River of Fire is the fifth book in the sixth Warrior Cats series, A Vision of Shadows.
The prologue features a group of ShadowClan ancestors in StarClan. Dawnpelt, Beenose, Needletail, Yellowfang, and Blackstar complain about Rowanstar's choice to give up leadership and merge his Clan into SkyClan. Shadowstar shows up and says that there need to be five Clans, or else it will mean the end of StarClan itself.
Twigpaw and Finpaw, having decided at the end of Darkest Night to leave SkyClan and join ThunderClan with each other, are confronted by Sparkpelt after crossing the border. The Clan are doubtful as to whether she truly knows where her loyalties lie, but Bramblestar decides to give Twigpaw a chance, with a probationary period remaining as an apprentice (under Sparkpelt, as Twigpaw's former mentor Ivypool is in the nursery expecting kits.) Finpaw is apprenticed to Larksong.
In the SkyClan camp, Violetshine reflects on how it's more difficult than she expected for ShadowClan to integrate into SkyClan. After Violetshine tells Tree that he should help around the camp, Leafstar walks over and tells the loner that he needs to decide whether he'll be staying with the Clan, and he's not sure, uncertain whether he'll adjust to Clan life, thinking that being an apprentice will be boring. Leafstar suggests he help the medicine cats and see if that interests him, and he agrees but is doubtful. Violetshine is ordered to go retrieve supplies from the ShadowClan camp, but wonders if Tree will still be with the Clan when she returns.
Alderheart frets about the prophecy that says that they need to be five Clans. More urgent at the moment, however, is the sickness spreading throughout ThunderClan. They move Briarlight to the nursery to keep her away from the sick cats in the medicine den. Since there's no watermint left in their territory, Alderheart, Sparkpelt, and Twigpaw go on a patrol to retrieve some from the WindClan-RiverClan border (WindClan gives permission). Alderheart visits the RiverClan camp to speak with Mistystar and ask if she'll reconsider reopening her borders - again, they need five Clans, not three - but she insists they will remain closed while RiverClan continues to rebuild.
After a frustrating training session, Twigpaw and Finpaw go hunting on their own, and Twigpaw ends up falling in the stream on the WindClan border. Some WindClan cats take her to Bramblestar, and Twigpaw confesses to him that she's worried about the prophecy. He says it's good that she's concerned, but that there's nothing they can do. She remains in camp helping out after Sparkpelt falls ill and Fernsong thinks she's too advanced to train with Finpaw, wishes she had kin in the Clan, and wonders how she can prove herself loyal.
Half a moon later, Violetshine and Tree (who still doesn't seem to fit in well with SkyClan) join a patrol through their territory. They encounter two former ShadowClan cats who had joined Darktail's Kin and remained rogues after his death: Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf (who is now pregnant with the kits of Nettle, one of Darktail’s cats). The two beg to join SkyClan, but Leafstar insists (with Tawnypelt's support) that they cannot trust cats that followed Darktail willingly, and they are escorted to the border.
The medicine cats (minus RiverClan) go to the Moonpool at the half moon and share news about the sickness, and discuss the prophecy, not sure how they can turn three Clans back into five. When they share with StarClan, Needletail appears to Alderheart - and other ShadowClanners appear to the other medicine cats - all with the same message: "The shadows are approaching and must not be dispelled." Mostly they assume it means that some of ShadowClan's missing cats going to return and that they should be welcomed back in, but Leafpool and Alderheart aren't certain.
Unbeknownst to the medicine cats, Twigpaw was watching them the whole time. After they leave, she goes down take a look at the Moonpool, and dips her nose into it like the medicine cats. At first she thinks that nothing happened, but then she has a vision of flames roaring through a camp, and Yellowfang snarls that Twigpaw doesn't belong there (Twigpaw wonders afterward if Yellowfang meant the Moonpool, or ThunderClan.) She knows she'll get into trouble if she tells anyone about having gone to the Moonpool, but she feels like she has to do something to help ShadowClan, and debates whether to tell Violetshine about the medicine cats' dream.
