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I was Lucky. I still am. I'm with a Pack who like and respect me as an equal member. I'm helping another young dog discover her fate and the way the world works. I'm teaching her how to be part of a Pack: a noble, valuable, loved dog.
Lucky's thoughts on Lick in The Broken Path, page 307
The Broken Path
TBP

Series

The Original Series

Book Number

4

Pages

308

Word Count

62,164[1]

Author

Gillian Philip[2]

Date Released

Hardcover: February 11th, 2014[3]
Paperback: February 10th, 2015[4]
eBook: February 11th, 2014[5]

Identification

Hardcover: ISBN 0062102680[3]
Paperback: ISBN 0062102702[4]
eBook: ASIN B00DB2YPDM[5]

Preceded by

Darkness Falls

Succeeded by

The Endless Lake (book)

Additional Information

The Broken Path

The Broken Path is the fourth book in the Original arc. Twitch is the dog on the front of the cover.[6] Martha is the dog behind and to the left of Twitch, and Fiery and Lucky are the dogs farther behind the two.[7]

Dedication[]

Special thanks to Gillian Philip
For Rachel Mansfield and Lucy Philip

The Blurb[]

When a divided Pack faces a treacherous threat, some dogs will rise—and others will fall.

Lucky and Alpha have finally reached an uneasy peace, but tensions are still high—and Alpha has made it clear that there are some dogs he will never fully accept.

As the newly united Pack sets off in search of a home far away from the Fierce Dog camp, they discover that no territory is truly safe. When they encounter another group of dogs who survived the Big Growl, Lucky hopes that they can work together as allies—but this new Pack may be their most dangerous enemy yet.

Praise[]

"Hunter expertly explores the tensions between responsibility and freedom; risk and safety; and loyalty and acceptance. Viewing the unfolding adventure through Lucky’s eyes makes even the most mundane or familiar seem alive with magic. Wild and wonderful adventure for middle-graders."

—Kirkus Reviews

"Young readers will find plenty to like here, from the fast-moving plot, to the characterizations of individual dogs. A promising start for the many fans of the Warriors and Seekers adventure series."

—Booklist

Detailed Plot Summary[]

In the prologue, Yap and Squeak are seen fighting. During this game, they keep arguing on whom is the Alpha. Yap then smells something, abandons the game, and goes into his longpaw's house. Here, he discovers a longpaw pup playing with matches that appear to look like blood.

He barks at the longpaw, wanting the game to stop. Yap quickly rescues the other longpaws. After this event, his mother suggests an adult name for him: Lucky. Yap continues to think about this name, and begins to like it.

In modern times, Lucky is seen running through the forest hunting for a snowshoe rabbit with Lick and Fiery. Lick says that she is tired with her name, and she would appreciate it if she was given a new one, as it was Nose and Squirm's naming ceremony that day.

Fiery emerges, telling the two dogs the story on his Pup Pack name: Snail. The other two dogs laugh about it. Lucky encounters Bella and orders Lick to go back to camp. The two argue and Lick appears, apologizing for eavesdropping, she takes her leave. Bella and Lucky start returning to the camp when a badger attacks. It attacks Bella, but Lucky is quick to help her. Though, everything in the area flees as the bad rain starts to fall. The pack seeks shelter in an abandoned longpaw home, there, they discover that the longpaw's fridge is packed with food. The pack stays there and eats their own fill for a few days until Alpha says he will not have his pack eating longpaw food.

Lucky is sent on a patrol with Fiery, Snap, Bruno, and Mickey after getting into an near-argument with Alpha. They eventually catch the scents of other dogs and Lucky tells the hunting patrol to get into battle formation and they do so. The dogs they run into are a disorganized pack where Snap recognizes Twitch and hurries to greet him. Twitch warns the hunting patrol to get away, but it's too late as Terror, the leader of the disorganized pack comes into view. Fiery attempts to ask him permission whether or not they can hunt on their grounds for a few days. Terror tells them that he is the forepaw of the Fear-Dog, the king of all the spirit dogs, and Terror also says that all must bow to him. After Fiery insults Terror and the Fear-Dog, Terror orders his pack to attack. The hunting patrol hides and witnesses one of Terror's episodes, where he collapses so he can be given orders from the Fear-Dog.

The hunting patrol returns to camp and Alpha is angry about their lack of prey. They tell Alpha and the rest of the Wild Pack about Terror and how mad him and his pack is. The pack eventually falls into quiet conversations about leaving and the threat of Terror.

