It might be because I am no longer of the age meant to enjoy these books, but I just haven't enjoyed them the way I used to enjoy Warriors and Guardians of Ga'Hoole . When I wad younger, I couldn't get enough of books about magical talking animals, mostly because I loved both animals and fantasy. Now, however, many of the newer series seem to lack certain qualities that make them appeal to both adults and children instead of just to children (the way series like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter do).
While I imagine the age group this was geared towards would really love it (especially if they're fans of Warriors and the other Erin Hunter books), I found it to be a tad rushed and boring. Where the first one kept me entertained enough to get through the book fairly quickly, this one was much more difficult to finish. The author uses the same betrayal plot twice in two books, and never stops to develop meaningful relationships between the characters. In addition, there isn't nearly as much detail in the structure of the plot as there is in Warriors . Aside from the magic (which is actually pretty inventive and cool), this book was just the story of a fox visiting different places and coming across characters we never really feel invested in because of their short-lived involvement.
As much as I hate to constantly compare these books to the Warriors series, the fact that they share an author and deal with similar themes makes it difficult not to. Warriors , though one could argue it has far too many books and a meandering story, keeps the reader engaged by slowing down, developing the world and characters, and allowing us to become invested in their plights before revealing them as traitors or killing them off. I know I was supposed to care about the skulk that Haiki and Isla inevitably led tragedy to, but I just couldn't muster up any sadness for anyone other than Mox (who was a frail cub with disabilities). It was the same with Isla's family; they weren't really developed, so it didn't pack an emotional punch when I found out they died. I suppose I care about Siffrin, but Isla waffles so much on whether or not to trust him that it's hard not to feel constantly suspicious of everything he does. Considering the fact that the author has used the betrayal plot twice now, I wouldn't be surprised if Siffrin turned out to be on the side of the antagonists in the end.
Despite my complaints, however, this series isn't actually terrible. The initial concept of foxes with their own mystic powers is actually pretty inventive and unique, and there's a lot of room to be creative with the world building. The execution, however, is where this story falls a bit flat, as nothing is ever fleshed out in the same way Warriors was. Again, this could be because I'm no longer in the target age group for this series, but I just didn't feel as invested with Foxcraft the way I used to be with Erin Hunter's work.
That being said, there is still one book left in the trilogy to change my mind. I definitely plan on checking it out, and I encourage anyone who enjoys animal fantasy to give this series a shot as well. You just might enjoy it more than I have!