Warriors (novel series)
Warriors is a series of novels based on the adventures and drama of multiple Clans of feral cats. The series is primarily set in fictional forests. The series is published by HarperCollins and written primarily by authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, as well as others, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the series were developed by former series editor Victoria Holmes.
There are currently nine sub-series, each containing six books: The Prophecies Begin, The New Prophecy, Power of Three, Omen of the Stars, Dawn of the Clans, A Vision of Shadows, The Broken Code, A Starless Clan, and Changing Skies. Other books have been released in addition to the main series, including lengthier "Super Edition" novels, several novellas, many guide books, several volumes of original English language manga, and graphic novels. The series has been translated into several languages, and has sold over 80 million copies worldwide.Background
Origins
In 2001, publisher HarperCollins asked editor Victoria Holmes to write a fantasy novel about cats. Holmes did not like cats, so she enlisted the help of Kate Cary, who "loved cats". Cary wrote the first two volumes of the original series, Into the Wild and Fire and Ice. For the third book, Holmes had to "speed up" to maintain the publishing schedule. Cherith Baldry joined the team and wrote the third volume, Forest of Secrets. Cary wrote the fourth book, then Baldry wrote books five and six. Meanwhile, Holmes came up with "the detailed storyline and the characters", as well as editing the finished books to "keep continuity". When Holmes finished creating a storyline, Tui T. Sutherland assisted in editing until both agreed on the storyline, and it could be sent to Cary and Baldry to write the final book.Inspiration
The authors have named several other authors as sources of inspiration when writing the novels. In an interview, Baldry stated that the writers who influenced her the most are Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Ursula K. Le Guin. According to the official website, other authors who have inspired the writers include Enid Blyton, Lucy Daniels, Ellis Peters, Tess Gerritsen, Kate Ellis, Lisa Gardiner, and Meg Cabot.
The authors have also mentioned several other sources of inspiration. Holmes has cited the New Forest in southern England as inspiration for the forest where the first arc takes place. Other influential locations include Loch Lomond, as well as the Scottish Highlands. Nicholas Culpeper, a physician who used materials occurring in the natural world as medicine, also had an influence on the Warriors series. His book, Culpeper's Herbal, is used as a source by the authors for the many herbal remedies that the cats use. Holmes has cited the films First Blood and The Avengers as a source of inspiration.Setting and universe
The Warriors universe centers around a large group of feral cats who initially reside in a forest, and later, around a lake. The cats are split into five groups called Clans: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan. Each Clan has adapted to its own terrain. Relationships between different Clans are usually tense, and the Clans often come into conflict with one another. However, the Clans also sometimes show concern for each other; the idea of one Clan being destroyed usually causes deep distress and prompts urgent action on behalf of all Clans. The Clans have a unique naming and hierarchy system, in that their names are generally determined by their rank in the Clan.
The Clan cats have a faith system based on the concept of StarClan, a group of the spirits of the Clans' deceased ancestors, who occasionally provide guidance to the living Clan cats. After death, the spirits of most Clan cats join StarClan and reside in a paradisaical forest similar to Heaven. StarClan often provides guidance to the Clans through dreams and other signs like omens. In addition to StarClan, there exists the Dark Forest, also known as The Place of No Stars, which takes the form of a never-ending forest, similar to Hell. The spirits of cats who caused great pain and suffering to others while alive reside there as a form of punishment.
