Warriors (novel series) facts for kids
Boxed sets of the Warriors: The Prophecies Begin and Warriors: The New Prophecy series
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| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, young adult fiction |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Published | 21 January 2003 – present |
Warriors is a series of novels based on the adventures and drama of multiple clans of feral cats. The series is primarily set in the fictional location of White Hart Woods, and later, Sanctuary Lake. Published by HarperCollins, the series is written by authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui T. Sutherland under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the pilot series (The Prophecies Begin) was developed by editor Victoria Holmes.
There are currently seven sub-series, each containing six books except for the seventh sub-series, which is currently in progress. The first, Warriors (later re-titled Warriors: The Prophecies Begin), was published from 2003 to 2004, and details the adventures of a “kittypet” (housecat) named Rusty who joins ThunderClan, one of the warrior cat clans who live in the forest, and must leave his Kittypet life behind to learn “the warrior code” and how to be a good leader who can save the clans from destroying themselves. Warriors: The New Prophecy (2005-2006) continues with a focus on the next generation of young cats, and chronicles the four Clans' journey to a new home.
The third sub-series, Power of Three (2007-2009), centers around a prophecy about three cats with extraordinary powers and the fourth sub-series, Omen of the Stars (2009 to 2012) continues the story arc. The fifth sub-series, Dawn of the Clans, was published from 2013 to 2015. This prequel series arc details the formation of the Clans. The sixth sub-series, A Vision of Shadows, was published from 2016 to 2018 and chronologically continues where Omen of the Stars left off. The seventh sub-series, The Broken Code (2019-2021), focuses on the cats' connection to their religion, and what happens when they are cut off from it by a vengeful spirit. The eighth sub-series is titled A Starless Clan. The first book, River, was released on 5 April 2022. It centers around the Clans rewriting the rules they live by.
Other books have been released in addition to the main series, including stand-alone "Super Edition" novels, several e-book novellas later published in five print compilations, six guide books, and several volumes of original English-language manga, initially produced as a collaboration between HarperCollins and Tokyopop before the latter's closure.
Super Editions
Super Editions are stand-alone books in the Warriors series that are about 500 pages long, approximately double the length of a regular Warriors book. The first Super Edition was Firestar's Quest, detailing Firestar's journey to rebuild SkyClan, the long-lost fifth Clan of the forest. Other super editions include Bramblestar's Storm, describing newly appointed ThunderClan leader Bramblestar learning to lead his Clan through hardship, Yellowfang's Secret, which tells the story of a ShadowClan medicine cat whose son eventually murders his own father and nearly destroys his entire Clan with his vicious conquests, and Bluestar's Prophecy, which tells the story of Bluestar, ThunderClan's leader before Firestar. There have been 15 Super Editions published thus far, with the most recent, Onestar's Confession, having been released in September 2022. Each Super Edition contains an exclusive manga chapter at the end. The Super Editions include:
- Firestar's Quest (21 August 2007)
- Bluestar's Prophecy (28 July 2009)
- SkyClan's Destiny (8 August 2010)
- Crookedstar's Promise (5 July 2011)
- Yellowfang's Secret (9 December 2012)
- Tallstar's Revenge (2 July 2013)
- Bramblestar's Storm (26 August 2014)
- Moth Flight's Vision (3 November 2015)
- Hawkwing's Journey (1 November 2016)
- Tigerheart's Shadow (5 September 2017)
- Crowfeather's Trial (4 September 2018)
- Squirrelflight's Hope (3 September 2019)
- Graystripe's Vow (1 September 2020)
- Leopardstar's Honor (7 September 2021)
- Onestar's Confession (6 September 2022)
- Riverstar's Home (2023)
The series has also been translated into several languages. On 20 October 2016, Victoria Holmes announced that Alibaba Pictures had bought the production rights for a film adaptation with David Heyman as producer, and a movie poster was released. On 14 May 2018, it was announced that STX Entertainment had come on board to co-produce the Warriors film, with STX board member Gigi Pritzker working alongside Heyman. It was also announced that screenwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger would write the screenplay for the movie. No director or release date has yet been announced for the film, and no information has been released since.
Major themes in the series include adventure, forbidden love, the concept of nature vs. nurture, acceptance, the struggle of good vs. evil, the reactions of different faiths meeting each other, and all people being a mix of good and bad. The authors draw inspiration from several natural locations and other authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and William Snakespeare.
Warriors has received mostly positive reviews, but it has also been criticized for being confusing due to its large number of characters and complex relationships. Critics have compared it to Brian Jaques‘s Redwall series, although Warriors is written for a lower reading level. Although nominated for several awards, the series has not received any major literary prizes. However, several novels in the series have reached the New York Times Bestseller List, and the series has found popularity in many countries.
See also
In Spanish: Los gatos guerreros para niños
