I have fond childhood memories of sitting on the floor at my local Waldenbooks, reading bits of whatever book caught my eye on that particular day. Some of those books I never bought. Others, like Warriors: Into the Wild, would kickstart a lifelong love for a series and its rich depictions in a world with an ever-changing roster of cats. I even named my childhood cat Barley, after one of the loners in the first series. Even though I’m in my thirties now, I will still pick these up occasionally and fall right back in as if I never left.
If you love cats, fantasy, romance, and drama, this series is for you, and luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best books spanning Erin Hunter’s vast world. Snuggle your kittypet if you have one and find your inner warrior as you dive into our top 10 Warrior Cats books. Who knows, maybe you’ll look at your beloved pet differently, the same way I once did.
10. SkyClan’s Destiny

SkyClan is the oft-mentioned “fifth Clan” throughout the first Warrior Cats series. After it is resurrected by Firestar and a group of ThunderClan warriors, Leafstar takes in other cats, such as kittypets, rogues, and loners. The kittypets are known as “daylight warriors” since they return to their Twolegs at night. This causes tension amongst the Clan since they do not see them as full-time warriors.
This book, like most, is driven by a prophecy from StarClan, who sends the former ThunderClan medicine cat Spottedleaf to Leafstar, who tells her, “This is the leaf-bare of my Clan. Greenleaf will come, but it will bring even greater storms than these. SkyClan will need deeper roots if it is to survive.” Leafstar takes this to mean that SkyClan needs a more solid foundation to withstand time, and so she begins working on uniting the Clan.
9. Bluestar’s Prophecy

Though a flawed leader, Bluestar was one of my favorite characters. Her backstory is incredibly tragic, as detailed in this Super Edition. Much of it was marred by grief and loss, such as the loss of her sister and her mother, and having to shoulder those burdens. Bluefur meets, and eventually falls in love with, a RiverClan warrior named Oakheart. When she finds out she is expecting his kits, she is horrified, but luckily another member of ThunderClan, Thrushpelt, is willing to say he is the father.
Because of this, however, Bluefur is withdrawn from consideration for deputy because of her kits. Once she receives a vision from StarClan, she cannot let Thistleclaw become deputy. So, she takes her kits to RiverClan to be raised by Oakheart and tells ThunderClan they were taken by foxes. She is eventually made leader, and we see where it all began in Into the Wild.
8. Firestar’s Quest

Set between The Darkest Hour and Midnight, this book follows Firestar’s journey with his mate Sandstorm to find the long-lost SkyClan and help rebuild them. After receiving visions of cats in need, he finally goes to the Moonstone, where Clan leaders go to talk to SkyClan. There, Bluestar tells him about SkyClan, who were forced out of their home because of Twolegs. It also features events not shown in The New Prophecy, giving backstory to things that come up in the first book of the series. This is also where the prophecy “There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws” originates, which sets up the next series of books focusing on Firestar’s and Tigerstar’s kits.
7. Warriors: Dawn

The traveling cats have returned home to devastation and a message from midnight: Leave, or face death. With the forest already destroyed and warriors being taken away by Twolegs, there is no other choice. Graystripe, Tigerstar’s longtime friend, successfully rescues Leafpaw and several other Clan and loner cats. However, despite the destruction to the area that is starving them out, Firestar has difficulty convincing RiverClan and ShadowClan to leave. They both only decide to evacuate once they have no other option. On the perilous journey out of what used to be their home for moons, they encounter the same Tribe the group of cats did before they found their own new home.
6. Warriors: Moonrise

After the events of Midnight, the four cats begin their return journey home. Along the way, they go through the mountains and encounter a group of cats who call themselves the Tribe of Rushing Water. While the cats stay with them, they find out that the Tribe also has a prophecy and they think Stormfur will be the one who will save them from a mountain lion called Sharptooth. Meanwhile, the Clans back in the forest are beginning to see the devastating effects of Cinderpelt’s warning from StarClan as the group picks back up on their journey home. This book is our first instance of another group of cats and their beliefs and way of life, which is what makes it so exciting.
5. Warriors: Midnight

The plot of this one hits hard and is the beginning of a major shift in the Warriors series. A year after The Darkest Hour, Tigerstar’s son Bramblepaw has received his warrior name, Brambleclaw. While out looking for herbs, the ThunderClan medicine cat, Cinderpelt, receives a vision from StarClan that she brings to Firestar, who keeps Brambleclaw separated from one of Firestar’s own kits, Squirrelpaw, as it seems that letting them get closer will be detrimental to the Clans. However, Brambleclaw also receives a message from StarClan in a dream, and with the help of Crowpaw, Brambleclaw’s sister Tawnypelt, Graystripe’s daughter Feathertail, and Squirrelpaw and Stormfur, they set out to find out what “midnight” is and why they should listen.
4. Warriors: Rising Storm

In the wake of the former ThunderClan deputy Tigerclaw’s betrayal, Fireheart becomes the new deputy and tries to unite the Clan amid the turmoil. However, Bluestar is not handling Tigerclaw’s disloyalty well and starts to become paranoid, especially regarding StarClan. Fireheart has to shoulder many Clan responsibilities, as well as dealing with Cloudpaw, his nephew, getting abducted by Twolegs. As the summer gets hotter it also gets drier, and it doesn’t seem like the prophecy from the first book, “Fire alone can save our Clan,” will be of much help. And, at the Gathering at the end of the book, Tigerclaw appears and announces that he has become the new leader of ShadowClan.
3. Warriors: A Dangerous Path

Honestly, the entire first series is a masterclass in rising tension and the payoff during the denouement. A Dangerous Path tackles disillusionment in a way that really reaches kids as Bluestar’s health continues to wane and she declares war with StarClan after Tigerstar betrayed her. She is actively losing her faith and all the Clan can do is watch. Meanwhile, a threat lurks in the form of a pack of wild dogs that have been stealing ThunderClan’s prey, and Tigerstar has killed a ThunderClan queen to give the pack a taste of cat blood. Fireheart is the cat who has to devise a plan to get the dogs out of their territory, but it doesn’t come without a price.
2. Warriors: The Darkest Hour

This penultimate installment features, arguably, one of the best villains in any young adult literature I’ve read. Fireheart takes his place as ThunderClan leader and becomes Firestar. At the next Gathering, Tigerstar tries to unite all the Clans together. When WindClan and ThunderClan refuse, Tigerstar brings a pack of alley cats known as “BloodClan” into the forest. Scourge, their leader, is a small black cat with reinforced claws, and who is, quite possibly, one of the most badass cats in the series. It truly is unfortunate that he only makes an appearance in this book. What happens next is an all-out war between the cats, one I dare not spoil for any new readers.
1. Warriors: Into the Wild

It’s only fitting the best is where it all begins. Into the Wild creates a world that sucks you in and makes you want to live there. In this first installment, you’re introduced to Rusty, a humble “kittypet” (or a cat with owners, as they are called by the cats of the Clans) who lives with his Twolegs but yearns for something more. He has heard about these wild cats that live in the forest but doesn’t do more than dream, since he does not believe that life is meant for him. After he wins a fight with a wild cat in his backyard, he’s invited by Bluestar of ThunderClan to join the “Clans” of the forest; thus our tale begins as he integrates himself into ThunderClan and adopts the warrior name Fireheart.
Published: Jan 31, 2025 05:56 am