Kate’s 2¢: “Fire And Ice” by Erin Hunter
“Fire And Ice” by Erin Hunter
I’m hooked and this is only Book 2 in the series “Warrior Cats”. These cats never let you forget that they are cats, yet, their thought processes are very human.
www.warriorcats.com
Warriors (also known as Warrior Cats) 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. Published by HarperCollins, the series is written by authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, as well as others, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the pilot series was developed by series editor Victoria Holmes.
There are currently eight 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, and A Starless Clan. Other books have been released in addition to the main series, including lengthier “Super Edition” novels, several novellas, seven guide books, and several volumes of mangas. The series has also been translated into several languages.
Inspiration and origins[edit]
A picture of the forest which was the inspiration behind the setting of the ”Warriors” universe.
New Forest, which became the base for the forest the cats live in
The series first began when publisher HarperCollins asked Victoria Holmes to write a fantasy series about feral cats. Holmes was initially not enthusiastic, since she “couldn’t imagine coming up with enough ideas.” She worked with the concept, however, expanding the storyline with elements of war, politics, revenge, doomed love, and religious conflict.[1] Although the original plan was for a stand-alone novel, enough material was created for several books, and the publisher decided on a six-volume series.[1] The first volume, Into the Wild, was written by Kate Cary under the pseudonym “Erin Hunter” and was completed in about three months.[2] Holmes then began to work behind the scenes, editing and supervising details.[3] Cherith Baldry joined the team to write the third book, Forest of Secrets. Later, after she wrote the first Warriors field guide, Tui Sutherland became the fourth author to use the pseudonym Erin Hunter.[4]
The authors have named several other authors as sources of inspiration when writing the novels. In an online author chat, Cherith Baldry listed the authors that inspire her as including Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Shakespeare. In the same chat, Victoria Holmes stated that Jacqueline Wilson, Kathy Reichs, and J. K. Rowling are some of the authors that inspire her.[4] 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.[5] The authors have also mentioned several other sources of inspiration. The New Forest in southern England was the base for the forest where the series takes place.[2] Other influential locations include Loch Lomond,[6] 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.[7] The film series Rambo has also been cited as a source of inspiration.[8]
Setting and universe[edit]
www.warriorcats.com
Warriors (also known as Warrior Cats) 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. Published by HarperCollins, the series is written by authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, as well as others, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the pilot series was developed by series editor Victoria Holmes.
There are currently eight 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, and A Starless Clan. Other books have been released in addition to the main series, including lengthier “Super Edition” novels, several novellas, seven guide books, and several volumes of mangas. The series has also been translated into several languages.
Inspiration and origins[edit]
A picture of the forest which was the inspiration behind the setting of the ”Warriors” universe.
New Forest, which became the base for the forest the cats live in
The series first began when publisher HarperCollins asked Victoria Holmes to write a fantasy series about feral cats. Holmes was initially not enthusiastic, since she “couldn’t imagine coming up with enough ideas.” She worked with the concept, however, expanding the storyline with elements of war, politics, revenge, doomed love, and religious conflict.[1] Although the original plan was for a stand-alone novel, enough material was created for several books, and the publisher decided on a six-volume series.[1] The first volume, Into the Wild, was written by Kate Cary under the pseudonym “Erin Hunter” and was completed in about three months.[2] Holmes then began to work behind the scenes, editing and supervising details.[3] Cherith Baldry joined the team to write the third book, Forest of Secrets. Later, after she wrote the first Warriors field guide, Tui Sutherland became the fourth author to use the pseudonym Erin Hunter.[4]
The authors have named several other authors as sources of inspiration when writing the novels. In an online author chat, Cherith Baldry listed the authors that inspire her as including Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Shakespeare. In the same chat, Victoria Holmes stated that Jacqueline Wilson, Kathy Reichs, and J. K. Rowling are some of the authors that inspire her.[4] 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.[5] The authors have also mentioned several other sources of inspiration. The New Forest in southern England was the base for the forest where the series takes place.[2] Other influential locations include Loch Lomond,[6] 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.[7] The film series Rambo has also been cited as a source of inspiration.[8]
Setting and universe[edit]
See also: List of Warriors characters
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 (the latter of whom was a late addition to the series). Each Clan has adapted to their own terrain. Relationships between different Clans are usually tense and they 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. The spirits of cats who caused great pain and suffering to others while alive walk alone there as a form of punishment.
Cats who live outside of the Clans are categorized into three groups: housecats, referred to as “kittypets” by Clan cats, who are looked down upon for their cozy and lazy lifestyle; “loners”, who are cats who live outside of the Clans, usually by themselves; and “rogues”, cats who live on their own and intend to do harm to the Clans. In some instances, stray cats may form large groups of their own. It is rare for a stray cat to join a Clan, as outsiders are generally distrusted and scorned by Clan cats.
