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Bravelands: Curse of the Sandtongue #1
Shadows on the Mountain
Erin Hunter’s New York Times bestselling series continues! A brand-new epic adventure begins with the first book in the second action-packed story arc.
A gorilla with a deadly secret. A leopard struck by tragedy. A gazelle cast out of her herd.
For generations, the Silverback troop has lived in peaceful seclusion high above the Great Herd, adhering to one rule: “blood pools on the plains.” But when a new and terrifying evil descends on their home, every animal must venture into the unknown to prevent darkness from overtaking all they hold dear.
Set in the African highlands and told from three different animals’ points of view, Bravelands will thrill readers who love Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who’ve made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenon.
A gorilla with a deadly secret. A leopard struck by tragedy. A gazelle cast out of her herd.
For generations, the Silverback troop has lived in peaceful seclusion high above the Great Herd, adhering to one rule: “blood pools on the plains.” But when a new and terrifying evil descends on their home, every animal must venture into the unknown to prevent darkness from overtaking all they hold dear.
Set in the African highlands and told from three different animals’ points of view, Bravelands will thrill readers who love Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who’ve made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenon.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2021
87 people are currently reading
545 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 32 reviews
September 16, 2021
A short story, but good.
October 14, 2021
This is so far better than the first Bravelands arc. There are more interesting main characters than the first book. I wasn't really interested in Sky or the baboon that much. I got turned off from the first series because at one point Fearless was acting out of character by being mean to his friends and blindly trusting Scorpion to be willing to murder Thorn. this second arc still uses the same elements like Chase being betrayed, an evil mentor figure, being kicked out of a group and being shunned by friends, and the loss of a parent. I knew a lot of the things that were going to happen before they did. What made this better than the Survivors: Gathering Darkness arc, Bamboo Kingdom, and first Bravelands arc is that the characters are in diffeent situations. Chase is a unique main character in that she is a mother who has to actually care for her cub. Not many of the stories take that perspective for a main character. You feel for her because she is young, confused, prone to make stupid teenage decisions, and has real consequences besides just being rejected by your friends. (who are really lousy friends to begin with.) I'm not into Prance's story that much but at least it's more tolerable than Sky's. I think that Bramble's is fairly interesting too. He doesn't start out as responsible and a good decision maker from the start but a goofy prankster until circumstances change. So I feel that his personality change is realistic. So, I'm curious to see how this story will go.
April 25, 2022
sjsjsksisjejekkeie I'm excited I bought the second book :)
Want to read
December 13, 2021Actual Review: Honestly, this book was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed the plot, and it has a great setup, though the characters could have been fleshed out a tad better. I'm hoping for more cameos from the characters of the last arc as well.
I really didn't think this series needed another arc, but I guess we're getting one in true Erin Hunter style.
I really didn't think this series needed another arc, but I guess we're getting one in true Erin Hunter style.
June 15, 2024
I didn't like Curse of the Sandtongue as much as the rest. It was a little dark for me.
December 31, 2022
ok! I think the ideas were good but not a lot of them and when there were good ones they stretched them out. But besides that, I like the characters and think Chase or Prance is my favorite.
October 12, 2024
I loved this book!! It had a really interesting story line and twist! Can’t wait to read the next book!!!
June 12, 2021
3.5
I had slightly higher expections but it could have maybe just been my mood, it wasn't bad by any means, I do wish I felt MORE emotionally connected to at least one of the three main characters but out of the three, the perspective that excited me most was Chase simply because she's a leopard and it was most interesting.
I did love to see how events intertwined with each other so early on, also to see some old (literally) characters again, we LOVE a namedrop/appearance in this household haha.
I'm slowly putting things together as to who the villain is and the series conflict, some events left me shocked, that ending and epilogue had me even more intrigued!
I had slightly higher expections but it could have maybe just been my mood, it wasn't bad by any means, I do wish I felt MORE emotionally connected to at least one of the three main characters but out of the three, the perspective that excited me most was Chase simply because she's a leopard and it was most interesting.
I did love to see how events intertwined with each other so early on, also to see some old (literally) characters again, we LOVE a namedrop/appearance in this household haha.
I'm slowly putting things together as to who the villain is and the series conflict, some events left me shocked, that ending and epilogue had me even more intrigued!
August 10, 2021
This is the second Bravelands arc. The authors have taken the probably sensible step of having an entirely new cast that aren't children of the old cast either. Some of the older characters appear but no longer seem to be the mains. So you probably don't need to read the first Bravelands series first to understand the book.
