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Survivors #3
Darkness Falls
After a violent enemy attack threatened both the Wild and Leashed Packs, Lucky knows that the dogs' only hope for survival is to unite. The Wild Pack's ruthless Alpha reluctantly agrees to let Bella and the Leashed Dogs join them -- but after learning of Lucky's role as a spy, Alpha casts him out of the Pack and orders him to never return.
Lucky tries to be happy to have his freedom again, but the forest and ruined city are treacherous for a Lone Dog. For the first time since the Big Growl, Lucky is desperate to have other dogs by his side. But it might be too late...
Lucky tries to be happy to have his freedom again, but the forest and ruined city are treacherous for a Lone Dog. For the first time since the Big Growl, Lucky is desperate to have other dogs by his side. But it might be too late...
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013
265 people are currently reading
2314 people want to read
About the author
Erin Hunter
277 books10.7k followersErin Hunter is the pseudonym of five people: Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui T. Sutherland, Gillian Philip, and Inbali Iserles, as well as editor Victoria Holmes. Together, they write the Warriors series as well as the Seekers and Survivors series. Erin Hunter is working on a new series now called Bravelands.
Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.
Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
June 11, 2015
This book... where do I begin? I still don't feel that magic that I always felt when reading the Warrior series. I don't feel like I have to go out right now and pick up the next book or start reading it right away if it is in my house.
The characters are starting to solidify and just when I think I have the swing of things the characters become fractured. Alpha, who was strong and brave and fairly intelligent becomes strange in this book. His character shatters and he starts becoming cowardly, acting strange, superstitious and uncertain. While it is true being uprooted from your home could cause this Alpha was originally written as some tough traveling dog who eventually gathered a pack at his side and settled down. So why would having to leave their lake side home affect him in such a way? It didn't read quite right. Not to mention the fact that he kicked Lucky out of the pack for being 'bad luck' and then turns around and lets him in again with hardly any fight.
Things happen in the pack that are made out to not be a big deal and the pack accepts it and then later on in the book those same things are brought up again but now it's a big deal and they can't live with it. The whole book was a bit wishy washy for me but it was much more interesting than the 2nd book in the series.
The characters are starting to solidify and just when I think I have the swing of things the characters become fractured. Alpha, who was strong and brave and fairly intelligent becomes strange in this book. His character shatters and he starts becoming cowardly, acting strange, superstitious and uncertain. While it is true being uprooted from your home could cause this Alpha was originally written as some tough traveling dog who eventually gathered a pack at his side and settled down. So why would having to leave their lake side home affect him in such a way? It didn't read quite right. Not to mention the fact that he kicked Lucky out of the pack for being 'bad luck' and then turns around and lets him in again with hardly any fight.
Things happen in the pack that are made out to not be a big deal and the pack accepts it and then later on in the book those same things are brought up again but now it's a big deal and they can't live with it. The whole book was a bit wishy washy for me but it was much more interesting than the 2nd book in the series.
January 21, 2018
This book is so fun
February 28, 2017
Darkness Falls was a tense read in the Survivors series! The Wild Pack and Leashed Dogs join together for Survival, will they all get along or will the group split up?
In Darkness Falls Lucky faces feelings of betrayal, being banished from the pack, acid-rain storms, coyotes, fierce-dogs, and Alpha's relentless disdain towards him. Along the way Lucky bonds more with Mickey, and stumbles upon three fierce-dog pups.
Definitely loved this installment in the Survivors series. Wish I could have read it more often however, I got swamped with work and life (if you're checking to see how long it took me to finish the book).
You might like this book if
-You've enjoyed the first two Survivors books
-You like/love dogs
-You're a Warrior's fan
You might not like this book if
-Fighting / Violence bother you
In Darkness Falls Lucky faces feelings of betrayal, being banished from the pack, acid-rain storms, coyotes, fierce-dogs, and Alpha's relentless disdain towards him. Along the way Lucky bonds more with Mickey, and stumbles upon three fierce-dog pups.
Definitely loved this installment in the Survivors series. Wish I could have read it more often however, I got swamped with work and life (if you're checking to see how long it took me to finish the book).
You might like this book if
-You've enjoyed the first two Survivors books
-You like/love dogs
-You're a Warrior's fan
You might not like this book if
-Fighting / Violence bother you
March 1, 2016
I loved this series at first but am beginning to wonder if I will ever know what is really happening. Maybe some of you have already figured out what has taken place. I keep reading each new book to try and find the answer.
May 14, 2019
If Lucky's experience in the first three books were to be summed in one phrase, it would be, 'No good deed goes unpunished'. After both former Leashed Dogs and Alpha's Wild Pack unite to fight the common enemy, Alpha is persuaded to accept Bella and her dogs into his pack – but mercy is the last thing on his mind when it comes to forgiving Lucky for his role as a spy. So Lucky is forced to abandon the pack and become a lone dog again – except that he doesn't want to stay alone anymore. However, Lucky finds something completely unexpected – and this turn of events forces him to return to the pack where he is less than welcome.
While 'A Hidden Enemy' centered entirely on the Wild Pack, 'Darkness Falls' brings the action back to the destroyed human city as well as features the return of Fierce Dogs, and that's the development that I really like - after all, the dogs had never been completely wild, so it makes sense for the humans to be involved more. And so among the rubble of abandoned Dog Garden where terrifying Fierce Dogs used to reside, Lucky and Mickey discover three little pups too young to survive on their own, with the body of another pup nearby and their mother nowhere to be found, and realize that they cannot leave these pups to die. I quickly became invested in the fates of the pups that Mickey and Lucky take into their care, especially since the pack is very uneasy about the idea of accepting Fierce Dogs, even if they are just pups. And of course, Alpha reacts as a total hypocrite, speaking about savagery of Fierce Dogs while punishing his dogs for even smallest mistakes, threatening them into silence when they as much as speak up against him and completely ignoring the vindictiveness with which he metes out his anger on Lucky.
