Thunder Rising
Thunder Rising is a children's fantasy novel in the "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter. "Thunder Rising" is the second book in the "Dawn of the Clans" arc, the first being "The Sun Trail". "Dawn of the Clans" follows a group of anthropomorphic cats as they struggle to find peace within themselves, before the rise of the five Clans in the later "Warriors" series, ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan. The cats were previously part of a larger group, the Tribe of Rushing Water (also referred to as the Tribe), and left during a famine when the Tribe 's leader had a vision directing the cats to leave in search of food. "Thunder Rising" follows a young cat, Thunder, as he grows up under his uncle's care after his father abandoned him. He is torn between the cat that raised him and longing for the acknowledgement of his biological father. Plot. A few months following the events of "The Sun Trail", the cats formerly from the Tribe of Rushing Water have settled in to their new home. Thunder, the son of Clear Sky and Storm, a rogue cat who lived in the forest before the Tribe cats  arrived, is being raised by his uncle, Gray Wing, after his mother died and his father rejected him. A forest fire rages through Clear Sky's territory, forcing him and his group to temporarily seek shelter with Gray Wing. While staying with Gray Wing, Clear Sky asks Thunder if he wants to live in the forest with him instead. Thunder accepts the offer, wanting to get to know his father, and he stays with Clear Sky for a short while. After seeing that Clear Sky is power-hungry and uncaring about the needs of his cats, Thunder leaves and returns  to Gray Wing and his group. Inspiration. "Thunder Rising" takes place in several locations inspired by similar locales in the United Kingdom. With the exception of a disused mine, the forest in which the cats live is based largely on New Forest. Some other sources of inspiration for the series include the works of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Characters. The main characters live in two groups, each led by one of two brothers: Clear Sky or Gray Wing. Clear Sky's group consists largely of cats who are adept at hunting in the  undergrowth and a few who fish and swim (such as Falling Feather). Gray Wing's group (which includes Wind and Gorse) lives on the moor, and its members are able to run quickly, which is good for catching rabbits on the moor. Both groups are made up largely from the group of cats that traveled from the mountain where prey was scarce. Release. "Thunder Rising" was released on 5 November 2013 as the second book in the "Dawn of the Clans" arc, which is the fifth arc of the "Warriors" series. It was preceded by "The Sun Trail", and followed  by "The First Battle". A writer for Books-A-Million stated that "Thunder Rising" was a contributor to a strong children's and young adult's book market for fall of 2013. Reception. "Thunder Rising" received mostly positive reviews. It earned 4.42 stars on Goodreads"," and 5 stars on DogoBooks.