The next day, Lucky asks Alpha if they're moving on to which Alpha says no and that there's more food to be found an he wants to see if Lucky's still street smart. Lucky protests to this saying that he's just as much of a hunter as the next dog, but Alpha disagrees. Alpha then orders Spring to be in charge of a hunting patrol. Lucky, Beetle, Thorn, and Lick join. Spring tells Lucky her worries in regards to her brother being in Terror's mad pack. Lucky confesses that Twitch's leg has been chewed off, but comforts Spring, saying Twitch is better off without it. The patrol then breaks into a building through Lick breaking the door and they hunt rats. The patrol gets bitten several times, but they ended up catching a lot of rats. They head back to the Food House. Lucky smells Mickey and says he'll pick up his rats later. He sees Mickey grieving over a young longpaw. Lick, Beetle, and Thorn support his decision to bury it and with the five of them, they do so. They proceed to go back to camp.

At the Food House, the pack eats and do the Great Howl. Lucky sees Martha or the River-Dog, and thinks that maybe it's both of them. Afterwards, the Pack is told of how they'll be taking the fight to Terror the next day.

Lucky has a nightmare about falling clear-stone. Lick gets defensive of Lucky, wondering what made him nervous and whether a dog attacked him or not. Lucky says nothing's wrong and that calms Lick. Lucky gets sent off into another hunting patrol with Bruno, Snap, Mickey, and Fiery. Lick wants to go, but because of Alpha's Fierce Dog prejudice, she can't. Fiery challenges Alpha for his leadership. It is decided they will fight after the hunting patrol. Lick is now included in the patrol. Fiery has a talk with his patrol that even if Alpha won, they should still respect him. They then catch sight of longpaws. Fiery gets captured. Fiery tells them to leave and states they won't be able to rescue him if they all get caught.

They return to the pack with the news. Alpha says they will have to abandon Fiery. Moon claims he's a coward. There is a fierce discussion before the Wild Pack is forced into battle formation as they are under attack. It turns out to be only Twitch. Twitch says he knows where Fiery is (the Dog-Garden, where the Fierce Dog were). Sweet gives Lucky and Moon permission to split off for a bit to go off and find Fiery much to the displeasure of Alpha. The group includes Twitch, Lucky, Moon, Bella, Martha, and later on Lick tags along because no dog cares whether or not she was gone from the pack.

They find Fiery and learn that the Dog-Garden is now occupied by longpaws. They help Fiery and several other creatures escape. It turns out the longpaws were giving them contaminated water, seeing if it was safe to drink. They get away, far from the garden.

The group runs into Terror and his pack. Fiery is sick and weak, but when Moon is being attacked, he battles Terror. Fiery gets worn out and beaten up by both Terror and his followers. Moon tries to get into the fray, but instead, two of Terror's dogs drag her away. Out of vengeance, Lick attacks Terror and rips the bottom of his jaw off, thus killing him. Terror's dogs run away. As Fiery is dying, he spends his final moments with Moon.

Once they finish burying Fiery, they howl. Lucky believes that it's time for Lick to get a naming ceremony and Moon agrees. The dogs get presents and Lick chooses to now be known as Storm. Lucky gets an uneasy feeling, and believes it to be a sign.

Trivia[]

  • Despite being on the patrol with Fiery and the other hunters, Snap questions about Terror's Pack.[8]
  • Pack Members is spelled as "Packmembers".[8]
  • Sire-Dog is once again mistakenly called Father-Dog.[9][10]
  • This is the first time any dog has challenged an Alpha in the original series.


Publication History[]

  • The Broken Path (EN), HarperCollins (hardcover) 11 February 2014[11]
  • The Broken Path (EN), HarperCollins (E-Book) 11 February 2014[12]
  • The Broken Path (EN), HarperCollins (paperback) 10 February 2015[13]
  • Die finstere Gefährtin (DE), Beltz (hardcover), February 3 2015[14]
  • 歧路途穷 (CN), 中国少年儿童出版社 (paperback), 1 August 2015[15]
  • Vaikea taival (FI), Jalava (hardcover), 20 August 2015[16]
  • Croisee de Chemins (FR), Pocket Jeunesse (paperback), 18 August 2016[17]
  • 嵐の予感 (JP), KomineShoten (unkown binding), late May 2016[18]
  • Geen weg terug (NL), Manteau (paperback), 2016[19]

References and Citations[]

  1. Revealed on www.arbookfind.com
  2. Revealed in The Broken Path Dedication
  3. Revealed on HarperCollins Catalog
  4. Revealed on HarperCollins Catalog
  5. Revealed on Amazon.com
  6. Revealed on Gillian's Facebook
  7. Revealed on Gillian's Facebook
  8. 8.0 8.1 Revealed in The Broken Path, page 128
  9. Revealed in The Broken Path, page 195
  10. Revealed in The Broken Path, page 213
  11. Information from HarperCollins Catalog
  12. Information from HarperCollins Catalog
  13. Information from HarperCollins Catalog
  14. Information from amazon.de
  15. Information from amazon.cn
  16. Information from Risingshadow.fi
  17. Information from amazon.fr
  18. Revealed on [www.komineshoten.co.jp/search/info.php?isbn=9784338288040 komineshoten.jp]
  19. Revealed on bol.nl



The Broken Path Chapters
PrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22
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