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Bravelands: Thunder on the Plains #1
The Shattered Horn
A thrilling new arc in Erin Hunter's bestselling Bravelands series! Set in the African highlands and told from three different animals' points of view, this is a perfect adventure for dedicated fans and readers new to the Bravelands world.
Echo, a water buffalo, is chosen by the Great Spirit to lead after a horrific accident--but can't command the respect of any of his herd. Stride the cheetah is keeping secrets from his coalition that could get him killed for disloyalty. And Tailgrabber, a young hyena, is desperate to find peace between her clan and the lions of Noblepride--even though it marks a betrayal of the hyenas' longstanding allegiance to the Great Devourer.
As the structures that once guided their lives begin to crumble, can each of these three unlikely allies hold their own against the coming storm?
Full of epic adventure and thrilling intrigue, this adventure will thrill readers who love the Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire series, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who've made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenon.
Echo, a water buffalo, is chosen by the Great Spirit to lead after a horrific accident--but can't command the respect of any of his herd. Stride the cheetah is keeping secrets from his coalition that could get him killed for disloyalty. And Tailgrabber, a young hyena, is desperate to find peace between her clan and the lions of Noblepride--even though it marks a betrayal of the hyenas' longstanding allegiance to the Great Devourer.
As the structures that once guided their lives begin to crumble, can each of these three unlikely allies hold their own against the coming storm?
Full of epic adventure and thrilling intrigue, this adventure will thrill readers who love the Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire series, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who've made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenon.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2023
36 people are currently reading
2318 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 31 reviews
August 20, 2023
THIS. This is both what I missed and didn't know I needed all along: An arc with the luster of the first series that, instead, immediately throws us into the central theme without remorse - life, death, and the complex grieving processes there within that eventually should lead to acceptance, as well as what happens when this isn't achieved. It is brutal, and unforgiving, and I LOVE IT; not to mention the characters are well-written and LOGICAL while the building of lore and an ominous reckoning is crafted so delicately. I seriously haven't felt this way since I read the very first book, and even then that's a stretch. More please, Erins!!!
May 18, 2023
I think that this was an interesting start to this new arc of the Bravelands. I'm not opposed to side series like the Bravelands being reduced to trilogies, so I'm waiting to see how it goes. It might be better at avoiding stories from being dragged out for too long. There were a few issues that I had with the story, such as a the majority of Stride's story. I'm mostly interested in the stories of the hyena and the buffalos though.
October 18, 2025
I don't read a lot of the Erin Hunter books, mostly because I didn't like Warrior Cats. I know this would be considered a travesty to most people, but I had my reasons. I did always think the writers would have been better off writing for actual wild animals rather than trying to make domestic cats seem fiercer than they are.
I had a long car ride coming up, and as I was scrolling through Libby to find something to listen to, I came across this. I was kind of intrigued, and I decided to give it a chance. I give it somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars, as it was a good book and all three storylines were fairly compelling. But it's just not quite a four-star read for me. The characters are great and the pacing is perfect, but there are a few issues with the book that got to me and dragged my rating down a bit.
First, making hyenas the "evil" species. They're not explicitly so, but it's heavily implied. Especially since their god is called the Devourer, and they have names related to the harm they can cause to others (IE Hidetearer, Gutripper, et cetera), and I really just wish someone would write hyenas as the really amazing animals they are. I still like the hyena characters in this book, but I can't deny they are written as a stereotype.
Second, and this may be a silly nitpick, but the repeated references to the cheetahs sheathing and unsheathing their claws. I don't know... I thought it was pretty common knowledge that cheetahs are the one big cat that doesn't have sharp, retractable claws. Their claws are quite doglike and grippy so they can maintain good contact with the ground when they run. And I also know this is a fantasy world where things are different than real life, but since humans also inhabit this world, it's not so fantastical as to change one of the most interesting physical quirks about cheetahs. It's clear that this was an error in the writing that no one caught.
But I could really let that last thing go. After all, the world is full of talking animals and gods and strange mythical happenstances. One error does not a book make, but I still feel like if the writer researched cheetahs at all to write this book, that would have come up pretty early on.
As for the buffalo storyline, although I liked the overall plot, this one suffered from some easily-solvable formulaic problems. First, the main character is clearly the calf, Echo, but the POV is that of his big sister's, Whisper. I can't figure this one out. Whisper isn't particularly interesting on her own, but what happens around her is. Also, there's nothing that distinguishes Echo to the reader that he should be the next leader of the buffalo.
And that's a really important part of writing--even if the characters in the book don't understand something, the readers should have some sort of clue as to why that thing happens. The only information readers know of Echo is that he gets picked on by other buffalo in one single scene. There's nothing noble about him, and nothing to distinguish him among the hundreds of other buffalo in his herd. Had the story been written from his POV, the reader might have gotten some sort of clue as to why the story went in the direction it did.
I assume the buffalo in this story are cape buffalo--one of the most dangerous animals in Africa--based on the description of a boss forming on the head as the buffalo gets older, as well as the picture on the cover. If this is the case, it unfortunately looks like the writer didn't do their research on them, either.
One of the coolest thing about cape buffalo is that they are literally a democratic group of animals. The females will periodically face in the direction they wish to move, and once everyone has "voted," the herd will move in the direction most females want to go. They're certainly not led by a single male. Furthermore, large adult males tend to be solitary, while groups of bachelors will dwell around the female herds in the dry season. There is no huge male herd and huge female herd that come together before migration.
And yes, again, I know this is a fantasy world. I just think it's really cool to work with the actual biology and social behavior of animals, even when writing make-believe. Matriarchal systems are so cool, and while there is a hyena clan in this book, the writer had the opportunity to do it with the buffalo, too, and instead decided to make the odd choice of having a male lead the migration. The whole story could have been told with the main buffalo character, Whisper, as a chosen leader, who maybe introduced her herd to the democratic system actually followed in nature.
