Fire and Ice
(Warriors: The Prophecies Begin #2)

Gr 5 Up-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. Readers not familiar with the first book may find this one hard to follow. Hunter provides a directory that tells which cats are in which clans, but it is cumbersome to flip back and forth. The characterizations of the animals are somewhat flat, although it is possible to tell them apart, and the plot's twists and turns seem mapped out and predictable. Librarians with a readership for Into the Wild (HarperCollins, 2003) will probably want this volume; others can pass.-Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.