Star (book)

Star is the sixth book in the A Starless Clan arc. Frostdawn is featured on the cover, with Mistystar on the left and Reedwhisker on the right.
==Dedication==
:To my lovely Jo
==Blurb==
:Will StarClan forsake RiverClan completely, or will the cats find their way back to the light? This final book in the epic A Starless Clan arc—the eighth arc in the mega-selling Warriors series—answers readers' most burning questions about the fate of RiverClan.
:Can a Clan that has turned on itself ever truly recover?
:The fate of all Clanhood hangs in the balance. After killing Harelight and pronouncing himself leader of RiverClan, Splashtail's thirst for power has only grown. Soon his greed threatens the safety of not only RiverClan but all Clans. Yet Splashtail's trickery knows no bounds, and the Clans find themselves in more danger than they could have imagined. Only one thing is certain: They will have to work as one to defeat Splashtail before he tears them apart.
==Detailed plot description==
:Splashtail dreams of Curlfeather's spirit haunting him each night, taunting of how he killed her and how their Clanmates are plotting against him. After witnessing Harelight's death, Frostpaw, Nightheart, and Sunbeam search for Icewing, Duskfur, and Mothwing, who were driven out of RiverClan. Nightheart finds them near the greenleaf Twolegplace, though Mothwing is injured. Sunbeam leads them to ShadowClan for refuge. Tigerstar returns to camp in the morning, though he and Cloverfoot are preoccupied by Whistlepaw's strange prophecy from StarClan. The Clans decide to send one cat from each Clan on a joint patrol to accomplish StarClan's mission, with Icewing volunteering for RiverClan.
:Berryheart and Brackenpelt arrive in ShadowClan's camp and beg Tigerstar for help, claiming that RiverClan has turned on Splashtail. Tigerstar, Puddleshine, Gullswoop, Lightleap, Whorlpelt, and Stonewing hurry to help RiverClan, with Berryheart leading them to the island where Splashtail fled. However, RiverClan betrays them as ShadowClan crosses the tree-bridge, using their inability to swim to trap Tigerstar and his warriors on the island. Meanwhile, Splashtail and his warriors raid ShadowClan's camp, mercilessly attacking the nursery and the dens. Nightheart and Sunbeam participate in the fight, and Nightheart learns from Lizardtail that Splashtail threatened to kill Floatkit, Troutkit, and Rapidkit, the RiverClan leader's younger siblings, if RiverClan refused to fight. While Nightheart helps Mothwing and Duskfur escape to ThunderClan, they spot Sneezecloud and Fognose stealing Ridgekit and Duskkit from SkyClan. Nightheart bargains his life to save the kits, causing him to become RiverClan's prisoner. In ShadowClan, RiverClan's violent assault overwhelms the ShadowClan warriors, and they are defeated. Sunbeam escapes the camp but lingers to keep an eye on her mother.
:That night, Frostpaw swims from the island across the lake to WindClan's shore in hopes of fetching help for ShadowClan and RiverClan. Nightheart attempts to escape from Fognose and Sneezecloud, but he is imprisoned in the nursery with Mosspelt, Havenpelt, and her kits. In the morning, Harestar leads a patrol to ThunderClan's camp to speak with Squirrelstar, who agrees to help ShadowClan. While hiding near ShadowClan's camp, Sunbeam overhears Splashtail organizing the ShadowClan prisoners, threatening to kill Cinnamontail's kits if they step out of line. Berryheart's attempts to subterfuge Splashtail by siding with her kin in ShadowClan quickly result in her capture, and Splashtail orders her death. Owlnose accuses Berryheart of being a traitor before attacking with Lizardtail and Nightsky. Sunbeam rushes to her mother's aid, but Berryheart takes a blow meant for her from Owlnose, and she bleeds out. Later, SkyClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan arrive, and they quickly defeat Splashtail's warriors. ShadowClan yowls for RiverClan to be driven out, causing Hawkwing to remind them all that there should be five Clans by the lake. Podlight accuses the other Clans of wanting to interfere with RiverClan again, resulting in a skirmish between the two toms. The other RiverClan warriors agree to help the other Clans overthrow Splashtail.
