| Fire and Ice | |
| Fire_and_Ice.jpg | |
| General | |
| Author: | Kate Cary |
| Illustrator: | Wayne McLoughlin |
| Details | |
| Publication date: | May 15, 2003 |
| See More | |
| Allegiances | |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by: [[Into the Wild]] |
Followed by: [[Forest of Secrets]] |
Fire and Ice is the second book in the Original Series. The cats on the cover are likely to be Graystripe and Fireheart.
| Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. |
The Blurb[]
- Fireheart is a ThunderClan warrior cat now, but danger still lurks in the forest - and possibly closer than he thinks. With the chill of winter setting in, the cats of rival RiverClan are growing restless, while WindClan turns weak and faces threats from all sides.
- As tensions build up to an explosive climax, Fireheart faces not only imminent battle, but betrayal from within his own Clan.
- "Fire alone can save our Clan..."
Plot Summary[]
In the prologue, WindClan are in unknown territory after ShadowClan chased them out of their own. Ashfoot and Deadfoot are talking to Tallstar, the leader, and Onewhisker and Morningflower are mentioned.
Fire and Ice continues exactly where Into the Wild ended. It starts with the two new warriors, Graystripe and Fireheart Finishing their warrior vigil. They are almost immediatly sent off on a warrior mission, assigned to them by Bluestar. The mission is to find WindClan and bring them home, after Brokenstar led ShadowClan to drive them out.
They journey towards HighStones, passing through WindClan territory. Fireheart and Graystripe find WindClan sheltering under some Thunderpaths. The two ThunderClan warriors talk to Tallstar and persuade him to come home to WindClan's territory. They stop breifly at Ravenpaw and Barley's barn to rest.
Fireheart and Graystripe are provided with an escort home from WindClan. On their way home, they decide to take a shortcut along RiverClan territory. They get caught by a RiverClan patrol, led by the RiverClan deputy Leopardfur. She challenges them and the cats start fighting by the gorge edge. A ThunderClan patrol, led by Tigerclaw, engages in the fighting as well. The cat Graystripe is fighting, Whiteclaw loses his footing and plunges into the gorge, drowning. RiverClan retreat, promising to avenge his death.
Graystripe and Fireheart are both given apprentices after saving WindClan; Graystripe mentors Brackenpaw and Fireheart mentors Cinderpaw. During one training session, the river is frozen over near Sunningrocks. Graystripe falls through the ice and nearly drowns, but he is saved by Silverstream, The RiverClan leader, Crookedstar's daughter. Graystripe is confined to camp as he has a cold, but keeps slipping out to see Silverstream, who he has fallen in love with.
Fireheart trains both Cinderpaw and Graystripe's apprentice Brackenpaw whilst Graystripe is absent, so that Brackenpaw does not fall behind on training. Fireheart and Graystripe's friendship is becoming fractured after Fireheat tried to discourage Graystripe from seeing Silverstream. At the same time, he begins to become friends with Sandpaw.
Whitecough arrives with Leafbare, and one day, Dustpaw returns to camp, saying that Bluestar must meet Tigerclaw at the edge of the Thunderpath to see evidence of ShadowClan that have been there. Bluestar has whitecough, so cannot go. Cinderpaw offers to go instead, and disobeys Fireheart by going anyway. Fireheart follows her scent trail to find that she has been hit by a monster. He takes her back to camp, to discover that she will never be a warrior, due to her badly injured leg.
Whilst Graystripe is meeting with Silverstream, Fireheart is meeting with his kittypet sister, Princess. She has a litter of kits, and gives her firstborn to Fireheart to take to the Clan. The Clan is outraged, but Bluestar takes him in, naming him Cloudkit. Brindleface says that she will feed him.
When all the warriors but Fireheart are on patrol, rogues led by Brokenstar attack camp. Fireheart is nearly killed by Clawface, when Graystripe comes and saves Fireheart by killing Clawface. The rogues are eventually defeated thanks to Fireheart, and Brokenstar is captured as a ThunderClan prisoner. Yellowfang, the medicine cat, reveals to Fireheart that the now blind Brokenstar is her son. Fireheart tells Bluestar about the way the apprentices fought, and Dustpaw and Sandpaw are named Dustpelt and Sandstorm.
RiverClan and ShadowClan attack WindClan, and ThunderClan helps. Fireheart and Graystripe's loyalty is tested; Graystripe only attacks ShadowClan cats, and Fireheart accidentaly attacks Silverstream. He lets her go for Graystripe, but this is seen by Darkstripe. Darkstripe reports this to Tigerclaw. Fireheart is now certain that Tigerclaw cannot be trusted, especially as he watched Fireheart get nearly killed by Leopardfur without helping.
At the end of the book, Graystripe and Fireheart's friendship is returned to normal, and it starts to snow.
Praise[]
- "Action-packed adventure. Certain to please any reader who has ever wondered what dreams of grandeur may haunt the family cat."
- -Publishers Weekly
- "A suspenseful animal adventure that will leave readers eyeing Puss a bit nervously."
- -Kirkus Reviews
- "Hunter’s world keeps getting more finely drawn, and her characters more complex. With enough backstory for newcomers to find their way, established fans will be on edge for the next title."
- -Kirkus Reviews
- "After having left his life as a kittypet, apprentice Firepaw of the ThunderClan has been given his warrior name of Fireheart and his first mission-to find the WindClan and assist them back to their traditional hunting grounds. While he and his friend Graystripe are successful in their quest, Fireheart knows that trouble is brewing, and he isn't sure that the ThunderClan's deputy can be trusted. As events escalate, a warrior from RiverClan is accidentally killed, an apprentice is injured, and Fireheart brings into the Clan a kittypet kitten - his nephew - without thinking of the consequences. Finally, he must decide who to trust and who to fight."
- -Lisa Prolman, School Library Journal
- "Firepaw, the former kittypet who became a ThunderClan warrior in Into the Wild, faces danger and treachery within and without his clan as he struggles with his identity. Because some clan members refuse to accept him, he feels like an outsider. Also, it appears that ShadowClan and RiverClan are forming an alliance to usurp land belonging to the displaced WindClan. ThunderClan's leader sends Firepaw and his friend Graystripe to lead WindClan back to its home, but intrigue among the clans and among individuals within them spells trouble for Firepaw. Characters remain true to their feline natures, adding to the plausibility of events in this tension-filled story. Readers will be happy to learn that another episode is in the works.
- -Sally Estes, Booklist
- "A fast-paced animal adventure. Recommend this series to fans of animal fantasies such as Redwall and Dark Portal."
- -Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
| End of Spoiler Warning |