A second series of novels subtitled Return to the Wild, also six books in length, began publication with Island of Shadows, released on 7 February 2012.
The series has been well received, with critics praising the realistic behavior of the characters, the world building, and the book's themes surrounding environmentalism.
[2] Several other animals, including horses, otters, and dolphins were considered, but were dismissed for various reasons; Holmes felt that horses tended to run away rather than stay and fight, which she believed would not make for very interesting interpersonal drama between characters, that dolphins would be too visually similar to tell apart from each other in a large cast of characters, and that otters did not have a broad enough audience appeal.
[2] Holmes wanted faith to be a central theme in the series, which manifests in the form of the bears having a very close and spiritual connection to the environment.
Holmes states that she drew a lot of inspiration for this aspect of the series from the beliefs of various Native American tribes in the area that Seekers takes place and their relationships with the environment and the land they live on.
[3][4] The series takes place over the span of six books: The Quest Begins, Great Bear Lake, Smoke Mountain, The Last Wilderness, Fire in the Sky, and Spirits in the Stars.
Taqqiq sees that what he did was wrong and joins the questing bears, but he leaves the group in the third book, Smoke Mountain, when he feels he does not belong with them.
The series comprises six books: Island of Shadows, The Melting Sea, River of Lost Bears, Forest of Wolves, The Burning Horizon, and The Longest Day.
While trying to find homes for each of them, their bond is tested when Kallik and Yakone feel the pull of the ice on the Melting Sea, and Toklo of the forest in his birthplace.
They also run into Taqqiq, who has rejoined his bullying friends but soon realizes the error of his ways and leaves them for good, and Chogan, Toklo's father, who loses to his son in a territorial dispute but refuses to acknowledge his victory.
During the last leg of the journey, Lusa is separated from the others and taken to a wildlife hospital, from which she escapes and reunites with the others with guidance from Ujurak's spirit.
[7] However, on 15 April 2011, Tokyopop announced that it would be discontinuing its services in the United States,[8] resulting in the unofficial cancellation of Lusa's Tale and any potential future manga entries for the series.
[10] School Library Journal noted that "the bears' declining habitat is evident, and often throughout their journey the animals have to dodge cars and humans with guns.
A Kidreads reviewer notes that "[Hunter] also cleverly deals with the theme of racism through a unique and honest approach—three bears of different color, different backgrounds and different beliefs turn to each other for survival and friendship.
Publishers Weekly praised the suspenseful ending of the first book and thought readers would find great interest in the bears' struggle to survive.
[10] Booklist found the plot of the first book to have an "interesting balance of cute anthropomorphic characterization and realistic attention to bear behaviors.
"[10] School Library Journal wrote "from the first page, this story is exciting and refreshing" and "[t]he plot is fast paced, and the author is apt at creating and sustaining the adrenaline-charged mood of these youngsters on their own.
"[10] Kirkus Reviews commented that "Hunter creates a richly sensuous world filled with cruelty, beauty, tenderness, savagery and just enough underlying legendary background to add mystery."