Erin Hunter Explained

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 children's fantasy novel series which focus on animals and their adventures. Notable works include the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom book series.[1] For each book, Holmes creates the plot and the others take turns writing the books.[2] Dan Jolley, though not an official Erin Hunter author, also writes the stories for manga published under the Hunter name.[3] James L. Barry, Bettina M. Kurkoski, and Don Hudson are included under the pseudonym as the illustrators of the Warriors mangas. Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter are also included as the illustrators of the graphic novel adaptation of The Prophecies Begin.[4]

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.[5] After writing one storyline, Kate Cary was brought in to write the book as Holmes went behind the scenes to supervise details and edit the book. When the third Warriors book, Forest of Secrets, was being drafted, Cherith Baldry joined the Erin Hunter team.[6] Tui T. Sutherland wrote the first Warriors field guide and became the fourth person under the name.[7]

The name "Erin Hunter" was chosen for several reasons. If the authors used all of their own names, the books would be placed in different locations in a library, making them hard to find. Additionally, they wanted to pick a surname that would place the books very close to the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, which is a book series with a similar plot to Warriors. One of the authors suggested "Hunter", and the others felt that it was "perfect", because not only did it place the book series close to Jacques, but it evokes the image of a cat. Victoria Holmes suggested ‘Erin' because it was one of her favorite names, and it was accepted for being a strong Celtic name and "not particularly girly".[8]

Authors

Victoria Holmes

See main article: Victoria Holmes. Victoria Holmes was born in Berkshire, England. Holmes was the creator of Warriors, being the person whom HarperCollins originally requested to write it.[5] After inviting Kate Cary to do the actual writing of the series, she moved behind the scenes to help edit and supervise details.

Holmes grew up on a farm in England. Later, she attended the University of Oxford, whose buildings "inspired an interest in history". She now lives in London, where she works as the editor for the series.[9]

In 2011, the Bookperk website ran a special for signed copies of Sign of the Moon. Because Erin Hunter is not a real person, these books were instead signed by Victoria Holmes.[10]

Following a diagnosis of cancer in 2017, Holmes stepped back from her involvement in Warriors.[11]

Kate Cary

See main article: Kate Cary. Kate Cary was the first author brought on board to write for the Warriors series. Holmes chose Cary to write the first Warriors book after Holmes had finished the storyline. She has written many of the books in the main arcs, as well as several Super Editions.[12] [13]

She was born in England on 4 November 1967. She later moved to Scotland where she lived for 12 years before going back to England, where she currently resides. Besides the Warriors series, she has also written the book Bloodline, and its sequel, Reckoning.[14]

Cherith Baldry

See main article: Cherith Baldry. Cherith Baldry was the second author brought to the Erin Hunter team. She was born on 21 January 1947 in Lancaster, England. She studied at the University of Manchester and St. Anne's College, Oxford. Holmes invited her to join when they were writing the third Warriors book, Forest of Secrets, after seeing her writing style and feeling that it was similar to Kate Cary's.

Tui T. Sutherland

See main article: Tui T. Sutherland. Tui T. Sutherland was born on 31 July 1978 in Caracas, Venezuela. She currently lives in the United States. Her first credit to the Erin Hunter team was the field guide Secrets of the Clans. She wrote several other Warriors guides, as well as the first book in the Seekers series. Sutherland was also an editor of the Warriors series, until she quit editing to become a full-time writer.[15] She went on to write the novel series Wings of Fire, among several other series.

Inbali Iserles

Inbali Iserles was born in Israel and is the author of the third, fifth and sixth books of the Survivors series: Darkness Falls, The Endless Lake and Storm of Dogs. She also publishes animal fantasy novels under her own name, including The Tygrine Cat and the Foxcraft trilogy.