Author
Erin Hunter
(Cherith Baldry
Kate Cary
Victoria Holmes
Dan Jolley
Tui T. Sutherland)
Illustrator
James L. Barry
Wayne McLoughlin
Owen Richardson
other authors who have inspired the writers include Enid Blyton, Lucy Daniels, Ellis Peters, Tess Gerritsen, Kate Ellis, Lisa Gardiner, and Meg Cabot.[5] The authors have also mentioned several other sources of inspiration. The New Forest in southern England was the base for the forest where the series takes place.[2] Other influential locations include Loch Lomond,[6] 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.[7] The film series Rambo has also been cited as a source of inspiration.[8]
Setting and universe[edit]
Into the Wild (21 January 2003), Fire and Ice (27 May 2003), Forest of Secrets (14 October 2003), Rising Storm (6 January 2004), A Dangerous Path (1 June 2004), and The Darkest Hour (5 October 2004).[9][10][11][12][13][14] The series was subtitled The Prophecies Begin for its re-release with new covers in 2015.[15] The series details the experiences of a housecat named Rusty who ventures into the forest and 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 attempting to uncover and later stop the treachery of his Clanmate and deputy Tigerclaw, who intends initially to usurp ThunderClan’s leadership and later plans to take over all the Clans.
Warriors: The New Prophecy (2005–2006)[edit]
Main article: Warriors: The New Prophecy
The second series, Warriors: The New Prophecy, consists of six books: Midnight (10 May 2005), Moonrise (1 August 2005), Dawn (27 December 2005), Starlight (4 April 2006), Twilight (22 August 2006), and Sunset (26 December 2006).[16][17][18][19][20][21] In this series, the Clans’ survival is put at risk as Twolegs 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 lakeside territories, and the struggles they face in establishing themselves again.
Warriors: Power of Three (2007–2009)[edit]
Main article: Warriors: Power of Three
The third series, Warriors: Power of Three, consists of six books: The Sight (24 April 2007), Dark River (26 December 2007), Outcast (22 April 2008), Eclipse (2 September 2008), Long Shadows (25 November 2008), and Sunrise (21 April 2009).[22][23][24][25][26][27] The series revolves around the search for three cats who are prophesized to have untold powers. A litter of three kittens is born, and while two of them, Lionblaze and Jayfeather, possess supernatural abilities, their sister, Hollyleaf, does not.
Warriors: Omen of the Stars (2009–2012)[edit]
Main article: Warriors: Omen of the Stars
The fourth series, Warriors: Omen of the Stars, consists of six books: The Fourth Apprentice (24 November 2009), Fading Echoes (23 March 2010), Night Whispers (23 November 2010), Sign of the Moon (5 April 2011), The Forgotten Warrior (22 November 2011), and The Last Hope (3 April 2012).[28][29][30][31][32][33] The series continues the plot of Warriors: Power of Three, after it is discovered at the end of the previous series that Lionblaze and Jayfeather’s sister, Hollyleaf, does not have a special power. The third prophesized cat is revealed to be Dovewing. The trio learn throughout the course of the series that the cats of the Dark Forest, who are spirits of deceased Clan cats who committed acts of evil during their lives, are preparing an attack on the living Clan cats, and recruiting living cats to their cause by training them for battle in their dreams, led by Tigerstar. The series culminates in a battle involving all the Clans, as well as StarClan and the Dark Forest. Firestar defeats Tigerstar’s spirit, which ends the battle in the Clans’ favor, but dies in the process.
Warriors: Dawn of the Clans (2013–2015)[edit]
The fifth series, Warriors: Dawn of the Clans, consists of six books: The Sun Trail (5 March 2013), Thunder Rising (5 November 2013), The First Battle (8 April 2014), The Blazing Star (4 November 2014), A Forest Divided (7 April 2015), and Path of Stars (1 September 2015).[34][35][36][37][38][39] The arc centers around the formation and early days of the Clans. Cats from a tribe in the mountains leave in search of a better home, ultimately discovering the forest which becomes the territories of the modern Clans, and forming the Clans.
