Sara Goetter

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads Giveaways. Content warning for scenes of violence and death, including death during childbirth.)

Brave Fireheart - who we first met as a discontented kittypet in THE PROPHECIES BEGIN #1 - continues to protect the Thunderclan - and its leader, Bluestar - with courage, compassion, and ferocity. His suspicions about Bluestar's deputy, Tigerclaw, continue to grow, even as Fireheart warns his friend Graystripe show more against pursuing a romance with a cat from a different clan. Now full-fledged warriors, Fireheart and Graystripe take on apprentices of their own - but when Tigerclaw's traitorous machinations nearly cost Cinderpaw her life, Fireheart must come to terms with losing his acolyte. And when tragedy befalls both the River and Thunderclans - in the form of a flood and a fire, respectively - the wild cats learn the value of community and cooperation. Likewise, Blueheart's decision to grant refuge to Yellowfang pays off in ways even she could not have expected. Yet, by story's end, Blueheart is losing her faith in the Starclan, setting up a pretty dramatic cliffhanger.

I haven't yet read Erin Hunter's WARRIORS series - so many books, so little time! - so I can't say whether the graphic novel adaptation is true to the original. Since it encompasses the third and fourth books in the series - FOREST OF SECRETS and RISING STORM - I imagine some things got cut out. That said, I feel like Riess and Goetter did an excellent job condensing it down to 256 pages of illustrated narration. The artwork and storytelling are equally lovely, and I found myself brought to tears on more than one occasion.

Who knew I'd grow so emotionally invested in a group of free-living, anthropomorphized, fictional cats, and their Shakespearean existence? (Probably anyone who read my review of WATERSHIP DOWN, lol.) show less

-- 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5 where necessary --

Erin Hunter's WARRIORS series has been languishing on my TBR list for ages now, mostly because there are so many books and spin-offs in the series that I don't know where to start. So when I saw that the series was getting the comic book treatment, I jumped right on it. The first graphic novel in the series, THE PROPHECIES BEGIN #1, manages to condense the first two novels in the series (INTO THE WILD and FIRE AND ICE) into one graphic novel. show more Since I haven't read the source material, I can't say how loyal it is to the original, but Riess and Goetter seem to have done a commendable job.

The story follows Rusty, a fiery red kittypet who longs for more (already relatable AF). Though he has a good, safe life in his nest of twolegs, Rusty is drawn to the forest. When he finally trusts his instincts and ventures into the wild, his life is forever changed: he's welcomed into the Thunderclan as an apprentice (Firepaw) and, eventually, a full-fledged warrior (Fireheart). Living in one of the four wildcat clans - there's also Riverclan, Windclan, and Shadowclan - isn't always easy, but it is rewarding.

Rusty has joined his free-living cousins during a time of great tumult, however: as the winter stretches out, fewer kits are being born; in turn, the clan has fewer warriors with which to defend their borders. Human encroachment and pollution mean less food for everyone. And the fierce Shadowclan has become beholden to a tyrant, even as a traitor threatens the Thunderclan from within. All the while Rusty is haunted by dreams - or are they prophecies? - sent by the Starclan.

It turns out that the lives of wildcats are a lot like our own, filled with drama, conflict, and betrayal - not to mention, friendship and love. The storytelling is great, and the artwork, just lovely. If I had only one complaint, it's that it's sometimes difficult to keep all the characters straight. There are some naming (and renaming) conventions that I picked up on about halfway through the book; it might have been helpful for the authors to spell out the rules in a preface. A character guide would have been handy too. show less

I picked this book up originally because I have been searching for a fun middle-grade graphic novel series to share with my nieces and nephews. The moment my eyes locked with the Bawk-ness Monster on the cover, it was love at first sight.

And I am so glad the story itself did not disappoint.

Penny is moving away to a new city and is sad she never got to thank the Bawk-ness monster that saved her life. With help from her friends, Luc and K, and many objections from her mom, this is her last show more chance to see Bessie. But it seems like they're not the only ones pursuing Bessie!

The plot itself is straightforward, but the execution is phenomenal! As someone who grew up in the 90s/00s, the Saturday Morning cartoon vibes are strong here. Every character is unique, fun *and* relateable. The cryptids are memorable and cute. The humour worked even for a 30-something adult! The art is absolutely gorgeous on every page.

All I know is I'm hooked. I'm keeping myself a copy.

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Pleasantly surprised by this book.

I've been in a graphic novel/comic book mood for a while now and a lot of them have been massive letdowns I expected the same of this book.

I'm a sucker for trying out LGBT books and also well written characters. These children are absolutely adorable nuanced and really quirky. They're the weird kids out and you can tell but they wear it proudly. I adore the creativity of this book and I wasn't expecting to enjoy the facial expressions near as much but this show more one has some of the best facial expressions I've seen in a graphic novel/comic for some time.

The bad guy literally has the best faces she reminds me of Professor Venomous from OKKO.

Well I don't know the reason to create new cryptids I enjoyed the creativity of these guys and how it was really goofy and over the top. I suppose this book is a huge win and one of those things that was made for LGBTQ kids.

A solid 5/5 these characters are so fleshed out and good! show less