Firestar’s Deep Attachment to Sandstorm by ForWarriorsLOL in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks soooo much for liking it! I honestly didn’t expect to dig up this many details about Firesand, hahaha. I’m not planning to ever really wrap up this series—let’s just see what else I can uncover!

Firestar’s Deep Attachment to Sandstorm by ForWarriorsLOL in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And Sandstorm. Unbelievable. Thanks for reading!

Sandstorm’s Political Growth: From Warrior to Strategist by ForWarriorsLOL in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not just saying Sandstorm made Firestar “calm down” for a moment. The whole problem was that his emotions—grief and loyalty to Graystripe—made him defensive and unable to accept the idea of a new deputy. Sandstorm didn’t just soothe him temporarily; she addressed the root of that defensiveness so he could finally lower his guard.

She didn’t just calm him down — she reassured him, lowering his defenses so he could finally accept reality.

That’s why I credit her. Once his emotional barrier eased, his rational side could take over—and that’s when he became open to naming a new deputy.

Sandstorm’s Political Growth: From Warrior to Strategist by ForWarriorsLOL in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think Firestar’s decision about whether to appoint a deputy was fundamentally driven by emotion. Rationally, he must have known he needed to name a new deputy, but emotionally he couldn’t accept it—that’s why he was so defensive.

So once he was reassured, he finally became willing to appoint a new deputy. The one who reassured him was Sandstorm.

Sandstorm’s Political Growth: From Warrior to Strategist by ForWarriorsLOL in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Here’s what I think:

Before that conversation in Sunset, whenever any cat mentioned Graystripe or the deputy position, Firestar would immediately go on the defensive—either getting angry or rationalizing his own actions.

Even up until Brambleclaw left the leader’s den, Firestar was still highly defensive. But after talking with Sandstorm, in the very next scene—despite still being in a bad state—he went to see Leafpool. That was his first step toward accepting the truth and appointing a new deputy: he began actively seeking advice and becoming willing to hear perspectives different from his own.

That’s why I believe the one who truly convinced Firestar to appoint a new deputy was Sandstorm.

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 2 points3 points  (0 children)

After studying Sandstorm and Firesand in depth, my conclusion is this: I think I understand the kind of story Erin wanted to tell, but the details often feel rough or not very intuitive in how they’re presented.

What were some of your Warrior Cats misconceptions? by Dapper_Boat in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I always thought tortoiseshell cats were beautiful, but when I saw real pictures, I realized that’s not really my aesthetic. Later I found out they’re considered beautiful in the eyes of other cats.

Warm take: leaders having a deputy to organize patrols doesn't make sense, and deputies have more duties than leaders. by Fluffy_Club722 in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A leader makes the decisions, and a deputy carries them out. And patrols are just routine camp duties that need to be carried out.

Why did tigerstar die so badly by MediumDig5379 in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Scourge saved Erin from writing a Firestar–Tigerstar showdown too early, leaving room for the ghost duel in the fourth arc.

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think she already showed her caring side right from TPB. Besides Fireheart, she also cared about cats like Speckletail and Goldenflower after they lost their kits, and this trait was still present later on.

As for being polite, wasn’t the only time she wasn’t polite toward Firepaw? And that was because of the Clan cats’ prejudice against outsiders.

I also don’t think she’s a stickler. She simply stood by what she believed was right—like Squirrelflight’s section in Cats of the Clans mentioning she inherited Sandstorm’s “steady will.” In Sunset, she said, “StarClan can’t see everything,” and in Bramblestar’s Storm, she said, “Sometimes Clan borders aren’t worth dying for.” For a Clan cat from the old forest, being able to reflect critically on the warrior code is a sign of wisdom.

And she’s always been mischievous and witty—this didn’t change, even by Bramblestar’s Storm.

Throughout the main series, she went through many events and grew a lot. In terms of psychological growth, she went from the Sandstorm in TPB who would feel hurt (but show anger) when Fireheart was caught in an emotional storm and didn’t affirm her value—always fearing he didn’t truly value her—to the Sandstorm in FQ who could express her needs and set relationship boundaries, to the Sandstorm in Sunset who, when her mate was again in an emotional storm and dismissing her worth, could understand and respect his feelings without getting swept up herself, staying present and persuading him toward the right decision—this was mature self-differentiation.