Gillian Philip

Gillian Philip was born on 2 July 1964, and is the author of several books in the Survivors and Bravelands series. She lives in the northeast Scottish Highlands.[16] Philip has toured the United States twice as the face of the Erin Hunter responsible for Survivors. In addition to Survivors, she has written several novel series under her own name. In June 2020, Philip was removed from the Erin Hunter team after announcing her support for statements by J.K Rowling on Twitter regarding transgender people, which were perceived as being transphobic.[17]

Clarissa Hutton

Clarissa Hutton is the author of several Warriors novellas, including Thunderstar's Echo and the three stories in Path of a Warrior.[18]

Rosie Best

Rosie Best is the author of The Exile's Journey, several books in the Bravelands series, as well as every book in the Bamboo Kingdom series.

Dan Jolley

See main article: articles and Dan Jolley. Dan Jolley is the author of all the Warriors mangas. He also writes for his own independent projects, as well as for video games from Ubisoft and Activision.

Illustrators

James L. Barry

See main article: articles and James L. Barry. James L. Barry illustrated most of the Warriors mangas, including the trilogy sets, modern standalones, and epilogue chapters in Super Editions.

Bettina M. Kurkoski

Bettina M. Kurkoski illustrated The Rise of Scourge.

Don Hudson

Don Hudson illustrated the Tigerstar and Sasha trilogy.

Natalie Riess

See main article: Natalie Riess. Natalie Riess is one of the illustrators of the upcoming graphic novel adaptation of the first Warriors arc.

Sara Goetter

Sara Goetter is one of the illustrators of the upcoming graphic novel adaptation of the first Warriors arc.

Works

Warriors

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin[6]

  1. Into the Wild (2003) (Kate Cary)
  2. Fire and Ice (2003) (Cary)
  3. Forest of Secrets (2003) (Cherith Baldry)
  4. Rising Storm (2004) (Cary)
  5. A Dangerous Path (2004) (Baldry)
  6. The Darkest Hour (2004) (Baldry)

[19]

  1. Midnight (2005) (Baldry)
  2. Moonrise (2005) (Baldry)
  3. Dawn (2005) (Cary)
  4. Starlight (2006) (Baldry)
  5. Twilight (2006) (Baldry)
  6. Sunset (2007) (Baldry)

[12]

  1. The Sight (2007) (Cary)
  2. Dark River (2007) (Cary)
  3. Outcast (2008) (Baldry)
  4. Eclipse (2008) (Cary)
  5. Long Shadows (2008) (Baldry)
  6. Sunrise (2009) (Baldry)
  1. The Fourth Apprentice (2009) (Baldry)[20]
  2. Fading Echoes (2010) (Cary)
  3. Night Whispers (2010) (Cary)[21]
  4. Sign of the Moon (2011) (Baldry)
  5. The Forgotten Warrior (2011) (Baldry)
  6. The Last Hope (2012) (Cary)

Warriors: Dawn of the Clans

  1. The Sun Trail (2013) (Baldry)
  2. Thunder Rising (2013) (Baldry)
  3. The First Battle (2014) (Cary)
  4. The Blazing Star (2014) (Baldry)
  5. A Forest Divided (2015) (Cary)
  6. Path of Stars (2015) (Cary)

Warriors: A Vision of Shadows

  1. The Apprentice's Quest (2016) (Baldry)
  2. Thunder and Shadow (2016) (Cary)
  3. Shattered Sky (2017) (Baldry) [22]
  4. Darkest Night (2017) (Cary)[23]
  5. River of Fire (2018) (Baldry) [24]
  6. The Raging Storm (2018) (Cary) [25]

Warriors: The Broken Code

  1. Lost Stars (2019) (Baldry) [26]
  2. The Silent Thaw (2019) (Cary) [27]
  3. Veil of Shadows (2020) (Baldry)
  4. Darkness Within (2020) (Cary)
  5. The Place of No Stars (2021) (Baldry)
  6. A Light in the Mist (2021) (Cary)