Warriors: A Vision of Shadows (2016–2018)[edit]
Warriors: A Vision of Shadows is the sixth sub-series. The series comprises six novels: The Apprentice’s Quest (15 March 2016), Thunder and Shadow (6 September 2016), Shattered Sky (11 April 2017), Darkest Night (7 November 2017), River of Fire (10 April 2018), and The Raging Storm (6 November 2018).[40][41][42][43][44][45] 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)[edit]
Warriors: The Broken Code is the seventh sub-series, consisting of Lost Stars (9 April 2019), The Silent Thaw (29 October 2019), Veil of Shadows (7 April 2020), Darkness Within (10 November 2020), The Place of No Stars (6 April 2021), and A Light in the Mist (9 November 2021).[46][47][48][49][50][51] The series centers on Bristlefrost, Shadowsight, and Rootspring, cats from different Clans. Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, has been possessed by Ashfur, and the three aforementioned cats must find a way to defeat him and the spirits of cats he controls. Additionally, they must reopen their connection with StarClan, as Ashfur cut StarClan off from the living world. The series ends with the Clans deciding to rewrite parts of the warrior code.
Warriors: A Starless Clan (2022–TBA)[edit]
Warriors: A Starless Clan is the eighth sub-series, consisting of River (5 April 2022), Sky (1 November 2022), Shadow (4 April 2023), Thunder (7 November 2023), Wind (2 April 2024), and one unnamed installment. It revolves around Nightheart, Sunbeam, and Frostpaw, 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 cats of the Clans regarding various changes made to the warrior code.
Standalones[edit]
Super Editions[edit]
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. There have been 15 Super Editions published thus far, with the most recent, Onestar’s Confession, having been released in September 2022.[52] Each Super Edition (excluding Firestar’s Quest) 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 (5 September 2023)
Field guides[edit]
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Fire and ice DB66710
Hunter, Erin. Reading time: 8 hours, 41 minutes.
Read by Patrick Downer.
Adventure
Fantasy Fiction
Animals and Wildlife
Now a full-fledged warrior cat, Fireheart confronts problems in the forest. WindClan is missing and hostilities among the three remaining clans place all cats in danger. Fireheart faces questions of loyalty and the possibility of betrayal from within his own group, ThunderClan. Some violence. For grades 4-7. 2003.
Downloaded: August 21, 2023
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Kate’s 2¢: “Into The Wild” by Erin Hunter
“Into The Wild” by Erin Hunter
I’ve always tried to read whatever my children are reading. Last year, I read many of the “Wings of Power” books by Tui Southerland (featuring dragons of all shapes and sizes), because my grandson was reading them. This year, he’s into *, which features cats. “Into The Wild”, he tells me, is the first book and I should read it first. So, I did.
The reader can never forget the characters are cats, as they will meow, howl, lick their paws each other, and move like cats. They do, however, have all the thinking processes that humans have. I enjoyed this book and will read several more, but Hunter is extremely prolific and I do have other books I want to read also.
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia
Erin Hunter is a collective pseudonym used by the authors Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Clarissa Hutton, Inbali Iserles, Tui T. Sutherland, and Rosie Best in the writing of several juvenile fantasy novel series, which focus on animals and their adventures. Notable works include the Warriors, Seekers… See more
History
In 2003, HarperCollins asked Victoria Holmes to write a fantasy series about feral cats, but, not being a reader of fantasy, she was less than enthusiastic despite her love of cats. After writing one storyline, Kate Cary … See more
Members
Victoria Holmes
Victoria Holmes was born in Berkshire, England. Holmes was the original author of the series with See more
Book development
In Warriors, Seekers and Bravelands, a specific order is followed. First, Holmes, the editor, sends in the preliminary script and outline to Cary, Baldry or Sutherland, depending on who depending on who writes the book. Then, the author develops Holmes’ ideas into a single book which is sent back to Holmes for one last check-over and edit. After she finishes, she sends it to HarperCollins for publication.[42] After Holmes stepped back from editing under the Erin Hunter name in 2017, a team of editors took over the writing of the preliminary scripts and the editing of drafts.
For the Survivors series, there was a different approach taken. The whole team got together and created a detailed story outline and developed the characters together. Then, the writing itself was done by a single author, who was still allowed to change something significant about the plot or characters if they felt that a certain character would not act a specific way.[43]
Writing style[edit]
With four different authors, Holmes has said that the book “‘sounds’ like Erin, because she has a very distinctive voice”. She compares the style of the authors to a different language where a stray line or word can stick out. Holmes says that she is in charge of editing and making sure that the book sounds correct.[42] Erin Hunter books are all told in a third person limited narrative, though the focal point character changes from series to series, book to book, and sometimes from chapter to chapter.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Into the wild DB66677
Hunter, Erin. Reading time: 7 hours, 31 minutes.
Read by Patrick Downer.
Adventure
Fantasy Fiction
Animals and Wildlife
A young house cat, Rusty–later renamed Firepaw and then Fireheart–leaves home to join the endangered ThunderClan, one of four rival clans of wildcats claiming the forest. With noble warrior cats mysteriously dying, Rusty trains to become a warrior, a hunter, and a survivor. Some violence. For grades 4-7. 2003.
Downloaded: August 21, 2023
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