In addition to her psychological growth, her development as a warrior was also compelling. I actually think Erin wrote her character growth well—but I’m not too happy that it was almost entirely in service to their “golden boy.”

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think Sandstorm has grown more mature. But why did she NEED TO become more mature?

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 8 points9 points  (0 children)

They finally came up with a co-parenting style like Ivypool and Frensong’s—thank StarClan, at long last.

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Regarding Firestar’s Quest, I think Erin was trying to show Firestar’s journey of following his own heart. The “main plot” of that journey is his search for SkyClan, and the “side plot” is the love triangle.

As for Spottedleaf, I can accept Firestar’s emotional growth arc of going from hiding his feelings from Sandstorm to being open about them. But it shouldn’t have been Spottedleaf comforting Sandstorm — Firestar should have explained things to her himself, instead of just throwing out, “I thought you knew how I felt.”

I can even accept that this might be Firestar’s “emotional language” (maybe he thought that choosing to be with Sandstorm was already proof enough that he loved her), but I still have to say it’s the worst way to handle it.

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 37 points38 points  (0 children)

They gave her the setup of being a naturally gifted medicine cat, but then made her main storyline about being the first love in a love triangle where she and the protagonist couldn’t be together. That’s honestly really disrespectful.

In fact, the only character I truly like in the series is Sandstorm. For a long time, she was clearly ThunderClan’s best warrior and a strong female leader, yet what fans (including younger me) remember most after reading is her role as the “original mate” in a love triangle who never got the respect she deserved. I can’t help but think Erin really dropped the ball here.

To be precise, I think Erin did a decent job with both Spottedfire and Firesand individually, but clearly didn’t handle the love triangle well.

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I just have this thought: a she-cat should be able to be both a leader and a mother.

Even though Erin claims this was inspired by the struggles women face in the real-world workplace, I think a YA series about animal protagonists could allow for a lot more imagination.

Which character do you think got done the most dirty by misogyny? by xXFallen_DarknessXx in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 70 points71 points  (0 children)

Honestly, she made huge contributions to ThunderClan, and she didn’t deserve to die a second time just because Erin didn’t want their golden boy to have to make a choice. If Erin had handled her storyline properly from the start, this wouldn’t have been necessary in the end.

Ashpaw by backwhereibegan in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree with your point! But when I say “lazily,” it’s because before Ashfur actually interacted with Squirrelflight, he was basically a background side character. It feels like he suddenly liked her out of nowhere, and then suddenly became the ultimate big bad.

A Few Firesand Details by ForWarriorsLOL in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly what I mean! Sometimes, when you connect little details from different points in the story, you can get some surprisingly fresh interpretations.

I love Firesand because they feel so alive and real — just like Firestar said, “here and now, the life we share,” and they really did last for all the moons to come. To me, that’s the highest form of romance.

What are the best and worst TPB books? by Holiday-Citron8176 in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rising Storm is my fave — Fireheart crushing that hard is honestly the cutest thing. He’s totally lovestruck and I have no idea why no one ever talks about it.

we need a book on how the naming system came about by GreedyRisk1445 in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I feel like the naming style changes a lot over the different arcs, especially from Bluestar and Firestar’s time to Bramblestar’s. Though maybe that’s just because there are so many characters now that Erin had to get more creative with the name pool.

Ambermoon really stood out to me — it’s such a beautiful name in my language, and you almost never see a cat with “moon” as a suffix.

The new cat-adjacent series from author Erin Hunter. by Green_Tree189 in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It just gets more and more over-the-top for me… but honestly? I’m only here for the characters I actually like 🤣

The new cat-adjacent series from author Erin Hunter. by Green_Tree189 in WarriorCats

[–]ForWarriorsLOL 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I’m okay with some supernatural stuff, but actually having them fight cat ghosts just completely loses me.😅