A quarter moon later, Leafstar's losing patience with Tree, who insists that he wants to stay in the Clan, but prefers to nap in the sun and just doesn't think he's found his place in the Clan yet. Violetshine offers to take him hunting, and they find Juniperclaw sneaking toward the old ShadowClan camp. Turns out he was visiting Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf, who still haven't left, and they agree to talk to Leafstar again to see if they can convince her to let them stay. Other ShadowClan cats speak up in support, and Leafstar agrees that they can stay at least until Yarrowleaf's kits are born. At the next Gathering, Leafstar announces her decision about them, and the other Clans also think that they're the "shadows" the medicine cats' vision referred to that must not be dispelled.
Twigpaw does eventually speak to Violetshine, and they and Tree think it will be best to suggest that ShadowClan try to split off into their own Clan again, with Tawnypelt as leader (since she'd become ShadowClan's deputy after Tigerheart vanished). Leafstar is furious at the suggestion, but Hawkwing convinces her to let them at least talk to the ShadowClanners, who are supportive of the idea - Tawnypelt's uncertain, but agrees to think about it as long as StarClan sends Puddleshine a sign confirming Tawnypelt to be the right cat.
Half a moon later, Alderheart stresses over caring for the Clan during their sickness. Leafpool - who had started growing ill upon returning from the Moonpool - is recovering, but Jayfeather and many other cats are still sick. A storm begins, and the Clan starts to prepare just in case a flood begins, like the one in Bramblestar's Storm. Instead of a flood, however, a fire begins when a tree is struck by lightning in the distance. Bramblestar sends two warriors to check and see what's going on over there. They return with two kittypets, Velvet and Fuzzball, who'd been fleeing the fire at the Twolegplace - the tree had been in Velvet's garden and set her home on fire. Bramblestar agrees to let them stay until the fire is over and their Twolegs have returned. Alderheart assigns the chatty, overenthusiastic Fuzzball as an assistant to Jayfeather (which the ill Jayfeather threatens to kill Alderheart for), treats Velvet's wound, and keeps thinking about how pretty she is. Without warning, the downpour begins again, and lightning strikes another tree, this time closer - on the border of WindClan and RiverClan.
Bramblestar leads a patrol to see if any cats need help; Twigpaw is part of it. A WindClan patrol joins them, and they discover that the RiverClan camp is on fire. While some of the Clan is able to swim to safety, the elders are trapped, and the Thunder-Wind patrol pushes a nearby log into the current which they use to cross to safety. Twigpaw helps an apprentice that had gotten separated from the others and gotten burned.
Violetshine and her Clanmates are trying to hunt during the storm, but eventually decide to call it. She notices Sleekwhisker slinking off alone, and considers it odd, but gets distracted from her thoughts. They notice the fire across the lake, and Leafstar wants them to remain in camp to stay safe, but Tawnypelt argues that they need to check whether the other Clans are okay. Hawkwing goes with them and points out that they need to figure out if they're two Clans or one; Violetshine reflects how Puddleshine hasn't had an omen from StarClan yet in support of Tawnypelt as leader. He also makes comments approving of Tree as Violetshine's mate, which Violetshine is mortified about.
They discover a group of RiverClanners who had gotten separated from the rest of their Clan, and meet up with the rest of the Clan along with the Wind/Thunder patrols. They agree to divide up RiverClan among the other three Clans to shelter for now. Mistystar is grateful, and Violetshine hopes that means RiverClan is returning to the other Clans. Leafstar accepts the RiverClanners, but cooly tells Tawnypelt that the ShadowClan cats need to decide whether they're ShadowClan or SkyClan cats after all.
The Clans gather at the full moon a half moon later. ThunderClan reports that Blossomfall's kits have been apprenticed (Eaglepaw, Shellpaw, Stempaw, Plumpaw), two WindClan cats have become warriors (Breezepelt/Heathertail's kits Smokehaze and Brindlewing), and two SkyClan cats are warriors as well (Reedclaw and Dewspring). Mistystar says that RiverClan will return to full participation in the forest, and the other Clans are pretty unhappy with how they'd shut themselves away only to come back when they need help, but Tree speaks up in RiverClan's support (everyone, naturally, is surprised at this random nobody addressing all the Clans). That's the perfect opportunity for Leafstar to segue into her next announcement: that Tree will be staying with the Clan, but she's creating a new Clan role: mediatior - his job is to solve disputes between cats/Clans. The Clan leaders agree to give him a trial period, and Leafstar welcomes him as an official Clan member (he chooses to keep his name). Twigpaw notices the admiring looks Violetshine and Tree are giving each other.