It's really easy to like the pups, but much to my surprise, it wasn't shy and timid Wiggle or curious and energetic Lick that became my favourite out of the litter, though they definitely made me smile more than once, but stubborn and bossy Grunt. His behaviour is often presented in negative light throughout the story, since Grunt picked up way more of Fierce Dogs' mindset and outlook on the world. It's true that Grunt is notably more aggressive than his siblings and prone to doing dumb things such as attacking an enemy ten times his size, but he is also strong, brave, independent and really cares about his siblings. Being the oldest of the pups, Grunt holds special pride in his Fierce Dog heritage, and while it lends him certain arrogance, it's also clear that Fierce Dogs have their own set of rules and code of honour, such as never backing away from an enemy.
Lucky and the Wild Pack have to face a lot of challenges throughout the story . Now, it's not just foxes and coyotes that the dogs have to deal with, and that certainly made the story a real page-turner. But even the threat of predators is not the greatest danger that the Wild Pack has to deal with. Fierce Dogs had always been enemies of the Leashed Dogs, but they weren't a real threat until now - before, they only defended their territory, but now the tension between the packs is taken on the whole new level, and now not only the fates of the pups, but that of both packs hangs by the thread. Blade is a formidable villain – she is cruel, vindicative and instable, and yet she is very capable as a leader of Fierce Dogs. Blade and Fierce Dogs bring havoc wherever they go, and they never let go of a grudge – and that means that every clash between them and Alpha's pack is going to be a page-turner.
Moreover, aside from his external struggles Lucky has to face the consequences of his past actions, and it's not easy for him to fall so low after working so hard to gain the Wild Pack's trust in 'Hidden Enemy'. Lucky is a very compelling character to follow as he has to make difficult choices and finally decide where he belongs, but I cannot exactly say the same for a good number of other characters. I already expressed my extreme dislike of both Alpha and Sweet in my review of 'Hidden Enemy', and they don't improve there. Alpha is still a selfish jerk who takes his anger out on Lucky even though the latter saved the lives of the whole pack more than once. But Alpha isn’t just an unlikable character, he also becomes a poor leader when his greatest flaw shines through – and it’s not his cruelty or his arrogance, but his inflexibility. Alpha may be strong and vicious fighter, but he is unwilling to change his ways when the world around him changes, and it goes deeper than simple reluctance to leave the old territory - it appears that Alpha is unable to adapt to new surroundings at all. In fact, the Leashed Dogs that he belittles so much had to bend their habits more than once since the Big Growl, so they actually have an advantage over him there. However, even Sweet keeps bossing the Leashed Dogs around despite them pulling their weight in the pack as well - at least Alpha is a semi-antagonist that the reader is supposed to dislike, but Sweet is actually Lucky's love interest! Needless to say, it's almost impossible for me to get behind a pairing if I can't stand one of the characters.
I'm glad to say that I grew to appreciate some of my old favourites from the newly united pack even more. I simply adore Mickey, so loyal and brave, with his endless nobility and devotion to humans that's deeper than a lake. Mickey is the one who accompanies Lucky when everyone else abandons him, and he always strives to do what's right no matter what others think. Each time Mickey appears, I keep thinking, 'God, what did humans even do to deserve dogs?' Oh, and Sunshine, sweet, precious Sunshine! Bless this dog, because she is the one Alpha's rigid, hierarchy-centered pack desperately needs. Her small size, lack of physical strength and meek demeanor cause Sunshine to be pushed to the position of Omega, the lowest rank in the pack, but she accepts it with grace and good humor. Sunshine sees no shame in doing the work that the others consider dishonourable, such as cleaning the camp or making beddings, and she shows that being an Omega is not such a terrible thing. However, it was still frustrating for me to hear Sunshine say that the Leashed Dogs and Snap were nice to her, implying that the rest of the Pack probably kept treating her as poorly as they treated Whine, the previous Omega.
Sadly, some of the Leashed Dogs that I loved so much in the first two books frustrated me to no ends. At this point, I have to agree with Sweet even though I don't even like her and wonder why Lucky would even want to stay in the pack that treats him like dirt and why he would strive to prove himself to the leaders that despise him? I can see him staying with the pack to help his friends or simply because it's easier to survive in a group, but I can't understand Lucky's insistence that he is a pack dog now, because it brought him nothing but trouble so far.
While 'A Hidden Enemy' centered entirely on the Wild Pack, 'Darkness Falls' brings the action back to the destroyed human city as well as features the return of Fierce Dogs, and that's the development that I really like - after all, the dogs had never been completely wild, so it makes sense for the humans to be involved more. And so among the rubble of abandoned Dog Garden where terrifying Fierce Dogs used to reside, Lucky and Mickey discover three little pups too young to survive on their own, with the body of another pup nearby and their mother nowhere to be found, and realize that they cannot leave these pups to die. I quickly became invested in the fates of the pups that Mickey and Lucky take into their care, especially since the pack is very uneasy about the idea of accepting Fierce Dogs, even if they are just pups. And of course, Alpha reacts as a total hypocrite, speaking about savagery of Fierce Dogs while punishing his dogs for even smallest mistakes, threatening them into silence when they as much as speak up against him and completely ignoring the vindictiveness with which he metes out his anger on Lucky.
It's really easy to like the pups, but much to my surprise, it wasn't shy and timid Wiggle or curious and energetic Lick that became my favourite out of the litter, though they definitely made me smile more than once, but stubborn and bossy Grunt. His behaviour is often presented in negative light throughout the story, since Grunt picked up way more of Fierce Dogs' mindset and outlook on the world. It's true that Grunt is notably more aggressive than his siblings and prone to doing dumb things such as attacking an enemy ten times his size, but he is also strong, brave, independent and really cares about his siblings. Being the oldest of the pups, Grunt holds special pride in his Fierce Dog heritage, and while it lends him certain arrogance, it's also clear that Fierce Dogs have their own set of rules and code of honour, such as never backing away from an enemy.
