Starfire (Book)

## Starfire

*Starfire* is the first book in the Guardian Herd series. It is written by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.

## Blurb

Once every hundred years, a black pegasus foal is born, forever changing the five herds of flying horses that live in the land of Anok. For this foal will either unite or destroy the herds--and is fated to become the most powerful pegasus in all of Anok.

Star is this black foal.

With malformed wings that make him unable to fly, Star seems harmless. However, the leaders of each herd will take risks, and will execute Star before the prophecy can take effect on his first birthday. With threats from all the herds, and nowhere to hide, Morningleaf is killed but revived. It's pointless. Star must rely on his friends. But it's his own strength that will surprise him, no matter what the future may hold.

## Plot

Star is a black pegasus, born once every hundred years. His mother, Lightfeather, was the illegitimate daughter of the Snow Herd's over-stallion Icewing, and his mate, Petalcloud, banished her and her mother, who was killed and eaten by a bear before Lightfeather was taken in by the Sun Herd over-stallion, Thunderwing, until she died giving birth to Star, who cannot fly due to his malformed wings.

The black pegasus will be given the Starfire power by the Hundred Year Star on his first birthday and become either a healer to unite the herds or a destroyer, with the last surviving black pegasus, Nightwing, becoming a destroyer 400 years ago, and is rumored to still be alive because black pegasi are said to be immortal. The herd that the black pegasus is born to becomes the Guardian Herd, tasked with either executing him or protecting him until his first birthday. Fearing that Star would either destroy the herds or unite them causing him to lose his power, Thunderwing plans to execute Star on his first birthday, while his his mate, Silvercloud, wants to protect Star.

After two pegasus colts, Brackentail and Stripestorm, pick on Star, he is captured by Frostfire of the Mountain Herd, the Sun Herd's greatest enemy, and brought to the Mountain Herd's over-stallion, the evil Rockwing, who is known for capturing foals, keeping the fillies and killing the colts. Instead of killing Star, Rockwing offers to make a deal with him, to rule alongside him as the Destroyer rather than be executed by Thunderwing. Star refuses, and Rockwing returns him to the Sun Herd.

Star's closest friends are Morningleaf, who is daughter of Thunderwing and Silvercloud, and twins Echofrost and Bumblewind. The Sun Herd migrates to another area, with Star among the walkers, led by Grasswing. An elderly pegasus mare named Mossberry is killed by a fire during the migration, and Twistfire blames Star even though he was the only one who tried to save her.

Brackentail challenges Star to a race in Mountain Herd territory where if Star wins, he won't pick on him anymore. The race is a trap to kill Star, and Morningleaf saves him. The Mountain Herd, who are tracking Star, capture Brackentail and Echofrost for trespassing. Silvercloud hides Star in a cave to keep Thunderwing from executing him, saying he can return after his first birthday. Rockwing offers to trade Echofrost and Brackentail for Star, but Thunderwing refuses, and Rockwing declares war on the Sun Herd. In a desperate attempt to save his sister, Bumblewind tells Thunderwing that Silvercloud hid Star from him. Though treason is punishable by death, it is also forbidden to kill one's mate, so Thunderwing banishes Silvercloud from the Sun Herd, renaming her Silverlake.

Meanwhile, Star becomes friends with a seagull named Crabwing.

Icewing arrives at the Sun Herd looking to take back Lightfeather, and Thunderwing informs him of her death and that his only heir (due to Petalcloud's colts, much like her father Rockwing's, being born dead except Frostfire, who was given to Rockwing by Petalcloud in exchange for her freedom) is the black pegasus, after which Icewing immediately relinquishes his claim on Lightfeather since he fears Star as much as Thunderwing.

Star grows to be proportionate to his wings. Some Jungle Herd pegasi led by their over-stallion Snakewing arrive to capture or kill Star; Snakewing kills Crabwing and they force Star to a cliff, but Star is able to fly for the first time, and after a fight, he mortally wounds Snakewing, who is then eaten by a killer whale, whom the Jungle Herd believe Star summoned with Destroyer powers, and they retreat.

Thunderwing takes a new mate, the cruel Maplecloud. Silverlake returns, having spied on the Mountain Herd, and informs the Sun Herd that Rockwing has joined forces with the Snow Herd, Jungle Herd, and Desert Herd to wage war on the Sun Herd. In the war, Flamesky's mother Violetsun and Brackentail's father Ashfire, are killed, as is Stripestorm's mother. The battle eventually comes down to a fight between Rockwing and Grasswing, whose son Graythorn was killed by Rockwing. Rockwing kills Grasswing, winning the war.

The Mountain Herd captures the Sun Herd, Brackentail having joined the Mountain Herd after his capture, and Rockwing demands that Star be delivered to him or he will kill all the Sun Herd's stallions and colts and divide the mares, fillies, and lands between the other four herds. Silverlake convinces Rockwing to let her search for Star, but Rockwing says he will kill Morningleaf if she does not. Morningleaf is willing to die for Star, and Silverlake, Dawnfir, and medicine mare Sweetroot find Star with an infected wound from his fight with the Jungle Herd, and Sweetroot heals him.

Though Silverlake plans to return Star at midnight on his first birthday, Star learns that Morningleaf will die if he doesn’t return before then, and offers himself to Rockwing in exchange for Morningleaf's life. After another unsuccessful attempt at making his deal with Star, Rockwing lets Thunderwing execute him as he had always intended, but Morningleaf takes Thunderwing's deathblow for Star. It is revealed that Brackentail cared for Morningleaf and hated Star out of jealousy. When the Hundred Year Star arrives, Thunderwing and Rockwing fight, and Star receives the Starfire, which does not change his personality and force him to be the Destroyer as he had feared. Thunderwing submits himself to Star for execution, but Star heals him instead and revives Morningleaf.

Star says that the pegasi's lives are in their own wings and any who wish to join him can do so. Morningleaf, Bumblewind, Echofrost, Silverlake, Thunderwing, and Icewing are among those who go with Star, while Rockwing, the new Jungle Herd over-stallion Smokewing, and Desert Herd over-stallion Sandwing force the Sun Herd pegasi who don't to join their herds.

## Points of View

* Star
* Morningleaf
* Silverlake (Silvercloud)

## Short Story Blurb

Long before he was called Grasswing, honorary over-stallion of the Sun Herd walkers, the palomino pegasus was Grassfire, lead captain in Thunderwing's army. This is his story.