Three days after the Gathering, Jayfeather's cured, and Ivypool's had her kits (Bristlekit, Thriftkit, Flipkit). Ivypool admits to Alderheart that she's stopped feeling so betrayed about Dovewing leaving, and understands if Dovewing felt she had to be with Tigerheart. Alderheart realizes afterward that Briarlight's gotten sick, and they bring her back to the medicine cat den. The following day, Briarlight's taken a severe turn for the worse - both she and Alderheart know that she's dying. Alderheart realizes that she hasn't been eating well and has been hiding how sick she actually felt. Briarlight and her family say goodbye to each other, and she joins StarClan. The Clan sits vigil, and Alderheart stumbles exhausted into his den; Velvet offers to take care of him and he falls asleep.
Violetshine enters the SkyClan camp after hunting and realizes that something's wrong. She realizes that Yarrowleaf's kits are missing, and that Yarrowleaf herself is asleep, having eaten a mouse drugged with poppyseeds. Violetshine remembers Sleekwhisker slipping away the other day and realizes she must have taken the kits. She wakes Yarrowleaf, and the two of them, plus Rowanclaw and Macgyver, track their scent to the Twoleg nest on ShadowClan territory where the aggressive kittypets Jacques and Susan live. Jacques, sneering, offers to bring them to Yarrowleaf's kits. He leads them to where Tawnypelt and the kits are being kept prisoner by Susan, Sleekwhisker, and two of Darktail's rogues (Raven and the kits' father Nettle) - Sleekwhisker lured Tawnypelt out and they jumped her, and then Sleekwhisker stole the kits. Sleekwhisker wants revenge on Rowanclaw for being a weak leader, and says they'll kill Tawnypelt before his eyes and if the Clan cats try to intervene they'll kill the kits - or, alternately, Rowanclaw can give himself up instead of Tawnypelt, which he agrees to. The rogues refuse to let the kits go as well, though, so Rowanclaw shouts a command, and fighting breaks out. The Clan cats save the kits, and kill Nettle and drive off the other rogues, but Rowanclaw is dying. He tells Tawnypelt that Tigerheart will return, and says goodbye. They expect him to come back, since he was a leader with nine lives, but he remains dead: Violetshine realizes that he must have given back his nine lives, and StarClan accepted his choice. As they return to camp, Macgyver asks Tawnypelt if she'll lead ShadowClan now, but she says that without Rowanclaw, ShadowClan is dead.
A quarter moon later, Alderheart hangs around the camp with Velvet, and Twigpaw announces happily that she and Finpaw are going to have their final assessments. A kittypet named Ajax (who we'd seen in Tigerheart's Shadow) finds the camp, looking for Velvet and Fuzzball, and tells them that it's safe to come home. They decide to stay one more night before leaving in the morning, and Velvet tells Alderheart that there are some parts of Clan life she'll miss, and he realizes that she means him. That night Jayfeather gives Alderheart a big long speech about how his feelings aren't wrong but acting on them is, and Alderheart's like "I know, I don't intend to, I'm just thinking about how to say goodbye to her" and Jayfeather gets all awkward. When Alderheart and Velvet say goodbye the following morning, they admit that they'll miss each other, but both understand it wouldn't have worked out.
Twigpaw and Finpaw have their assessment, and pass with flying colors. She's thrilled to find that Violetshine and Hawkwing are visiting for the naming ceremony; Alderheart arranged it. Twigpaw is named Twigbranch (for the way she grew from a tiny kit to a strong warrior just as a twig grows into a branch), and Finpaw is given the name Finleap. Grassheart and Strikestone dash into the camp and say urgently that they need Hawkwing - the missing ShadowClan warriors have come back, with a dead Tigerheart.
Violetshine, Alderheart, and Hawkwing follow the ShadowClan warriors to the Moonpool, where they are reunited with Dovewing and meet her kits. Dovewing tells her story, which we saw in Tigerheart's Shadow: Dovewing and Tigerheart ran off to a big Twolegplace, where their kits were born, before ultimately deciding to return; the three strangers with them came from there, and they all found the other missing ShadowClan cats on their way home. Berryheart explains that they were terrified of Darktail and ran off, and that Tigerheart and Dovewing had found them, but they were attacked by an owl, which injured Tigerheart fatally. The kit Shadowkit insists that Tigerheart's not dead, that he had a dream about them playing together, and describes the ShadowClan camp perfectly despite having never been there.
