Book Review: Hidden Moon by Erin Hunter (Warriors: Changing Skies #2)

 

Not particularly excited for this. Spoilers ahead.

After receiving the prophecy for the Clans, Tawnypelt is doing everything she can to convince Tigerstar to heed the warning. Meanwhile an apprentice named Starlingpaw is determined to find out who the two-faced cat is. Moonpaw's voice, meanwhile, is getting louder. While this is going on, the Moonpool is still inaccessible to the Clans.

This book has some really good stuff...and some not-so-good stuff. Overall I enjoyed it okay, but I don't think it deserves a high rating.

The best aspect of this book is definitely the character writing. This is the first Erin Hunter book I've read in a while where the author really put a lot of care and attention into the characters and makes them each stand out and shine, even more minor characters. There's some memorable scenes in this book and sometimes just two characters having a nice conversation is really enough to keep me invested because of how well-written the interactions and characters are. Even characters I normally don't care about, like Brambleclaw, feel pretty likable and well-written here here.

But for every good there's a bad. And the main thing that's holding back this book for me is that it just kinda feels like filler and that barely anything was achieved by the end of this book. Sure, we got a few revelations, such as regarding Moonpaw's sister, and Tawnypelt shared the prophecy with the Clans and there was a travel to the Tribe, but aside from that...what really happened plot-wise in this book? Not all that much. The Moonpool is still inaccessible and no real decision regarding it has been made. Moonpaw's voice is still plaguing her. Starlingpaw has gotten nowhere with his suspicions. And Tawnypelt isn't much closer to figuring out the prophecy. 

So yeah, this book has some really good character writing, but because it feels so much like a filler book with so little actual plot happening in it, I can't give it a good rating.

I also gotta say that I still hate how Dovewing and Tigerstar are being written. They're both still bloody hypocrites for being so negative about their son leaving the Clan. And Tigerstar treats his mother very poorly as well. He and Dovewing keep claiming that they don't want to lose their kin, but at the same time they're mistreating their kit and mother(-in-law) like this and driving them away (first Birchfeather and now Tawnypelt).  So I genuinely don't get why these characters are being written like this. Tigerstar I can still somewhat understand because he's been a turbulent character in the past few arcs, but Dovewing? Who was always so loving and understanding? It kinda feels like a retcon of her personality to suddenly shift gears with her so drastically.

I guess if you're a Warriors fan you'll like this book fine, but plot-wise there is just so little in this book. I hope book three will be more eventful.

Rating: 3/5