However, how does it compare to the first Bravelands series? Basically, compared to the first book of Bravelands 1, an exciting plot starts faster but the characterisation is worse. In the first Bravelands series, we were quickly invested in the main characters (or at least in Thorn and Fearless) because most of them had their own pre-existing goals and especially since they were in response to being treated unfairly, we sympathised with them trying to fulfil them, or at least wondered if they would. In this second series, the mains don't have their own goals. They are sort of just living their lives and then thrust into the plot vs the new bad characters. However the plot progresses quickly, and you are left wanting to read the second book. There's no resolution and you just have to wait.
Another thing that lacks in this book is that more worldbuilding happened in the animal societies and Bravelands overall in the first series. Meanwhile, the mains in this series don't have a very complex society. The gorillas don't have the complicated hierarchical society the baboons had in the first arc, the gazelles just live in a herd and the protagonist is made to leave almost immediately, and leopards live by themselves. Also, who turn out to be the bad characters in this first book is more predictable, compared to the first arc where the big reveal of the bad characters you may have guessed but could have been a genuine surprise. Anyone who already enjoyed the first Bravelands series should continue reading this one, but if you have never read them it's likely better to read the first series first instead, in the first Bravelands book of the first arc it took me longer to care about the plot but the overall characterisation and worldbuilding was better as I said.
As for people who enjoyed other Erin Hunter series like Warrior Cats, definitely give this one a go, it's likely the best spin-off series. I never read the dog series but other people's reviews never inspired me to do so, and I couldn't force myself to read past the first 3 books of the bear series. By contrast I have enjoyed Bravelands.
I'd probably give it 3.5 stars, but we can't give half stars here!
However, how does it compare to the first Bravelands series? Basically, compared to the first book of Bravelands 1, an exciting plot starts faster but the characterisation is worse. In the first Bravelands series, we were quickly invested in the main characters (or at least in Thorn and Fearless) because most of them had their own pre-existing goals and especially since they were in response to being treated unfairly, we sympathised with them trying to fulfil them, or at least wondered if they would. In this second series, the mains don't have their own goals. They are sort of just living their lives and then thrust into the plot vs the new bad characters. However the plot progresses quickly, and you are left wanting to read the second book. There's no resolution and you just have to wait.
Another thing that lacks in this book is that more worldbuilding happened in the animal societies and Bravelands overall in the first series. Meanwhile, the mains in this series don't have a very complex society. The gorillas don't have the complicated hierarchical society the baboons had in the first arc, the gazelles just live in a herd and the protagonist is made to leave almost immediately, and leopards live by themselves. Also, who turn out to be the bad characters in this first book is more predictable, compared to the first arc where the big reveal of the bad characters you may have guessed but could have been a genuine surprise. Anyone who already enjoyed the first Bravelands series should continue reading this one, but if you have never read them it's likely better to read the first series first instead, in the first Bravelands book of the first arc it took me longer to care about the plot but the overall characterisation and worldbuilding was better as I said.
As for people who enjoyed other Erin Hunter series like Warrior Cats, definitely give this one a go, it's likely the best spin-off series. I never read the dog series but other people's reviews never inspired me to do so, and I couldn't force myself to read past the first 3 books of the bear series. By contrast I have enjoyed Bravelands.
I'd probably give it 3.5 stars, but we can't give half stars here!
September 15, 2021
Shadows on the Mountain follows three new protagonists in the world of Bravelands. Bramble is a young gorilla who has started to notice his father acting in suspicious ways. Chase is a leopard who is trying to find her path while taking care of her orphaned cousin, Seek. Prance is a gazelle who has lost her shadow. She has been marked by the Great Spirit to die, yet she seems to be defying her fate.
This book does a great job at setting up the conflict that this series will follow. It does some work fleshing out the reptiles in the Bravelands. I would like to see them to be fleshed out a lot more in the upcoming books though. There is a lot of potential for their conflict with the mammals and birds to be fleshed out a lot more and I would like them to be more than just villains who do evil or scary things because they feel wronged.
We do get to see some old faces in this book for a few moments. The characters in the previous Bravelands arc have massively aged and I really appreciated that this new arc doesn't happen right after the first arc. I also liked the new characters in this arc. I actually hated Fearless in the previous arc, so I was really happy that I enjoyed all three main characters so far. Prance is the most interesting with her conflict of having to push against what she has been taught as a gazelle her entire life. I am also looking forward to seeing how Chase develops as the series continues.
This book does a great job at setting up the conflict that this series will follow. It does some work fleshing out the reptiles in the Bravelands. I would like to see them to be fleshed out a lot more in the upcoming books though. There is a lot of potential for their conflict with the mammals and birds to be fleshed out a lot more and I would like them to be more than just villains who do evil or scary things because they feel wronged.