Lucky and the Wild Pack have to face a lot of challenges throughout the story . Now, it's not just foxes and coyotes that the dogs have to deal with, and that certainly made the story a real page-turner. But even the threat of predators is not the greatest danger that the Wild Pack has to deal with. Fierce Dogs had always been enemies of the Leashed Dogs, but they weren't a real threat until now - before, they only defended their territory, but now the tension between the packs is taken on the whole new level, and now not only the fates of the pups, but that of both packs hangs by the thread. Blade is a formidable villain – she is cruel, vindicative and instable, and yet she is very capable as a leader of Fierce Dogs. Blade and Fierce Dogs bring havoc wherever they go, and they never let go of a grudge – and that means that every clash between them and Alpha's pack is going to be a page-turner.
Moreover, aside from his external struggles Lucky has to face the consequences of his past actions, and it's not easy for him to fall so low after working so hard to gain the Wild Pack's trust in 'Hidden Enemy'. Lucky is a very compelling character to follow as he has to make difficult choices and finally decide where he belongs, but I cannot exactly say the same for a good number of other characters. I already expressed my extreme dislike of both Alpha and Sweet in my review of 'Hidden Enemy', and they don't improve there. Alpha is still a selfish jerk who takes his anger out on Lucky even though the latter saved the lives of the whole pack more than once. But Alpha isn’t just an unlikable character, he also becomes a poor leader when his greatest flaw shines through – and it’s not his cruelty or his arrogance, but his inflexibility. Alpha may be strong and vicious fighter, but he is unwilling to change his ways when the world around him changes, and it goes deeper than simple reluctance to leave the old territory - it appears that Alpha is unable to adapt to new surroundings at all. In fact, the Leashed Dogs that he belittles so much had to bend their habits more than once since the Big Growl, so they actually have an advantage over him there. However, even Sweet keeps bossing the Leashed Dogs around despite them pulling their weight in the pack as well - at least Alpha is a semi-antagonist that the reader is supposed to dislike, but Sweet is actually Lucky's love interest! Needless to say, it's almost impossible for me to get behind a pairing if I can't stand one of the characters.
I'm glad to say that I grew to appreciate some of my old favourites from the newly united pack even more. I simply adore Mickey, so loyal and brave, with his endless nobility and devotion to humans that's deeper than a lake. Mickey is the one who accompanies Lucky when everyone else abandons him, and he always strives to do what's right no matter what others think. Each time Mickey appears, I keep thinking, 'God, what did humans even do to deserve dogs?' Oh, and Sunshine, sweet, precious Sunshine! Bless this dog, because she is the one Alpha's rigid, hierarchy-centered pack desperately needs. Her small size, lack of physical strength and meek demeanor cause Sunshine to be pushed to the position of Omega, the lowest rank in the pack, but she accepts it with grace and good humor. Sunshine sees no shame in doing the work that the others consider dishonourable, such as cleaning the camp or making beddings, and she shows that being an Omega is not such a terrible thing. However, it was still frustrating for me to hear Sunshine say that the Leashed Dogs and Snap were nice to her, implying that the rest of the Pack probably kept treating her as poorly as they treated Whine, the previous Omega.
Sadly, some of the Leashed Dogs that I loved so much in the first two books frustrated me to no ends. At this point, I have to agree with Sweet even though I don't even like her and wonder why Lucky would even want to stay in the pack that treats him like dirt and why he would strive to prove himself to the leaders that despise him? I can see him staying with the pack to help his friends or simply because it's easier to survive in a group, but I can't understand Lucky's insistence that he is a pack dog now, because it brought him nothing but trouble so far.
December 12, 2024
The book has me questioning where Lucky will end up but by the end of the book I can’t out it down and I am excited to keep reading the series.
February 24, 2017
THE GOOD
Lucky: Lucky continues to be the easy to sympathize with main character. You feel bad for him when his supposed friends turn on him, then when he is exiled. And when he returns, he becomes the bottom of the barrel among the pack. It's saddening to watch - and all his friends just expect him to forgive them! That is not how feelings work, Bella, Bruno and Sweet.
Mickey: Officially my favorite, rift along with Martha and Lick. I love them, and I really was happy to see Mickey finally let go of his long paws.
THE BAD
Prejudice: The fierce dog prejudice is slightly disturbing.
Alpha: He's a really big jerk.
Bella, Bruno, and Sweet; They're cruel to someone they claim to love and care about, then act like nothing happened.
Lucky: Lucky continues to be the easy to sympathize with main character. You feel bad for him when his supposed friends turn on him, then when he is exiled. And when he returns, he becomes the bottom of the barrel among the pack. It's saddening to watch - and all his friends just expect him to forgive them! That is not how feelings work, Bella, Bruno and Sweet.
Mickey: Officially my favorite, rift along with Martha and Lick. I love them, and I really was happy to see Mickey finally let go of his long paws.
THE BAD
Prejudice: The fierce dog prejudice is slightly disturbing.
Alpha: He's a really big jerk.
Bella, Bruno, and Sweet; They're cruel to someone they claim to love and care about, then act like nothing happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 7, 2014After being found out as a spy, Alpha, leader of the Wild pack casts him out of the pack. Lucky strikes out on his own with some help from his friend Mickey. They stumble along across some young fierce pups, whose mother has gone to the so called earth dogs.
They raise the pups to be good pack dogs. Wiggle enjoys the attention, Lick works hard to be the best pack mate of the wild pack, while Grunt is loyal to his fierce pack ways.
Lucky is unsure of what to do with the young pups, for surely Alpha will disapprove.
Okay, so I really like Erin Hunter's books, but this one just kind of made me mad, partly because it seemed that Alpha was being a big jerk, and he seems to care all about himself and not the nessecities of his own pack. I also think that he's a big coward when it came to fighting the giantfur(bear) instead of fighting it and helping Lucky.
