StormClan’s Folly is the next and eighteenth Warriors Super Edition, set to release over the summer at the end of August. Originally, I was not enthused about this Super Edition, and frankly, had even forgotten that it’d be coming up so soon. When the Warriors team posted the preview chapters, I realized it was only a little over two months before publication!
As usual, the allegiances, prologue, and first three chapters are revealed in this preview.
Long story short, I loved these chapters. It’s ironic, given how the StormClan reveal and situation is what I disliked the most about Ivypool’s Heart. Perhaps the general execution of the idea is bad, but the content of this book will be great. With such a small snapshot, it’s hard to know whether this SE will improve my opinion of StormClan’s existence or hurt it more.
This article contains spoilers for events and discoveries in Ivypool’s Heart, as well as the newest arc book Changing Skies: The Elders’ Quest. I also include mentions about Cloudstar’s story and the early SkyClan lore.
As a reminder, here’s the book’s blurb:
Uncover the star-crossed fate of StormClan in the next thrilling, superlong stand-alone adventure in Erin Hunter’s #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series!
Stripestar has always imagined a life beyond the forest, but, as leader of ThunderClan, he knows that his duty to his Clanmates comes first. When tragedy strikes and WindClan’s leader, Galestar, approaches with an offer of allyship, he swiftly accepts. But he and Galestar have history, a connection that only deepens as they continue to work together.
Galestar loves being a WindClan cat, but her relationship with Stripestar makes her question the strict Warrior code that forbids them from being together. Determined to build a family, she and Stripestar decide to combine their Clans into one: StormClan. However, StarClan refuses to approve and vows to punish them for breaking with Clan tradition.
Stripestar and Galestar decide to leave the forest and seek new land for their Clan. But they are soon faced with the reality of life without StarClan’s guidance, sending them down a path of peril, loss, and despair. Can these cats find the way forward without StarClan, or are they doomed to a grim fate that will echo for generations to come?
Before I get to any of the chapter contents, I want to talk about the allegiances. The names are phenomenal! I’m sad they’re (potentially) wasted on characters readers may never see again. Come on, Ravencry, Floatweed, Fogdrift, Tumbletail, Huntheart, and Rosebush. Not to mention, Rosebush is a “plump ginger tom,” how cute is that? I sincerely hope they actually develop the characters in ThunderClan and WindClan through this story, given how lovely their names are. Some of them are from ShadowClan or RiverClan, too, but since we only see important cats in those Clan allegiances, I imagine we’ll rarely hear from them.
As for the prologue and first three chapters, wow. It’s hitting it out of the park immediately. The pining and grief in the prologue, where Stripestar and Galestar meet in StarClan, is well-written. It makes sense for them to lament on their regret before launching into the crux of the story.
It does leave me wondering, however, when Stripestar admits that leaving and joining their Clans together was a mistake. In the newest arc, Changing Skies, I’ve been crossing my fingers that the Clans will either move territories or some may merge. I’m wondering if this proclamation from him, as well as the idea that StarClan “punishes” them, dashes my hopes of the Clans combining anytime in the future.
Anyway, back to StormClan. Other than Chapter One being adorable because of the apprentice interactions, it also set the groundwork for why Stripestar and Galestar eventually merge their Clans and leave. With the events of SkyClan losing their territory and being kicked out of the forest so fresh, the worries about the Clans all leaving a similar way settle like a dark cloud over every character. It doesn’t matter that there’s a large time-skip to them being leaders, that thought lingers.
As for the drama of this preview, I am ecstatic. Both of them having previous mates before each other, Stripestar with Fogdrift and Galestar with Pebblenose, is complex in the best way. It’s even better when readers find out Pebblenose and Galestar split, something that rarely happens in the series. Plus, Galestar accidentally kills Fogdrift almost immediately into the story. For Stripestar to still love her after is so interesting and real. It also hopefully sets a precedent that this book won’t shy away from killing characters (must be easier to do when it’s not the beloveds from The New Prophecy, Power of Three, or Omen of the Stars, huh?).