We do get to see some old faces in this book for a few moments. The characters in the previous Bravelands arc have massively aged and I really appreciated that this new arc doesn't happen right after the first arc. I also liked the new characters in this arc. I actually hated Fearless in the previous arc, so I was really happy that I enjoyed all three main characters so far. Prance is the most interesting with her conflict of having to push against what she has been taught as a gazelle her entire life. I am also looking forward to seeing how Chase develops as the series continues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
A decent start to the new arc. If nothing else, this book introduces the villains nicely.
Bramble's plotline closely resembles Thorn's from the first half of the previous series. It borders on retreading, but we'll see if it takes a different turn in the next books. His is the least interesting for me, but there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with it. It's just a generic Erin Hunter plotline.
I wanted Chase to be my favorite--leopards are my favorite animal, after all--but found her story lacking. There's a lot of meandering, taking care of her baby cousin, and not doing much of anything in her chapters. But her ending was a decent enough hook, and I am cautiously excited for where her plotline will go in the next book.
Prance's plotline was the most intriguing, and probably my favorite. It had the best concept of the three plots: an antelope who no longer feels the mystical connection with her herd (the "us") and is thus cast out to die. Hers also included the integration of older characters into the story, which is (almost) always a fun time.
I want to be optimistic since this arc is confined to three books, so it won't be exhaustingly dragged out like the first arc was.
Bramble's plotline closely resembles Thorn's from the first half of the previous series. It borders on retreading, but we'll see if it takes a different turn in the next books. His is the least interesting for me, but there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with it. It's just a generic Erin Hunter plotline.
I wanted Chase to be my favorite--leopards are my favorite animal, after all--but found her story lacking. There's a lot of meandering, taking care of her baby cousin, and not doing much of anything in her chapters. But her ending was a decent enough hook, and I am cautiously excited for where her plotline will go in the next book.
Prance's plotline was the most intriguing, and probably my favorite. It had the best concept of the three plots: an antelope who no longer feels the mystical connection with her herd (the "us") and is thus cast out to die. Hers also included the integration of older characters into the story, which is (almost) always a fun time.
I want to be optimistic since this arc is confined to three books, so it won't be exhaustingly dragged out like the first arc was.
August 29, 2021
SO. GOOD.
Great start to the Curse of the Sandtongue arc! It has made me excited for the next book, and it has successfully captivated me with its characters and their separate journeys and struggles. My favorite of the three was Prance, I have a gut feeling that she'll become the Great Mother later on in the series, and I hope I'm right. Bramble's entire troop except him and his half-sister succumbing to snakes was interesting, and Chase's story didn't really become that riveting until Range stepped into the picture. And then it was me getting all pissed because Shadow and Seek were trying to tell Chase what was good for her and what wasn't. In the end, she was always going to figure out that Range succumbed to the snakes, so they should've allowed her to make her own choices. But all three of their stories were interesting by the end. Can't wait to read the next book!
Great start to the Curse of the Sandtongue arc! It has made me excited for the next book, and it has successfully captivated me with its characters and their separate journeys and struggles. My favorite of the three was Prance, I have a gut feeling that she'll become the Great Mother later on in the series, and I hope I'm right. Bramble's entire troop except him and his half-sister succumbing to snakes was interesting, and Chase's story didn't really become that riveting until Range stepped into the picture. And then it was me getting all pissed because Shadow and Seek were trying to tell Chase what was good for her and what wasn't. In the end, she was always going to figure out that Range succumbed to the snakes, so they should've allowed her to make her own choices. But all three of their stories were interesting by the end. Can't wait to read the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2021
Bravelands: Curse of the Sandtongue is the follow-up series to Bravelands, taking place many years after. Instead of Fearless the lion, Thorn the baboon and Sky the Elephant, the trio this time around is Bramble the gorilla, Chase the Leopard and Prance the Gazelle. I should note that in the first series, Fearless and Thorn were male, while Sky was female. That gets subverted here. Bramble is male, but Chase and Prance are both female. Shadows on the Mountain was a very good series opener. But as it is the first in a series, that means there's a whole new cast of characters that I had to aquatint myself with. This is a major reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5. That said, Bramble, Chase and Prance, plus the supporting characters. where all pretty interesting. And I look forward to reading more about them.
September 17, 2024
A five out of five on an Erin Hunter book? Who could have guessed!
But in all seriousness, i really enjoyed this book! It was really fun and intriguing.
I loved the way the cultures of the different animal groups were explored, I found that really interesting and creative. I like that the dynamics were drawn from real animal behavior, it felt very realistic!
All of the characters were very cool, I wasn’t bored by any of their points of view. My favorite was Chase, though, I loved her character growth and her relationship with Seek.
The mystery is very good and I like the fear there is with the snakes, but also that it’s never really revealed until the very end. A very cool concept, I think!
Overall, a fresh and interesting take from the Erin Hunters. I suggest checking it out!
But in all seriousness, i really enjoyed this book! It was really fun and intriguing.