True, it was wrong for Lucky to be a spy in his pack, but making him suffer even more than being an outcast by scarring up his leg? I think that Alpha is the most ridiculous leader of the pack. Plus, the food rations according to rank? That's ridiculous. By the time you reached the Omega, there could be nothing left. No offense to the people who like Alpha, but I think he's the worst leader ever.
They raise the pups to be good pack dogs. Wiggle enjoys the attention, Lick works hard to be the best pack mate of the wild pack, while Grunt is loyal to his fierce pack ways.
Lucky is unsure of what to do with the young pups, for surely Alpha will disapprove.
Okay, so I really like Erin Hunter's books, but this one just kind of made me mad, partly because it seemed that Alpha was being a big jerk, and he seems to care all about himself and not the nessecities of his own pack. I also think that he's a big coward when it came to fighting the giantfur(bear) instead of fighting it and helping Lucky.
True, it was wrong for Lucky to be a spy in his pack, but making him suffer even more than being an outcast by scarring up his leg? I think that Alpha is the most ridiculous leader of the pack. Plus, the food rations according to rank? That's ridiculous. By the time you reached the Omega, there could be nothing left. No offense to the people who like Alpha, but I think he's the worst leader ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2017
Darkness Falls was a very interesting book. Alpha seemed to be a little different in this one, but that just makes the whole book a lot more interesting. I love animal conflict, and things that happen unexpectedly through out the book. And the conflict between Lucky and Alpha gives me a great picture in my mind that could be useful for animating. And I also love theorizing. The flash-backs, and the characters behavior give me theories about what might happen and how it come. And I love that, its like my job. Darkness falls may have been a little confusing and heart breaking, But that wont stop me from finding out more about the plot and story. This is definitely worth reading if you want to have a dog version of the warriors series.
January 5, 2016
Darkness Falls by Erin Hunter was a great book. The main character, Lucky has found a new home for a pack of dogs who have been forced to leave their homes due to a massive earthquake that struck their city. When all seems back to normal and all is well, a massive storm breaks out and a whirling black cloud surrounds the new home. When the storm leaves, more and more storms break out but are smaller. Some of the dogs start suggesting to move away from their new home and look for another place while others insist in staying. The pack becomes split apart and Lucky and the Pack's new leader Alpha are trying to remain calm and order the pack to keep calm. When Alpha sees the last storm cloud, he believes that it is a bad omen and agrees to move away from their home. This bok is very exciting and I rate it 8/10 stars.
September 10, 2015
this was a really good book that explores the values of Loyalty versus Independence. I really enjoyed this book as i like dogs and this book was also pretty meaningful in the way that we all have conflicts and this was shown a lot through this book. All in all a good book, would recommend it to people that like animals and conflict
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August 27, 2018😭😭😭😭😭😭!!!
Everywone is like, Hi dude, hello dude, blah,blah! And I post and everyone backs away!!!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Everywone is like, Hi dude, hello dude, blah,blah! And I post and everyone backs away!!!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
June 11, 2024
przynudza
March 7, 2018
Star Rating: 5 stars
Note: This is the 3rd installment in the Survivors so this will be an in-depth review as I try to avoid spoilers if possible.
Ever read a book that was just amazing and you didn’t know why but for some reason this book just captures your attention and you find yourself inhale-reading it? This happens to me every time I pick up an Erin Hunter book, and this time it was the 3rd in the Survivors series called Darkness Falls. This continues the story of Lucky, the Leashed Pack, and the Wild Pack that they have encountered while on their travels. In this installment, Lucky finds a group of abandoned pups that belong to a group of enemy dogs called Fierce Dogs and decides to incorporate them into the Pack that he is developing. He believes that the dangerous, vicious nature that the Fierce Dogs have as adults isn’t inherited but learned so he thinks that the pups will fit in with their new family nicely. Not everyone agrees with him, however, and this causes all kinds of conflict within the Pack and without it, leading to an explosive finale that left me desperate for book 4.
Within this book, there were a myriad of conflicts that were addressed, all of which are important for children to learn. First off, I think that children find these complex topics and conflicts much easily to understand and develop opinions on when it is expressed through the mediums of animals because everyone likes animals and most people aren’t threatened by them so they are better medium for trying to convey these vast ideas. Anyway, conflicts such as responsibility vs. freedom, risk vs. safety, and loyalty vs. acceptance are conveyed in this story. Lucky feels a responsibility to the Leashed Pack because he is the one that convinced them to leave their homes in the city and journey with him into the wild, but he also feels the need to be free and chafes at all the rules that dictate Pack Life. In this changed world, the dogs have to be willing to take risks to survive, but they must weigh the safety that comes from the traditions that they have been following for generations. In the same vein, they have to learn that in this changed world, they have to more accepting of others and the influence and help that may have to offer even if this goes against the Pack traditions, laws, and individuals that they have been loyal to since the moment that they were born. These themes and conflicts will faced by children over the course of their life so I think it is could that Hunter is introducing them to them early and in a way that is non-threatening and easily understood.
To be honest, I don’t read these books for any permanent literary value but just for pure enjoyment. They are entertaining and full of loveable characters that I can’t help but love and want to read about. As a result, I am rating it 5 stars and think that anyone who enjoys animals would love them too. I can’t
Note: This is the 3rd installment in the Survivors so this will be an in-depth review as I try to avoid spoilers if possible.
Ever read a book that was just amazing and you didn’t know why but for some reason this book just captures your attention and you find yourself inhale-reading it? This happens to me every time I pick up an Erin Hunter book, and this time it was the 3rd in the Survivors series called Darkness Falls. This continues the story of Lucky, the Leashed Pack, and the Wild Pack that they have encountered while on their travels. In this installment, Lucky finds a group of abandoned pups that belong to a group of enemy dogs called Fierce Dogs and decides to incorporate them into the Pack that he is developing. He believes that the dangerous, vicious nature that the Fierce Dogs have as adults isn’t inherited but learned so he thinks that the pups will fit in with their new family nicely. Not everyone agrees with him, however, and this causes all kinds of conflict within the Pack and without it, leading to an explosive finale that left me desperate for book 4.
