Island of Shadows (Seekers: Return to the Wild Series #1)

by Erin Hunter

Overview

The journey home begins. . . .

Toklo, Kallik, and Lusa survived the perilous mission that brought them together, and now it’s time for them to find their way home. Kallik and Lusa are ready to be among their own kinds again, but Toklo, devastated by the loss of their companion Ujurak, feels hopeless and afraid of what’s to come.

When the group reaches a shadowy island covered in mountains and ice, Kallik is sure they’re almost back to the Frozen Sea. But a terrifying accident leads them into a maze of abandoned tunnels, unlike anything they’ve ever seen before—making them question their path once again.

The bears grow desperate for a sign to guide them, and when they meet a cub who has lost his whole family, Toklo believes the cub has been sent by Ujurak. But the others are unsure. Can they trust their new companion? Or could he be hiding something that will endanger them all?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061996344
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/07/2012
Series:	Seekers: Return to the Wild Series , #1
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the bestselling Seekers series.

Editorial Reviews

For Toklo, Kallik, and Lusa, the journey home to the Frozen Sea will not be easy. Already plagued by exhaustion and fear, they stumble into a labyrinth of abandoned tunnels. Confused, depressed, and disoriented, they search for any help to deliver them. When they cross paths with an orphan cub, they hope that sweet deliverance is on the way. But can they trust their new companion? A beguiling, well-crafted new Seekers series to whet the appetites of fans.

— Brian Monahan

These stories will be welcomed by the Warriors series’ many fans.

ALA Booklist

In Book 1 of the "Seekers: Return to the Wild" series, four bears begin a quest to find the Frozen Sea, each with different motivations. Toklo, the brown bear, mourns the death of his friend Ujurak. His depression causes him to be irritable and hopeless of their success. Luisa, the small black bear, longs to find a place with real food; she needs greens, berries, and nuts. She is always conscious that she slows the group's progress. One of the white bears Kallik longs for home. Yakone, the other white bear, struggles to find his place among these three friends. Their dangerous journey takes them to an island where they find an angry young bear, Nanulak, whose mother is a brown bear and whose father is a white bear. Nanulak convinces the quartet that he has been driven away by both sides of his family and is in danger. Although the others are skeptical, lonely Toklo determines to care for Nanulak and take him on the journey. Their old friend Ujurak appears to Toklo, Luisa, and Kallik in dreams guiding them along the way. But will they accurately read his signs and escape this strange island? How can Toklo ignore the dangers presented by the angry Nanulak as he leads them into skirmishes with other bears? Fans of the "Seekers" series will enjoy this new addition. Reviewer: Shirley Nelson

Children's Literature - Shirley Nelson

The wildly popular writing team (writing collectively as Hunter) sends its team of bears out for another episodic adventure, but the object of this quest is less than clear. Brown bear Toklo, black bear Lusa and white bear Kallik have accomplished the long trek to Star Island and destroyed the threats to its fragile ecosystem, but at the cost of the life of their friend, the shape-shifting Ujurak, reunited with his mother in the stars. Now accompanied by the white bear Yakone, they turn their paws homeward, unsure of both route and destination. After enduring quarrels and hunger, nearly fatal accidents and harrowing encounters with humans, the foursome stumbles across the abandoned Nanulak. Will caring for this strange bear cub fill the empty place in Toklo's heart? Or does Nanaluk conceal dangerous secrets of his own? The authors do a fine job recapping previous events, making this an accessible entry point for new readers. Unfortunately, the characters seem to have lost much of their accumulated growth and nuance as well: Toklo is angry and guilt-ridden, Lusa is wise but weak, Kallik is the nurturing peacemaker and Yakone exists mainly to be big and strong and have things explained to him. Scheming Nanaluk is a caricature of a villain, while the dreamlike visions of the ascended Ujurak only underscore the shift in theme from environmental awareness to a plea for interspecies tolerance. Lacks the urgency and coherence of the bears' first series, but fans will demand this follow-up. (Animal fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

Reflecting the realities of the natural world, this new adventure will be greeted with delight by fans of the series.

Booklist