A Dangerous Path
Encyclopedia
A Dangerous Path is a children's fantasy novel, the fifth book in the Warriors series, written by Cherith Baldry
and Kate Cary
under the pseudonym
of Erin Hunter. This individual book was written by Cherith Baldry. The series is about four Clans of wild cats, and their adventures in the forest in which they reside. The story follows a plan set up by Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan, who wishes to destroy ThunderClan by using dogs to hunt them down. At the end of the book, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, dies after risking her life to kill the dogs, making Fireheart the new leader of ThunderClan. Near the end of the book, Fireheart's friend Graystripe also returns to ThunderClan from RiverClan, knowing that no one will respect him in RiverClan.
The book was first published in the US as a hardcover
on June 1, 2004. It was later published as a paperback and as an e-book, and in the UK and Canada as a paperback. Rising Storm has also been published in foreign languages, including French and Chinese. The book received positive reviews from reviewers such as Booklist and Horn Book Review, who praised the tensions and fast pace.
. Each Clan has their own territory in which they hunt for prey and protect from enemies such as rival Clans and wild animals. The story follows Fireheart and his adventures in ThunderClan.
The forest is based on New Forest
, which is located in Southern England. Besides New Forest, Loch Lomond
, the Scottish Highlands
, and the Forest of Dean
also inspired the fictional locales in the novel.
Soon after, a trail of dead rabbits is found leading to the camp, ending with Brindleface in front of the camp, who had been killed by Tigerstar. Fireheart orders a patrol to get rid of the rabbits. Brindleface's death shocks everyone, and after her burial, the camp is evacuated to Sunningrocks to protect ThunderClan. With Bluestar still insane, it is up to Fireheart to destroy the pack. He and the senior warriors decide that a patrol of cats will lead the dogs to and over the nearby gorge, drowning the dogs. The plan works: each cat successfully leads the pack closer to the gorge. Fireheart, the last in line, keeps a good distance between him and the pack leader, until Tigerstar appears and pins Fireheart down. As the dog leader gets dangerously close, Tigerstar leaps away, leaving Fireheart to be killed by the pack. As Fireheart struggles against the dog, Bluestar, sane once more, slams into the dog, releasing its grip on Fireheart and throwing the dog—and herself—over the side of the gorge.
Fireheart leaps down the cliff to the river and dives in to save Bluestar. Fireheart manages to get a hold on her, but is barely able to keep their heads above the water. Soon, however, Bluestar's RiverClan children, Stonefur and Mistyfoot, discover Fireheart struggling in the river and help drag Bluestar to the bank. There, Bluestar pleads with her kits to forgive her for lying to them about their parents. They forgive her. Bluestar then tells Fireheart that she realized that they were not all traitors to the Clan, like Tigerstar was. She also tells him that he is now the leader of ThunderClan, and that "you are the fire that saved my Clan".
With that, she loses her final life.
Fireheart, now Firestar, is filled with grief, and Mistyfoot asks if she and Stonefur can help carry her back to camp and sit vigil for her.
The book was first published in the US as a hardcover on June 1, 2004 by HarperCollins. It was then published as a paperback
on May 24, 2005 and an e-book on October 13, 2009. A Dangerous Path was also published in the UK as a paperback on April 2, 2007 and in Canada as a hardcover on May 20, 2004. The book has also been published in foreign languages such as German, Japanese, French, Russian and Korean. The Chinese version was published on December 31, 2008 and is packaged along with a 3D trading card of Tigerstar.
called the book exciting and praised the fast pace writing "Hunter maintains the established characterizations of her sentient cats, who still retain their feline natures. With compelling intrigue and fast-paced actions, this is one of the most exciting books in the series". In a review for both Rising Storm and A Dangerous Path, Horn Book review praised the complex characters.
Cherith Baldry
Cherith Baldry is a writer of fantasy fiction. She grew up on a farm and worked with house cats. For a while, she took up the job of teaching, but gave up in order to become a full time writer. She currently lives in Reigate, England. Baldry collaborates with Kate Cary, Tui T...
and Kate Cary
Kate Cary
Kate Cary is one of the authors of the Warriors novel series, a story about wild cats, which she writes under the pen name of Erin Hunter. The other authors who also write the Warriors novel series under the pen name Erin Hunter are Cherith Baldry, Victoria Holmes, and Tui T. Sutherland...
under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Erin Hunter. This individual book was written by Cherith Baldry. The series is about four Clans of wild cats, and their adventures in the forest in which they reside. The story follows a plan set up by Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan, who wishes to destroy ThunderClan by using dogs to hunt them down. At the end of the book, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, dies after risking her life to kill the dogs, making Fireheart the new leader of ThunderClan. Near the end of the book, Fireheart's friend Graystripe also returns to ThunderClan from RiverClan, knowing that no one will respect him in RiverClan.
