not trying to turn this into a warrior cats blog but i have to say, one of my favourite pieces of warrior cats media has to be the Cats of the Clans Field Guide.
Genuinely, this field guide acknowledges some of the biggest gripes I've had with the warrior cat series (and through the perspective of Rock !!).
Also, it's just super well written (imo, at least) and the art is gorgeous ????? The idea of the reader being in the perspective of 3 starclan kits talking to Rock is actually so peak.
Of course, we have the usual continuity errors that appears in almost every book post-TPB, and some stuff did not age well lorewise, but i don't think the writing team ever really thinks that far ahead for the lore to be properly coherent anyways.
I'm just going to share a few of my favourite things about this book, though i do recommend reading it yourselves.
Warning: Massive wall of text below
- Rock being unbiased towards any clan. One of the few books where I didn't feel like it was leaning towards one clan more than the other. Having each clan be represented by the 3 straclan kits (mosskit for river/thunder, blossomkit for shadow, adderkit for wind) is such a smart move. Any biases are portrayed through the kits themselves.
- Rock has these moments where he openly criticises the clans for the way they tend to consider themselves better than non-clan cats. He says that there have been better cats to exist who were never involved with clan life. It was honestly so refreshing to see this weird supremacy stuff get acknowledged.
- Rock also acknowledges that starclan is flawed. Throughout the book he wonders whether they have biases and mentions how strange it is that shadowclan keeps getting messed up by starclan (e.g. the nightstar situation). He also mentions how faith in starclan isn't everything.
ALSO ALSO, quote from the book: 'For once I believe Starclan has acted in every Cat's best interest'
"FOR ONCE",, I love Rock.
My only wish is that leafpool getting doomed by starclan (and the narrative) could've been acknowledged. However, this book was pre-OOTS perspective, so leafpool had not yet reached fully doomed status.
- Rock wonders whether tigerstar ever looks at hawkfrost and remember his persecution of halfclan cats (this drove me insane while reading TNP i am so glad it has been pointed out here)
- Something that stood out to me so, so much as well is the way Rock points out, and criticises how overlooked Sandstorm is and how she tends to be reduced to simply being the mother of Firestar's kits. Rock is a no. 1 sandstorm fan, and i agree with him.
- Rock's disdain of spottedleaf being in Firestar's business is so true. Thank you Rock for speaking on what the authors would later forget.
- Rock calls Tallstar's last-minute deputy change foolish. Tallstar is one of my favourite characters, but even I have to agree with this.
- PRINCESS SITS ON THE FENCE AND STILL WONDERS TO THIS DAY WHETHER HER KIN ARE SAFE
Genuinely, what ?? Did the Erin Hunter team actually just decide to sit down that day and properly (kinda) consider all the flaws of the characters they created.
idc what anyone says, i consider majority of what this field guide says to be canon LOL