I’m not sure if anyone else noticed this, but I am curious of the mention of a relationship between Pebblenose and Thrushcall. After Galestar explains that her and Pebblenose work out better as friends, she thinks “Pebblenose spent most of his time with Thrushcall now, and he seemed all the happier for it. It brought Galestar happiness, too, to see Pebblenose content at last.” Since Thrushcall is a tom, I wonder if this is meant to nod towards romance or friendship. After the recent confirmation of Ravenpaw and Barley being mates, my gaydar is flicked all the way up. I’m not saying they couldn’t just be close friends, but I thought it was interesting.
My biggest complaint so far is a standard theme of Warriors: love at first conversation/sight. As much as I adored the chapter where Galepaw and Stripepaw met, it’s the only content we get of them as youngsters. I don’t imagine any other chapters of them when they aren’t leaders will be included, which means no young warriors or deputies interacting. It would’ve been nice to see a couple more interactions to grow their connection, maybe even show a struggle with how they both chose mates yet yearned for each other. The little snippets of drama were already amazing, I can imagine it would’ve been even more fun and intense with chapters of them before.
The alliance between them in Chapter Three was quick, too. From Galestar accidentally killing Stripestar’s mate, to them aligning against RiverClan… Again, it would’ve all been strengthened if we saw they had a friendship prior. I sincerely hope this Super Edition is long and readers get to see a lot more between the two leaders before they leave the territories together. I can see this’ll be a quick romance, but it shouldn’t be too quick. How often do I have to beg for Erin Hunter writers to give more context to relationships?
As for the writing, I will say—perhaps for the last time—that the fanfiction style of writing is not my favorite, but it’s starting to settle in. Whoever is writing the books now seems to be finding their groove. I may dislike some aspects of the style, but I loved the descriptions so far. I’m trying to accept the change and StormClan’s Folly is a step towards that finally.
My early judgement from this Super Edition’s announcement seems to be veering the other way. Perhaps something fresh like this is good for the Warriors universe. While I’m still holding out hope that it’ll explain what happened when the Clans eventually return to the territories (as revealed in Ivypool’s SE), I’m optimistic for the adventure.
I do fear I’ll grow attached to these characters, but I don’t necessarily wish to see them again (if only to avoid them being ruined). What a conundrum.
Warriors Super Edition 18: StormClan’s Folly can be pre-ordered on Amazon or other major retailers for its release on August 26, 2025.
These preview chapters were originally supposed to go to Fan Club Members, a new email program, first before the website. To join the Fan Club and be included in early news, click here.
Release list for 2025:
Tigerstar and Sasha graphic novel (full color): July 8, 2025
Warriors Super Edition 18: StormClan’s Folly: August 26, 2025 (NEW DATE)
Warriors Graphic Novel: The Prophecies Begin #3: September 30, 2025
Warriors: Changing Skies #2: Hidden Moon: November 4, 2025
Warriors: The Prophecies Begin #1: Into the Wild Collector’s Deluxe Limited Edition: November 4, 2025
2026:
Warriors: Changing Skies #3: Chasing Shadows: March 31, 2026 (link to come)
PEAK!! absolutely peak, im glad you mentioned the pebble x thrush thing!! i really hope this means going forward they’ll start including more LGBTQ+ content, it does seem like thats what theyre meant to be implying here!! after the direct canonization in the 3rd graphic novel with barley x ravenpaw, i REALLY hope going forward they’ll be more open and accepting of the idea of gay relationships in general!!
also very real and true points!! the love at first sight thing is like warrior cats 101 at this point omg :’) hopefully they develop their relationship a bit more throughout earlier chapters, these characters deserve some spotlight, they seem cute for what they are so far!
I missed the Pebble and Thrush thing at first; once I got down a couple more paragraphs I was like… wait a minute. I’m very intrigued to see if anything happens with that! Or if they smooth it over by changing Thrust’s gender. We shall see. I hope to love Stripe and Gale, if only for their terrible, terrible choices lol.