A Clan in Need

A Clan in Need is the second book in the Ravenpaw's Path arc.

Blurb
''Ravenpaw and Barley have been driven away from their farm by a group of vicious cats. Now the two loners must turn to ThunderClan, led by Ravenpaw's friend Firestar, for shelter. Firestar takes them in and promises to help them take back their home as soon as possible, but ThunderClan is in great danger. BloodClan cats have been launching raids on ThunderClan's territory and attacking Clan patrols. Can Ravenpaw and Barley help Firestar and his Clan fight off their enemies? And will they ever be able to get home again?''

The Praise

 * Jolley does a fine job of capturing the essence of Erin Hunter's Warriors series and integrating the numerous Clans with their differing codes and loyalties into a tightly paced plot. Readers unfamiliar with the earlier books can easily become immersed in the story, save for the slight confusion of Barley being the main focal point of the cover when Ravenpaw is the narrator. Otherwise, sharply drawn feral and ferocious expressions heighten tension whenever there is a standoff and add a proper dose of frenzy to the action scenes. The black-and-white drawings may have some children lamenting the chance to see the colors of the gloriously described cat fur, but ultimately it won't matter with Warriors fans clamoring for anything related to the series."

Plot Description

 * Ravenpaw and Barley are in the Moonstone cave, seeking guidance from StarClan after losing control of their home to rogues. Ravenpaw wakes up before Barley, then Barley wakes up shrieking. Barley explains he had a dream about how his two brothers, Jumper and Hoot, almost killed their sister, Violet, when she and Barley were in BloodClan.


 * Ravenpaw tells him that ThunderClan will help them reclaim their home, and they travel to ThunderClan. As they are crossing WindClan territory, they encounter a patrol of WindClan warriors. At first, the patrol thinks that Barley and Ravenpaw have kidnapped Crowkit. When the patrol's leader, Mudclaw, recognizes Ravenpaw and Barley, he tells the patrol that these cats are friends. The patrol leaves them alone. As Ravenpaw and Barley pass through Fourtrees, they find Crowkit struggling to climb to the top of the Great Rock. Nearby, Mudclaw's patrol has crossed the ThunderClan border to accuse Dustpelt's patrol of stealing Crowkit. A fight is narrowly avoided when Ravenpaw and Barley appear with the kit.


 * The WindClan patrol leaves with Crowkit. Dustpelt agrees to take Barley and Ravenpaw to Firestar. When they reach the ThunderClan camp, they are greeted by several cats. As they pass by the nursery, they meet Sandstorm and her daughters, Squirrelkit and Leafkit. Ravenpaw congratulates Sandstorm about the kits, and Firestar greets them. He is curious to know what has brought them to the Clan. Ravenpaw and Barley tell him about the rogues, and Firestar tells them he will help, but first they must rest. As they are resting, a ThunderClan patrol enters the camp, battered and hurt. Ravenpaw goes to Firestar to find out what's wrong, and he learns that BloodClan cats have been attacking patrols. Firestar explains that he must prioritize BloodClan's aggression over Ravenpaw and Barley's dilemma.


 * The next morning, Ravenpaw and Barley go on a hunting patrol with Graystripe and Cloudtail. As they return with prey, they are attacked by BloodClan cats. There is a short fight, during which one of the BloodClan cats, Snipe, seems to recognize Barley because he was once a member of BloodClan. When another ThunderClan patrol arrives, the BloodClan cats flee. When they return to camp, Firestar and Graystripe ask Barley for help in finding BloodClan's camp. Barley takes offense and runs off into the forest. Ravenpaw goes to him and tells him that he must tell Firestar anything he knows, because ThunderClan is starving. Barley does not respond.


 * The next morning, Rainpaw and Sorrelpaw leave to go hunting. As Ravenpaw tries to think of ways to coax information out of Barley, Rainpaw runs back into camp. He says that they were attacked by BloodClan and that Sorrelpaw is hurt. They find her and they bring her back to camp. Barley sees how badly hurt Sorrelpaw is, and decides to help ThunderClan. He goes to Firestar and tells him all he knows about BloodClan. Ravenpaw suggests that Violet might know more, as she still lives in Twolegplace. The next day, Ravenpaw and Barley leave to find her. When they find Violet, she tells them that BloodClan is getting organized again. Violet leads them to a friend of hers, Mitzi. Mitzi's son, Fritz, was kidnapped by BloodClan one moon before. She followed the cats when they took him and learned where their home was. Mitzi then shows the three cats where Fritz is being held.


 * When Violet, Barley, and Ravenpaw return to ThunderClan to tell Firestar where the BloodClan cats live, he gathers a battle patrol and tells them to show no mercy during the fight to come. The patrol slips out of camp and heads to the place that Mitzi showed them. Once they arrive, they find all of BloodClan assembled before Hoot and Jumper, who renamed themselves Ice and Snake and took over leadership of BloodClan. Suddenly, Violet steps forward, and tells them that she is their sister. Ice and Snake are ready to let BloodClan attack her when Barley appears beside Violet.


 * Firestar gives the order to attack, and BloodClan and ThunderClan fight. The battle is over quickly, with ThunderClan triumphant. Barley and Violet tackle Ice and Snake, catching their brothers by surprise. Seeing that they are about to be beaten, Ice and Snake plead for mercy. Barley says that they've been attacking cats and stealing prey, so now they must pay. Ice and Snake try to lay the blame on BloodClan, since they were the ones who did the work. BloodClan turns on them and they drive their former leaders away. They find Fritz, and Barley and Violet take him home to Mitzi. With the threat of BloodClan gone, Firestar promises Ravenpaw that when his Clan has rested, he will lead a patrol to drive Willie and his group of rogues from the farm.


 * -Joanna K. Fabicon, School Library Journal