Warriors Books in Order

Warriors - the Warrior Cats clan epics written by a team of authors under the shared pen name Erin Hunter - is one of the deepest reading projects in kids fiction: nine six-book arcs and counting, more than a dozen extra-long super editions, novellas and mangas, all tracking generations of feral cats fighting for territory, faith and succession in a forest only a car ride from ordinary people. Since Into the Wild (2003) the series has sold well over eighty million copies and become the gateway fandom for an entire generation of young readers. The order question is the single most-asked thing about it, because the arcs run in strict generational sequence - kittens in arc one are leaders by arc four, and nothing makes sense read backward (2003–present).

Where to start

Into the Wild (2003), the arc one opener - a house cat named Rusty walks into the forest, joins ThunderClan as apprentice Firepaw, and the whole mythology rises around him. It is one of the great first chapters in kids fantasy. The honest alternative: readers who want to sample without committing to a six-book arc can read a super edition - Firestar's Quest or Bluestar's Prophecy - but both spoil arc-one events, so the true answer is: start at Into the Wild, it was designed as the door.

Does the reading order matter?

Read the nine arcs in order - The Prophecies Begin (2003), The New Prophecy (2005), Power of Three (2007), Omen of the Stars (2009), Dawn of the Clans (2013, a prequel arc), A Vision of Shadows (2016), The Broken Code (2019), A Starless Clan (2022), and now Changing Skies (2025). Each arc is one six-book generation; the later arcs are literal sequels to the earlier ones, and major characters are kits, then warriors, then elders across the run. Dawn of the Clans is the one exception - a distant prequel that can technically be read early but lands better fifth. Super editions slot in beside the arc that features their hero - Firestar's Quest after arc two, Tigerheart's Shadow after arc six, and so on. The novellas and guides are optional garnish.

Which one is the best?

The original arc - The Prophecies Begin - remains the emotional peak for most readers; The Darkest Hour (2004), its finale, is the series' defining battle. Power of Three and Omen of the Stars carry the long Hollyleaf-Jayfeather prophecies that fans still argue about. Among super editions, Bluestar's Prophecy (2009) and Crookedstar's Promise (2011) are the consensus gems - full tragedy arcs for villains' mothers and broken leaders. The new Changing Skies arc opens the post-A Starless Clan world with an elders-led quest, a genuine first for the series.

Related guides

Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Wings of Fire books in order, Dog Man books in order, Percy Jackson books in order. Every guide follows the same format — the shelf, the entry point, the honest answer about order.

Make it a project

Pick a session size and let the days accumulate — at the pace our reading speed test measures, most shelves above clear in a few weeks of half-hours. Every guide on the books in order shelf follows this same format, and when a book lands, its 8-question quiz is waiting on the original book quiz.