Twilight

Twilight is a book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series, a fantasy saga about four Clans of wild cats who live by a strict code of honor and receive guidance from StarClan, the spirits of their warrior ancestors. In previous books, the Clans were forced to leave their old forest home after it was destroyed by humans (called "Twolegs" by the cats) and journeyed to new territories around a lake. A rebellion led by Mudclaw, who believed he was the rightful leader of WindClan, was recently defeated with ThunderClan's help.

The book opens with a prologue in which an unnamed cat learns from StarClan that its life will be cut short. Bluestar, a former ThunderClan leader, explains that not even StarClan can alter destiny.

In ThunderClan's camp, a stone hollow where the Clan has recently settled, Squirrelflight, a dark ginger she-cat, wakes to a meeting called by her father, Firestar, the ThunderClan leader. The Clan is still recovering from the battle against Mudclaw. Squirrelflight confides in her sister Leafpool, a medicine cat apprentice, about her growing distrust of Brambleclaw, a senior warrior who has maintained a close friendship with his half-brother Hawkfrost of RiverClan. Squirrelflight believes Hawkfrost plotted with Mudclaw to seize power. Leafpool urges her not to judge Brambleclaw by the legacy of their father, Tigerstar, a former ThunderClan leader notorious for murder and treachery. Meanwhile, Squirrelflight finds comfort in Ashfur, a grey warrior whose warmth she appreciates, while Brambleclaw watches with a darkening expression. This love triangle persists throughout the book.

Firestar sends a patrol to check whether Onewhisker of WindClan has received his nine lives from StarClan, a ritual that grants a new leader an extended lifespan to serve the Clan. The patrol confirms Onewhisker is now Onestar, but the WindClan cats are cold and dismissive. On the return journey, the patrol discovers a mother badger with cubs settling in ThunderClan territory and drives the family out. Squirrelflight feels sympathy for the fleeing mother, remembering her own Clan's displacement. When Firestar later visits WindClan to warn Onestar about a fox near their border, Onestar sharply rebuffs him, declaring WindClan needs no help.

Meanwhile, Leafpool struggles to focus on her duties because she cannot stop thinking about Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior who confessed his love for her during the recent battle. Medicine cats are forbidden from taking mates, so Leafpool hides her feelings from everyone, including her mentor Cinderpelt.

At the first Gathering on a lake island, the leaders establish new territorial rules. Squirrelflight watches Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost whispering together and fears Brambleclaw is plotting to become deputy. Blackstar, the ShadowClan leader, taunts Firestar for not replacing his missing deputy Greystripe, who was captured by Twolegs before the journey.

Leafpool receives a dream visit from Feathertail, a deceased RiverClan warrior who once loved Crowfeather. Feathertail explains she cannot reach Mothwing, the RiverClan medicine cat, because Mothwing secretly does not believe in StarClan. She asks Leafpool to warn RiverClan of grave danger from Twolegs. Leafpool delivers the message, but when she and Mothwing investigate, they find nothing alarming.

Back in ThunderClan, Firestar apprentices Birchkit, who becomes Birchpaw, following the Clan tradition of naming kits with the suffix "-kit" and apprentices with "-paw." When Firestar chooses Ashfur rather than Brambleclaw as Birchpaw's mentor, Brambleclaw is visibly shaken, since mentoring an apprentice is required to become deputy. At the half-moon medicine cat meeting at the Moonpool, the sacred pool where medicine cats commune with StarClan, the other medicine cats receive disturbing visions of white claws and voices foretelling death. Leafpool's dream is entirely different, and she fears she is losing her connection to StarClan. Afterward, Crowfeather begs to meet her privately, and despite knowing it is forbidden, Leafpool agrees.

Soon after, Daisy, a she-cat from a nearby horse barn, arrives with three kits, fleeing Twolegs who took another cat's kittens. Firestar grants her sanctuary over Brambleclaw's objections. When Squirrelflight learns that aggressive kittypets (pet cats) from a Twoleg nest in ShadowClan territory have killed an apprentice, Firestar sends a joint patrol. Brambleclaw devises a plan using Tawnypelt, his sister and a ShadowClan warrior, as bait, and the patrol forces the kittypets to retreat.

Feathertail's warning soon proves true. Sickness devastates RiverClan, and Leafpool races to help. She discovers cats poisoned by a leaked Twoleg substance and treats them with yarrow to induce vomiting. One kit dies, but the Clan recovers. During her stay, Leafpool notices Hawkfrost quietly undermining Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy.

After returning home, Leafpool has a terrifying dream in which she enters a dark forest unlike StarClan's territory. She sees Tigerstar instructing Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost on how to seize power, telling them to enforce authority with force. Hawkfrost eagerly pledges obedience. When Tigerstar senses Leafpool's presence, she flees and wakes to find Brambleclaw standing over her, showing no sign of knowing she witnessed his dream.

Leafpool begins sneaking out through a secret escape route up the cliff to meet Crowfeather at night, growing exhausted and careless with her duties. Squirrelflight senses her sister's distress but cannot get Leafpool to confide. The crisis peaks when Cinderpelt follows Leafpool's scent and discovers her with Crowfeather, ordering the relationship to end. Leafpool refuses and flees to the Moonpool, where Spottedleaf, a former ThunderClan medicine cat, appears and tells her to follow her heart. Interpreting this as permission, Leafpool races to Crowfeather and tells him she will leave with him. They turn their backs on the lake and head into the hills.

Cinderpelt tells Squirrelflight the truth. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw set out to find Leafpool, crossing into WindClan where Onestar is furious. Ashfoot, Crowfeather's mother, joins the search, but they lose the trail in the barren hills. Squirrelflight presses her cheek against Brambleclaw for comfort, briefly reconnecting with their old trust.

In the hills, Leafpool and Crowfeather encounter Midnight, the wise badger from the sun-drown-place. Midnight reveals that her kin are enraged at being driven from their territories and are massing to attack the Clans. Leafpool dreams of blood and hears Cinderpelt's voice crying for help. She tells Crowfeather they must return, and he agrees, acknowledging that her heart belongs with her Clan.

They arrive to find the camp under devastating assault. Badgers have smashed through the thorn barrier, and the stone hollow's walls now trap the cats inside with their attackers. Brambleclaw organizes the evacuation of Daisy's kits through Leafpool's secret escape route up the cliff. Sorreltail, a pregnant ThunderClan warrior, goes into labor in the nursery, and Cinderpelt rushes to attend her. A badger breaks in. A warrior is killed, and many others sustain severe injuries. Then Midnight appears at the camp entrance: She went to WindClan first to rally reinforcements. Onestar leads WindClan warriors into the hollow, turning the tide.

Leafpool rushes to the nursery and finds Cinderpelt mortally wounded beside Sorreltail. Cinderpelt reveals that StarClan foretold her death, which is why she never forced Leafpool to stay. She wanted Leafpool to choose to be a medicine cat with all her heart. Cinderpelt dies, and the spirits of Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt surround Leafpool, promising to watch over her always. Leafpool composes herself and delivers Sorreltail's four healthy kits.

As the battered Clan regroups, Crowfeather quietly departs with WindClan. Onestar tells Firestar that the four Clans can still help one another. Squirrelflight reflects that the new lives feel like a promise from StarClan that ThunderClan will endure. As the Clan tends its wounds among the wreckage, two unexpected visitors arrive: Stormfur and Brook, a warrior and his mate from the Tribe of Rushing Water, a group of cats living in the mountains, stunned by the devastation they find.