I do want to say, before someone accuses me of being picky or that kids wouldn't care, that I learned a lot of these facts as a kid. Kids eat animal facts for breakfast, especially the kind that read books about animals. I used to have those card packs that came in the mail once a month with animal facts all over them, and, well... You learn a lot that way. So I think if you're writing to kids, it's really important to get the facts right. 'cuz no one will get on you quicker than a child who's obsessed with animals.
The next few paragraphs contain heavy spoilers. Skip them if you need to.
I know that's a lot of "bad," but even after all that, there's a lot of GOOD to the story, too. The writing is excellent. To be fair, I listened to the audio version, and I liked the narrator, so this biases my feelings a little. But in my opinion, even though this is a children's book, it doesn't talk down to kids. It treats them as intelligent people who want to read books with compelling plots, and it provides those plots. There is human and wonder, but there is also strife and death, which are all handled in ways kids can relate to and understand.
Out of the three storylines, the one centered around Tailgrabber the hyena is probably my favorite, even though the writer treats hyenas a lot like other depictions of them. This clan does seem to have somewhat more honor than most, and are led by a deity called The Great Devourer... Which unfortunately doesn't help with the "evil" status. Even so, Tailgrabber is a compelling character, although I typically don't love "I'm not like the others" types. Why was she the only one who wanted peace? What drives her to that when she is just as hurt by the lions as the others? Did something happen in her past that would have led to this want for peace?
The buffalo storyline, despite its flaws, was also interesting, because there was actual effort to create a full culture around the animals. And while it does sort of ignore nature, there's still an effort to make what a lot of people might consider boring animals three-dimensional and whole. I found myself LIKING the way of choosing a leader. I liked that Murmur turned out to be more than just a male-crazy ditz.
I also do like that the Erins have gotten rid of the watered down euphemisms for things. IE "two-leg place" in the Warrior Cats books always rubbed me the wrong way. The cats had undoubtedly heard the word "human" before. so using the phrase two-leg seemed to treat readers like they were idiots. Conversely, in this book, things are called what they actually are. A copse of trees is a copse. A kopje is a kopje. Animals refer to other species as their species name (and not, like, "spottycat" or something equally silly.) I am not a fan of the animals choosing thing-names for themselves all the time... Where is the culture that encompasses names? Why must all characters be "Whisper" and "Holler" and "Fleet" and "Hidetearer"? But the names are at least... pleasing, and not the most boring of things like "Hoof" and "Fur" and the like.
In reading other reviews of this book, I did discover that to put out so many books, every book in the series is extremely formulaic and follows the same pattern, which does cause them to suffer in the realm of character development. And I can see this being the case, as it seems all three storylines feature the main character being bullied and then being inspired into action. I think if I'd read many other books by the Erins, I'd feel less likely to enjoy it.
In any case, I do plan to read the next book in this trilogy, and then the last when it comes out in October. I liked it enough that I'm curious, so I think that's at LEAST a solid 3 stars.
I had a long car ride coming up, and as I was scrolling through Libby to find something to listen to, I came across this. I was kind of intrigued, and I decided to give it a chance. I give it somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars, as it was a good book and all three storylines were fairly compelling. But it's just not quite a four-star read for me. The characters are great and the pacing is perfect, but there are a few issues with the book that got to me and dragged my rating down a bit.
First, making hyenas the "evil" species. They're not explicitly so, but it's heavily implied. Especially since their god is called the Devourer, and they have names related to the harm they can cause to others (IE Hidetearer, Gutripper, et cetera), and I really just wish someone would write hyenas as the really amazing animals they are. I still like the hyena characters in this book, but I can't deny they are written as a stereotype.
Second, and this may be a silly nitpick, but the repeated references to the cheetahs sheathing and unsheathing their claws. I don't know... I thought it was pretty common knowledge that cheetahs are the one big cat that doesn't have sharp, retractable claws. Their claws are quite doglike and grippy so they can maintain good contact with the ground when they run. And I also know this is a fantasy world where things are different than real life, but since humans also inhabit this world, it's not so fantastical as to change one of the most interesting physical quirks about cheetahs. It's clear that this was an error in the writing that no one caught.
But I could really let that last thing go. After all, the world is full of talking animals and gods and strange mythical happenstances. One error does not a book make, but I still feel like if the writer researched cheetahs at all to write this book, that would have come up pretty early on.
As for the buffalo storyline, although I liked the overall plot, this one suffered from some easily-solvable formulaic problems. First, the main character is clearly the calf, Echo, but the POV is that of his big sister's, Whisper. I can't figure this one out. Whisper isn't particularly interesting on her own, but what happens around her is. Also, there's nothing that distinguishes Echo to the reader that he should be the next leader of the buffalo.
And that's a really important part of writing--even if the characters in the book don't understand something, the readers should have some sort of clue as to why that thing happens. The only information readers know of Echo is that he gets picked on by other buffalo in one single scene. There's nothing noble about him, and nothing to distinguish him among the hundreds of other buffalo in his herd. Had the story been written from his POV, the reader might have gotten some sort of clue as to why the story went in the direction it did.
I assume the buffalo in this story are cape buffalo--one of the most dangerous animals in Africa--based on the description of a boss forming on the head as the buffalo gets older, as well as the picture on the cover. If this is the case, it unfortunately looks like the writer didn't do their research on them, either.
