#truthfully i just think ive outgrown this series but like damn i wish it was better

[fruitsofhell]

Ok here’s me 2am hottake, (WC The Broken Code ending spoiler IG):

       Shadowsight should’ve been the one to kill Ashfur instead of Bristlefrost sacrificing herself. It makes no sense for any of those characters’ arcs that it ended like that. Sure, Bristlefrost helped Ash as his deputy in like, the first two books or some shit, but it’s Shadowsight who he manipulated the entire arc, start to finish.        SHADOWSIGHT is the one who desperately wanted to prove himself, HE was the one with the biggest emotional connection to Ash besides Squirrelflight (who’s lack of inclusion in the ending is a whole other problem), and HE’S the one who is supposed to have been redeemed by his connection to Ashfur helping the clans to defeat him. So why is it that when Ashfur gets distracted in the middle of the battle trying to manipulate Shadowsight one last time, after he spent the entire thing running and pitying himself, DID ANOTHER CHARACTER COME AND SACRIFICE HERSELF TO SAVE HIM AND MAKE HIM PITY HIMSELF EVEN MORE? And not to mention that another major part of Shadow’s character was fearing that the blood of another cat was on his hands, so why does his arc end with him not proving any of those fears wrong by ACTUALLY HAVING A CAT’S BLOOD ON HIS HANDS?        It’s not like the authors were trying to frame him as a tragic character, because they made to wave away all his trauma at the end without earning that development. That part where he’s moping around feeling awful because not only did his abuser leave a whole in his heart but he did it by taking the life of someone he was friends with and who was more beloved than him? And then some other cat just tells him, “Hey don’t think like that. Now that it’s over, people will stop scapegoating and gaslighting you.” ? Yeah, that resolution sucks.        What would have been satisfying to me was for the warriors around to do everything to drive Ashfur out of physical advantages in that final battle, and for him to once again stoop to the weird spectral tricks that confounded that clans in the first place - but that only Shadowsight understands. And as he taunts and manipulates Shadow in his head, trying to make him feel powerless enough to join him, but Shadowsight fully rejects him and destroys his spirit form for good! Bristlefrost isn’t killed unnecessarily for others to angst over her, Shadowsight actually redeems himself in the eyes of not only the clans but himself, and Ashfur is killed by the cat he first took advantage of to start this whole fiasco.        I’m not hip on fandom opinion about this year old ending, but if there’s any other good takes on an alternative ending I’d love to hear them.