I agree with you on most of your points, namely that they really don't act like cats and the characterization is weak. For that, along with some other reasons, I lost interest and stopped reading the series a number of months ago. ^^; Eh, I loved it in middle school, too.
I'd say it's much better than Twilight by merit of having kitties, for everything's more awesome with cats. :P
Yeah, I can agree with some of this. I didn't actually find it incredibly edgy either, except at a few specific moments, like when a perfectly innocent and sweet apprentice has half of her face torn off and is forced to live with a terrible name and disgusting scars. Although, the fact that cats aren't like this in real life is a given, which is because that's just how this universe works- it's not meant to be identical to Real Life. And for the credit of Firestar and Brambleclaw, they did have to push themselves twice as hard just to prove that they were worthy, although it is sometimes exaggerated to the point where they're completely awesome and everyone still hates them. Also, the main characters do have defining traits that separate them from some of the minor characters, who are mostly space-fillers so the Clans aren't tiny. I mean, do we really need Thornclaw that much? :P
And I also have to say it's way better than Twilight, because Twilight doesn't have one millionth of the emotion or epic events as Warriors does.
But that's your opinion and I respect it.
I'm alive and less annoying than ever before.
Ditto what the above said about it not being like Twilight. I can't really see where you pulled that comparison from. :/
Firestar is not a Mightey Whitey,he's had his moments of stupidity and ya' know what it was better back when the protagonists were more like him,compassionate to a fault but with their feet in the earth. Now the protagonists are all selfish, and manipulative and are Designated Heroes. Brambleclaw was good enough,definitely Closer To Earth but less reasonable. Jayfeather on the other hand is just a Chaotic Neutral asshole who thinks he can do anything because he can invade others dreams [which is in and of itself too much Fantasy Kitchen Sink],Lionblaze isn't even nearly as well thought out as Jayfeather and seems mostly battle-happy without remorse,Dovepaw from what I've read is a Mary Sue,and Hollyfeather was outright Lawful Stupid. Firestar is not a STU.
I do agree that some secondary characters need more limelight like Graystripe,Yellowfang,Stonefur,Whitestorm,Shrewpaw,and Tallstar
I used to love the series in Middle School and ya' know what now as a College Freshman and re-reading them again,I can now safely say only as far as the discovery of the lake and the end of the forest are they still really good reads where you don't have to suspend too far where the tone feels natural.
Also I'm bothered by Blackstar getting off scot-free for the atrocities he's done.He's a Karma Houdini
The one that makes Warriors better than Twilight is that stuff happens and they actually try to justify the Wangst.
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Okay, if you can suspend your disbelief enough
I actually used to enjoy Warriors. Back when I was in middle school and was reading Redwall and Watership Down and such, it was my favourite. Now, I've found that I like the series less mainly because of Fridge Logic and disbelief.
First off, The cats act nothing like cats. Cats are not noble. Cats do not adhere to any code or law other than "stay alive and try to reproduce". Real life feral colonies are not structured like the clans. The idea of monogamous cats is especially hilarious. And kitty doctors? When most plants would wreak havoc on a feline's insides? The religion doesn't bother me too much. If cats were social animals, they might have some sort of belief system. What really bothers me is the heavy-handed use of morality. When Firestar claims higher moral ground over scourge because Star Clan is on his side. When other cats move into the mountain tribe's territory and are OMG evil because they have no warrior code. I might have been able to pass this off as the cats simply being overzealous with their religion and morals (an actual flaw), but then the Erins try to paint the Clanners as accepting and tolerant...
My second big problem was the Stus. Firestar reminds me of the Mighty Whitey archetype, in that he enters a closed tribal society, surpasses everyone else, and becomes one of the most pivotal members of said society. Brambleclaw is a little bit more rounded, but not by much. It seems that most of the cats lack distinctive personalities. The toms are all either stu-type, belligerent opposer type, or reliable warrior type. The she-cats are either "gentle" or "feisty".
To its credit, Warriors is actually rather addicting, if you can get past all the You Fail Biology Forever and Wall Bangers. Its like those Telenovellas my family likes to watch...or Twilight. Not necessarily deep or complex but a decent read. It is actually suitable for older children and preteens, and not nearly as violent and edgy as the fans like to claim. I'm not good at critiqueing prose itself, but I can say that it was understandable and that I did not find any odd word usage. Some of the secondary characters are actually quite interesting, my favorites being Graystripe, Blackstar, and Leopardstar. The Clan structure also creates a convenitent formula for fanfiction and RPG set ups.
And hey, kitty wars.