Within this book, there were a myriad of conflicts that were addressed, all of which are important for children to learn. First off, I think that children find these complex topics and conflicts much easily to understand and develop opinions on when it is expressed through the mediums of animals because everyone likes animals and most people aren’t threatened by them so they are better medium for trying to convey these vast ideas. Anyway, conflicts such as responsibility vs. freedom, risk vs. safety, and loyalty vs. acceptance are conveyed in this story. Lucky feels a responsibility to the Leashed Pack because he is the one that convinced them to leave their homes in the city and journey with him into the wild, but he also feels the need to be free and chafes at all the rules that dictate Pack Life. In this changed world, the dogs have to be willing to take risks to survive, but they must weigh the safety that comes from the traditions that they have been following for generations. In the same vein, they have to learn that in this changed world, they have to more accepting of others and the influence and help that may have to offer even if this goes against the Pack traditions, laws, and individuals that they have been loyal to since the moment that they were born. These themes and conflicts will faced by children over the course of their life so I think it is could that Hunter is introducing them to them early and in a way that is non-threatening and easily understood.
To be honest, I don’t read these books for any permanent literary value but just for pure enjoyment. They are entertaining and full of loveable characters that I can’t help but love and want to read about. As a result, I am rating it 5 stars and think that anyone who enjoys animals would love them too. I can’t
June 28, 2023
And so we finished the last Survivors book translated to swedish. I will say, out of the three we’ve read, I got the most invested in this one. I don’t know what it was…
Maybe it was because it included puppies… and possible child (puppy) abuse… What I also liked is that we found a little bit more about the half wolf Alpha and why he acts like he does. And that he’s not in control all the time. Interesting! Beta AKA Sweet is a character that also develops a bit more.
A heart wrenching scene was when Mickey, the dog (border collie) that’s been the most faithful to humans, finally understands that his humans have abandoned him. I mean, dogs are famous for their faithfulness to their owners, so in a book about dogs you HAVE to have such a dog, and Mickey was it. But even he had to give up finally. It was a bit heart wrenching, and very well written. Felt believable.
Not gonna go into detail, but Mickey’s scene there and when Lucky and Mickey find the abandoned puppies are the highlights of the book. As well as when the usually so calm and kind HUGE Newfoundland dog Martha turns into a fierce mama-dog to the abandoned puppies!
Also, I find it interesting that Dobermann dogs are the BIGGEST bad guys so far in the books, apart from the very VERY unnatural and weird things that happen in the nature that surrounds the pack. When reading up on Dobermann dogs they are not violent dogs by nature, in fact they’re intelligent, energetic and VERY caring. But in these books they are described as violent by nature by all other dogs. They’re even called fierce-dogs and described as vicious and cruel. Strange. But I guess you have to have a bad guy, right?
Anyway, these books are well worth checking out. They’re quite good, just like the original series about the cats. I’ll look forward to reading the next book when it’ll be released.
January 18, 2022
In the third installment of the series, Bella gets in trouble for bringing foxes to Alpha's camp. One of Fiery and Moon's pups is killed in the crossfire. Whine reports that Lucky has been spying for the Leashed Dogs, so Alpha demotes Lucky to Omega and holds him down to publicly scar his flank as punishment. Mickey and Lucky decide to leave the Pack together as Mickey believes the black smoke might mean the humans have returned. After seeing his old home ransacked and decimated, which was extremely sorrowful, Mickey and Lucky save three Fierce Dog puppies who were trapped in a pen with their deceased mother and a deceased pup. Lick, Wiggle, and Grunt travel with the pair of adult dogs, which results in some really cute moments between Lick, Wiggle, Lucky, and Mickey. :) Martha becomes their foster mama and tries to teach the pups how to fit into Pack society, which is adorable. However, the Fierce Dogs come back for the pups and kill Wiggle while capturing Grunt, leaving only little Lick, who returns battered to Alpha's Pack.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2021
I struggled with this book. After putting it down for a bit, I struggled with picking it back up. It has a massive pacing issue. Most of the book is very slow up until the last fifty pages of it. While this book had some interesting themes to it, they were overshadowed by the general meanness and cruelty that some of the characters show. I also hate the way that the dogs called fierce dogs are shown in these books. While I believe that the authors are intending to challenge views of dogs like Dobermans, the message is being bogged down by showing that only the puppies are good, and the adults are all bad. The way that the authors have displayed mental illness and disability is also in poor taste. However, there are moments that I enjoyed this book. The themes in this book are good and I wish they were more developed. I also love seeing Lucky change and develop as a character.
March 8, 2025
The first half of this one is a slog. Lots of waffling. Alpha changing his mind every other page, Lucky wandering this way--no wait, that way!--passing the same places over and over again, and retreading plots and themes already explored in the previous two books. It felt like filler without direction. Like the author didn't know where they were going or what the characters needed to do.
The introduction of the Fierce Dog puppies was the positive turning point that the story drastically needed. Grunt, Lick, and Wiggle made for compelling characters and conflict within the pack. They added something new for Lucky and the pack to focus on.
The ending felt rushed, and I would have preferred to see it from the puppies' perspective to get the full emotional (and horrific) impact.
The introduction of the Fierce Dog puppies was the positive turning point that the story drastically needed. Grunt, Lick, and Wiggle made for compelling characters and conflict within the pack. They added something new for Lucky and the pack to focus on.
The ending felt rushed, and I would have preferred to see it from the puppies' perspective to get the full emotional (and horrific) impact.