Warriors: A Starless Clan

  1. River (2022) (Baldry)
  2. Sky (2022) (Cary)
  3. Shadow (2023) (Baldry)
  4. Thunder (2023) (Cary)
  5. Wind (2024) (Baldry)
  6. Star (2024) (Cary)

Warriors: Changing Skies

  1. The Elders' Quest (2025)

Graphic novels

  1. Volume 1 (2024)
  2. Volume 2 (2025)

Graystripe's Adventure (colored release in 2017)

  1. The Lost Warrior (2007) (Dan Jolley)
  2. Warrior's Refuge (2007) (Jolley)
  3. Warrior's Return (2008) (Jolley)

The Rise of Scourge (colored release in 2024)

  1. The Rise of Scourge (2008) (Jolley)

Tigerstar and Sasha

  1. Into the Woods (2008) (Jolley)
  2. Escape from the Forest (2009) (Jolley)
  3. Return to the Clans (2009) (Jolley)

Ravenpaw's Path (colored release in 2018)

  1. Shattered Peace (2009) (Jolley)
  2. A Clan in Need (2010) (Jolley)
  3. The Heart of a Warrior (2010) (Jolley)

SkyClan and the Stranger (colored release in 2019)

  1. The Rescue (2011) (Jolley)
  2. Beyond the Code (2011) (Jolley)
  3. After the Flood (2012) (Jolley)

A Shadow in RiverClan

  1. A Shadow in RiverClan (2020) (Jolley)

Winds of Change

  1. Winds of Change (2021) (Jolley)

Exile from ShadowClan

  1. Exile from ShadowClan (2022) (Jolley)

A Thief In ThunderClan

  1. A Thief In ThunderClan (2023) (Jolley)

Graphic Novels

  1. Into the Wild (2024) (Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter)

Super Editions

  1. Firestar's Quest (2007) (Baldry)
  2. Bluestar's Prophecy (2009) (Cary)[21]
  3. SkyClan's Destiny (2010) (Baldry)[28]
  4. Crookedstar's Promise (2011) (Cary)
  5. Yellowfang's Secret (2012) (Baldry)
  6. Tallstar's Revenge (2013) (Cary)
  7. Bramblestar's Storm (2014) (Baldry)
  8. Moth Flight's Vision (2015) (Cary)
  9. Hawkwing's Journey (2016) (Baldry)
  10. Tigerheart's Shadow (2017) (Cary)
  11. Crowfeather's Trial (2018) (Baldry)[29]
  12. Squirrelflight's Hope (2019) (Cary) [30]
  13. Graystripe's Vow (2020) (Baldry) [31]
  14. Leopardstar's Honor (2021) (Cary)
  15. Onestar's Confession (2022) (Baldry)
  16. Riverstar's Home (2023) (Cary)
  17. Ivypool's Heart (2024) (Baldry)[32]

Field guides

  1. Secrets of the Clans (2007) (Tui T. Sutherland)
  2. Cats of the Clans (2008) (Victoria Holmes)
  3. Code of the Clans (2009) (Sutherland)
  4. Battles of the Clans (2010) (Sutherland)
  5. Enter the Clans (2012) (Bind-up of Secrets of the Clans and Code of the Clans)
  6. The Warriors Guide (2012) (Holmes)
  7. Warriors: The Ultimate Guide (2013) (Holmes)
  8. The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded (2023)