They wait until sunset, and Violetshine explains how Rowanclaw died and gave his lives back to StarClan. Suddenly Tigerheart gets up and leaps strongly into the group of his Clanmates. He explains that he has been given nine lives by StarClan, and they greet him as Tigerstar, the new leader of ShadowClan. Leafstar says that ShadowClan cats are no longer welcome in her camp, and Tigerstar agrees it's time for his Clan to return home. Dovewing explains that she's staying with Tigerstar in ShadowClan (though she'll visit ThunderClan first), and Leafstar asks Violetshine where she's staying: Violetshine says proudly that she's a SkyClan cat.
They go to the ThunderClan camp and everyone welcomes back Dovewing and she and her kits meet Ivypool's kits. It's only a little later that they realize she's been saying "Tigerstar" instead of "Tigerheart" and so they explain what happened. Brambleclaw's uncomfortable about there being another Tigerstar leading ShadowClan. Dovewing and her family leave to go to the ShadowClan camp. Alderheart is glad that they're five Clans again, but is still concerned about the tensions between them all.
As Alderheart wanders around the camp, he finds a scrap of fur that Velvet had kept as a toy, and decides to return it to her. In the Twolegplace he notices Rippletail, a missing ShadowClan cat, who Fuzzball claims is a newer kittypet named Buster; he asks Fuzzball to pass on a message about ShadowClan being whole again. Velvet and Alderheart spend the day together around the Twolegplace, but at the end of the day, she tells him again that they live two different lives and can't be friends; Alderheart knows deep down that she's right. To thank the Clan for sheltering them, she digs up a thyme plant that is stronger than the wild variety, and he agrees to plant it. He realizes he barely has enough time to make it to the Moonpool for the medicine cats' meeting and hurries along.
All the medicine cats are there this time, at long last. In Alderheart's dream, Cinderpelt appears to him. She tells him that she loved Firestar, but had to put her duty to her Clan above her feelings, and Alderheart must do the same; he understands. She tells him then that now that the five Clans are united once more, there will be new challenges: the sky has cleared, but "the Clans must come together to make the forest grow". Alderheart wonders what she means and what new challenges they'll face.
In the Barnes and Noble exclusive scene, partway through the events of this book, Willowshine sits in the RiverClan camp, sorting herbs. She's concerned about her sick Clanmates, and also about their closed borders. Suddenly she has a vision of a dark sky without stars and a stream flowing with blood: thunder booms and flame covers the sky with cats fleeing through it. She realizes it means their camp being destroyed by fire. She's awakened by one of her Clanmates asking for herbs after fighting with one of his denmates over a nest, and worries that living with closed borders is breaking their Clan apart.
She tells Mothwing about her vision, but Mothwing thinks it's just a dream - despite admitting that while she can't deny something definitely happened during the Great Battle, even if StarClan does exist she doesn't believe in their power or that they have the Clans' best interests at heart. They then turn the discussion to their herb supply: their Clanmates continue to grow ill, including Willowshine's mother Mosspelt, but they're almost out of watermint. They try to convince Mistystar to reopen their borders (though she encourages them to go fetch herbs from other territories, they don't think they'll get a warm welcome as-is), but she refuses.
Two days later, the thunderstorm hits, the Clan gets worse, and Willowshine tries again, but Mistystar remains stubborn. Willowshine and Mothwing decide to get the herbs, permission be damned, and are outside camp when the thunder strikes and the camp starts on fire, like in her vision. The Clan starts to evacuate the camp, and Willowshine realizes with relief that the other Clans are coming to help. She notices that Mistystar's looking relieved too, and Willowshine knows this fire is for the best: this is the catalyst that will push Mistystar to bring RiverClan back to the other Clans where they belong.
Tropes appearing in this book:
- Almost Dead Guy:
- As Briarlight dies, she has enough time to say an emotional farewell to her parents and littermates.
- While Rowanclaw lays dying, he says goodbye to his mate Tawnypelt and reassures her that it's for the best.
- And This Is for...: Violetshine hisses, "This is for Needletail!" when she attacks Raven.
