The Quest Begins
Encyclopedia
The Quest Begins is the first novel in the Seekers
Seekers (novel series)
Seekers is a children's novel series written by a team of authors under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, who also wrote the Warriors series. Seekers follows the adventures of four bear cubs: Kallik , Lusa , Ujurak , and Toklo...
series. It was written by Erin Hunter
Erin Hunter
Erin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called...
, which is a pseudonym used by authors Cherith Baldry
Cherith Baldry
Cherith Baldry is a writer of fantasy fiction. She grew up on a farm and worked with house cats. For a while, she took up the job of teaching, but gave up in order to become a full time writer. She currently lives in Reigate, England. Baldry collaborates with Kate Cary, Tui T...
, Kate Cary
Kate Cary
Kate Cary is one of the authors of the Warriors novel series, a story about wild cats, which she writes under the pen name of Erin Hunter. The other authors who also write the Warriors novel series under the pen name Erin Hunter are Cherith Baldry, Victoria Holmes, and Tui T. Sutherland...
, Tui Sutherland and editor Victoria Holmes
Victoria Holmes
Victoria "Vicky" Holmes comes up with the ideas for the New York Times Bestselling Warriors books, consisting of four miniseries: Warriors, Warriors: The New Prophecy, Warriors: Power of Three, and Warriors: Omen of the Stars, written by Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and new addition Tui Sutherland...
. The novel follows the adventures of four bears, Toklo, Kallik, Lusa and Ujurak. Each bear is stranded by themselves in the wild and must learn to survive. The declining environment of the bears is the main theme conveyed throughout the novel. Like the Warriors series also written by Erin Hunter, Seekers began as a request from HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
who requested another animal story. The company and Victoria Holmes
Victoria Holmes
Victoria "Vicky" Holmes comes up with the ideas for the New York Times Bestselling Warriors books, consisting of four miniseries: Warriors, Warriors: The New Prophecy, Warriors: Power of Three, and Warriors: Omen of the Stars, written by Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and new addition Tui Sutherland...
agreed to write about bears after discarding dogs, horses and dolphins. The novel was released in the US on May 27, 2008 and has also been released in the UK, Canada and translated into Russian. Critical reception was positive with reviewers praising the realistic behavior of the bears.
Conception
The Quest Begins began as a request from HarperCollinsHarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
who wanted Victoria Holmes
Victoria Holmes
Victoria "Vicky" Holmes comes up with the ideas for the New York Times Bestselling Warriors books, consisting of four miniseries: Warriors, Warriors: The New Prophecy, Warriors: Power of Three, and Warriors: Omen of the Stars, written by Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and new addition Tui Sutherland...
, editor and creator of the Warriors series which followed the adventures of feral cats, to write another series about animals. The company suggested dogs to Holmes, but the idea was rejected since dogs behave very similarly to the cats in the Warriors series. Both horses and dolphins were suggested, but rejected due to their tendency to run away rather than fight and the slowness of battles underwater. Out of ideas, HarperCollins consulted with Holmes on what she wanted to write about. After a bit of thinking Holmes replied, "BEARS! They live much more solitary lifestyles than cats, they are wild through and through with no history of domestication whatsoever (performing bears don’t count), and they are much bigger animals, with a whole lot more potential for fighting".
Publication history
The Quest Begins was first featured on the HarperCollin's FirstLook Program in November 2007. Readers who signed up for the program had a chance to read an early edition of this book, an Advanced Reader's Copy, before it was published in stores. The Quest Begins was released in the US on May 27, 2008. The book was also released as a paperback on February 10, 2009 and an e-book on October 6, 2009.The books have also been released in the UK and Canada. Canada received the first book on May 25, 2008. The first three books have also been translated into Russian.
Plot summary
The novel follows the adventure of four bears, Kallik (a polar bearPolar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
), Lusa (a black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
), Toklo (a brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
) and Ujurak (a shapeshifter
ShapeShifter
ShapeShifter is an Application Enhancer plugin for Mac OS X developed by Unsanity that allows the user to make system-wide modifications to the appearance of the operating system's graphical interface by applying GUI skins through “injection” into running code and without modifying system files,...
who is usually a brown bear).