October 26, 2017
Lucky and Mickey are banished from the pack, they find four little puppies Lick, Wiggle, and Grunt number for is dead next to their mother-dog. Lucky and Mickey are kicked out of the pack because lucky was a spy. They are taking the puppies to the wild pack.
Lick is a small tan-brown Doberman she is fun and outgoing. Grunt is the older he´s te one that wants to prove to everyone he tough he is also a tan Doberman. wiggle is the runt of the puppies he is a scaredy cat and also a tan Doberman.
Overall this is an amazing book Erin Hunter back at it again with an amazing book! you know its awesome when you use amazing two times in the same sentence. the plot is awesome i love the new puppies and a story with just Mickey and lucky is awesome. This is the best Survivors book so far.
Lick is a small tan-brown Doberman she is fun and outgoing. Grunt is the older he´s te one that wants to prove to everyone he tough he is also a tan Doberman. wiggle is the runt of the puppies he is a scaredy cat and also a tan Doberman.
Overall this is an amazing book Erin Hunter back at it again with an amazing book! you know its awesome when you use amazing two times in the same sentence. the plot is awesome i love the new puppies and a story with just Mickey and lucky is awesome. This is the best Survivors book so far.
October 4, 2019
This book has been a real adventure for me. I love the amazing details about the new sights and the interesting moments that reel me in. This book was hard to put down, even after I finished the book. This book gives a great example of what it’s like to work hard for the survival of you and a friend in the wild. The book does not have a happy and cheerful theme, but instead a more of survival story. I like the way the book makes a picture in your head of what’s happening by describing anything new that will interest the reader. I Guarantee that everyone in the age range of 10-14 will like this book. The book series is amazing and gives so many different characteristics of living and non-living things. I would definitely give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
January 8, 2023
(contains spoilers for warriors)
Honestly the warriors series is better in many ways, in my opinion. And I will tell you why. For starters, I never really felt the urge to keep reading the survivors series after the first couple of books. However for warriors it was different. For example; warriors has a natural and supernatural feeling to it. Like for example the moonstone or moon pool where the clans can contact their ancestors through a medicine cat. (Medicine cats have visions through the moonpool) Their are four clans of cats in the beginning and five later on. (Thunder clan, Riverclan, Windclan, shadow clan, and eventually sky clan) The warriors series was really exciting to read, but survivors just doesn’t feel the same. To be honest it has potential and could be better.
Honestly the warriors series is better in many ways, in my opinion. And I will tell you why. For starters, I never really felt the urge to keep reading the survivors series after the first couple of books. However for warriors it was different. For example; warriors has a natural and supernatural feeling to it. Like for example the moonstone or moon pool where the clans can contact their ancestors through a medicine cat. (Medicine cats have visions through the moonpool) Their are four clans of cats in the beginning and five later on. (Thunder clan, Riverclan, Windclan, shadow clan, and eventually sky clan) The warriors series was really exciting to read, but survivors just doesn’t feel the same. To be honest it has potential and could be better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2023
Z każdą częścią bawię się coraz lepiej! Uwielbiam tę serię!
🐾„Sfora” Erin Hunter po raz kolejny mnie zaskoczyła. Już przy czytaniu pierwszego tomu jakiś czas temu, okazało się, że moje sceptyczne spojrzenie było zupełnie niepotrzebne. Gdy zaczynałam tom 2, obawiałam się, że może jednak jestem już za duża i nie będę potrafiła wciągnąć się w lekturę. Oczekiwałam luźnej rozrywki, przyjemnej odskoczni. Dostałam jednak o wiele więcej! Całą serię pochłonęłam w niecały tydzień, a gdyby doba była dłuższa na pewno skończyłabym ją jeszcze szybciej! Recenzując „Opuszczone miasto”, czyli pierwszy tom serii, pisałam jak urocza, sympatyczna i przyjemna była tamta książka. Oczywiście nadal te słowa podtrzymuję, ale z każdą kolejną częścią, przygody sfory Fuksa stawały się coraz bardziej poważne – wzruszające, wciągające i trzymające w napięciu. Moje obawy odnośnie tego, jak czytelnik w moim wieku będzie się bawił w trakcie czytania, okazały się całkiem niesłuszne – bardzo przywiązałam się do bohaterów i nie mogłam oderwać się od lektury!
🐾„Sfora” Erin Hunter po raz kolejny mnie zaskoczyła. Już przy czytaniu pierwszego tomu jakiś czas temu, okazało się, że moje sceptyczne spojrzenie było zupełnie niepotrzebne. Gdy zaczynałam tom 2, obawiałam się, że może jednak jestem już za duża i nie będę potrafiła wciągnąć się w lekturę. Oczekiwałam luźnej rozrywki, przyjemnej odskoczni. Dostałam jednak o wiele więcej! Całą serię pochłonęłam w niecały tydzień, a gdyby doba była dłuższa na pewno skończyłabym ją jeszcze szybciej! Recenzując „Opuszczone miasto”, czyli pierwszy tom serii, pisałam jak urocza, sympatyczna i przyjemna była tamta książka. Oczywiście nadal te słowa podtrzymuję, ale z każdą kolejną częścią, przygody sfory Fuksa stawały się coraz bardziej poważne – wzruszające, wciągające i trzymające w napięciu. Moje obawy odnośnie tego, jak czytelnik w moim wieku będzie się bawił w trakcie czytania, okazały się całkiem niesłuszne – bardzo przywiązałam się do bohaterów i nie mogłam oderwać się od lektury!
June 10, 2023
🐶Ocenka:
4,4⭐
🐶Moja opinia o książce:
Bardzo przyjemna i relaksująca książka, chociaż jednocześnie ciekawa. Muszę przyznać, że o ile wolę koty od psów, o tyle seria "Sfora" bardziej mi się podoba od "Wojowników" tej samej autorki (chociaż "Wojowników" czytałam tylko 1 część, więc nie mogę do końca obiektywnie stwierdzić).