Novellas

  1. Hollyleaf's Story (2012) (Holmes)
  2. Mistystar's Omen (2012) (Holmes)
  3. Cloudstar's Journey (2013) (Holmes)
  4. The Untold Stories (2013) (Bind-up of Hollyleaf's Story, Mistystar's Omen and Cloudstar's Journey)
  5. Tigerclaw's Fury (2014) (Holmes)
  6. Leafpool's Wish (2014) (Holmes)
  7. Dovewing's Silence (2014) (Holmes)
  8. Tales from the Clans (2014) (Bind-up of Tigerclaw's Fury, Leafpool's Wish and Dovewing's Silence)
  9. Mapleshade's Vengeance (2015) (Holmes)
  10. Goosefeather's Curse (2015) (Holmes)
  11. Ravenpaw's Farewell (2016) (Holmes)
  12. Shadows of the Clans (2016) (Bind-up of Mapleshade's Vengeance, Goosefeather's Curse and Ravenpaw's Farewell)
  13. Spottedleaf's Heart (2017) (Holmes)
  14. Pinestar's Choice (2017) (Holmes)
  15. Thunderstar's Echo (2017) (Clarissa Hutton)
  16. Legends of the Clans (2017) (Bind-up of Spottedleaf's Heart, Pinestar's Choice and Thunderstar's Echo)
  17. Redtail's Debt (2019) (Hutton)
  18. Tawnypelt's Clan (2019) (Hutton)
  19. Shadowstar's Life (2019) (Hutton)
  20. Path of a Warrior (2019) (Bind-up of Redtail's Debt, Tawnypelt's Clan and Shadowstar's Life) (Hutton)
  21. Pebbleshine's Kits (2020) (Baldry)
  22. Tree's Roots (2020) (Hutton)
  23. Mothwing's Secret (2020) (Hutton)
  24. A Warrior's Spirit (2020) (Bind-up of Pebbleshine's Kits, Tree's Roots and Mothwing's Secret)
  25. Daisy's Kin (2021) (Cherith)
  26. Blackfoot's Reckoning (2021) (Hutton)
  27. Spotfur's Rebellion (2021) (Hutton)
  28. A Warrior's Choice (2021) (Bind-up of Daisy's Kin, Blackfoot's Reckoning and Spotfur's Rebellion)

Short stories

  1. Spottedleaf's Honest Answer (2008) (Holmes)
  2. The Clans Decide (2009) (Holmes)
  3. After Sunset: The Right Choice? (2011) (Holmes)
  4. The Elders' Concern (2011) (Holmes)

Plays

  1. After Sunset: We Need to Talk (2007) (Holmes)
  2. Beyond the Code: Brightspirit's Mercy (2009) (Baldry)

Seekers

Seekers: The Original Series

  1. The Quest Begins (2008) (Sutherland)
  2. Great Bear Lake (2009) (Baldry)
  3. Smoke Mountain (2009) (Sutherland)
  4. The Last Wilderness (2010) (Baldry)
  5. Fire in the Sky (2010) (Sutherland)
  6. Spirits in the Stars (2011) (Baldry)

Seekers: Return to the Wild

  1. Island of Shadows (2012) (Baldry)
  2. The Melting Sea (2012) (Sutherland)
  3. River of Lost Bears (2013) (Baldry)
  4. Forest of Wolves (2014) (Baldry)
  5. The Burning Horizon (2015) (Baldry)
  6. The Longest Day (2016) (Baldry)

Manga

  1. Toklo's Story (2010)
  2. Kallik's Adventure (2011)

Survivors

Survivors: The Original Series

  1. The Empty City (2012) (Gillian Philip)
  2. A Hidden Enemy (2013) (Philip)
  3. Darkness Falls (2013) (Inbali Iserles)
  4. The Broken Path (2014) (Philip)[33]
  5. The Endless Lake (2014) (Iserles)
  6. Storm of Dogs (2015) (Iserles)

Survivors: The Gathering Darkness

  1. A Pack Divided (2015) (Philip)
  2. Dead of Night (2016) (Rosie Best)
  3. Into the Shadows (2017) (Philip)[34]
  4. Red Moon Rising (2017) (Philip)[35]
  5. The Exile's Journey (2018)[36] (Rosie Best)
  6. The Final Battle (2019)[37] (Philip)

Novellas

  1. Alpha's Tale (2014) (Phillip)
  2. Sweet's Journey (2015) (Philip)
  3. Moon's Choice (2015) (Philip)
  4. Tales from the Packs (2015) (Bind-up of Alpha's Tale, Sweet's Journey, and Moon's Choice)