The novel first follows Kallik who lives with her mother and brother. However, they are separated on ice when an orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
attacks them and Kallik must survive by herself. On her own, Kallik decides to go to a gathering place for polar bears that her mom told her about. At the gathering, Kallik asks other polar bears if they have seen her brother and mother, but no one has. Alone, Kallik meets a female bear Nanuk who helps Kallik around the area. However, Nanuk is killed by a helicopter crash shiping her and Kallik back to the wild and Nanuk tells Kallik about a place where the ice never melts. Hearing this, Kallik sets off to this place.
Somewhere is the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in southern Canada, Toklo's mom is bringing Toklo and his sickly brother to a river to teach them how to catch salmon. However, in insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
, Toklo's mom abandons Toklo after a mental break because his brother died. Now Toklo must survive on his own, just like Kallik. Wandering randomly, Toklo meets an injured human who requests Toklo to retrieve certain herbs, which he does. The human introduces himself as a shapeshifter named Ujurak and the two travel together.
Lusa is a pampered black bear living in the Bear Bowl, a zoo in Canada. Despite knowing that the wilderness is harsh, Lusa has dreams about one day escaping and living outside. Her father, King, once lived in the wild and is strongly against Lusa's idea. One day, Toklo's mom is brought into the Bear Bowl. She talks with Lusa about how much she regretted abandoning her cubs, but that it was too late and that she couln't find them. Hearing this, Lusa decides to bring a message to Toklo about how sorry his mother is. Although Lusa succeeds in escaping, she realizes the dangers of the wild. At the end of the story, Ujurak and Toklo meet up with Lusa.
Style and themes
The novel is written in a similar style to the Warriors series. Holly Koelling from BooklistBooklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
notes that "Despite the change in species, much will be familiar to readers. Alternating narratives tell the tales of three young bear cubs, who will be brought together in future installments". Nancy Gilson from the Columbus Dispatch praised how easily the separate stories are handled and noticed how many chapters end on a cliffhanger.
The main theme addressed throughout the novel is decline of the environment and habitats of the bears. In the novel, Kallik watches her mother die by an orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
pod while Toklo is abandoned by his mother. Koelling realized how "Each tale touches on environmental issues". Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
noted how the "bears' struggle to survive, along with Hunter's environmental theme". At the same time, older bears are "comforted by their belief in mythical bear spirits as they navigate the harsh realities of life in the wild". Jennifer-Lynn Draper from School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
recognized that "The bears' declining habitat is evident, and often throughout their journey the animals have to dodge cars and humans with guns". Gilson noticed that every adventure "involves hunger, hardship and the loss of family that turns the young bears into solitary travelers". Gilson also noted the environmental theme writing "This one offers prominent themes about the dangers of global warming and diminished wild places".
Critical reception
The Quest Begins reached number 6 on Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
's Children's Fiction Bestsellers during the week of June 9, 2008. The novel was also chosen as number 9 on Al Roker's Al's Book Club on The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
.
Reception to the novel was positive and many reviewers praised the realistic setting and behaviors of the main characters. Koelling noted how the novel has a balance of cute anthropomorphic characterization and also gives a realistic view of how hard it is for the bears to survive on their own. Koelling also recommended the novel to Warriors fans. Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
praised how "Hunter creates a richly sensuous world filled with cruelty, beauty, tenderness, savagery and just enough underlying legendary background to add mystery", but felt that there is little advancement of the plot due to the time introducing and developing the characters. Still, the reviewer felt that the novel would appeal the animal fantasy lovers for the its extreme detail. Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
found the novel written more loosely than the Warriors series, but still appealing to readers as they follow the bears survival. Draper praised the fast pace and how Erin Hunter "is apt at creating and sustaining the adrenaline-charged mood of these youngsters on their own". Matt Berman, writing for Half Moon Bay Review
Half Moon Bay Review
The Half Moon Bay Review has been serving the San Mateo County Coastside since 1898. It is published each Wednesday morning and circulated by carrier, mail, counter, and rack sales to homes and businesses on the Coastside....
, praised the cliffhanger ending which would invite in more readers for the second novel, but felt that Warriors fans would be disappointed while "animal lovers will find this story’s mix of anthropomorphism and realism appealing, and Hunter may find an entirely new audience".