One of the coolest thing about cape buffalo is that they are literally a democratic group of animals. The females will periodically face in the direction they wish to move, and once everyone has "voted," the herd will move in the direction most females want to go. They're certainly not led by a single male. Furthermore, large adult males tend to be solitary, while groups of bachelors will dwell around the female herds in the dry season. There is no huge male herd and huge female herd that come together before migration.
And yes, again, I know this is a fantasy world. I just think it's really cool to work with the actual biology and social behavior of animals, even when writing make-believe. Matriarchal systems are so cool, and while there is a hyena clan in this book, the writer had the opportunity to do it with the buffalo, too, and instead decided to make the odd choice of having a male lead the migration. The whole story could have been told with the main buffalo character, Whisper, as a chosen leader, who maybe introduced her herd to the democratic system actually followed in nature.
I do want to say, before someone accuses me of being picky or that kids wouldn't care, that I learned a lot of these facts as a kid. Kids eat animal facts for breakfast, especially the kind that read books about animals. I used to have those card packs that came in the mail once a month with animal facts all over them, and, well... You learn a lot that way. So I think if you're writing to kids, it's really important to get the facts right. 'cuz no one will get on you quicker than a child who's obsessed with animals.
The next few paragraphs contain heavy spoilers. Skip them if you need to.
I know that's a lot of "bad," but even after all that, there's a lot of GOOD to the story, too. The writing is excellent. To be fair, I listened to the audio version, and I liked the narrator, so this biases my feelings a little. But in my opinion, even though this is a children's book, it doesn't talk down to kids. It treats them as intelligent people who want to read books with compelling plots, and it provides those plots. There is human and wonder, but there is also strife and death, which are all handled in ways kids can relate to and understand.
Out of the three storylines, the one centered around Tailgrabber the hyena is probably my favorite, even though the writer treats hyenas a lot like other depictions of them. This clan does seem to have somewhat more honor than most, and are led by a deity called The Great Devourer... Which unfortunately doesn't help with the "evil" status. Even so, Tailgrabber is a compelling character, although I typically don't love "I'm not like the others" types. Why was she the only one who wanted peace? What drives her to that when she is just as hurt by the lions as the others? Did something happen in her past that would have led to this want for peace?
The buffalo storyline, despite its flaws, was also interesting, because there was actual effort to create a full culture around the animals. And while it does sort of ignore nature, there's still an effort to make what a lot of people might consider boring animals three-dimensional and whole. I found myself LIKING the way of choosing a leader. I liked that Murmur turned out to be more than just a male-crazy ditz.
I also do like that the Erins have gotten rid of the watered down euphemisms for things. IE "two-leg place" in the Warrior Cats books always rubbed me the wrong way. The cats had undoubtedly heard the word "human" before. so using the phrase two-leg seemed to treat readers like they were idiots. Conversely, in this book, things are called what they actually are. A copse of trees is a copse. A kopje is a kopje. Animals refer to other species as their species name (and not, like, "spottycat" or something equally silly.) I am not a fan of the animals choosing thing-names for themselves all the time... Where is the culture that encompasses names? Why must all characters be "Whisper" and "Holler" and "Fleet" and "Hidetearer"? But the names are at least... pleasing, and not the most boring of things like "Hoof" and "Fur" and the like.
In reading other reviews of this book, I did discover that to put out so many books, every book in the series is extremely formulaic and follows the same pattern, which does cause them to suffer in the realm of character development. And I can see this being the case, as it seems all three storylines feature the main character being bullied and then being inspired into action. I think if I'd read many other books by the Erins, I'd feel less likely to enjoy it.
In any case, I do plan to read the next book in this trilogy, and then the last when it comes out in October. I liked it enough that I'm curious, so I think that's at LEAST a solid 3 stars.
Read
November 9, 2024I like the hyenas
August 8, 2025
"The purpose of life is a mystery that most creatures never solve, but that doesn't mean it is worthless." (p. 263)
There's a lot of death and questioning the meaning of death and life in this book. This theme is showed through three separate characters/creatures/cultures (as all Bravelands books are).
While I enjoyed all of the POV's, Stride the cheetah's chapters rank the lowest for me, but not because of his characterization or storyline. His relationship with his brother, Fleet, and his budding romance with Flicker are fantastic, and so is his part in building the theme--he questions what the point of life is if it always leads to death. When he loses his self-proclaimed "reason for living," we see how he dwells on the deaths and clings to them, either wishing for some way to reverse it or for some way to "get even" with Death for having taken them. Where my issues lie are in the inaccuracies surrounding his species. Cheetahs do not have retractable claws, they do not live in trees, they cannot roar, and they do not typically live in coalitions (aside from those made up of relatives, i.e. brothers who stick together once their mother moves on). Stride's coalition is made up of four unrelated males led by a sort of alpha-male cheetah... which was very odd. This is portrayed as normal in the book, though.
Tailgrabber the hyena is probably my favorite of the trio. She's a weirdo amongst her kind (who unlike Stride is supposed to be an outcast) who struggles with killing and the idea of death. In hyena culture, it seems that when an animal dies, it's treated as though it was never a living thing. It is only food or a pile of fur. The hyenas are very flippant about the concept of death, which makes them the most interesting to me.
The final character, Whisper the buffalo, is the most middling. As a character, she's the stereotypical "good guy," which is needed when the other two members of the cast are carnivores so are treated villainously in several instances, but also makes her a bit boring to read about. The buffalo's role in the theme is also the most middling, as they are accepting of those who must die, they grieve for them, but they also do not look back. We first see this through flashbacks of Whisper's mother who was too weak after giving birth to continue on the migration, so was left behind to die. She accepts her fate, the herd accepts her fate, but they all still grieve over her loss.
Overall, there's a lot of deep stuff going on in this book that I hadn't expected going in. I think the theme is handled very well, and I look forward to the sequels. It would be 5-stars, but I have to dock a star for the bad cheetah research/representation.
There's a lot of death and questioning the meaning of death and life in this book. This theme is showed through three separate characters/creatures/cultures (as all Bravelands books are).
While I enjoyed all of the POV's, Stride the cheetah's chapters rank the lowest for me, but not because of his characterization or storyline. His relationship with his brother, Fleet, and his budding romance with Flicker are fantastic, and so is his part in building the theme--he questions what the point of life is if it always leads to death. When he loses his self-proclaimed "reason for living," we see how he dwells on the deaths and clings to them, either wishing for some way to reverse it or for some way to "get even" with Death for having taken them. Where my issues lie are in the inaccuracies surrounding his species. Cheetahs do not have retractable claws, they do not live in trees, they cannot roar, and they do not typically live in coalitions (aside from those made up of relatives, i.e. brothers who stick together once their mother moves on). Stride's coalition is made up of four unrelated males led by a sort of alpha-male cheetah... which was very odd. This is portrayed as normal in the book, though.
Tailgrabber the hyena is probably my favorite of the trio. She's a weirdo amongst her kind (who unlike Stride is supposed to be an outcast) who struggles with killing and the idea of death. In hyena culture, it seems that when an animal dies, it's treated as though it was never a living thing. It is only food or a pile of fur. The hyenas are very flippant about the concept of death, which makes them the most interesting to me.
The final character, Whisper the buffalo, is the most middling. As a character, she's the stereotypical "good guy," which is needed when the other two members of the cast are carnivores so are treated villainously in several instances, but also makes her a bit boring to read about. The buffalo's role in the theme is also the most middling, as they are accepting of those who must die, they grieve for them, but they also do not look back. We first see this through flashbacks of Whisper's mother who was too weak after giving birth to continue on the migration, so was left behind to die. She accepts her fate, the herd accepts her fate, but they all still grieve over her loss.
Overall, there's a lot of deep stuff going on in this book that I hadn't expected going in. I think the theme is handled very well, and I look forward to the sequels. It would be 5-stars, but I have to dock a star for the bad cheetah research/representation.
May 19, 2023
Actual rating 3.5 stars
Not perfect or anything, but I think so far this is my favorite first installment in a Bravelands arc. This time around I actually genuinely like all of our main characters (they're more distinct, too) and the conflicts, while so far pretty separate, are all interesting. I do wish there was a little more cohesion with the three conflicts (they only really overlap once in the entire book), but so far it is a pretty promising start. I'm also very glad to finally have a hyena protagonist in an Erin Hunter book, a xenofiction rarity!
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
Not perfect or anything, but I think so far this is my favorite first installment in a Bravelands arc. This time around I actually genuinely like all of our main characters (they're more distinct, too) and the conflicts, while so far pretty separate, are all interesting. I do wish there was a little more cohesion with the three conflicts (they only really overlap once in the entire book), but so far it is a pretty promising start. I'm also very glad to finally have a hyena protagonist in an Erin Hunter book, a xenofiction rarity!
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
Read
August 4, 2025woohoo bravelands arc 3 here I come
May 21, 2023
I like this book way more than the second arc, and the first one. I liked the first one up to a point until it started to drag and Thorn's group was getting incredibly annoying to deal with. I did like it though, especially involving the predator animals. I didn't care for the second arc which consisted of a gazelle, leopard, and mountain gorilla. I found the plot sort of tedious. This series I like way better than the rest. It seems to include more realistic ways animals would interact with the environment and each other, based on their species. Some things like herd behavior, cheetahs forming coalitions, hyenas not being scavengers, and how animals might react to each other. they do a better job at it than in the other series, I think.
Now for the characters, they don't have definable personalities that really make them stand out, at least not yet. I guess Whisper is stubborn and also smart. Tailgrabber is smart and also cares at a deeper level than her clan mates, while also containing a level of insecurity until she is banished. Stride is headstrong and I guess idealistic. There are a bunch of deaths that surprised me and circumstances that I thought would pan out differently. I thought Tailgrabber would befriend the lioness she first encounters and realize that they need to stop the fighting between the lions and hyenas. Nope, she kills the lion in the end. That was a little unrealistic. Despite hyenas having an extremely strong bite and being fairly large, a single hyena is no match for a lioness. But it was to show how Tailgrabber feels she has earned her self proclaimed name Breathstealer.
The plot line for the buffalo were my least favorite. The books in the series Erin Hunter (pen name) writes always have a whole group be jerks to the main protagonist that makes me think, why do they want to save them. I do like how it shows some of them are jerks, but the rest of them are just confused and want to rely on authority to feel safe. At least not all of them were bad, most are just trying to be civil and get by. Unlike the Survivors: The Gathering Darkness arc which I didn't enjoy at all.
I don't really like how Stride's mate dies. Not because it's sad, but because it was not really explained. She died I guess because she ran too fast? I don't know, the whole situation with Flicker was kind of confusing. She was seeing visions like him and also her outrunning death didn't make sense. Why was death just after her? Why did she die? When you die from overexertion I don't think you guzzle blood out of your mouth and ears. So I don't know why she died like that, but I'm pretty sure it was to move the plot forward so Stride would have a reason to abandon his dream of getting his own turf in order to do what the Great Mother says without complaint. I'm guessing he'll be Echo's (who survived the fall into the river) bodyguard to get him back to Whisper and then the herd, who are leaving on their migration.
I remember way more details of this book than the other two series, so it's nice I got invested in the series to remember it. Not like other series or books where it goes into my brain and then just goes right out a week later. I am actually interested in how this pans out and it surprised me that the story is engaging me this time than the last two arcs. I'm pretty sure it'll be underrated (if it keeps at this caliber) and overlooked in the Erin Hunter community. Warrior Cats is still the main attraction. Maybe Brave lands will get some attention.
Now for the characters, they don't have definable personalities that really make them stand out, at least not yet. I guess Whisper is stubborn and also smart. Tailgrabber is smart and also cares at a deeper level than her clan mates, while also containing a level of insecurity until she is banished. Stride is headstrong and I guess idealistic. There are a bunch of deaths that surprised me and circumstances that I thought would pan out differently. I thought Tailgrabber would befriend the lioness she first encounters and realize that they need to stop the fighting between the lions and hyenas. Nope, she kills the lion in the end. That was a little unrealistic. Despite hyenas having an extremely strong bite and being fairly large, a single hyena is no match for a lioness. But it was to show how Tailgrabber feels she has earned her self proclaimed name Breathstealer.
The plot line for the buffalo were my least favorite. The books in the series Erin Hunter (pen name) writes always have a whole group be jerks to the main protagonist that makes me think, why do they want to save them. I do like how it shows some of them are jerks, but the rest of them are just confused and want to rely on authority to feel safe. At least not all of them were bad, most are just trying to be civil and get by. Unlike the Survivors: The Gathering Darkness arc which I didn't enjoy at all.
I don't really like how Stride's mate dies. Not because it's sad, but because it was not really explained. She died I guess because she ran too fast? I don't know, the whole situation with Flicker was kind of confusing. She was seeing visions like him and also her outrunning death didn't make sense. Why was death just after her? Why did she die? When you die from overexertion I don't think you guzzle blood out of your mouth and ears. So I don't know why she died like that, but I'm pretty sure it was to move the plot forward so Stride would have a reason to abandon his dream of getting his own turf in order to do what the Great Mother says without complaint. I'm guessing he'll be Echo's (who survived the fall into the river) bodyguard to get him back to Whisper and then the herd, who are leaving on their migration.
I remember way more details of this book than the other two series, so it's nice I got invested in the series to remember it. Not like other series or books where it goes into my brain and then just goes right out a week later. I am actually interested in how this pans out and it surprised me that the story is engaging me this time than the last two arcs. I'm pretty sure it'll be underrated (if it keeps at this caliber) and overlooked in the Erin Hunter community. Warrior Cats is still the main attraction. Maybe Brave lands will get some attention.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2023
In 20 years, "Erin Hunter" has had 396 books published (almost 2 books per month, every month). The name is used for a collective of writers (currently eight writers). The copyright page of the books credits "Working Partners LTD".
The writing group's first (and probably best known) series is the Warrior Cat series (about domestic cats living in the wild), which currently has 121 books and is still ongoing. They have also written series about dogs, Asian animals, and most recently African animals.
I had read a couple of the early Warrior Cat books, until I saw how formulaic they are: A group of young animals are chosen to save the world. Six books later, they have saved the world and the next generation has to save it again.
I picked up The Shattered Horn out of curiosity. After 20 years and almost 400 books, would the authors be following the same formula?
Yep. (They've published almost 400 books, so I guess why change what's clearly working?)
Shattered Horn had three stories woven together. A cheetah named Swift found a mate, a hyena named Tailgrabber was trying to find her place in the world, and a buffalo named Whisper was trying to protect her family.
All three of the storylines were interesting, though I really, really wish the author had done even basic research into the animals she was writing about. The cheetah in the story had retractable claws, roared, and slept in trees... The hyenas were "stereotypical" Hollywood hyenas (no morals, brutal, laughed all the time). I don't know enough about African buffalo to say if the author was off about any of their traits.
The cheetah's (Swift's) story was the best of the three. He started out in a coalition with other males, found a mate, and we got a nice view of life on the African savannah.
The hyena's (Cub's/Tailgrabber's/Breathstealer's) story was more magical (sort of), and so less interesting to me. She kept having visions of the future and she just didn't fit in with her clan.
The buffalo's (Whisper's) story was fine. The bad guy was only believable if you gave him human traits, so that worked less for me, but I still enjoyed those chapters.
The book ended with those three young animals being set up to (wait for it...) save the world. The same formula as the 400 previous books. But even with that, I'd go on to the second book if it were published already, but it doesn't come out until 2024. I'll probably forget this series by then.
The writing group's first (and probably best known) series is the Warrior Cat series (about domestic cats living in the wild), which currently has 121 books and is still ongoing. They have also written series about dogs, Asian animals, and most recently African animals.
I had read a couple of the early Warrior Cat books, until I saw how formulaic they are: A group of young animals are chosen to save the world. Six books later, they have saved the world and the next generation has to save it again.
I picked up The Shattered Horn out of curiosity. After 20 years and almost 400 books, would the authors be following the same formula?
Yep. (They've published almost 400 books, so I guess why change what's clearly working?)
Shattered Horn had three stories woven together. A cheetah named Swift found a mate, a hyena named Tailgrabber was trying to find her place in the world, and a buffalo named Whisper was trying to protect her family.
All three of the storylines were interesting, though I really, really wish the author had done even basic research into the animals she was writing about. The cheetah in the story had retractable claws, roared, and slept in trees... The hyenas were "stereotypical" Hollywood hyenas (no morals, brutal, laughed all the time). I don't know enough about African buffalo to say if the author was off about any of their traits.
The cheetah's (Swift's) story was the best of the three. He started out in a coalition with other males, found a mate, and we got a nice view of life on the African savannah.
The hyena's (Cub's/Tailgrabber's/Breathstealer's) story was more magical (sort of), and so less interesting to me. She kept having visions of the future and she just didn't fit in with her clan.
The buffalo's (Whisper's) story was fine. The bad guy was only believable if you gave him human traits, so that worked less for me, but I still enjoyed those chapters.
The book ended with those three young animals being set up to (wait for it...) save the world. The same formula as the 400 previous books. But even with that, I'd go on to the second book if it were published already, but it doesn't come out until 2024. I'll probably forget this series by then.
November 16, 2023
Bravelands: The Shattered Horn, Book 1: The Shattered Horn is the 1st book in the Bravelands: Thunder on the Plains series, which is the 3rd arc in the Erin Hunter's Bravelands universe. The original series, just called Bravelands, followed Erin Hunter's formula of a 6-book series. But the 2nd arc, Bravelands: Curse of the Sandtongue had just 3 books in it. Only time will tell how many books are in Bravelands: Thunder on the Plains.
Like all of the previous Bravelands books, this 1 follows 3 African animals. They are an African buffalo, a cheetah and a hyena. The cheetah is a male named Stride. The hyena is a female named Tailgrabber. I should explain the situation with the buffalo, because it confused me at first. The book's description introduced Echo, a young male calf. But the buffalo chapters of the book were written from the POV of a young female buffalo named Whisper, who is Echo's sister. And at one point, it's made to seem as if Echo died. But the Epilogue reveals that he survived. I hope the remaining books are actually written from Echo's POV.
At the beginning of the book, Stride is in a Coalition with other newly-adult male cheetahs. This is something that actually happens in nature, and it was a surprise to me, because I had always heard that cheetahs were largely solitary animals, with the exceptions of males and females coming together to mate, or mothers with small cubs. Stride often goes off to feed his brother, Fleet, who was badly injured. He finds love with a female cheetah named Flicker. Don't become too attached Fleet and Flicker, however, because they both die. Luckily for Stride, he winds up befriending a honey badger named Stonehide.
Tailgrabber the hyena goes against her clan and their spiritual figure, the Great Devouerer, by tempting to foster a peace with the lions of Noblepride. This book was a pretty good start to a new series, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Like all of the previous Bravelands books, this 1 follows 3 African animals. They are an African buffalo, a cheetah and a hyena. The cheetah is a male named Stride. The hyena is a female named Tailgrabber. I should explain the situation with the buffalo, because it confused me at first. The book's description introduced Echo, a young male calf. But the buffalo chapters of the book were written from the POV of a young female buffalo named Whisper, who is Echo's sister. And at one point, it's made to seem as if Echo died. But the Epilogue reveals that he survived. I hope the remaining books are actually written from Echo's POV.
At the beginning of the book, Stride is in a Coalition with other newly-adult male cheetahs. This is something that actually happens in nature, and it was a surprise to me, because I had always heard that cheetahs were largely solitary animals, with the exceptions of males and females coming together to mate, or mothers with small cubs. Stride often goes off to feed his brother, Fleet, who was badly injured. He finds love with a female cheetah named Flicker. Don't become too attached Fleet and Flicker, however, because they both die. Luckily for Stride, he winds up befriending a honey badger named Stonehide.
Tailgrabber the hyena goes against her clan and their spiritual figure, the Great Devouerer, by tempting to foster a peace with the lions of Noblepride. This book was a pretty good start to a new series, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2023
I loved the book. I adore how the setting expands with each new arc of Bravelands and the additions to the lore feel both fascinating and consistent with what was already established.
We get the trio of the new protagonists: Stride, the Cheetah, Whisper, the Water Buffalo and Tailgrabber the Hyena. All three are the new species for the series and bring their own unique mythology. The characters feel very fresh, bringing the new dynamics and new personalities.
Tailgrabber is my favourite, a hyena eager to prove herself and earn the respect of her society, but everything she tries seems to fail. Her struggles and dreams reasonated with me, as did the mystery that is being built around her.
Strides struggles with the allegiances to his coalition. While his heart is in the right place, it becomes progressively more difficult for him to do what's right without being exposed and endangered by his actions. And it seems like the death is on his heels - pretty literally...
Whisper is the least interesting. She is caretaker of Echo and her role in the book is to witness the development of the plot and major events. She seems similar to Bramble and Sky from previous arcs in this regards, but I like her more than both of them. Despite not having much agency, I still found her likeable.
The villain of the book definitely feels like the weakest aspect of the book - but the book implies that there are greater forces at play, so I'm still hopeful for how this aspect will develop.
Overall, I'm really impressed by the characters, the overall storyline and I'm eagerly expecting the second book of the arc.
We get the trio of the new protagonists: Stride, the Cheetah, Whisper, the Water Buffalo and Tailgrabber the Hyena. All three are the new species for the series and bring their own unique mythology. The characters feel very fresh, bringing the new dynamics and new personalities.
Tailgrabber is my favourite, a hyena eager to prove herself and earn the respect of her society, but everything she tries seems to fail. Her struggles and dreams reasonated with me, as did the mystery that is being built around her.
Strides struggles with the allegiances to his coalition. While his heart is in the right place, it becomes progressively more difficult for him to do what's right without being exposed and endangered by his actions. And it seems like the death is on his heels - pretty literally...
Whisper is the least interesting. She is caretaker of Echo and her role in the book is to witness the development of the plot and major events. She seems similar to Bramble and Sky from previous arcs in this regards, but I like her more than both of them. Despite not having much agency, I still found her likeable.
The villain of the book definitely feels like the weakest aspect of the book - but the book implies that there are greater forces at play, so I'm still hopeful for how this aspect will develop.
Overall, I'm really impressed by the characters, the overall storyline and I'm eagerly expecting the second book of the arc.
August 22, 2024
"Her little brother’s corpse spun for a moment longer, and then the river current caught it, like a mother nudging a hesitant calf, and gently carried it away."
This. Considering that he ends up being alive, the narrator who is a reliable narrator and an objective one tells a complete lie to deceive the audience. Considering the narrator has told everything from an objective standpoint until now, they retconned an important event...just because. He's dead, the narrator should've said 'body' and not 'corpse.' Then it still makes sense that they act like he's dead even if the narrator leaves it uncertain. This takes off two stars from my review 🦬
The other star is taken off for the significant theme of death being overdone, even if it is intentional. The writing style of this book is still leagues better than it's predecessor (which I wrote a far more aggressive review for), but the overlapping theme of death negates very meaningful relationships that the main characters can have. Fleet and Flicker don't really matter to me because I could expect their deaths from a mile away, and they didn't have enough time to develop for me to care about them.
Writing style is far more promising this time around, so hopefully the second book will be better 🦬
This. Considering that he ends up being alive, the narrator who is a reliable narrator and an objective one tells a complete lie to deceive the audience. Considering the narrator has told everything from an objective standpoint until now, they retconned an important event...just because. He's dead, the narrator should've said 'body' and not 'corpse.' Then it still makes sense that they act like he's dead even if the narrator leaves it uncertain. This takes off two stars from my review 🦬
The other star is taken off for the significant theme of death being overdone, even if it is intentional. The writing style of this book is still leagues better than it's predecessor (which I wrote a far more aggressive review for), but the overlapping theme of death negates very meaningful relationships that the main characters can have. Fleet and Flicker don't really matter to me because I could expect their deaths from a mile away, and they didn't have enough time to develop for me to care about them.
Writing style is far more promising this time around, so hopefully the second book will be better 🦬
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2023
A huge dip in quality
Bravelands is my favourite of the Erin Hunter books, so I'm heartbroken at what a sloppy mess this book was. Typos everywhere, basic animal facts wrong (did the author do ANY research whatsoever?), inconsistent names, obscene amounts of ellipses, and clumsy, awkward prose that could become almost incomprehensible, especially in action scenes. Was this book even edited? It read more like a fan-fiction than an official Erin Hunter book, right down to the ridiculous amount of time spent on a melodramatic love-triangle that had nothing to do with the rest of the story.
The plot itself is decent; I imagine a better writer on the team created the outline. It’s a shame it was let down by such godawful, amateurish writing. So disappointed that such a good series is being treated like this.
Bravelands is my favourite of the Erin Hunter books, so I'm heartbroken at what a sloppy mess this book was. Typos everywhere, basic animal facts wrong (did the author do ANY research whatsoever?), inconsistent names, obscene amounts of ellipses, and clumsy, awkward prose that could become almost incomprehensible, especially in action scenes. Was this book even edited? It read more like a fan-fiction than an official Erin Hunter book, right down to the ridiculous amount of time spent on a melodramatic love-triangle that had nothing to do with the rest of the story.
The plot itself is decent; I imagine a better writer on the team created the outline. It’s a shame it was let down by such godawful, amateurish writing. So disappointed that such a good series is being treated like this.
August 20, 2023
This first book in the third Bravelands arc introduces us to three new protagonists: Whisper the buffalo, Stride the cheetah, and my favourite, Tailgrabber the hyena. It was a fun read that kept my attention, but the authors felt the need to write a quicksand scene for some reason. This is, of course, a huge pet peeve of mine because 1. it is highly overused in stories and 2. it is impossible for an animal to become completely submerged in quicksand, a fact that is often ignored. I did like the twist in the epilogue though and am looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series.
May 3, 2024
This is my second time reading this book, and it was even more enjoyable than the first time. I read the 2nd book in the arc, Breakers of the Code, and then i realized i didn't remember why certain things had happened, and also i loved the 2nd one, so i wanted to start the entire arc over. It doesn't bode well for my personal and impossible goal of completing all erin hunter books. I should be reading The Rise Of Scourge! But it's hard not to adore all of the bravelands characters. And there is a lot going on! 😆
January 23, 2024
I always look forward to the newest Erin Hunter book, but a continuation of the Bravelands series?!?! SIGN ME UP!!!
This one felt kind of darker and heavier then the former ones. And not in a bad way at all!! I rather liked the discussion on how theres more to life then just surviving and rediscovering one's purpose.
Cant wait for the 2nd book!
(Also *SQUEAL* I've been hoping there would be a hyena main character so YAYYYYY)
This one felt kind of darker and heavier then the former ones. And not in a bad way at all!! I rather liked the discussion on how theres more to life then just surviving and rediscovering one's purpose.
Cant wait for the 2nd book!
(Also *SQUEAL* I've been hoping there would be a hyena main character so YAYYYYY)
January 26, 2024
Bravelands is one of those series that are extremely underrated. All the books are filled with action and intrigue, yet, it always goes under people's radars. I was a bit disappointed when Bravelands' second series was reduced to just three books, but in the end, it worked out amazingly.
This new installment in the series takes place many years and generations after the battle with Grandmother.
This new installment in the series takes place many years and generations after the battle with Grandmother.
August 31, 2023
I had a hard time following. So many different things going on at once. With a series like this, would make more sense to stick to the POV of the Buffalo and go more In depth in that instead of skimming the surface of several characters.
September 11, 2025
I find it has a relatively slow start, but it’s okay!
I love Tail’grabber/Breath’stealer’s point of view so much! Her personality and fate binds together with the cruel nature of a hyena in a spellbinding way.
Also admire Stonehide’s personality and character!😄🦡
I love Tail’grabber/Breath’stealer’s point of view so much! Her personality and fate binds together with the cruel nature of a hyena in a spellbinding way.
Also admire Stonehide’s personality and character!😄🦡
April 14, 2023
this book was trash and i wish i did not spend 4 hours of my life reading it, it was a major waste of my time.
May 13, 2023
I love this new saga! Erin Hunter has no problem killing off main to semi main character but none the less, I’m looking forward to the second one!
Want to read
January 4, 2024SM
April 5, 2024
This is a great book by Erin Hunter.
September 22, 2024
Cows plotting murder. Hyenas worshipping Satan. Kitties stealing each other's girls.
February 1, 2025
4.6
I really liked this book, it was tragic yet interesting!!🩷🩷🩷
I really liked this book, it was tragic yet interesting!!🩷🩷🩷
August 19, 2025
The BEST one yet! Except for one inexcusable error: cheetahs don’t have retractable claws!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2025
It was okay. I'm more into the warrior cat series but this wasn't a bad read. I only give it 2 stars because it was okay and it would probably be one I wont miss if I never pick it up again.
May 2, 2024
I'm a big warrior cats fan. At first, I didn't want to venture into another series that has multiple books, especially since the first series only had lions on the covers. I didn't realize other animals like hyenas, elephants, and honey badgers would be involved, so now I've been drawn into another huge series, but I have no regrets!
Tropes: Animal Religion, Artistic License with Biology, Bully, Cool Old Lady, Sees Visions, Live by the Code
Things I liked: I loved the hyenas! Finally, some good representation for them!
All the main characters have really interesting story arcs going on, I'm super interested to see how they connect to each other.
The descriptions are very detailed, I love seeing the cool characters come to life, more animals makes everything really interesting, especially since they won't always understand each other's motives at first and have to try harder to understand each other and work together.
Things I disliked: There's a lot of power-hungry characters, I wish they would just leave my guys alone!
Audiobook or Physical? Audiobook was really good! I feel James Fouhey does an excellent job of expressing the characters' inner selves with his narration.
If any animals are abused, die, or are killed in this book, all the characters are animals, so there are some deaths, but going into details would spoil the story.
Extras: Stride, Whisper, and Breath Stealers POV
Tropes: Animal Religion, Artistic License with Biology, Bully, Cool Old Lady, Sees Visions, Live by the Code
Things I liked: I loved the hyenas! Finally, some good representation for them!
All the main characters have really interesting story arcs going on, I'm super interested to see how they connect to each other.
The descriptions are very detailed, I love seeing the cool characters come to life, more animals makes everything really interesting, especially since they won't always understand each other's motives at first and have to try harder to understand each other and work together.
Things I disliked: There's a lot of power-hungry characters, I wish they would just leave my guys alone!
Audiobook or Physical? Audiobook was really good! I feel James Fouhey does an excellent job of expressing the characters' inner selves with his narration.
If any animals are abused, die, or are killed in this book, all the characters are animals, so there are some deaths, but going into details would spoil the story.
Extras: Stride, Whisper, and Breath Stealers POV
July 12, 2025
Spoilers, kinda?
This is a solid four stars for me, and that is very surprising. I still think Bravelands would have worked better if they had just ended the series after the first arc, but alas. I’ve given up on that hope. They’re going to keep writing these books until they stop making money I suppose.
In terms of the actual story, this one is far more interesting to me than the last arc (which wasn’t bad, just extremely predictable), especially in terms of villains. In this book we seem to have several smaller villains, and possibly an overarching “big bad” that’s actually some ‘higher power’. (The Great Devourer is mentioned a LOT, as a bit of an antithesis for the Great Spirit; and the fact that Death is capitalized in this book is curious to me, but I could be overthinking it). While I was initially put off by the large time skip, after reading the book I think it was a much needed breath of fresh air.
Now if only Warriors would do that with their next series, and just have all new characters so everyone can actually have a personality instead of being a cardboard cutout. . .
The issues are all typical Erin Hunter flaws. No real character development that isn’t immediately resolved (I guess Breathstealer had some? Ten bucks says that’ll be out the window in the next one), all the characters feel the same, the herd (also known as pack, clan, coalition, group, tribe, etc. in Erin’s other books) are all annoying and have no personality aside from gullibility and suspicions that only show up when it’s convenient, I guess. And some other minor things. A pretty solid book for the Erins. I’m impressed.
SERIES RATINGS:
The Shattered Horn: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Breakers of the Code: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Realm of Lost Spirits: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a solid four stars for me, and that is very surprising. I still think Bravelands would have worked better if they had just ended the series after the first arc, but alas. I’ve given up on that hope. They’re going to keep writing these books until they stop making money I suppose.
In terms of the actual story, this one is far more interesting to me than the last arc (which wasn’t bad, just extremely predictable), especially in terms of villains. In this book we seem to have several smaller villains, and possibly an overarching “big bad” that’s actually some ‘higher power’. (The Great Devourer is mentioned a LOT, as a bit of an antithesis for the Great Spirit; and the fact that Death is capitalized in this book is curious to me, but I could be overthinking it). While I was initially put off by the large time skip, after reading the book I think it was a much needed breath of fresh air.
Now if only Warriors would do that with their next series, and just have all new characters so everyone can actually have a personality instead of being a cardboard cutout. . .
The issues are all typical Erin Hunter flaws. No real character development that isn’t immediately resolved (I guess Breathstealer had some? Ten bucks says that’ll be out the window in the next one), all the characters feel the same, the herd (also known as pack, clan, coalition, group, tribe, etc. in Erin’s other books) are all annoying and have no personality aside from gullibility and suspicions that only show up when it’s convenient, I guess. And some other minor things. A pretty solid book for the Erins. I’m impressed.
SERIES RATINGS:
The Shattered Horn: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Breakers of the Code: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Realm of Lost Spirits: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 9, 2023
Pretty standard Erin Hunter/Bravelands stuff. Fun!
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