Bravelands

Bravelands

  1. Broken Pride (2017) (Philip)[38]
  2. Code of Honor (2018) (Philip)[39]
  3. Blood and Bone (2018)[40] (Philip)
  4. Shifting Shadows (2019)[41] (Philip)
  5. The Spirit Eaters (2020)[42] (Philip)
  6. Oathkeeper (2020)[43] (Philip)

Bravelands: Curse of the Sandtongues

  1. Shadows on the Mountain (2021) (Best)
  2. The Venom Spreads (2022) (Best)
  3. Blood on the Plains (2022) (Best)

Bravelands: Thunder on the Plains

  1. The Shattered Horn (2023) (Best)
  2. Breakers of the Code (2024) (Best)
  3. Realm of Lost Spirits (2024) (Best)

Bamboo Kingdom

  1. Creatures of the Flood (2021) (Best)
  2. River of Secrets (2022) (Best)
  3. Journey to the Dragon Mountain (2023) (Best)
  4. The Dark Sun (2023) (Best)
  5. The Lightning Path (2024) (Best)
  6. Fire and Ash (2025)

Book development

In Warriors, Seekers, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom a specific order is followed. First, Holmes, the editor, sends in the preliminary script and outline to whoever is writing 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. 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.[44]

Writing style

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.[45] 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.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Official Home of the Warriors Books by Erin Hunter . Erin . Hunter . HarperCollins Publishers . 7 August 2017.
  2. Web site: Who is Erin Hunter? . Erin . Hunter . HarperCollins Publishers . 14 June 2016.
  3. Web site: Tokyopop and HarperCollins Turn "Warriors" by Erin Hunter into Manga. Comicbookbin.com. 18 April 2008.
  4. Web site: Exclusive first look: The Prophecies Begin graphic novel and cover Warrior Cats . 2023-09-28 . warriorcats.com . en.
  5. Web site: FAQs . Hunter . Erin . Warriors . HarperCollins Publishers . 21 September 2010 . 15 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130615094011/http://www.warriorcats.com/games-and-extras/extras/faqs . dead .
  6. Web site: Transcript of Erin Hunter Chat No. 1. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080304065805/http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/52. 4 March 2008. 2 March 2008. Wands and Worlds.
  7. Web site: Erin Hunter Chat No. 4 Transcript – January 19, 2008. Wands and Worlds. 30 March 2013. 19 January 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130403113933/http://www.wandsandworlds.com/community/node/2998 . 3 April 2013.
  8. Cat Tales. Nick Magazine. December 2008 – January 2009. 75.
  9. Web site: Erin Hunter . Fantasy Book Review . 28 September 2010.
  10. Web site: Signed Copy of Warriors Book. https://web.archive.org/web/20110724135438/http://www.bookperk.com/offer/erin-hunter-warriors-sign-of-the-moon-01?subscribe=0. dead. 24 July 2011. Bookperk . HarperCollins. 5 April 2011.
  11. Web site: Holmes . Victoria . Author Profile: Vicky Holmes . Warrior Cats . 29 October 2022.
  12. Web site: Erin Hunter Chat No. 6 Transcript – the chat . Wands And Worlds . 4 December 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090919140759/http://wandsandworlds.com/community/ErinHunter6-chat . 19 September 2009 .
  13. Web site: Kate Cary's Blog: February 27th, 2009 . 27 February 2009 . Kate Cary. 30 December 2009.
  14. Web site: Biography of Erin Hunter . Book Reviews for the Average Joe. 3 May 2010. 28 September 2010.
  15. Web site: Erin Hunter chat No. 5 transcript – 16 August 2008. Wands and Worlds. 30 March 2013. 16 August 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131017050931/http://wandsandworlds.com/community/node/5784 . 17 October 2013.
