and nearby Twolegs murmur to each other. Tigerheart, with the help of Cinnamon and Pipsqueak, manage to get the young cats down from the tree, with Lightkit explaining they were watching the Twolegs. The family hurries away and back into the gorse-spined den.

Tigerheart approaches Spire, and the black tom tells him he heard a voice from the stars meant for the brown tabby. He explains that someone can't keep the shadows together, for they are fading away; this alarms Tigerheart, who is sure it's Rowanstar, calling for him to come back to the lake. That night, the sleek tabby barely sleeps, his thoughts filled with Dovewing, his kits, and returning to the lake; dawn comes at last, and Fierce leads a scavenging patrol, so Tigerheart tags along to clear his thoughts.

Dovewing goes with her mate, and the dark tabby feels the need to tell her what Spire said, because he can't keep quiet. The pair head off to talk, and when he mentions the healer's vision, with the voice, Dovewing doesn't talk, still as a stone as she stares. Tigerheart feels grief, wondering if he can forgive himself for abandoning his mate and kits, and pleads for her to forgive him, and Dovewing reveals that she'll be going with him. She tells the broad tabby tom Shadowkit told her she saw a cat that looked like Ivypool with kits, so she wants to return home and see them.

Together, he and Dovewing decide to take their kits along for the journey, and Tigerheart goes to tell Fierce he's leaving. He explains to the guardian cat he has to return to the lake because a StarClan cat spoke to him through Spire. Fierce bids her goodbyes, and Blaze choses to go with Tigerheart and his family, and Spire makes the decision too. Cinnamon and Ant both tag along, much to everyone's surprise, and they set off.

The small group traveled over Thunderpaths and used gaps in the traffic to escape the monsters. Twolegs crowd the entrance to the train station, so the cats head down the alley leading to Dash's territory. They enter the tunnels, following Tigerheart to his old friend's home. The brown tabby finds the loner, and he agrees to showing them the way out of the station. As the group walks, Spire has another dream, saying that they begun in darkness and will end in darkness; Blaze warns the cats not to disturb the healer.

A Thundersnake appears down the track, and the patrol crouches against the wall as it roars past, blasting them with foul air. As quick as it came, the long monster speeds off down the tracks, so the patrol sets out again, and in the way more Thundersnakes flash past, which excited Lightkit and her sister Pouncekit. After long lost and a treacherous walk, Dash leads them to the end of the tunnel, and Tigerheart tells Dovewing tomorrow morning they'll set out again and keep walking.

As the group carries on next afternoon, Tigerheart looks out to the vast landscape, and the Silverpath, with barely any Twoleg dens dotting the fields anymore. Cinnamon plays a guessing game with the kits, and as Tigerheart's thoughts cause him to wander, Shadowkit eagerly tells him of a plant name he made up. The cats continue walking, until Spire stops, and tells them in a wail they need to find the orange sun, but Tigerheart has doubts about the healer. The tabby tom says they'll find the orange sun in the morning, and in the night he hears Dovewing's tail flicking anxiously.

Blaze appears and anxiously tells Tigerheart that Spire has wandered off, and he fears that his friend will freeze in the cold temperatures. Dovewing leaves the kits with Ant and Cinnamon, and heads off with her mate and Blaze as they track the crazed healer. They spot a building, standing tall and alone, and Dovewing rushes toward it, saying that she can smell Spire's scent leading to it. Tigerheart spots the healer, and next to him is Slatefur, a lost ShadowClan warrior, and Berryheart, yet another lost cat. The queen is pregnant, and the brown tabby tom coldly asks if they're both rogues.

Slatefur denies it, shocked at the question. Tigerheart acts cold towards the two until Dovewing calms him down, his anger turning into guilt as he thinks maybe the lost warriors stayed away for reasons like his. The ShadowClan tom learns Sparrowtail and Cloverfoot are with Berryheart and Slatefur, and Berryheart is expecting Sparrowtail's kits. The other two ShadowClan warriors appear, running toward the patrol: it's Cloverfoot, and the brown tabby, Sparrowtail.

Tigerheart is reluctant to allow Sparrowtail, Berryheart, Cloverfoot and Slatefur to join his group, due to the fact that they chose to betray Rowanstar for Darktail and fought against their own Clanmates, as well as the other Clans. Dovewing sympathizes with her mate's feelings, but also notes that the four lost warriors are obviously sorry for what they did, and that if ShadowClan is to survive, Tigerheart needs to show by example that old wrongs can be forgiven. Tigerheart agrees to accept the four into the group, and decides to wait until Berryheart has kitted before returning to the lake. A Thundersnake approaches on the railway nearby, and almost kills Lightkit and Pouncekit before Spire grabs them and pulls them out of the way. He tells Tigerheart that death will happen if they stay next to the train tracks, and lets Spire lead the way for the journey.