:In RiverClan, Nightheart attempts to reason with Fognose, Splashtail's littermate, that his leadership is destroying RiverClan. The RiverClan leader has ordered constant battle training, leaving the camp messy and without fresh-kill. Gorseclaw catches Nightheart speaking with Fognose, and he pushes him in Splashtail's den. The tabby tom is yowling at something in his den, though he merely tells Gorseclaw to just kill Nightheart. Nightheart is narrowly killed by Gorseclaw, Breezeheart, Sneezecloud, and Brackenpelt when Owlnose rushes into camp in an attempt to coerce his Clanmates to fight against Splashtail. The other Clans arrive in RiverClan's camp, and Splashtail forces his warriors to retaliate by threatening Troutkit. Splashtail flees into the river with Floatkit. Frostpaw spots him swimming away and rushes to confront him. As she and Splashtail trade blows, Frostpaw can hear Harelight's voice instructing her. As Tigerstar's patrol arrives, Frostpaw manages to deliver a fatal wound to Splashtail, and the RiverClan tom dies. However, Frostpaw collapses from her own wounds inflicted by Splashtail, and the WindClan and ShadowClan cats carry them both back to camp. With their leader dead, RiverClan's warriors argue about their reasons for following Splashtail: some out of fear, others out of ambition for their Clan to become stronger. The majority of RiverClan calls for Fognose and Breezeheart to be exiled due to their strong support for Splashtail, and the two she-cats flee. Meanwhile, Mothwing, Alderheart, and Puddleshine begin to treat Frostpaw's wounds. That evening, Sunbeam, Hollowspring, Sparrowtail, Spireclaw, and Yarrowleaf bury Berryheart. Tigerstar reluctantly agrees that Sparrowtail and Hollowspring can rejoin ShadowClan. Sunbeam attends her mother's vigil that night, noting how remembering Berryheart will be difficult but knows her mother always loved her.
:Frostpaw clings on the edge of consciousness. In the realm of mist, Frostpaw spots her mother Curlfeather, and her ragged wounds morph away. Frostpaw's happiness is short-lived as she recalls how her mother sided with Splashtail. Curlfeather takes Frostpaw to RiverClan's camp, where the warriors are discussing what they should do without a proper medicine cat. Other visions blur through: of Berryheart's vigil, Nightheart hunting in forest, and Blossomheart comforting her kits. Frostpaw confronts her mother for killing Reedwhisker, which Curlfeather claims was necessary for RiverClan to change. She yowls at her mother for lying that she had a connection with StarClan, and Frostpaw grows tired of Curlfeather's excuses. Her mother apologizes for hurting her but not for killing Reedwhisker. 
:A quarter-moon later, Lizardtail and Gorseclaw attempt to join ThunderClan, though Squirrelstar is hesitant due to it being leaf-bare and the large size of her Clan. In the morning, Nightheart and Bayshine travel to RiverClan to assist with their rebuilding, and Mothwing tells Nightheart that she's done all she can for Frostpaw, but the apprentice still will not wake up. A half-moon after Splashtail's death, the Gathering commences, and RiverClan still does not have a leader. Kestrelflight and Frecklewish share a message from StarClan warning that Frostpaw's death will mean the end of RiverClan. Squirrelstar brings up the number of RiverClan cats joining the other Clans, and Leafstar suggests sending Tree to help Frostpaw. Mothwing tells Nightheart and Sunbeam after the Gathering that Frostpaw is getting weaker.
