This book was a very fast and enjoyable read. There was a theme of truth that related to our current climate crisis that was easily identifiable. This was important for me as I love to read books that relate to real life events - much in the way Hunger Games related to political climates.

The characters were mildly flat, but the story was fast paced enough that it could be overlooked for the most part. You are able to really lose yourself in the story, even if the plot is predictable at times. The side characters, like the animals, were adorable and completely kept me engaged. Usually the cliches sprinkled through the novel annoy me, but it worked in this case.

There was a good mix of emotional range mixed in the writing, which was refreshing. It wasn't all doom and gloom, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There were downright hilarious moments, and moments that made that single tear come sliding down.

The writing is most definitely a middle grade level, so if you are looking for something a little more in depth, this novel may not be for you. If you are looking for a great story about courage that is fast paced, enjoyable and easy to read tale, I highly recommend you give this one a try!

Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

Loved the guardians in this story and a very good book for all age ranges. I feel into a whole new world reading this and absolutely loved this!

Not for me. I usually enjoy stories like these-magic, talking critters, saving the world...And maybe if I was 9-13 I might even enjoy the story. But the world building (reall? the whole world's gone that bad?) left a lot to be desired, in my opinion. The characters were a tad flat, too. Sorry, just didn't find it that great, or even good. I am sure that the age group it was written for will find it and enjoy the tale. I'm just not that "the whole world is in need of saving!" mentality. No sense in scaring the kiddos.

An interesting environmental fantasy that was a bit too shallow for me. It does the job of showing the importance of looking after the earth, and I think some children will enjoy the various animal characters, but I think I would have liked more depth to the plot and just a bit more... fizz. It's a little bit by-the-numbers. Part of this is poor world-building - this is a future Earth after the 'Almost-End', but there seems to be no clear idea of how society has changed. People are just starting to readopt cars, but the heroine makes reference to PE class, which is jarring, and gives the impression of a very patchily thought out world. The other aspect of it is the heavy-handedness of the message, which is very black and white and is stated and restated many times.

I loved the story, I loved the main character, I loved her guardians. This was just really a good book all around.

Delightful children's book for all ages. Full of magic in a post apocalyptic world where mother Earth is struggling to regain power and balance with the help of the guardians. Winter is a preteen just trying to get through school when suddenly she's the next human guardian. Valuable lessons, lots of action, quite a few characters, definitely reading the next one.

3,5/5

<i>Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a (e)copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This is a book that should be right up my alley, but instead I feel a bit 'meh' about it all. It's really quite good, and I enjoyed it, I just didn't love it like I expected to. I am definitely planning on continuing the series though, because I love the world it's set in. I'm also not yet ready to say goodbye to Proctin.

It's set in a time in our future; our way of life has ended, and Terra is rebuilding Herself, including humanity doing their thing. It seems that in all these changes, humans haven't learned a thing because they are still destroying the planet left, right, and centre for their own gain. This is where the Guardians come in, a group of animals sworn to protect Terra and all life upon it.

We follow Winter on her journey in becoming a Guardian and everything that comes with it. It's an enchanting story, with talking animals and 'magical' powers. I absolutely <i>adore</i> Proctin and will do anything I can to protect him. I would give my life for him. (I also got serious Sebastian Stan vibes and that definitely helped- if this ever becomes a movie, he should definitely voice Proctin!) All of the animals we meet, however, have their own personality and some you will love, others you won't. None of them are perfect either, they all have flaws, making them very strong characters.

Don't judge anyone on their first appearance, though, as there is a lot of history that you don't yet know at the beginning. History that is revealed like a mystery throughout the book, history that explains a lot, but will, of course, as in true novel fashion, also leave you with more questions.

The book also makes you think about the way humanity is currently 'reigning' the planet, whether what we're doing is the right thing, or if it's purely selfish with no regard for the planet. Given that this is a middle grade book, I think it's very important that children will get that message. They are the ones who come after us, the ones who can raise their voices more and more.

