With the Erin Hunter team quiet lately, it’s relieving to see a new reveal: Changing Skies book three’s title, cover, blurb, and release date. The rest of 2025 is fully stacked with Warriors, and book two of this arc is not out yet, so it makes sense that book three will release next year, March 31, 2026.
The main announcement came from their Instagram post and the Warriors team provided more information on the official website via an article. It’s difficult to form any opinion on the title or blurb without knowing what happens in book two yet, but I have a few key points.
With little time to make guesses, the teaser post made it obvious that “shadows” would be involved in the title. As usual, the fans are excellent guessers and the title was revealed today to be Chasing Shadows. It’s incredibly common to use “shadow/s” in Warriors titles, so nothing about it makes me excited. In fact, fans are joking (or complaining depending on how you read it) about how often the word is used. If the count is correct, this would make the eighth book with “shadow/s” in the title.
Read the new blurb below:
An ominous prophecy continues to unsettle the Clans while Twoleg construction disrupts their connection to the Moonpool and StarClan. Meanwhile, two cats–an elder and an apprentice–believe that only they can save the Clans from certain destruction.
Moonpaw finally confesses to her Clanmates that her dead sister has been torturing her in her mind, and the Clan rallies around her in support. But as Moonpaw grows closer to Goldenpaw, her sister’s threats become more ominous, and even turn bloody. Moonpaw worries she’s a danger to her entire Clan. Would Thunder[C]lan be better off without her?
Tawnypelt is sure that the prophecy she received from Bluestar is a dire warning–and she believes that only the Elders can see the Clans through the oncoming danger. Frustrated with his mother, Tigerstar bans her from speaking of the prophecy, so Tawnypelt takes refuge in ThunderClan. She begins to wonder if her true place is in the Clan of her birth.
Amidst all this, Starlingpaw grows bolder in his belief that he alone must save the Clans. But can an apprentice really hold the key to their salvation?
It feels like forever since I read Changing Skies: The Elders’ Quest (review here), but that’s the only book we have to go on for this arc so far. The second book, Hidden Moon, isn’t out until late in the year on November 4th. It always frustrates me that they continue to announce things like a blurb when it’s not even the next book out. Luckily, little is spoiled like they’ve done in the past.
As much as I loved Hidden Moon‘s cover, I’m torn on this one. The dead stare at the viewer is boring and the color and lighting is back to its typical vibrancy I dislike. With Moonpaw as the main focus, fans finally get some official art of the elusive character. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of her art for two key facts: one, her “amber” left eye looks unnaturally red and out of place, and two, her “split-face” coloring looks like a normal tortoiseshell. It should’ve been a more clear half-and-half coloring to hone in on her otherness. I don’t understand why Owen Richardson would include any ginger color on the black fur and vice versa on the ginger, at least on her face.
The background cats are Moonpaw’s dead sister and Brambeclaw. With Crowfeather in Hidden Moon and Tawnypelt projected to be in ThunderClan for this book, I’m assuming this is a “we’re getting the band back together” from The New Prophecy situation. It makes sense why Brambleclaw would be involved in the arc, as an elder and a character previously possessed, but I’m still tired of old characters interfering in new storylines. With no mention of Leafstar again in this blurb, we’re still lost as to what happens to the SkyClan leader.
I’m tired of cats constantly taking refuge in ThunderClan as well. It feels like a major cop out for Tawnypelt to feel like she belongs in ThunderClan now, despite choosing ShadowClan long ago. The strength and feisty attitude of her character was always more fitting for the pine-trodden cats. I don’t know how to feel about anything else. What threats can Goldenpaw be making? What drives Moonpaw to tell her Clan about her sister? And how will Starlingpaw be as a POV? I figure some light might be shed on these answers in book two, before we get to this book.
I’m losing hope that the Clans might be moving territories or merging together. I can’t imagine what else I could predict at this point, so I’m waiting on the edge of my seat until the fall for this arc to continue.
Updated 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 article as usual!! the cover is weird to me, not only is she not even remotely fluffy, but her muzzle is completely untouched by any of the black, you’re 100% right, rather than having a “split face” she just looks like any other generic tortoiseshell character! The red eye is interesting but i wish it meant more to the piece overall, why is her eye red? whats the point? not to mention her ghost dead fetus sister who quite literally is aged up now? somehow? do ghosts suddenly grow now? since when and why?
i wish more love was put into these covers- at least they’re not genuinely spoiling the arc with the blurb this time around though i guess, so theres that bonus!!
It makes me wonder if they were going for a red eye because her dead sister is “evil.” But we don’t have enough information on that! Plus, it doesn’t look right with the design. It’d be nice if one day they took more care with the covers like other countries do.