This is RiverClan. It’s supposed to be my home.
I’ve said several times in the past that I’m not the biggest fan of the Warrior mangas. That said, I do think I generally have to make an exception for Erin Hunter’s A Shadow in RiverClan. This is, without a doubt, the single best graphic novel that Hunter has put out. And, honestly, I’d tie it all down to the emotions. For one who suffers extreme isolation while surrounded by cats she’s known her entire life, Feathertail has no shortage of them.
Echoing down the long painful road that has led me to this place.
A Shadow in RiverClan follows Feathertail, the daughter of Graystripe and Silverstream, after the events of the final book in The Prophesies Begin. In essence, this is the aftermath of the horrors inflicted upon the young cat by Tigerstar and the consequences that result from standing by and letting it happen. It’s pretty harrowing, actually. The emotions Feathertail feels as a result of her treatment by both Tigerstar and her leader are strong. And they’re understandable.
I cannot even begin to imagine the betrayal such an experience creates. I don’t blame Feathertail in the least for finding it difficult to forgive her clan. But this also creates an isolation in a crowd that is devastating.
I was supposed to feel welcome, supposed to feel safe.
In a way, you can’t help questioning Feathertail’s decision to remain in RiverClan. I imagine, had future events played out differently, that she would have left eventually. And it’s not as though she did not have a place to turn to. Her father was of ThunderClan, after all. But, remain she does. And it’s a testament to the strength of her character that she is able to do so.
Of course, this book also exists as a setup for the following set of six books, The New Prophesy arc. The emotion of this book is strong enough standing alone from the second set of books. But, alongside it, this aspect becomes even stronger. As much as this graphic novel exists a stream of consciousness for a troubled yet compassionate cat, it does an excellent job setting up her role in the following novels.
And I really enjoyed it.
🦊🦊🦊🦊
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