And then of course it's just jam-packed with adventure, danger, and training- one must learn to use their abilities after all. Of course it's a tad predictable in places, but that's alright. There's plenty of surprises to keep you going! And something that must definitely be mentioned: this is a perfect book for girls to read, to see that they can be just as badass and adventurous and heroic as all those boys in other books. It shows anyone who reads it that compassion is important, always.

I would definitely recommend this, and who knows, perhaps this'll grow into a proper 4 stars one day. Personally I cannot wait for the sequel, because as much as I'm a bit torn about how I feel after reading it, I love these characters and cannot wait to go back to them!

Extremely descriptive and immersive. This book sets the entire genre aside and creates its own special little place in the world. The world building is outstanding and the formatting of the book is simply stunning. I really enjoyed reading this book as it transported me to another time and place.

This book was a very fast and enjoyable read. There was a theme of truth that related to our current climate crisis that was easily identifiable. This was important for me as I try to relate books available to my students to real life events - much in the way Hunger Games related to political climates.

The characters were mildly flat, but the story was fast paced enough that it could be overlooked for the most part. You are able to really lose yourself in the story, even if the plot is predictable at times. The side characters, like the animals, were adorable and completely kept me engaged. Usually the cliches sprinkled through the novel annoy me, but it worked in this case.

There was a good mix of emotional range mixed in the writing, which was refreshing. It wasn't all doom and gloom, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There were downright hilarious moments, and moments that made that single tear come sliding down.

The writing is most definitely a middle grade level, so if you are looking for something a little more in depth, this novel may not be for you. If you are looking for a great story about courage that is fast paced, enjoyable and easy to read tale, I highly recommend you give this one a try! I gave Winter and her friends a 3.75 (rounded up to 4) stars.

The Rise of Winter is a novel that makes ypu think, that highlights the need to help the environment and a novel that can teach us just how important it is to not let grief and fear rule your life. This wasnt the fastest of reads for me but i am highly anticipating its sequel. There are a few cliches of the chosen one trope but overall i enjoyed it very much. I think this book can help inspire so many kids to do what they can to help the environment and still give them a fascinating story that they'll love. I would have liked to see more of the world and more of "The Society" but hopefully it goes into more depth in its sequel. This was a solid middle grade read which i know even young adult and adult readers will enjoy.

An entertaining dystopian, fantasy, environmental, adventure story with lots of action, interesting characters, many of whom are animals, with an amazing cliff hanger at the end. Anthropomorphic animals are often annoying but it works in this case as it is the animals that try to save the world from destruction due to human's wanton disregard for the environment. But when a human child, Winter, is chosen to lead the animal kingdom, she is up against opposition. How can a human help save the world when it was they who were destroying it?

There are many layers to this story with an element of family running through it which I liked. At one point Winter states, "I guess there's something about family that's bigger than reason or logic." The animals are intriguing and hold special powers. My favourite character is a chubby racoon named Proctin who adds an element of humour to the tale. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to read the next book. Kids will love it!

The Rise of Winter is an enjoyable read with a strong main character and a gripping plot full of action and adventure.

Winter lives in a post-apocalyptic world with only two seasons: dry and rainy. Even her name sounds like something mythical. Some time ago, the world was almost destroyed by human careless activities. Winter keeps watching mountains that separate her country Nacadia from the Forgotten Lands full of toxic waste.
Winter’s mother died in childbirth and the only time Winter’s grandmother spoke about her father was to say that he died of a broken heart.
One day a strange thing happens: Winter begins to understand animal speech. Then, her world is turned upside down. She has to run for her life in the company of a wise Fox Vulpeera and a super-chatty raccoon Protin (one of my favourite characters in the book). She must reach the mysterious Cove where she has to undergo a ceremony that will make her (confirm) into one of the twelve Guardians Terra (The Mother Earth) has chosen to protect herself and all the living creatures. Each of the Guardians- four attributes (Strength, Speed, Agility, and wisdom) for three Earth domains (land, water, and sky). Not everybody agrees with choosing Winter to be the Land Guardian of Wisdom and everybody is surprised when she is appointed the Terra Protectorum, the leader who must learn the magic powers of the rest of the Guardians, and use them to heal the hurting Terra.
Winter has a lot to learn, but her life is constantly in danger and there are lots of twists and turns in this well-written tale with a strong environmental message. What I liked the most were the Guardians and their disctinct personalities. Winter herself is open-minded and caring. I would have prefered to see a bit more of the worldbuilding. Cars, mass-produced books and electricity are just making (re-) appearance , so they must be living through tumultous times of change. What do they know about their history? What do they care about? What is really there in the Forbidden Lands? Lots of questions for the sequel which I am already looking forward to reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Rise of Winter is a book I would have loved to read when I was younger. When I was at an age where I didn't question the pace or the writing that much but just loved a good story (and talking animals was THE BEST!).