The group, led by the black cat, carries onward, despite doubts from Slatefur and the other lost warriors, and find a river with a bridge. As the cats walk along the bridge, Tigerheart remembers how Spire said it'd be dangerous, and is worried. Then, the bridge begins to lift from the middle, splitting in two, Pouncekit teetering at the top. Spire jumps and saves her, but in the process he falls and disappears into the river.

Blaze tries to find Spire down at the bank, but to no avail, and Tigerheart wonders why the black tom didn't find another way to cross. The brown tabby holds a vigil for the black cat, and gives him a warrior name, Spiresight. That night, Berryheart gives birth to her kits, giving them the names Hollowkit, Spirekit, and Sunkit.

A moon later, Shadowkit tells Tigerheart about his dreams, and he saw a moorland once at the end of a Twolegplace Spiresight mentioned. The gray kit describes in detail the territories around a lake, so Tigerheart calls a meeting. He hopefully asks if Berryheart can travel now, but she can't, despite Shadowkit's protests. The brown tom begins to speak with his son about his dreams, when he spots an owl, ready to snatch up Hollowkit, and the owl grabs him instead. High in the air, the bird releases Tigerheart, and he blacks out.

Pain wakes him, but his injury is inside his body, and although Cloverfoot says he's just hurt, he knows he'll die. Berryheart mentions Hollowkit, causing Tigerheart to remember saving the kit, and closes his eyes. Dovewing urges him to stay awake, and they begin carrying the injured tom onwards, until at last he can see WindClan's moorland. He tries closing his eyes again, although his mate wakes him up, reminding him of the past times they spent together, and memories of Rowanclaw and Flametail fill Tigerheart's mind. He eventually gives up his fight, and falls into darkness.

The tabby wakes in StarClan, and finds Spiresight. The black cat shows him an image of Dovewing, carrying his body, their kits, and the guardian cats, walking along WindClan's moor. He says he needs to go home, when Spiresight fades, to be replaced with Rowanclaw and other spirits, who prepare to give him a leadership ceremony in order to send him home. At the end of the ceremony, Tigerstar wakes beside the Moonpool.

He returns to ShadowClan with Puddleshine, and meets Dovewing, and his mother Tawnypelt. The Clan cheers his name as they welcome the new leader, and Tigerstar is determined to face the upcoming darkness.

In the manga adventure of the book, Berryheart decides to escape the Kin after Darktail tries to drown her. She runs into Slatefur, and tells him to pass a message onto Sparrowtail and Needletail that she's leaving for the greenleaf Twolegplace. As she wakes from sleeping in a log, she spots Sparrowtail, who revels to her that Darktail is keeping Needletail, their daughter, captive.

The two escape some Twolegs on bicycles, and find a nest of eggs, but the mother bird attacks them, forcing Berryheart and Sparrowtail to flee and hide. She seeks refuge in an empty Twoleg den with her mate, where Slatefur and Cloverfoot find them, greeting them joyfully. All four cats admit to each other that supporting Darktail was a terrible mistake, and Berryheart says that soon StarClan will guide them home.

Trivia

Interesting facts

• In 2016, Kate revealed that this book would be released the following year, and focus primarily on Tigerheart.

Author statements

• Prior to the book's release, Kate stated that the book will have only one death, but a heroic one.
  • However, there are three deaths in the book.

Mistakes

• A compiled list of the errors present in Tigerheart's Shadow can be found here.
• Slatefur is replaced by Rippletail throughout the entire book.
  • Rippletail is not mentioned as a kittypet, as he is shown following Tigerheart on his journey back to ShadowClan.

Publication history

• Tigerheart's Shadow (EN), HarperCollins (Hardcover), 5 September 2017
• Tigerheart's Shadow (EN), HarperCollins (Library), 5 September 2017
• Tigerheart's Shadow (EN), HarperCollins (e-book), 5 September 2017
• 虎心的陰影 (ZH), Morningstar (paperback), 1 March 2020

Gallery

English Language Edition
Released in North America & United Kingdom

English Audio Book
Released in North America

German Language Edition
Released in Germany and Austria

Traditional Chinese Language Edition
Released in Taiwan