- Blood Is Squicker in Water: At the end of the battle against the rogues, Violetshine notices the rogue Nettle's body half in a pool of water with his blood spreading out into it.
- A Day in the Limelight: The bonus chapter is Willowshine's only POV.
- A Dog Named "Cat": Some cats are named after other creatures: One of Darktail's rogues is Raven, and one of the city cats that came to the forest with Tigerheart and Dovewing is named Ant.
- Ensemble Cast: The A Vision of Shadows arc features three main protagonists: Alderheart, Twigpaw, and Violetshine.
- Feigning Healthiness: Briarlight gets sick, but pretends that she's healthy because she doesn't want to be a bother to the medicine cats. She didn't think it was a big deal, but eventually it got to the point that she couldn't hide it, and by then it was too late for the medicine cats to save her.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: A kittypet named Velvet comes to the ThunderClan camp looking for help after she was burned when her house caught fire. She and the medicine cat Alderheart start to develop feelings for each other, but ultimately both of them accept that it wouldn't work out due to their different lifestyles, and Alderheart's calling as a medicine cat means too much to him to break his vow by taking a mate.
- Forced to Watch: Sleekwhisker blames Rowanclaw for being miserable growing up, claiming that it was because he was a weak leader: as punishment, she intends to kill his mate Tawnypelt and make him watch.
- From Stray to Pet: Alderheart discovers that one of the ShadowClan warriors, Rippletail, has become a kittypet with the new name of Buster.
- I'll Kill You!: Played for laughs. Alderheart assigns a young Motor Mouth kittypet to be grumpy Jayfeather's assistant while Jayfeather is ill...Alderheart: Fuzzball will be looking after all your needs from now on. Thorns in your nest? Need your bedding fluffed? Ask Fuzzball. Need water? Ask Fuzzball!Jayfeather: I don't believe this! What are you meowing about?Fuzzball: Are you blind? What's it like being blind? How did it happen? Was it in a fight with a badger? Or a dog? Did the dog die? Is your belly hurting? How bad? Would you like me to rub it?Jayfeather (to Alderheart): When I get better, I'm going to kill you.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Sickness goes through the ThunderClan camp, and ends up killing Briarlight.
- Killed Off for Real: Rowanstar renounces his leadership position and corresponding nine lives, so that when he dies he does not come back as he normally would.
- Meaningful Rename: Twigpaw earns her warrior name. Bramblestar chose her new name, Twigbranch, because she's grown into a strong warrior in the same way a twig grows into a sturdy branch.
- Mortality Ensues: While Rowanstar is dying, he becomes the first Clan leader to choose to willingly give up his nine lives, and it works, because he dies and stays dead.
- Motor Mouth: Fuzzball. See the quote under the I'll Kill You! example above.
- Prepare to Die: Jacques pins down Violetshine during battle and tells her, "Get ready to die, flea-pelt!" Tawnypelt ends up pulling him off her, so Violetshine does not, in fact, die.
- Repeated Rehearsal Failure: Alderheart tells the kittypet Fuzzball to pass on a message to a former ShadowClan warrior who's become a house cat: "Tell Buster that ShadowClan is whole again. Darktail is dead and the rogues are gone, and Rippletail's littermates, Cloverfoot and Berryheart, have come back." Fuzzball attempts to repeat it: "Tell Buster that ShadowClan is down a hole..." Alderheart has to practice it with him several times, and is only "reasonably" sure that Fuzzball will get it right. Buster/Rippletail never does return to ShadowClan...
- Repetitive Name: Twigbranch. At least it was chosen for a reason.
- Revenge by Proxy: Sleekwhisker blames Rowanclaw for the death of some of her Clanmates because he didn't deal with Darktail, and she plans to kill his mate Tawnypelt in revenge.
- Series Continuity Error: Beetlewhisker of RiverClan appears in the Allegiances, despite having been killed in The Last Hope.
- Slashed Throat: This is the type of wound that kills Rowanclaw.
- Would Hurt a Child: Sleekwhisker and Nettle threaten to kill Yarrowleaf's kits if anyone tries to stop them from killing Tawnypelt. Note that Nettle is the kits' father.
- Wrong Line of Work: Tree tries training as a warrior, and then as a medicine cat. Neither is correct for him, and eventually Leafstar creates a new role for him.
- The X of Y: The series name A Vision of Shadows.