Cats who live outside of the Clans are categorized into three groups: housecats, who are called "kittypets" by Clan cats and are looked down upon for their cozy and lazy lifestyle; loners, stray cats that choose to live on their own peacefully; and rogues, who may live alone or in groups, and may intend to cause harm to the Clans.Series plot summaries
''Warriors: The Prophecies Begin'' (2003–2004)
The original Warriors series consists of six books: Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, and The Darkest Hour. The series was subtitled The Prophecies Begin for the 2015 reprint. The series' protagonist is a former housecat named Fireheart, who is invited to join ThunderClan, one of four groups of wild cats in the forest. Throughout the series, he rises through the Clan hierarchy while trying to stop the treachery of ThunderClan deputy Tigerstar, who initially intends to usurp ThunderClan's leadership and later plans to take over all the Clans. Fireheart eventually becomes the leader of ThunderClan and takes on the name Firestar.''Warriors: The New Prophecy'' (2005–2006)
Warriors: The New Prophecy is the second sub-series, consisting of six books: Midnight, Moonrise, Dawn, Starlight, Twilight, and Sunset. In this series, the Clans' survival is put at risk as humans begin to destroy their forest home with machinery. The series revolves around a group of cats consisting of Tawnypelt, Crowfeather, Feathertail, Brambleclaw, Stormfur, and Squirrelflight, who embark on a quest to find a new home for the Clans after their forest is destroyed. The series also details the rest of the Clans' subsequent journey to find their new territories, and the struggles they face in establishing themselves again.''Warriors: Power of Three'' (2007–2009)
Warriors: Power of Three is the third sub-series, consisting of six books: The Sight, Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, Long Shadows, and Sunrise. The series revolves around the search for three cats who are prophesized to have untold powers. A litter of three kittens is born. Two of them, Lionblaze and Jayfeather, possess supernatural abilities; their sister, Hollyleaf, does not.''Warriors: Omen of the Stars'' (2009–2012)
Warriors: Omen of the Stars is the fourth sub-series, consisting of six books: The Fourth Apprentice, Fading Echoes, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Forgotten Warrior, and The Last Hope. Omen of the Stars continues the plot of Warriors: Power of Three; the third cat in the prophecy is revealed to be Dovewing. The trio learn throughout the course of the series that the cats of the Dark Forest, led by Tigerstar, are preparing an attack on the living Clans, and recruiting living cats to their cause by training them for battle in their dreams. The series culminates in a battle involving all the Clans, as well as StarClan and the Dark Forest. Firestar defeats Tigerstar's spirit, ending the battle in the Clans' favor, but dies in the process.''Warriors: Dawn of the Clans'' (2013–2015)
Warriors: Dawn of the Clans is the fifth sub-series, consisting of six books: The Sun Trail, Thunder Rising, The First Battle, The Blazing Star, A Forest Divided, and Path of Stars. Dawn of the Clans is a prequel arc set before the events of Into the Wild. It revolves around cats from a tribe in the mountains leaving in search of a better home, ultimately forming the Clans and discovering the forest which became the Clan territories until The New Prophecy.''Warriors: A Vision of Shadows'' (2016–2018)
Warriors: A Vision of Shadows is the sixth sub-series, consisting of six books: The Apprentice's Quest, Thunder and Shadow, Shattered Sky, Darkest Night, River of Fire, and The Raging Storm. The series centers around Alderheart, Violetshine, and Twigbranch, as they try to help SkyClan, the lost fifth Clan, settle in a territory around the lake. Additionally, they face constant attacks from a group of rogue cats led by Darktail, who almost succeeds in disbanding ShadowClan.''Warriors: The Broken Code'' (2019–2021)
Warriors: The Broken Code is the seventh sub-series, consisting of six books: Lost Stars, The Silent Thaw, Veil of Shadows, Darkness Within, The Place of No Stars, and A Light in the Mist. Ashfur, a StarClan cat, severs the connection between StarClan and the living Clans, and possesses ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar. The protagonists Bristlefrost, Shadowsight, and Rootspring, must defeat him, restore the connection with StarClan, save Bramblestar's spirit, and change their Clans' laws to prevent more tragedy from occurring in the future.''Warriors: A Starless Clan'' (2022–2024)
Warriors: A Starless Clan is the eighth sub-series, consisting of six books: River, Sky, Shadow, Thunder, Wind, and Star. It revolves around Nightheart, Sunbeam, and Frostdawn, cats from different Clans. RiverClan's leader and deputy die, and StarClan does not show them who is to be the next leader. Additionally, there is growing unrest among the cats of the Clans regarding the changes made to the warrior code in The Broken Code.''Warriors: Changing Skies'' (2025–)
Warriors: Changing Skies is the ninth sub-series, consisting of The Elders' Quest, Hidden Moon, Chasing Shadows, Guiding Light, and two unnamed installments. It revolves around Leafstar, the leader of SkyClan, Starlingpaw, a SkyClan apprentice, Tawnypelt, a senior ShadowClan warrior, and Moonpaw, a ThunderClan apprentice. In this series, the Clans struggle with Twolegs encroaching on their territory.