The SkyClan Saga is a small part of the larger Warrior Cats franchise. It comprises two Super Editions, a three-volume manga arc, and a novella. It takes place far from the forest Clans, dealing with the fifth Clan, which was exiled long ago.
The first book, Firestar's Quest was released on August 21, 2007, and begins a few moons after the conclusion of the Original Series. It is the first Warriors novel to acknowledge SkyClan, as Firestar is sent on a mission to rebuild the lost Clan by Cloustar, an old leader of SkyClan.
The second book, SkyClan's Destiny, released on August 3, 2010, features Leafstar, the first leader of modern SkyClan. It focuses on the young Clan's struggles with enemies old and new, as well as the difficulties of creating a Clan from cats who don't know the Warrior Code.
The manga arc, SkyClan and the Stranger takes place between SkyClan's Destiny and Eclipse, and was released in three volumes. The first volume, The Rescue was released July 5, 2011, the second, Beyond the Code was released November 22, 2011, and the third, After the Flood was released April 3, 2012. In it, a cat named Harry joins SkyClan, but whether he has the heart of a Clan cat remains to be seen.
A prequel novella, Cloudstar's Journey, was released as an e-book on January 29, 2013, and in physical form as part of the Warriors: The Untold Stories compilation on July 2, 2013. It tells the tale of the last days of SkyClan in the forest, and the events leading up to the prologue of Firestar's Quest, where SkyClan was exiled.
Both Ancient and Modern SkyClan also feature prominently in Code of the Clans and Battles of the Clans, which also give more background information on the events contributing to the fall of the Clan. As well, the origins of SkyClan are revealed in the fifth arc of Warriors, Dawn of the Clans.
The SkyClan Saga contains examples of:
- Arc Welding: SkyClan and the Stranger connects the SkyClan Saga to the second half of Power of Three by revealing that the origins of Sol were connected to the rebirth of SkyClan.
- Babies Ever After: Firestar's Quest ends with the birth of Leafkit and Squirrelkit, Firestar and Sandstorm's daughters.
- Big Bad:
- The Rat King in Firestar's Quest. He is descended from the rats that originally destroyed Ancient SkyClan, and he intends to destroy the rebuilt SkyClan as well. He becomes the cause of almost all the conflict that occurs after he is introduced, and when he is defeated, everything is good.
- Dodge in SkyClan's Destiny. He leads a gang of cats that have taken over a Twolegplace near the gorge and his power is slowly growing. Subverted in that he's not really that bad of a guy, and while the book makes it look like he will threaten SkyClan at some point, he doesn't have anything to do with them. The only reason he even comes to blows with the SkyClanners is because Stick made them enemies.
- Career-Ending Injury: A rabbit scratches out Longtail's eyes, forcing him to retire to the Elders' Den.
- Cast Herd: The modern SkyClan cast herd is notable for having virtually no overlap or interaction with the main group of characters. Only Sandstorm and Firestar ever know any of them, and other than those two only Cinderpelt and Graystripe know they exist at all.
- Covers Always Lie: Did you think that the cover of After the Flood meant it would be Lighter and Softer? Too bad. It deals with the fallout from a natural disaster, lynch mobs, and child abduction.
- Decoy Protagonist: Firestar may be the point of view character in Firestar's Quest, but the SkyClan Saga is actually about Leafstar.
- Distant Prologue: The prologues of Firestar's Quest and SkyClan's Destiny both take place many years before the main events of the books, and deal with the fall of SkyClan.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: At the beginning of SkyClan's Destiny, Leafstar has a nightmare about the gorge flooding. Her dream eventually comes true in Beyond the Code.
- The Exile:
- In the backstory, SkyClan, the fifth Clan of the forest, was exiled by the other four Clans when they lost their home.
- In After the Flood, Leafstar temporarily exiles Billystorm after he suggests bringing their kits to his home while the cleanup of the camp is underway. As well, at the end of the graphic novel, Sol is exiled from SkyClan forever after his abduction of Leafstar's kits.
