I bought this box set last fall to familiarize myself with the universe of Warriors, a very popular series of children fantasy novels about feral cats living in different clans. It’d be easy to say “hey, if you love cats read this!” In reality, these books are great not because cats are involved – accredited cat-lover here – but because it is a very well-written series. 

The premise is quite simple : a house-cat named Rusty leaves his comfortable life to join a clan of feral cats living in the nearby forest. He gets a new name, Firepaw, and becomes part of the ThunderClan, one of the four Clans living in that region. As he gets acclimated to his new life inside the clan, he discovers that life in the forest is vastly more complex than it seemed at first. We, the readers, are going on that journey with him.

That’s where Warriors, as a series, excel. The author (multiple authors, in fact, but let’s just say author, singular, for the sake of simplicity) manages to build an intricate world where concepts such as loyalty, love, pride, leadership, ambition, friendship and faith intersect. As with many children’s books, there is an overarching struggle of good and evil, although here it’s rarely black and white. Reading them as an adult, I couldn’t help but find some aspects a bit simplistic and a few mysteries easy to figure out in advance. Still, for the most part, the characters have quite some depth to them and are more nuanced than what I’ve come to expect from books aimed at older children. The conflicts and relationships, between cats or between clans, are complex and rarely one-note. 

The writing style flows really well and stays engaging for over 1800 pages, which in itself is quite admirable. The books are almost exactly the same length, a tight 300 pages. It never stops moving, never bogs down in tedious descriptions and lengthy conversations. It’s quite snappy in a way. Another thing I noticed is that there are really few funny moments for a children’s book, whereas other books aimed at the same age group, like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, manage to alleviate the seriousness with banter and jokes here and there. It’s an interesting choice, but it didn’t make the story less exciting in any way. In fact, I’d say it made the characters – and what they go through – feel more serious, as if trouble was never far away.

As far as age goes, it certainly depends on the reading level of the child. I think it’s an easier read than Harry Potter in terms of vocabulary and world-building. My daughter has read these books and she’s eight. That might give you an idea for your child. I’d say eight or nine is the minimum, given that there are parts that can be a bit frightening or upsetting. Conflicts abound in that forest, leading to multiple injuries or deaths, especially in later volumes. The author doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of living in the wild, although she doesn’t dwell on bloody descriptions either. Overall I thought it was well done.

I wouldn’t say it’s as good as Harry Potter is, but it’s certainly not far behind. I enjoyed it as much as Percy Jackson and the Olympians and more than the Chronicles of Narnia series, which felt more uneven. I’ll certainly look into the other series – it’s kind of a massive universe – at some time in the future.

It’s safe to say that I highly recommend these books if you have kids between the ages of nine and fourteen. Even for adults, it’s a fun, quick read.

(En français, les séries Warriors sont intitulées La Guerre des Clans)