The book was first published in the US as a hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
on June 1, 2004. It was later published as a paperback and as an e-book, and in the UK and Canada as a paperback. Rising Storm has also been published in foreign languages, including French and Chinese. The book received positive reviews from reviewers such as Booklist and Horn Book Review, who praised the tensions and fast pace.
Setting
The story again takes place in a fictional forest populated by four groups of feral cats, ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan and ShadowClanShadowclan
Shadowclan is a guild that gained notoriety within the online gaming community by taking the place of non-player character monsters in Origin Systems' massively multiplayer online role-playing game Ultima Online...
. Each Clan has their own territory in which they hunt for prey and protect from enemies such as rival Clans and wild animals. The story follows Fireheart and his adventures in ThunderClan.
The forest is based on New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
, which is located in Southern England. Besides New Forest, Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
, the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, and the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
also inspired the fictional locales in the novel.
Plot
When a pack of dogs begins to run wild in the forest, Fireheart, deputy of ThunderClan suspects that Tigerstar, ShadowClan's new leader, is behind it. When Bluestar names Cloudtail a warrior even though all the apprentices had worked hard, two apprentices, Swiftpaw and Brightpaw, try to fight the dog pack themselves in an attempt to prove themselves. However, Swiftpaw is killed and Brightpaw disfigured by the pack of dogs, losing part of her face. While Brightpaw is recovering from the mauling, she repeats words she heard the dogs say: "pack, pack" and "kill, kill".Soon after, a trail of dead rabbits is found leading to the camp, ending with Brindleface in front of the camp, who had been killed by Tigerstar. Fireheart orders a patrol to get rid of the rabbits. Brindleface's death shocks everyone, and after her burial, the camp is evacuated to Sunningrocks to protect ThunderClan. With Bluestar still insane, it is up to Fireheart to destroy the pack. He and the senior warriors decide that a patrol of cats will lead the dogs to and over the nearby gorge, drowning the dogs. The plan works: each cat successfully leads the pack closer to the gorge. Fireheart, the last in line, keeps a good distance between him and the pack leader, until Tigerstar appears and pins Fireheart down. As the dog leader gets dangerously close, Tigerstar leaps away, leaving Fireheart to be killed by the pack. As Fireheart struggles against the dog, Bluestar, sane once more, slams into the dog, releasing its grip on Fireheart and throwing the dog—and herself—over the side of the gorge.
Fireheart leaps down the cliff to the river and dives in to save Bluestar. Fireheart manages to get a hold on her, but is barely able to keep their heads above the water. Soon, however, Bluestar's RiverClan children, Stonefur and Mistyfoot, discover Fireheart struggling in the river and help drag Bluestar to the bank. There, Bluestar pleads with her kits to forgive her for lying to them about their parents. They forgive her. Bluestar then tells Fireheart that she realized that they were not all traitors to the Clan, like Tigerstar was. She also tells him that he is now the leader of ThunderClan, and that "you are the fire that saved my Clan".
With that, she loses her final life.
Fireheart, now Firestar, is filled with grief, and Mistyfoot asks if she and Stonefur can help carry her back to camp and sit vigil for her.
Publication history
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
on May 24, 2005 and an e-book on October 13, 2009. A Dangerous Path was also published in the UK as a paperback on April 2, 2007 and in Canada as a hardcover on May 20, 2004. The book has also been published in foreign languages such as German, Japanese, French, Russian and Korean. The Chinese version was published on December 31, 2008 and is packaged along with a 3D trading card of Tigerstar.
Critical reception
A Dangerous Path received a positive reception. A BookLoons review praised the rising tension in the book. BooklistBooklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
called the book exciting and praised the fast pace writing "Hunter maintains the established characterizations of her sentient cats, who still retain their feline natures. With compelling intrigue and fast-paced actions, this is one of the most exciting books in the series". In a review for both Rising Storm and A Dangerous Path, Horn Book review praised the complex characters.