I loved the way the cultures of the different animal groups were explored, I found that really interesting and creative. I like that the dynamics were drawn from real animal behavior, it felt very realistic!
All of the characters were very cool, I wasn’t bored by any of their points of view. My favorite was Chase, though, I loved her character growth and her relationship with Seek.
The mystery is very good and I like the fear there is with the snakes, but also that it’s never really revealed until the very end. A very cool concept, I think!
Overall, a fresh and interesting take from the Erin Hunters. I suggest checking it out!
June 30, 2021
It reads fine on its own but after having read Erin Hunter books for a decade now, (yes! A decade!) I’ve noticed a lot of similar patterns and repeated plot lines as her books went on. I feel like this book brings nothing different to the table for older fans, something that’s more of the same. It takes no risks and was pretty predictable but I can’t really get mad at it. It was still enjoyable and I would still recommend this to anyone looking for Bravelands’ next adventure. It falls probably in the middle for me ranking the Erin Hunter books and is definitely better than what Survivors: The Gathering Darkness brought to the table.
December 3, 2022
This is a fantastic YA novel. African animals are brought to life in a very vivid, natural way. These are not only talking animals, they are believable talking animals. The three primary characters, Bramble the male gorilla, Chase the female leopard, and Prance the female gazelle all have their own story arcs, but are destined to come together multiple times.
This is also an ongoing series of books, but this single entry is good enough to be worth reading totally out of order if you have time to read only one book.
I strongly recommend this book.
This is also an ongoing series of books, but this single entry is good enough to be worth reading totally out of order if you have time to read only one book.
I strongly recommend this book.
January 1, 2022
I loved this one. I found myself connecting to these characters just as much as I did with Sky, Fearless, and Thorn from the original Bravelands series. I also appreciated that there were character tie-ins from the original series.
I can’t decide whether I’m more invested in the Bramble storyline or the Chase storyline. I love that these books bring real wild animal survival struggles to life.
I can’t wait for the next one!
I can’t decide whether I’m more invested in the Bramble storyline or the Chase storyline. I love that these books bring real wild animal survival struggles to life.
I can’t wait for the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2022
Something sinister is invading the Bravelands, but what?
The sinister entity torments and destroys the bond of a prominent gorilla group; causes a young gazelle to be outcasted by her herd; and leopards to make bad and perilous decisions. Each struggle to find ways to save themselves, and save the honor of their kind.
The ending leaves way for a sequel, hinting at a promise for a renewed and prosperous life.
The sinister entity torments and destroys the bond of a prominent gorilla group; causes a young gazelle to be outcasted by her herd; and leopards to make bad and perilous decisions. Each struggle to find ways to save themselves, and save the honor of their kind.
The ending leaves way for a sequel, hinting at a promise for a renewed and prosperous life.
July 19, 2021
Maybe more like 3.5 stars. I always love Erin Hunter's writing style, and this book was fun and easy to get through. I didn't find the plot and characters as compelling as in the first Bravelands arc (or in Warriors), but I enjoyed getting to see the new cultures and world building. I look forward to the next book; hopefully Chase, Bramble, and Prance will grow on me more as the series goes on.
April 1, 2023
Honestly it’s okay pretty drawn out like the math lesson your teacher would give you in the sixth grade…but hey good ending ( love the cliffhangers) and we’ll written…. Kinda confusing with all the characters, but overall a good novel to read at night with your cookies and milk :) (review by my 12yr old daughter)
May 23, 2021
Disliking these shorter, unfinished reads
The money grubbing commenced a couple of books ago. They have no end; they just stop amidships. I love the series, but not this development.
The money grubbing commenced a couple of books ago. They have no end; they just stop amidships. I love the series, but not this development.
December 13, 2021
Honestly, this book was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed the plot, and it has a great setup, though the characters could have been fleshed out a tad better. I'm hoping for more cameos from the characters of the last arc as well!
May 30, 2021
This was a fun book and I am excited for what this series could do. I liked the characters better in the series before this but I might like these characters better when I read more books.
June 25, 2021
While highly predictable, there wasn't one moment I didn't enjoy in this book. It was one of those books where you don't realize you've been reading for hours. I liked it.
June 28, 2021
Great book!
Make the books a lot faster. They are all so good and fun to read! I love them so much!
Make the books a lot faster. They are all so good and fun to read! I love them so much!
October 30, 2021
I loved the new characters and getting to see more animals of Bravelands! Chase is my favourite of the protagonists and it was good to see Thorn in the epilogue.
March 4, 2022
Sucked in immediately.
April 9, 2022
The ending was intriguing. You will definitely want to read the next book after reading this .
December 1, 2023
3.75 stars
January 13, 2024
Very interesting, if you let yourself get caught up in the animal world and their adventures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews