Path of Stars is the sixth and final book in the fifth Warrior Cats series, a Prequel called Dawn of the Clans.
The prologue of the book is Gray Wing dreaming of spending time with Turtle Tail. Though she misses him, she's happy for him and Slate. She tells him that he's been like a father to many, and is loved, and will be remembered: she continues "Even after you-", but an owl's screech wakes him, and he wonders what she had been about to say. Slate wakes up, and Gray Wing tells her he was dreaming about how lucky he was.
The story picks up shortly after the last book. Clear Sky is upset about Star Flower being held hostage by Slash's group: Slash had said that Star Flower would be returned if each of the groups gave a share of their prey to the rogues on a regular basis, and he had demanded that the leaders of all the groups meet at the half-moon to give their answer. He's not sure if anyone else will agree to help free her, because she had been One-Eye's daughter and had been spying on the groups, even though she had since shown herself to be helpful and she was carrying Clear Sky's kits. He speaks to his group, and they are uncertain, but they agree.
The next chapter is from Thunder's point of view. They hunt, although there isn't much prey due to the sudden cold weather. Clear Sky visits his camp, begging for help to save Star Flower. He does want to help, but disagrees about sharing prey, and eventually refuses because he insists upon putting his campmates above Clear Sky's.
The following chapter is from Gray Wing's point of view. He's hunting with a few of his campmates, but young Moth Flight is too distracted to catch prey. Clear Sky and Tall Shadow visit the camp and tell Gray Wing about how Star Flower has been taken by Slash. Gray Wing helps convince Wind Runner, and she agrees after realizing that Star Flower's unborn kits are involved. They decide to speak to River Ripple, and Gray Wing promises to talk to Thunder and convince him to help. Gray Wing announces that he has a plan to save Star Flower.
The leaders meet at Fourtrees at the half moon. Slash hasn't returned the pregnant she-cat, saying that they need incentive to honor the agreement about the prey. The other leaders say that they will not give up their prey, and Clear Sky desperately protests, but Slash accepts the refusal. Clear Sky runs from Fourtrees, and the other leaders follow him and stop him and ask him to come with. Meanwhile, Gray Wing and a few of his and Thunder's cats are near the carrionplace, which is where Fern, one of Slash's cats who has previously helped the groups, had said that Star Flower was being kept. They lure the guards away, and Gray Wing and Reed help Star Flower to get away. The guards attack, and they fight them while helping Star Flower flee. Her kits, however, choose the worst time to start arriving: at the edge of the Thunderpath. Reed protects her and gives her herbs while Gray Wing runs to Tall Shadow's camp to get help. He brings a few cats to Star Flower so that they can carry her back to Tall Shadow's camp, and then he goes to look for Clear Sky. He finds him and brings him back to camp; Star Flower has her kits: two she-kits and a tom (Tiny Branch, Dew Petal, and Flower Foot). Clear Sky thanks Gray Wing and says that he'll never forget it.
Thunder goes to Clear Sky's camp to visit Star Flower and her kits - they'd returned there safely when the kits were strong enough. They're too small to visit yet, so Thunder talks with his father and then returns to his own camp. Some of Slash's rogues had attacked a hunting patrol and stolen their prey while he was gone. Thunder's cats get the idea to train in fighting moves to fight the rogues. Thunder calls a meeting at the four trees, and the other leaders meet there. They discuss how rogues have been attacking them all (except River Ripple's group), talk about the idea to train for fighting moves, and also come up with the idea to give each young cat a personal trainer: the precursor to the apprenticeship program. Afterward, Gray Wing finds Fern in order to ask what exactly they're up against, and she gives him some insights to Slash's group: for instance, some cats only follow him because they're too scared to do otherwise, and if it looks like they might be rid of him, then they might stand against him.
Clear Sky's hunting patrol runs into one of Slash's patrols, but he agrees to let them take the prey because his small group wouldn't stand any chance against the number of cats that Slash had with him. Eventually Slash gives back the rabbit and taunts Clear Sky. Some of his Clear Sky's other cats hunt but also do not bring back much prey.
The leaders and several of their cats meet, and they share various battle tactics and fighting moves. Later on, Thunder and Lightning Tail head toward the rogue camp to spy on them. They watch how Slash treats his group: he gives prey to his friends and bullies the other cats, including a she-cat called Violet, to whom Slash makes an offer to become his mate (she refuses). They hear Slash talking about his plans to attack the moor group, and they decide to leave as soon as Slash's cats are asleep. On the way out, the pair comes across a group of Slash's cats - Violet being one of them - complaining about having to put up with his behavior.
Wind Runner's cats were warned by Thunder about the attack, but all they can do is to train and simply wait for it to happen. Gray Wing and some of his campmates go hunting, but they are ambushed by eight rogues. The battle is rough, but Wind Runner's cats use the moves that they'd learned from the other leaders, and manage to chase at least Splinter away. Gray Wing's breathing becomes difficult and he blacks out until the end of the battle. Slate is worried about him, and tells him that she's going to have his kits.
Thunder and Lightning Tail go to spy on Slash's camp again (Thunder mainly wants to see how Violet is doing). They watch Violet and a few of her campmates on their way to go hunting, and overhear them talking about how Slash is holding battle training in the camp. Thunder insists they need to go watch the training. They watch as one of the cats, Beech, gets hurt. Shortly afterward hear a dog barking: Red, one of the cats in Violet's hunting group, was running from some dogs he had encountered, and was leading them right to the camp. Thunder and Lightning help in the battle; however, at one point, Beech faces a dog alone, and Slash and his cats hold Thunder and Lightning and threaten to kill them if they try to help her. Fern helps drive off the dog, but it's too late: her sister Beech dies from her injuries, as well as Stone, another one of the rogues. Thunder criticizes Slash for not helping his group. Some of Slash's cats agree with Thunder, and Slash tells them that they're weak and that they can leave. Most of the group decides to leave him; they remain in camp while he leads his few followers away. Violet's hunting group returns to camp - minus Red - and agree to leave as well. Lightning Tail brings Pebble Heart, who helps heal the injured, and then he fetches Gray Wing. They decide to take the rogues to the moor camp overnight, so that they can decide which group to stay with the next day. Frog, one of the rogues, dies of his wounds on the way. Wind Runner takes a bit of convincing but eventually lets them stay.
A quarter moon later, the leaders and some of their cats meet to discuss the rogues that have settled in among them: while Dawn, Moss, and their kits (who joined River Ripple's group) are settling in well, as well as Violet (who joined Thunder's group), the others don't seem to be: Wind Runner is impatient that Fern and Willow haven't adjusted to the moors and that Bee is lazy, Tall Shadow wishes that Juniper and Raven would spend time with other cats besides each other, and Leaf is annoyed that Ember (who joined Thunder's group) hunts alone and only for himself. Clear Sky did not take in any rogues, although he did allow Red to stay, at Star Flower's urging, when the tom showed up at his camp. The cats are suspicious of the rogues, but there's discussion on how the rogues can change and that they need time to get used to living in a group. Before they leave, Clear Sky apologizes to Thunder for not being the father he should have been, but although Thunder thanks him, he doesn't seem willing to open up any more.
Gray Wing wakes up to Slate telling him that the kits are coming; the birth goes fine and three kits are born to them (White Tail, Silver Stripe, and Black Ear.) Some of the cats from other groups come to visit, but before long Reed alerts them that Fern has been hurt. Turns out it was Bee: she attacked Fern, and then went to re-join Slash. Wind Runner distrusts Willow since she's a rogue too. Slate and Gray Wing worry that Slash is planning an attack now that he has another ally.
Gorse Fur visits Clear Sky's camp and informs him about Bee turning traitor. Clear Sky becomes suspicious of Red, and sets Nettle to test him by trying to get him to eat prey, and when Red refuses, to try to convince him to help "overthrow" Clear Sky (Red attacks him in response.) Clear Sky breaks up the fight and explains to Red that he was testing him. Red understands, and Clear Sky decides to make him an official member of the group.
Thunder and some of his campmates look for materials for working on their dens. He nearly tells Violet how he feels about her, but the opportunity passes before he gets a chance. He thinks about Ember and how the tom spends nights away and never brings back prey, but Violet says to give him time. She and Thunder visit River Ripple to see how they're doing with their new rogues. The walk there is a bit awkward at first, but Violet reminds him that he'd started to say something, and he asks her to be his mate. She accepts. Things are going well in River's camp.
Most of the cats from the five groups, including the rogues, meet at the four trees to welcome the rogues into their camps. They hold a ceremony, in which the cats promise loyalty to their campmates, that they will hunt and fight for them - an early version of the warrior ceremony. Most of them choose new names (including even some of the other cats, such as Reed). Ember doesn't like the idea of changing who he is, and he says that he doesn't want to treat the other cats like kin, and that he preferred it under Slash, when nothing was expected of him. Slash shows up with his followers at that moment and asks his old cats to rejoin him. Ember eagerly agrees, but all the others refuse. Slash makes threats, saying that they should go back to their camps and learn what price they've paid for defying him. Gray Wing thinks that he's talking about Star Flower and her kits again, but Slash points out that it was Gray Wing who led his cats away. Gray Wing races back to camp, along with Thunder and several other cats from the other groups. They find Spotted Fur and Slate badly injured, and one of Gray Wing's kits, Black Ear, missing; he was taken away by Slash's cats. Gray Wing isn't able to search because his breathing has become very difficult, but the cats split into several groups - with the former rogues being key members - to search for the kit.
Thunder and the others search, and run into Clear Sky on the way. They fight a fox, and then find a rogue named Swallow carrying Black Ear on the edge of the Thunderpath. While crossing, she drops the kit, and runs to the other side on her own, fleeing along with Slash and his cats. Clear Sky rushes forward and just barely manages to save the kit - so close that Clear Sky's tail was actually run over by the monster. They bring him back to Tall Shadow's camp and they spend the night. Slate arrives saying that she needs to bring Black Ear home: even though he might not be fully well enough to travel yet, Gray Wing is dying. Clear Sky, Thunder, Jagged Peak, and Pebble Heart accompany her and Black Ear back to the moor.
Gray Wing, back in camp, is extremely weak, lying in place, struggling for each breath, and not strong enough to even purr when he is reunited with his missing kit. His campmates and friends say their farewells to him one by one. The kits don't understand what the other cats are doing there, because they each have their own groups. Gray Wing realizes that "groups" doesn't really fit the bond that the cats share, and he decides that "Clan" is the right word for them. He and his kits name the five Clans after the leaders. Bright Stream appears to Gray Wing, along with her unborn kits. And then other lost friends join them: Storm and Turtle Tail, his mother and young sister, and all the cats that he'd lost on the journey and in the forest afterward. Gray Wing tells Slate that they're waiting for him to join them. He says his goodbye to his mate and each of his kits, and then his struggle ends. He rises from his nest and watches his family for a moment, promising "I will always be watching you", and then he joins his lost friends and family, heading toward his eternal hunting grounds.
Tropes appearing in this book:
- Alliterative Name: Flower Foot, River Ripple, Silver Stripe, Sun Shadow, Turtle Tail
- Attack the Tail: Snake goes after Sparrow Fur's tail in a fight. There's also a moment in the rogues' battle training where Slash pins a cat's tail to the ground, making her stop in surprise.
- Back-to-Back Badasses:
- When the rogues attack the moor group, Slate and Gray Wing fight this way.
- Lightning Tail teaches the kits Clover and Thistle to fight like this.
- Bad Omen Anecdote: Reed says that he helped at a kitting before, but the queen died, which worries Gray Wing. Reed assures him that the queen was sick before she had her kits.
- Big "NEVER!": Violet's response to Slash asking her to be his mate. Also Thunder's response when Slash asks him to join his group.
- Blood from the Mouth: Fern, after being attacked by Bee.
- Cue the Sun: The sun rises at the ending of the book.
- Dark Is Evil: Like many Warriors villains, Slash is a brown tabby.
- Dawn of an Era: As the series name implies, at the end of this book, the villains have been defeated, the characters have found peace, and the groups are newly established as Clans.
- Dead Guy Junior: According to Kate, Clear Sky's kit Dew Petal is named after his loyal friend Petal who died two books ago.
- Dishonored Dead: Violet mentions that in the past, Slash would make them take their campmates' bodies to the carrion place for the crows and rats.
- Diving Save: Clear Sky does this to rescue Black Ear from being hit by a monster on the Thunderpath.
- A Dog Named "Cat": Several rogue cats are named after other creatures: Bee, Beetle, Frog, Raven, Snake, and Swallow.
- Dramatic Spine Injury: When dogs attack the rogue camp, one of the rogues, Frog, has his spine broken by a dog biting him. The poor cat dies of his injury shortly afterward while the others try to carry him to Wind Runner's camp.
- Dream Intro: The prologue is of Gray Wing dreaming and speaking with Turtle Tail's spirit.
- Fainting: Gray Wing faints when his breathing becomes difficult after his kit is kidnapped.
- Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: Clear Sky gives their squirrel to Slash, telling him "This should fill your bellies until you learn to catch your own." This makes Slash furious enough to attack.
- Full Moon Silhouette: After the ceremony at the four trees, the cats look up and notice that Slash is sitting on top of the Great Rock, silhouetted against the full moon.
- Gender Bender: Gorse Fur is mentioned as female at one point (after he says the rogues won't attack their camp, it says "Gray Wing hoped she was right.)
- Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: Clear Sky starts to panic and grieve when he thinks that his friends have all betrayed him and left his mate to die. It takes Wind Runner raking her claws across his ears and telling him to sit up and stop acting like a kit to make him realize that they actually have a plan to save her.
- Gray Rain of Depression: The day that the dogs attack the rogue camp is gray and dreary, and afterward, when two are dead and many are injured, rain begins to fall.
- Hit Me, Dammit!: Star Flower has to convince Thunder to attack her during training so that she can demonstrate the moves she knows. She points out that she's not made out of cherry blossoms and that if she can give birth to three kits then she can certainly teach them some battle moves.
- The Hero Dies: Gray Wing at the end of the book, right after getting a mate and kits.
- If I Do Not Return: Thunder goes to help his adopted father against the rogues. He tells his best friend Lightning Tail that if he doesn't make it back, Lightning Tail needs to take over as leader of their group.
- I Have Your Wife: The book opens with Slash having kidnapped Clear Sky's mate Star Flower.
- Killer Finale: Path of Stars is the last book in the Dawn of the Clans arc, and it ends with the death of the main character Gray Wing.
- Maternity Crisis: Star Flower goes into labor while they're fleeing from Slash's rogues with her.
- Meaningful Rename: Most of the rogues who join the mountain cats do this at the official ceremony. Reed and Minnow get in on it too.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast:
- New Season, New Name: This arc has the name Dawn of the Clans.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The normally businesslike Wind Runner grieves as her friend Gray Wing dies. One of the kits knows that something must be wrong because Wind Runner's "acting soppy".
- Pregnant Hostage: A major plot point involves Slash holding the pregnant Star Flower hostage.
- Premature Birth Drama: Star Flower's kitting. In addition to coming at the worst possible time - as they're running from the villain - the kits are very early, which worries everyone. The kits survive, they're just very small and have to be kept away from other cats for a little while until they're big and strong enough.
- Prequel: Dawn of the Clans and its supplemental books take place long before the main series or any of the other prequels.
- Pressure Point: Slash's rogues use a technique that involves them hitting exactly the right spot on a cat's limb to temporarily numb it and gain the advantage.
- Purple Prose: The narration slips into this a bit when describing Violet: how "her fur had the rich darkness of storm clouds", how "her long tail was thick and sleek", and how "her ears were wide and soft, framing her pretty face perfectly".
- Rejected Marriage Proposal: Slash asks Violet to be his mate. Her response is "Never!"
- Rouge Angles of Satin: At one point the book mentions the trees being turned pink by the rising sum.
- Second Love: Violet's original mate was Rain, who died on the Thunderpath. She falls in love with Thunder in this book.
- Series Continuity Error:
- Birch was ginger in Thunder Rising, then changed to brown-and-white for books 3-5, and is now ginger again.
- Pebble Heart was described as a brown tom in the last few books, but now is dark gray.
- Sickening "Crunch!": When the dogs attack the rogue camp, Thunder hears bone crunch when it picks up Frog; it turns out his spine is broken.
- Switching P.O.V.: Gray Wing, Clear Sky, and Thunder.
- Team Mom: Turtle Tail basically describes Gray Wing as this, saying that he's been like a father to many, offering comfort and guidance and love.
- The "The" Title Confusion: The book is called Path of Stars, though it often gets written with a "the" in front of it.
- The X of Y: The series name Dawn of the Clans.
