Character Design/Art Style Feedback, please :)

Hey y’all! I would really appreciate some feedback on the design of my book characters and the art style used for them! I’m attaching pictures from promo art and book covers below.

They are an alien race of animals called Neftarians, from my Christian middle-grade fantasy series, “The Squad: Rising.” They had a good deal of “Sonic the Hedgehog” inspiration that never quite got phased out of their designs, and at this point, ginormous design changes can’t be done. Since they are unique anthropomorphic animals, they’re supposed to have a nice blend of animal-like features (not just heads and tails) and humanoid bodies. (I examine real-life species carefully to make sure the characters have the most accurate details.) They live in a world that’s practically an exact mix of medieval/primitive and futuristic living, which I hope to reflect a little bit in their outfits.

From a DESIGN STANDPOINT, I would like to know:

  • Are their designs intriguing/attention-grabbing?

  • Is there anything confusing about their designs? (I know the yellow and blue characters’ species may not be easily recognizable (they’re hedgehogs), but again, they have long-time designs that at this point can’t be changed 😅)

  • Is there anything unnecessary or not fantasy/sci-fi enough about their outfits, accessories, etc? (The yellow hedgehog and white tiger’s gloves have, for lack of a better term, “superpowers.”)

From an ART STYLE STANDPOINT, I would like to know:

  • Is the art style “cool” enough?

  • Is there a particular part of the art style that makes the characters look weird?

  • Does the art style look consistent? (Different shading techniques are used sometimes depending on what the art is for)

  • Is there something in the art style that jumps out at you? Or something that puts you off?

  • Does it look professional enough?

Also, if anyone has middle-grade-age children or siblings who enjoy fantasy books, I would appreciate their opinions too! I’ve gotten a little feedback from middle-grade-age children about Book 1’s cover, but that’s it. I don’t know that many children or am in other groups with people who have children. (If it happens to be against the rules to ask for children’s opinions on here, I am so sorry, please don’t get me in trouble😅)

Here are the pictures of the characters!

These below are some character art pieces for book covers!




These are a couple illustrations (they’re meant to have a blend of the regular art style with a sketched look):




Thank y’all for any feedback! :D