April 1, 2025
Warriors Series
by Erin Hunter
Love them or hate them, we’ve all most likely encountered a cat at some point throughout our lives. But have you ever looked at a cat and wondered, “What if my sweet little Daisy were a part of a warrior clan in the wilderness?” If your answer is yes, then Erin Hunter’s Warriors series may be for you! Spanning nearly 45 novels, 21 novellas, 14 double-length super editions, and 15 manga volumes, Warriors is a tale about bravery, loyalty, and survival.
The first story arc, which consists of the first six novels, begins in Into the Wild. We follow Rusty, a kittypet — cat slang for a house cat — as he becomes bored with his indoor life, eventually choosing to embark on a quest into the wilderness. As Rusty soon discovers, there is more to be found beyond the boundaries of his old home than expected. This discovery comes in the form of a society of wild cats, divided into four rival clans who each inhabit their own territory: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan.
It doesn’t take long for Rusty to become a member of ThunderClan, known for their bravery and ferocity in combat. Can Rusty, now renamed to Firepaw, along with his trusty friends Graystripe and Sandstorm, protect ThunderClan from their enemies? You’ll just have to read to find out! Warriors can be found on Amazon in physical and digital format, and can also likely be checked out at most libraries as well.
While I haven’t read Warriors since middle school, it is still a series that I hold close to my heart. Following the passing of my family’s cat when I was little, my parents had initially decided that we would never adopt another cat again. That all changed when I read Warriors. I became so obsessed with cats that I pleaded with my parents to let me adopt one. And while it took a few years for my begging to pay off, I can happily report that it worked. So every time I look at my Simba and Nala, I am always reminded of Warriors, and how I likely wouldn’t be snuggling with them if it weren’t for those amazing books.