The large initial cast is difficult for me to get a grasp on. There are approximately ten main characters, and at least four side characters that appear in each episode. The author rarely focuses on one group for longer than a page, sometimes flipping back and forth between cliques as many as three times in one page. With that much jumping back and forth, it’s hard to get a feel for the characters, not to mention what’s going on. It took me a second and third read to start to feel out who some of the characters were, asides from the main characters.

The fact that several of the main characters have similar/the same names (two Kates and a Kathryn, an Ekaterina and a Katerina—I’m still not sure if those two are supposed to be the same people or not, two Olivers—though these ARE technically the same person even if they have different bodies, etc) just adds to the confusion. After awhile I start to skip to the scenes with my favorite characters, which ended up leaving me feeling clueless about the over-arching plot.

Both a good and bad thing: there are lots of references to pop culture.  “Heroes,” “Buffy,” “Dexter,” “Saw,” “Supernatural,” and a few others all make their way into the first few episodes. Which isn’t bad if you understand the references, but can leave people clueless if they haven’t seen the movie/show. On the other hand, I suppose them’s the cards when dealing with pop culture.

The writing’s not bad, and the plotting’s pretty decent, when it’s not quoting rewritten Heroes concepts as something new. The storyline takes some wild twists, and the characters are always involved in interesting dilemmas. The pacing has moments of sheer beauty, and it feels very much like this could be something that I sit down to watch every Monday night with a huge bag of popcorn. Enjoyable, good cliffhangers between episodes, and each episode is long enough to allow for character development and mentions of the over-arching plot.

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Where to begin? Because of the complexity and volume of the story, I need to do this review a little differently in order to keep my thoughts, notes, and comments organized, so here it goes:

The facts: "Warriors" is comprised of 1,758 pages split over three "Seasons". Each Season has 10 or 11 "Episodes". It took me 3 weeks to read. There are also links to information on characters, art, York University, and the City of York. Yes. Nealy two-thousand pages long.

The website: Straight forward and simple, with a black background, gray lettering and red highlights. The buttons look a little out-dated, but they are well-organized.

The format: This story can only be read by PDF downloads, not my favorite way of doing it, but it seems to favored by some authors. Chapters 2 & 3 have an omnibus download of all episodes that is handy. Chapter 1 does not, and each episode has to be opened individually – This is an easy fix for the author. The vast majority of the story is relayed in manuscript format, with many memos, reports, and other documents supporting the main story. The manuscript format and PDF downloads are two negatives in my book, but that is based on my taste- Your mileage may vary.

The characters: There are well over a dozen characters you NEED to know to follow the story, and as stated in a previous review, they are difficult to tell apart in some cases, mostly because of similar names or abilities. Each one has a description page that includes a picture and a comment. They are divided, roughly, into two groups: The Warriors and the Rivals. The only difference seems to be the level of their abilities, though this is not always the case.

The writing: It is difficult for me to gauge the writing based on the manuscript format. It feels stop-and-go to me. The descriptions are clear enough, but the sudden changes in venues within a scene make it difficult to follow in some cases. An example of the scene writing would look like this:

" Reluctantly, the girls drink. It tastes like the most beautiful thing they could ever imagine. With Scotch in it.

Kate squints and coughs. Ekaterina makes an impressed noise, scrunching up her face.

Kate: [blinking] My God, that’s strong.

Nihad: Another?

Kate/Ekaterina: Yes/Please!

Tom arrives by the table. "

Very difficult to read unless you are immersed in the story.

The story: Is written for a different audience than me. I never watched Buffy nor Lost, but I imagine that that audience would enjoy the story very much. I was able to follow it, and enjoyed some of the cliffhangers and surprises, but I never felt connected to the story. Not the author’s fault.

This is a very complex story, filled-out meticulously by the author with background, back-stories, and supporting documents. The author has put immense effort into this labor of love. His prolific writing underscores the totality of the story he is trying to pass on to the reader, and although I undestand that this review may seem dry and mechanical, my admiration for the author is not.

If you want to get lost in a story, sinking deeply into the depth of a world where nothing is what it seems, "warriors" is for you. You just have to commit to the story as much as the author has.

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