War. Politics. Revenge. Betrayal. Exile. Possession.
And cats?
The Warriors series of YA books, on the surface, have all the right ingredients for a simmering fantasy conflict, but with a twist: no bland ol’ cast of human characters here. The focus of Erin Hunter’s complex, interweaving series of books are led by multiple clans of feral cats.
The five clans (ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan) have fled their destroyed forest home after it was bulldozed by humans and now separately reside around a lake. Their long, interconnected history has played out over five sequential arcs in the Warriors series. The current saga, Warriors: The Broken Code, sees tension mount as the formerly unknown SkyClan arrives at the lake. As if things weren’t bad enough, BrambleStar (the leader of ThunderClan) has been possessed by an evil spirit with one goal in mind: rooting out those who he claims have violated the warriors code.
The latest installment in the Broken Code arc, Veil of Shadows, follows three cats who know the truth of BrambleStar’s possession: Bristlefrost, Shadowsight, and Rootspring. The possessed ThunderClan leader has been ruthless in his exile of supposed traitors, and has been applying pressure on the other clans to do the same. The simmering conflict threatens to break out into full-scale war, something that none of the clans can afford.
Erin Hunter (in actuality a pen name for a team of writers) and her tangled web of intrigue sets the stage well for conflicts between the five clans. There’s a significant weight to every bit of history, and every relationship that we see, in Veil of Shadows. But Hunter keeps it simple; despite the large tapestry of narratives weaved over several arcs, each of the Warriors books hones in on several characters closely, making each tale a personal journey that doesn’t get lost amidst all of the backstory. And the cats have some all too human concerns that keep the stories relatable, yet still fantastical, for young readers.
While the underlying tone to the book is a serious one, Hunter still pokes fun at times (these cats sure do like to ‘caterwaul’). Complex fantasy sagas can be tough, but Warriors manages to formulate an approachable narrative that includes all the things you might want out of a fantasy series. Oh, and plenty of cats, of course.
Thank you to Cotton Tails, the place to find unique children's clothing and shoes, located in the Laurelwood Shopping Center, and Literacy Mid-South for sponsoring this children’s book review! Learn more about the various programs offered by Literacy Mid-South by visiting their site literacymidsouth.org and following them on Facebook and Instagram @literacymidsouth.