The second book in the Warriors series, Fireheart continues his adventures with the Thunder Clan, a tribe of forest-dwelling feral cats. Newly promoted to the Warrior class, and given a name to reflect that new rank, one of his first tasks is to seek out the Wind Clan, which had been driven from their ancestral hunting grounds in the previous book. 

The conflict in this book tended to be more internal than external. Fireheart must deal with the fact that he's the only one who continues to harbor suspicions regarding Tigerclaw's loyalties and motivations. Likewise, while he feels an undeniable attachment to the clan, he still suffers the stigma of having been born an outsider, and this longing to share his roots with someone leads him to pursue a risky path. His closest friend is pursuing a forbidden relationship with a cat from another clan, which puts both their loyalties at risk. And he is tasked with raising an apprentice of his own... but he is such a young Warrior, sometimes their roles seem to be transposed. All in all, it was an enjoyable book--- it didn't have the impact of the first, but is clearly building up for a greater conflict in the future. Recommended for those who are looking for a little anthropomorphic fantasy in their lives. :o)

Tomasu is the only survivor of his village's massacre, and is rescued and adopted by Shigeru, who should have been Lord of the Otori Clan by rights, and the enemy of the one who persecuted Tomasu's people. Renamed Takeo, he begins to develop superhuman powers of hearing, thus betraying the secret of his parentage: his father was a famed assassin, and he was hence related to a secret clan trained to take advantage of their innate abilities to become invisible, to put people and animals to sleep with a hypnotic look, to create a double of themselves, and other such extraordinary talents. Shigeru wishes to train Takeo to carry out their shared vengeance upon the wicked feudal lord who has brought such misery to both their lives... but now that his clan is aware of his existence, they're not likely to relinquish their claim on the boy...

An enjoyable read if you're interested in historical Japanese fantasy with characters with ninjalike skills. An extra layer of depth is added in that everyone has their own goals and  motivations, which they aggressively pursue. Takeo is a mild character whose unique abilities give him an extra interest that his personality doesn't always justify. And he makes a much better Adventure Hero than a Romantic Hero. But with a dearth of historical Japanese fantasy outside of manga, it's definitely worth a try.