Renegades #1: The Magic Awakens is Erin Hunter’s brand new series releasing this year on May 19th (though the audiobook currently says it’s releasing earlier).
The Magic Awakens follows two orphaned cat sisters, Willow and Luna, as they discover a world of magic and the humans out to control it. After surviving in the city after their mother’s death, they lose their temporary shelter to a mysterious fire and discover “attuned” animals.
The beautiful cover art is made by Devin Elle Kurtz, her first work for the Erin Hunter team. I love the mix of fantasy and realism, as well as her use of color and lighting with the fire. I’m excited to see future covers from her.
Overall, it’s a book that is worth a shot for new and old fans of Erin Hunter. I’m certainly curious to see how the story continues. I’d give it a 4.25-4.5 star rating.
Keep reading for a deeper discussion and spoiler-free review.
Check out the official blurb below:
The launch of a brand-new series from blockbuster Warriors author Erin Hunter about two orphaned cat sisters who discover a secret world of magical creatures . . . and the humans who are out to control them.
Willow and Luna have been on their own since they were kittens. After their mother’s death, they settled into a scrappy life in the heart of the city. But when a mysterious fire rips through their makeshift shelter, they’re left searching for a new home.
Luna is immediately drawn in by the strange, secretive animals they meet in the park—animals they can somehow talk to . . . and who unlock her ability to perform magic. Willow is less sure about these so-called “attuned” animals and has no interest in joining their world—or their fight against the human witches who seek to “bind” the animals to them.
As Luna and Willow come to realize their own unique magic, they find themselves at odds, separated by destiny, with the fate of the whole city in their paws.
I have been a Warriors fanatic since I was 12 (now into my late 20’s), so I was giddy to be accepted into the ARC program for this first book of the authors’ new series. While I’ve only read some of Seekers and all of Warriors, I haven’t touched Survivors, Bravelands, or Bamboo Kingdom (their other series). It is exciting to delve into a new Hunter world.
For the start of a new series, there’s a lot of good here. Some elements are similar enough to Warriors to make me comfortable with the writing, like the use of “moons” as time passing. Yet, the differences are new and exciting.
I love the magic system and terminology. The powers, though they may seem basic, are described and attributed so well that they feel fresh. Willow and Luna are wonderful characters to be reading the story through, too. Writing sibling relationships is something the Erin Hunter team has always excelled in (Leafpool and Squirrelflight, Ivypool and Dovewing, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf), whether they’re as tight as two peas in a pod or on separate cliffs entirely.
All of the different creatures and critters involved made me so happy. I don’t want to spoil too many of them, but expect toads, dogs, cats, perhaps some rodents, and more. I’m not even as caught off guard as I thought I’d be with the inclusion of human witches.
Still, the book does miss a couple marks. The plot moves a little too swiftly, with not enough time to marinate in the world building or some of the real action. A couple scenes I expected to be written out were skipped and summarized instead. The character relationships aren’t as fleshed out as they should be, either (which is a common problem with newer Warriors books, too). I’d love to see more one-on-one scenes that are simply about building relationships.
At the same time, it has a LOT of potential. The prophecy is super good, with clear imagery, yet enough mystery that it could go any way and still make sense. It also made me laugh that “fire” is so terrible in their vision, while in the first Warriors book, “fire” is what is going to save the Clans.
I liked the covens and how different they are from each other (we need more though, please). It made me think of Warriors since it’s different groups with their own “camps,” though they call them lairs. The different settings throughout the story are interesting, too, both in all the scenes in the city and their lairs.
For a middle-grade/YA story, the language is simple but challenging at the same time. It’s a good skill for kids to have to look up words as they’re reading, but still be able to get the gist if they don’t. It’s descriptive in the best way. Also, it is nice to not have to guess what every object and structure is, since they’re using human-language in this story (as opposed to Warriors language in their other cat-centric series).
Plus, this book did not shy away from darker themes and scenes. Even I was gasping at some parts! I was caught off-guard at least three times.
I genuinely loved to see an epilogue included, since that is not something Warriors uses. It created a good cliffhanger to bring readers back.
Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Hunter, and HarperCollins for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pre-order The Magic Awakens from any major retailers, like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and more. The first printing of the paperback includes sprayed edges!
Renegades #2 is not releasing until November, with no title or cover information out yet.
