A Darker Moon

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The prophecy that drives Omen of the Stars is first spoken in the earlier arc: "There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws." The three cats are Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing. Jayfeather can enter others' dreams and has a deep connection to the past; Lionblaze cannot be defeated in battle; Dovewing can see, hear, and smell things very far away (clairvoyance). The arc reveals that the Dark Forest—the place where evil cats' spirits go—is training living cats in their dreams, led by Tigerstar and his son Hawkfrost. They recruit cats like Breezepelt and Ivypaw (later Ivypool), aiming to start a war between StarClan and the Dark Forest. The arc also introduces the ancient cat Rock, who sends Jayfeather back in time to his previous incarnation, Jay's Wing, to help the Tribe of Rushing Water's ancestors settle in the mountains and appoint their first Stoneteller. The arc ends with a final battle between the living Clans and the Dark Forest spirits in The Last Hope.

In Their Own Story

In The Fourth Apprentice, the Clans suffer a drought caused by beavers damming the river upstream. Lionblaze leads a patrol from all four Clans to destroy the dam. Dovepaw, newly revealed as the third cat of the prophecy, uses her clairvoyance to help. The patrol succeeds, but RiverClan warrior Rippletail is killed. Meanwhile, Jayfeather is attacked at the Moonpool by Breezepelt, aided by the spirit of Brokenstar, but is saved by the spirit of Honeyfern. In Fading Echoes, Hawkfrost begins training Ivypaw in her dreams, pretending to be from StarClan. Ivypaw, jealous of Dovepaw, tells Firestar a false dream from StarClan that ShadowClan will invade. Firestar attacks ShadowClan preemptively; Lionblaze accidentally kills ShadowClan deputy Russetfur. In Night Whispers, Jayfeather discovers Ivypaw's Dark Forest training. Ivypaw overhears Tigerstar insulting Tigerheart and realizes she was lied to; she agrees to spy on the Dark Forest for Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovepaw. Flametail drowns after falling through ice; Jayfeather tries to save him but lets go when Rock tells him it is Flametail's destiny to die. In Sign of the Moon, Jayfeather, Dovewing, and Squirrelflight visit the Tribe of Rushing Water. Jayfeather is sent back in time as Jay's Wing and appoints Half Moon as the first Stoneteller. He returns to the present and appoints Crag Where Eagles Nest as the new Stoneteller. In The Forgotten Warrior, Sol returns, claiming to have saved two apprentices from a fox, but is actually trying to cause a battle between ThunderClan and WindClan. Hollyleaf, thought dead, reveals she saved the apprentices. ThunderClan defeats WindClan in a tunnel battle. In The Last Hope, Jayfeather receives a prophecy that there is a fourth cat in the prophecy. He initially thinks it is Mothwing, but Mothwing shows him a smoldering reed.

Reader's Guide

Arc: Omen of the Stars Books: The Fourth Apprentice (2009), Fading Echoes (2010), Night Whispers (2010), Sign of the Moon (2011), The Forgotten Warrior (2011), The Last Hope (2012)

Central conflict: The Dark Forest, led by Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, trains living cats in their dreams to fight a war against StarClan. The three cats of the prophecy—Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing—must unite the Clans and stop the Dark Forest. Key turning points: The destruction of the beaver dam in The Fourth Apprentice; Lionblaze killing Russetfur in Fading Echoes; Ivypaw agreeing to spy on the Dark Forest in Night Whispers; Jayfeather appointing the first Stoneteller in Sign of the Moon; Hollyleaf's return in The Forgotten Warrior; the revelation of a fourth cat in the prophecy in The Last Hope. How it links to the broader timeline: Omen of the Stars is the fourth arc, following Power of Three. It continues the story of Jayfeather and Lionblaze from the previous arc and introduces Dovewing. The events set up the next arc, Dawn of the Clans, which explores the origins of the Clans. Rising characters: Dovewing (from apprentice to a key warrior), Ivypool (from jealous apprentice to spy), Lionblaze (from warrior to killer), Jayfeather (from medicine cat to time traveler). Falling characters: Flametail (drowned), Russetfur (killed by Lionblaze), Breezepelt (revealed as a Dark Forest trainee).

Did You Know?

• The arc's title Omen of the Stars refers to the prophecy that drives the plot, though the phrase itself does not appear in the source material.
• The Fourth Apprentice was published on 24 November 2009 in the United States, the same day as its Canadian release.
• The audiobooks for the first four novels were read by Kathleen McInerney.
• The arc features the death of ShadowClan deputy Russetfur, killed accidentally by Lionblaze during a battle.
• Jayfeather travels back in time to his previous life as Jay's Wing in Sign of the Moon, appointing the first Stoneteller of the Tribe of Rushing Water.