Również ta część "Sfory" bardzo mi się podobała. Z jednej strony lekka książka, z drugiej ma też bogatą wartość moralną, a akcja trzyma w napięciu. Lubię styl pisania w "Sforze", a w tej części było też sporo uroczych momentów.
🐶Moja aktualna opinia o bohaterach:
O dziwo, polubiłam w tej części Promyka i Stokrotkę.
Za to jeszcze bardziej znienawidziłam Bellę🗡️🗡️🗡️
A Liza jest taka UwU.
No i Fuks jest dla nich EWIDENTNIE za dobry.
4,4⭐
🐶Moja opinia o książce:
Bardzo przyjemna i relaksująca książka, chociaż jednocześnie ciekawa. Muszę przyznać, że o ile wolę koty od psów, o tyle seria "Sfora" bardziej mi się podoba od "Wojowników" tej samej autorki (chociaż "Wojowników" czytałam tylko 1 część, więc nie mogę do końca obiektywnie stwierdzić).
Również ta część "Sfory" bardzo mi się podobała. Z jednej strony lekka książka, z drugiej ma też bogatą wartość moralną, a akcja trzyma w napięciu. Lubię styl pisania w "Sforze", a w tej części było też sporo uroczych momentów.
🐶Moja aktualna opinia o bohaterach:
O dziwo, polubiłam w tej części Promyka i Stokrotkę.
Za to jeszcze bardziej znienawidziłam Bellę🗡️🗡️🗡️
A Liza jest taka UwU.
No i Fuks jest dla nich EWIDENTNIE za dobry.
August 18, 2018
Lucky is permitted a lowly place in the Wild Pack; his friends, the Leashed Dogs, have also been allowed to join. Another problem arises, however, as Lucky compassionately brings with him three abandoned Fierce Dog pups, who risk the safety and stability of Alpha’s group.
Book Three’s themes introduce that no one—dog or human—is all good or all evil; that leadership decisions are difficult; and “nature versus nurture.” The characters remain complex and interesting, the writing good, and the reading worthwhile.
Book Three’s themes introduce that no one—dog or human—is all good or all evil; that leadership decisions are difficult; and “nature versus nurture.” The characters remain complex and interesting, the writing good, and the reading worthwhile.
February 2, 2019
My favourite part was when Lick managed to escape the cruel Fierce Dogs and come back to the Wild Pack, even though most of them were not very nice to the three pups. My least favourite part was when Lucky was kicked out of the pack temporarily until he came back with Mickey and became Omega. I am not sure why Lucky and Mickey did not explain what had happened to the dog and the pup that they saw in the Fierce Dog Garden.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2025
High three stars. And thus the Erin series decline begins again.
This book wasn’t bad, but it really felt to me like this series is starting to lose some of the tighter writing that book 1, especially, really had. The writing style feels a bit different here, though not inherently in a bad way. Survivors read a little different from Warriors and Seekers in the beginning, but I feel like I in this book it starts to return to that slightly more descriptive feeling rather than light and fast-paced. With that, unfortunately, apparently also comes the Warriors plot convenience and character sanding, arriving in full force with Lucky and the majority of the side characters. I’ll touch more on that in the character section later.
The plot in this book is pretty interesting the whole way through, with Lucky being exiled, traveling with Mickey briefly, finding the pups, and then working to convince Alpha to keep them for the rest of the book. But it’s not the most unfalsifiable of stories. The whole plotline of Lucky being kicked out of the pack briefly depends entirely on the other dogs, especially the Leashed Dogs having no empathy or spine for the one that THEY TRICKED into helping them. Then when he returns they will all magically be super regretful, and Lucky will forgive them because we can’t possibly have a main character hold a grudge. The Pack’s respond to the Fierce dog pups tends to be similarly dependent on what the plot needs. The pacing overall was alright, though, which was a nice change from Seekers and Warriors.
In terms of characters, I think this book does its best, but isn’t as strong as it could have been.
Lucky is fine. He’s never been that unique of a lead, but he got the job done. His background of being a Lone Dog made him more interesting, but unfortunately that goes out the window in this one. The shift from wanting to leave the Pack to suddenly not wanting to live without other dogs felt like a light-switch change in his entire identity. There was definitely a lot of effort put into making this change, but it didn’t feel gradual to me when last book he spent the whole time so excited to leave, and even before then he was still on the fence about staying even with the Leashed Dogs. His entire identity flipped from one extreme to the other too suddenly, in my opinion. While I like that he seemingly retains his smarts, most of that is just used when everyone else becomes useless for the plot. The most interesting part of Lucky this book was exploring his friendship with Mickey a little bit more, and also building a fatherly relationship with the pups.
Mickey got more development! Yay! Unfortunately, he was one of the only side characters to receive such treatment, and disappeared after Lucky and him returned to the pack. His slow acceptance that his humans were gone was sad, but I think well done overall.
The other Leashed Dogs who got some more focus were Sunshine, Daisy, and Martha. For what we saw of Sunshine and Daisy, I think they were well done. All we got were a few conversations or scenes each, but I think that was all we really needed. Daisy and Sunshine have more depth to them, and Daisy has grown. We only really needed one scene to understand that. Martha didn’t really have any personality before this, so her being motherly to the Fierce Dog pups was cute. But I would have liked to see more of it. Because she was such a blank slate beforehand, I don’t think one or two scenes was enough to characterize her strongly. I have hope the next books will help with this, though.
Alpha is either entirely competent to the point of invincibility or entirely useless, depending on what the plot demands, and Sweet has exactly 0 personality or relevance aside from vague love-interest vibes. They both were incredibly disappointing in this one.