- Eye Scream:
- In Firestar's Quest, a rabbit scratches Longtail's eyes, causing his blindness from The New Prophecy onward.
- In SkyClan's Destiny, one of Percy's eyes is torn out by Misha.
- First-Episode Twist:
- The existence of a fifth Clan is a spoiler for the prologue of Firestar's Quest, but drives the plot of the entire SkyClan Saga.
- Leafstar becoming leader of Modern SkyClan. It's a spoiler for Firestar's Quest, but is so important to the SkyClan Saga that we haven't even spoiler tagged it.
- Flashback B-Plot: SkyClan's Destiny works this way, with the current-day story of SkyClan interspersed with chapters from Stick's point of view, back before he left the city, some time earlier than the main events of the book.
- Interquel: Firestar's Quest does double duty as the beginning of the SkyClan Saga and a bridge between the events of the Original Series and The New Prophecy.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler:
- Firestar's Quest does this to itself. The reveal of a fifth Clan in the prologue is intended to be a Wham Episode, but the shock is mitigated by SkyClan being listed in the Allegiances. As well, the Allegiances also reveal every cat that will join SkyClan, although thankfully not that Leafstar is their leader.
- The titles of SkyClan's Destiny and SkyClan and the Stranger, as well as the contents of Cats of the Clans, Code of the Clans, and Battles of the Clans, all spoil the existence of SkyClan. As well, reading those field guides before picking up Firestar's Quest spoil Leafstar becoming the first leader of Modern SkyClan.
- Love Triangle: While it was already there in the Original Series and The New Prophecy, Firestar's Quest was the book where Firestar's whole Betty and Veronica thing with Spottedleaf and Sandstorm actually started being focused on.
- Missing Child: After the Flood has children suddenly going missing after a natural disaster and parents having no idea where they are.
- Never Trust a Title: The name Cloudstar's Journey caused many to think that it was about Cloudstar leading SkyClan to the gorge, but it actually doesn't involve a physical journey at all, taking place in the forest and ending when he decides to take his Clan away from the others.
- Prequel: Cloudstar's Journey, which explains the events leading up to the fall of SkyClan.
- Sequel Hook:
- Firestar's Quest contains multiple hooks. For readers who haven't read The New Prophecy, Firestar wondering if there is a place other than StarClan that cats like Tigerstar go to and Firestar worrying over the fate of his daughters propel them towards that arc. As well, the most significant one is for Power of Three, with Firestar receiving a prophecy about three cats with the power of the stars in their paws. There's also one for SkyClan's Destiny with Firestar still having some doubts about what comes next for SkyClan.
- SkyClan's Destiny ends with Leafstar saying that she and Billystorm need to talk, while leaving some problems unresolved. This leads in to SkyClan and the Stranger.
- The end of After the Flood has one for Power of Three. Sol swears revenge, but that revenge won't come until Eclipse.
- Beyond the Code has one that still hasn't paid off. Is Sol really telling the truth about his backstory?
- Spoiler Title:
- Both played straight and subverted by the title of SkyClan's Destiny. Every other Super Edition is named after its main character, so you would expect it to be named after Leafstar and give the Late-Arrival Spoiler of who becomes Clan leader at the end of Firestar's Quest. However, instead it's named after SkyClan, giving away the much lesser spoiler of their existence. The manga series follows suit.
- After the Flood reveals that there is a flood to readers who haven't picked up Beyond the Code yet. Not that the cover of Beyond the Code helps.
- Twist Ending: The end of The Rescue reveals that the seemingly benevolent Harry is actually Sol, the villain of the Power of Three arc.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
- Due to the battle with the rats at the end of Firestar's Quest, most of SkyClan ends up scared of rats.
- Shrewtooth is terrified of everything, but in particular he's afraid of Twolegs, because of the abusive Twoleg's treatment of him.