:Frostpaw continues to experience visions, though of cats and places she doesn't recognize: A scrawny tom gets trapped near a Twoleg nest, several RiverClan cats are swept away in the river during a raging storm while yowling for Emberstar, a spotted golden she-cat and a tom resembling Brambleclaw speak about uniting RiverClan and ShadowClan, Reedwhisker swearing allegiance to the Kin in front of a vicious looking rogue, and Splashtail killing Reedwhisker. Riverstar appears to Frostpaw, explaining how these were moments when RiverClan was almost lost and warning that it may happen again. The RiverClan founder shows Frostpaw the destroyed Clan camps, and he encourages her to wake up. Frostpaw insists that no one will listen to her. In the midst, she spots Tree, who attempts to encourage her to come back, but Frostpaw walks away. Nightheart and Sunbeam visit Frostpaw while attempting to convince Lizardtail and Gorseclaw to return home, and Mothwing worries that her apprentice will not wake up. Back in ThunderClan's camp, Lizardtail and Gorseclaw realize that they belong in RiverClan. That night, Frostpaw takes a turn for the worse, and Duskfur fetches Nightheart to say goodbye.
:Jayclaw, Frostpaw's father, arrives in his daughter's dreams to guide her to StarClan, though Tree once again urges her to return to her body: only Frostpaw can choose RiverClan's next leader. As Frostpaw struggles to return to her weakened body, Tree rallies all the she-cats to sing. Frostpaw wakes up in her body surrounded by her Clanmates, and Frostpaw is pleased that Icewing, whose voice was the loudest, has returned to RiverClan. A quarter-moon later, Frostpaw and Whistlepaw earn their full medicine cat names: Frostdawn and Whistlebreeze. The following night, Frostdawn guides Icewing to the Moonpool, now sure more than ever that she's made the right choice. Icewing receives her nine lives and is named Icestar. She appoints Owlnose as her deputy, complimenting his decision to step down from leadership. Icestar urges all of her warriors to forgive each other for Splashtail's manipulations. She then honors Frostdawn for her courage and dedication, and for the first time in a long while, Frostdawn feels happy.
:Two moons later, Nightheart and Sunbeam are expecting a litter of kits. While Sparkpelt and Finchlight suggest fire related names to honor Firestar, Nightheart and Sunbeam agree to name their kits for who they are. Nightheart thanks StarClan for his kin and is pleased that his Clan appreciates him for who he is.
==Publication history==
*Star (EN), HarperCollins (hardcover), 5 November 2024
*Star (EN), HarperCollins (audiobook), 5 November 2024, narrated by MacLeod AndrewsRevealed on harperstacks.com
*Star (EN), HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing (audio cd), 5 November 2024, narrated by MacLeod AndrewsRevealed on amazon.com
*Unknown translation (DE), Beltz & Gelberg (unknown binding), July 2025Revealed on a brochure for beltz.de
*Unknown (TW), Morning Star (unknown), Summer 2025Revealed on an announcement by Morning Star 
*Star (EN), HarperCollins (paperback), 23 September 2025Revealed on amazon.com 
==Gallery==
===US covers===
ASC-6.png|English Language EditionReleased in North America & United Kingdom
ASC-6-FC.png|English Language EditionTextless Cover
ASC-6-FLF.png|English Language EditionFront Flap
ASC-6-FLB.png|English Language EditionBack Flap
ASC-6-A.jpg|English AudiobookReleased in North America & United Kingdom
==Trivia==
===Interesting facts===	
*On June 12th, 2023, Cherith said that Kate might have been in the middle of writing this book.
**Later that year, on September 14th, the Warrior Cats website revealed that Kate was still working on the book and that Ivypool's Heart would take place during it.
*On January 31st, 2024, the Warrior Cats website teased that they were putting the finishing touches on this book.
*This was the final book that Kate Cary worked on before retiring from the Warriors series.Revealed on Kate Cary's Instagram 
===Mistakes===
:A compiled list of the errors present in Star can be found here.
==External links==
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==Notes and references==
de:Star (Buch)fi:Star (kirja)fr:Starpl:Gwiazdaru:Звезда
Category:Books
Category:A Starless Clan arc
Category:Star (book)