The Best In Animal Fantasy
Title: Into The Wild
Author: Erin Hunter
Publication: 2003
This book is part of the New York Times Bestselling Warriors series that chronicles the lives of domesticated cats living in the wild in social groups called Clans. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the genre of animal fantasy. This book deals with multiple themes, including coming of age and sacrificing for those we care about. These cats will have you laughing at times and bawling at others. This series is one of my favorites and is part of what inspired me to start writing The Meer. I recommend this book to adults and children alike who love cats. It’s a crazy adventure in the life of a warrior apprentice named Firepaw, but he’s determined to help his clan at all costs. What will happen in Firepaw’s story? For the full summary you can look up this book on Amazon or Goodreads. If anyone has read this book or does read it after this post, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
Title: Ratha’s Creature
Author: Clare Bell
Publication: 1983
Ratha’s Creature is a thrilling animal fantasy novel that takes place in prehistoric times. It is the first book in The Named series by Clare Bell. Though it was published over thirty years ago it is a adventure filled tale and wonderfully written. It follows a young cheetah-like cat named Ratha as she trains to become a full member of her clan. The clan’s main conflict is with other big cats of their kind who are born seemingly without logic and therefore without names. You can find this book on Amazon and read more reviews about it on Goodreads. It is definitely worth reading. Clare Bell is able to plunge readers into her fascinating world of the past as told by the big cats who ruled it. The whole series has been a huge inspiration for me pertaining to my own writing and was a fantastic read.
Title: Tailchaser’s Song
Author: Tad Williams
Publication: 1985
This book might have been published a while back (Before I was even born!) but that does not make it any less of a great read. It is about a cat named Fritti Tailchaser who sets out on a grand adventure to rescue his friend Hushpad, who he’s just a little bit sweet on. Tad William’s does a fantastic job of describing Fritti’s world using wit and humor along the way. Written in the style of Watership Down, this animal fantasy will have you wishing for more by the time you read the last page. Sadly, there is no sequel to this book, but it is a well crafted story nonetheless. This book has given me inspiration as I write and I recommend it to anyone who likes cats. Fritti is also a very good example of a main character who experiences a Positive Change Arc, so for anyone writing their main character as having one of these arcs I would suggest you read this book. Maybe challenge yourself to pick out all of the specific aspects of Fritti’s arc as practice for when you have to write your own.
Title: Starfire
Author: Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Publication: 2014
Starfire is the first book in the Guardian Herd series. In which Star, a fated black foal, is protected from the other herds who want him dead by his Guardian Herd. But not everyone wants hime protected. This novel deals with such themes as coming of age, sacrifice for those you care about, and never leave a friend behind. The love that Star and his friends have for each other and their willingness to defend each other no matter the cost, make these characters unforgettable. I got much more out of this book then I ever thought I would. Alvarez does an amazing job of weaving theme into this easy and interesting read. The culture and traditions of the pegasus of this series is amazingly detailed. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested mythology. This book has inspired me and motivated me to write, making it worth the read.
Title: The Quest Begins
Author: Erin Hunter
Publication: 2008
Another of my favorite series is Seekers by Erin Hunter, of which this is the first book. The series follows three bears as they travel and have a series or adventures along the way. It is a testament to the true meaning of friendship and how it can last beyond boundaries that we often feel are impossible. This book also highly focuses on the effect that we are having on the wilderness and how the bears have noticed our increasing encroachment. It delves deep into the feelings of these wild creatures and will make you think about just how much we are devastating our environment. Overall, it is a fun and entertaining adventure that highlights some big issues and will ultimately have the reader thinking in more conscientious terms regarding the wild places that are left on this Earth, and sadly may not be for long. Erin Hunter crafts personable characters who feel relatable despite the species gap. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an appreciation for nature out there.
Title: The Taken
Author: Inbali Iserles
Publication: 2015
This is an extraordinary tale of a little fox thrust into a big world, one that she is not ready to handle just yet. Enter a world full of magic and mayhem, all through a fox’s eyes. See from the fox’s perspective as she navigates a world full of more enemies than friends. With nowhere to go and never knowing who can she trust, will one little fox be able to save her family? This book is like animal fantasy meeting Harry Potter. It is a wonderful read full of adventure and mystique. This is one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it to those interested in fantasy and what the world looks like from an animal’s perspective. I would suggest this book to anyone thinking of writing an animal fantasy novel.
Title: Broken Pride
Author: Erin Hunter
Publication: 2017
Another Erin Hunter book? I know, but I can’t help it that her books are so well written. Her (there are actually four different authors that write the Warriors series and Bravelands series under the pseudonym of ‘Erin Hunter’, for more information visit the Warriors website https://warriorcats.com/ ) that newest series is Bravelands, of which Broken Pride is the first book. Join Sky the elephant, Fearless the lion, and Thorn the baboon on their wild adventures in the wilds of Africa. This is a great example of a book with multiple character arcs. Thorn and Fearless seem to be following a positive character arc, at least for this first book, while Sky seems to be on a static character arc. So if you are looking for examples of well crafted character arcs, then this is the perfect book for you. If you do end up reading it let me know if you agree. I am happy to say that this series has been a huge inspiration to me in my own writing and that it is one of my all time favorites.
Title: The Empty City
Author: Erin Hunter
Publication: 2012
The Empty City is the first book in a series by Erin Hunter called Survivors. It is about a band of dogs who are forced to work together as a pack after they are abandoned by their humans. Amidst this is the looming threat of natural disasters and other effects of these natural disasters. Join the protagonist, willy street-dog Lucky, in corralling a bunch of pet dogs and turning them into a real wild pack. This is an amazing example of one of Erin Hunter’s finest books, with a riveting story line and great pacing. It is formatted in a way that makes it easy to read and all the characters are so lovable because they are reminiscent of our own pets! So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering what a dog thinks, I recommend that you read this book.
Title: The Tygrine Cat
Author: Inbali Iserles
Publication: 2007
The Tygrine Cat is a wondrous tale spun about a young cat named Mati who tries to navigate a new and strange world. The beginning of the book starts with Mati arriving at a marketplace know as Cressida Lock and confronting the wild colony of cats that makes their home there. Not only is he struggling to be accepted but to make matters worse an assassin is stalking him. It turns out that not only is he the last member of a vital and ancient breed but he may possess powers that not even he knows of. This amazing novel will take you on a magical adventure. It is on the shorter side and I found that the writing flowed very well. Appealing to feline fanatics and fantasy lovers alike, this book is definitely worth the read.
Title: The Titanic
Author: Katrina Charman
Publication: 2018
This is an unforgettable adventure that you don’t want to miss! This great novel by Katrina Charman tells the story of loyal Mutt the dog who refuses to let his love for his human owner go and a fierce cat Clara who is determined to protect the stray litter of kittens that she discovers aboard the Titanic. Clara is the captain’s cat and she takes her job of sniffing out stowaways very seriously. Mutt just happens to be a stowaway. He is forced to sneak onto the ship when he realizes that his girl, Alice, is getting onboard without him. When the unthinkable happens and the ship begins to sink Clara and Mutt will have to work together to save themselves and the ones they love. Heartwarming and full of action this relatively short novel (145 pages) is worth the read. Perfect for children and adults looking for a fun and entertaining read about man’s most valued furry friends.
The Meer Series 