  16. Web site: Philip. Gillian. Some stuff about me .... Gillian Philip ...taking dictation from people who don't exist. 18 August 2011. 26 December 2012. 13 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210613170523/http://www.gillianphilip.com/about/. dead.
  17. Web site: Sarkisian . Jacob . A best-selling children's author was sacked by her publishers after tweeting her support for JK Rowling . 2023-05-17 . Insider . en-US.
  18. Web site: Book News! – BlogClan . 2022-06-07 . en-GB.
  19. Web site: BlogClan An Erin Hunter Blog by Kate Cary. Kate . Cary . BlogClan . 26 January 2015.
  20. Book: Hunter, Erin. The Fourth Apprentice. 2009. HarperCollins. 978-0-06-155509-1.
  21. Web site: Night Whispers. Kate . Cary. BlogClan . 28 January 2010.
  22. Book: Shattered Sky, Hardcover – April 11, 2017 . 978-0062386458 . Hunter . Erin . 11 April 2017 . HarperCollins .
  23. Book: Hunter, Erin . Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #4: Darkest Night . . 2017 . 978-0062386496 .
  24. Book: 978-0062386533. Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #5: River of Fire.
  25. Book: 978-0062386571. Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #6: The Raging Storm. Hunter. Erin. 6 November 2018. HarperCollins .
  26. Book: Warriors: The Broken Code #1: Lost Stars. 9 April 2019. HarperCollins.
  27. Book: 978-0062823557. Warriors: The Broken Code #2: The Silent Thaw. Hunter. Erin. 29 October 2019. HarperCollins .
  28. Web site: New Author Tracker Is Out (Skyclan's Destiny) . 31 October 2009 . Wands and Worlds. 28 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101222030607/http://wandsandworlds.com/community/node/8742 . 22 December 2010.
  29. Book: 978-0062698766. Warriors Super Edition: Crowfeather's Trial. Hunter. Erin. 4 September 2018.
  30. Book: 978-0062698803. Warriors Super Edition: Squirrelflight's Hope. Hunter. Erin. 3 September 2019.
  31. Web site: Warriors Super Edition: Graystripe's Vow. HarperCollins.
  32. Book: Warriors Super Edition: Ivypool's Heart. 0063357364 . Hunter . Erin . HarperCollins.
  33. Book: Survivors #4: The Broken Path . 978-0062102683 . Hunter . Erin . 11 February 2014 . HarperCollins .
  34. Book: Survivors: The Gathering Darkness #3: Into the Shadows, Hardcover – February 7, 2017 . 978-0062343413 . Hunter . Erin . 7 February 2017 . HarperCollins .
  35. Book: 978-0062343451. Survivors: The Gathering Darkness #4: Red Moon Rising. Hunter. Erin. 3 October 2017. HarperCollins .
  36. Book: 978-0062343499. Survivors: The Gathering Darkness #5: The Exile's Journey. Hunter. Erin. 26 June 2018. HarperCollins .
  37. Book: 978-0062343536. Survivors: The Gathering Darkness #6: The Final Battle.
  38. Book: Bravelands #1: Broken Pride, Kindle Edition . 6 June 2017 . Amazon.com, Inc. . 7 August 2017.
  39. Book: Hunter, Erin . Bravelands #2: Code of Honor . 2018 . . 978-0062642066 .
  40. Book: Hunter, Erin. Blood and Bone. Harpercollins. 2018.
  41. Book: Hunter, Erin. Shifting Shadows. Harpercollins. 2019. 978-0062642141.
  42. Book: Hunter, Erin. Bravelands #5: The Spirit-Eaters . Harpercollins. 2019.
  43. Book: Hunter, Erin. Bravelands #6: Oathkeeper. Harpercollins. 2020. 978-0062642226.
  44. Web site: Brown. Jennifer M.. Wednesday, July 11, 2012: Kids' Maximum Shelf: Survivors - Gillian Philip: The Lure of the Pack. Shelf Awareness . 17 November 2012. 11 July 2012.
  45. Web site: Interview: Erin Hunter. Writers Unboxed. 21 April 2006. 2 August 2008.

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