Bella comes off as manipulative and toxic in how she treats her brother, which I really don’t like. Why are the two main female characters (so far, before Lick becomes more important), Bella and Sweet, both so underdeveloped? In Sweet’s case, she just doesn’t have much personality or really understandable motivations outside of basic ‘for the pack’ mentality. And Bella, though she has a personality, isn’t given the time to mature or really show that she’s learned anything. So it leads to her apologies all seeming fake, since we don’t really get anything to back them up. It really irks me that the most important female dogs in this book feel like they’re treated as stereotypes: ‘love interest’ and ‘plot convenience sister’ respectively.
Finally, villains. The Fierce Dogs are clearly meant to be intimidating, and I think they pretty well accomplish that. My only issue is that to make the Fierce dogs threatening, the book had to make the Wild Pack completely useless again for the sake of plot. Grunt is going to be a more interesting villain, I think, since there’s history between him and the Wild dogs. And I do appreciate that Blade is female. I may have said that in a previous review, but it’s worth mentioning again here. Erin stories so rarely have female villains, so it’s a nice change of pace.
Overall, while a bit disappointing, this wasn’t a bad book. I’m hopeful that the series will keep up this quality, at least, for a while. Onto book 4!
SERIES RATINGS:
The Empty City: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Hidden Enemy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darkness Falls: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Broken Path: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Endless Lake: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storm of Dogs: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book wasn’t bad, but it really felt to me like this series is starting to lose some of the tighter writing that book 1, especially, really had. The writing style feels a bit different here, though not inherently in a bad way. Survivors read a little different from Warriors and Seekers in the beginning, but I feel like I in this book it starts to return to that slightly more descriptive feeling rather than light and fast-paced. With that, unfortunately, apparently also comes the Warriors plot convenience and character sanding, arriving in full force with Lucky and the majority of the side characters. I’ll touch more on that in the character section later.
The plot in this book is pretty interesting the whole way through, with Lucky being exiled, traveling with Mickey briefly, finding the pups, and then working to convince Alpha to keep them for the rest of the book. But it’s not the most unfalsifiable of stories. The whole plotline of Lucky being kicked out of the pack briefly depends entirely on the other dogs, especially the Leashed Dogs having no empathy or spine for the one that THEY TRICKED into helping them. Then when he returns they will all magically be super regretful, and Lucky will forgive them because we can’t possibly have a main character hold a grudge. The Pack’s respond to the Fierce dog pups tends to be similarly dependent on what the plot needs. The pacing overall was alright, though, which was a nice change from Seekers and Warriors.
In terms of characters, I think this book does its best, but isn’t as strong as it could have been.
Lucky is fine. He’s never been that unique of a lead, but he got the job done. His background of being a Lone Dog made him more interesting, but unfortunately that goes out the window in this one. The shift from wanting to leave the Pack to suddenly not wanting to live without other dogs felt like a light-switch change in his entire identity. There was definitely a lot of effort put into making this change, but it didn’t feel gradual to me when last book he spent the whole time so excited to leave, and even before then he was still on the fence about staying even with the Leashed Dogs. His entire identity flipped from one extreme to the other too suddenly, in my opinion. While I like that he seemingly retains his smarts, most of that is just used when everyone else becomes useless for the plot. The most interesting part of Lucky this book was exploring his friendship with Mickey a little bit more, and also building a fatherly relationship with the pups.
Mickey got more development! Yay! Unfortunately, he was one of the only side characters to receive such treatment, and disappeared after Lucky and him returned to the pack. His slow acceptance that his humans were gone was sad, but I think well done overall.
The other Leashed Dogs who got some more focus were Sunshine, Daisy, and Martha. For what we saw of Sunshine and Daisy, I think they were well done. All we got were a few conversations or scenes each, but I think that was all we really needed. Daisy and Sunshine have more depth to them, and Daisy has grown. We only really needed one scene to understand that. Martha didn’t really have any personality before this, so her being motherly to the Fierce Dog pups was cute. But I would have liked to see more of it. Because she was such a blank slate beforehand, I don’t think one or two scenes was enough to characterize her strongly. I have hope the next books will help with this, though.
Alpha is either entirely competent to the point of invincibility or entirely useless, depending on what the plot demands, and Sweet has exactly 0 personality or relevance aside from vague love-interest vibes. They both were incredibly disappointing in this one.
Bella comes off as manipulative and toxic in how she treats her brother, which I really don’t like. Why are the two main female characters (so far, before Lick becomes more important), Bella and Sweet, both so underdeveloped? In Sweet’s case, she just doesn’t have much personality or really understandable motivations outside of basic ‘for the pack’ mentality. And Bella, though she has a personality, isn’t given the time to mature or really show that she’s learned anything. So it leads to her apologies all seeming fake, since we don’t really get anything to back them up. It really irks me that the most important female dogs in this book feel like they’re treated as stereotypes: ‘love interest’ and ‘plot convenience sister’ respectively.
Finally, villains. The Fierce Dogs are clearly meant to be intimidating, and I think they pretty well accomplish that. My only issue is that to make the Fierce dogs threatening, the book had to make the Wild Pack completely useless again for the sake of plot. Grunt is going to be a more interesting villain, I think, since there’s history between him and the Wild dogs. And I do appreciate that Blade is female. I may have said that in a previous review, but it’s worth mentioning again here. Erin stories so rarely have female villains, so it’s a nice change of pace.
Overall, while a bit disappointing, this wasn’t a bad book. I’m hopeful that the series will keep up this quality, at least, for a while. Onto book 4!
SERIES RATINGS:
The Empty City: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Hidden Enemy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darkness Falls: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Broken Path: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Endless Lake: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storm of Dogs: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
March 31, 2020supper cool i really like the second book more though my favorite part is when lucky joins alphas pack and meets sweet again its supper cool how he climbs up ranks and in the book of untold secrets of the packs i like how sweet defeats the red dog and becomes beta but otherwise i really like this book
September 20, 2017
I think this book was amazing! I love how into detail the author, Erin Hunter, is. The story line behind the book is brilliant. I would recommend this book to animal lovers and especially dog and wolf lovers.
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