When I read it today, I loved the world, correction.. I would have loved the world, was I able to picture it. I definitely prefer fast-paced beginnings instead of 3 chapters of pure info-dump but I definitely also needed more world-building. It was very confusing to picture a world where there are schools and cars but also giant, talking bears, fancy Latin-ish named guardians and Mother Earth is real. There are so many things going on and despite what I just said, I think the story should have been slowed down a bit OR the book should have been longer.

I still very much adored the talking animals though! I liked the guardian system that's split into fractions of elements as well and I actually liked Winter, our main character (this doesn't happen often, so yay). Another positive, there are cute little illustrations throughout the book and I don't know why, but illustrations is just always a plus in my world!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

I picked this up due to its very beautiful cover and I was not disappointed - it’s full of talking animals, magical powers, adventure and action, heroes and villains, it has a meaningful environmental message, it ends with a couple of rather good twists and there is a chubby raccoon - do I need to say more?
It might slow a bit in the middle, and yes, some of the characters are a little two-dimensional from a middle-aged adult perspective, but I found it really sweet and enjoyable - and I think young readers will absolutely love this! Looking forward to the sequel!

This was a very well written and thought provoking book! Suitable for young adults but also interesting enough for grown ups to enjoy!!

I am slightly disappointed in this book. In the beginning, I was hooked and was really enjoying reading and then I got towards the half way point, and found myself bored. I really loved the concept of this story but I think it needs to be cut in half because a lot of what happened in the middle was just way to long and I started to loose interest. The ending was decent but like I said, by the time I got to it I was already just happy to be done with it. But all in all it’s not a horrible book, it just has some pacing issues.

In a world almost completely destroyed by humans, the guardians were created to protect her. Facing the challenge of a human uprising, a new leader must be found - but the one chosen by Earth (Terra) herself is not what anyone expects. A human, daughter of the man who killed the last guardian leader. She is Winter.

I enjoyed the environmental aspect of the book, and think it carried a strong message that is extremely relevant to the current climate. The Earth is dying because of the way humans have treated her, and Winter, along with a number of animals, must protect her at all costs. Winter is an interesting character. She faces a lot of initial hostility after being given this gift of leadership, which is resented by the guardians who feel she can’t possible rise to the challenge because she’s human. She has to overcome a lot of this animosity, as well as her own doubts and family history, to face up to her destiny. She’s vulnerable, at times naive, but ultimately she’s able to face up to a number of struggles on her mission to reclaim Terra. I liked her interactions with the various animals she comes across, and I thought it was clever how the guardians represent various aspects of the Earth via their personal traits.

Unfortunately, beyond this there’s not much emotional depth to any of the characters - they’re all very black and white, good or bad. There’s nothing in between, and at time’s I found this made it difficult to remain interested in the story. I know it’s aimed at a younger audience (although the politics and theme do veer a little dark at times), but a few grey area characters would have really enhanced the story.

This lack of ambiguity also mean that a lot of the plot was quite predictable, and the world building is a little lacking (and confusing). It’s not really explained why the Earth is like it is, other than that humans destroyed it. It was also unclear if it was our world, in a dystopian setting, or another world entirely. Making this clearer would have helped. That said, the pacing was good with a number of added twists that really enhanced the plot that kept me interested enough until the end. The set up for a sequel is obvious (normally a pet hate of mine), however I like where I see this headed, and thought this was concluded well.

Interesting middle grade book with some very ‘hot topic’ subject matter. The tension built up towards the end to keep me interested in a sequel.

Thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy reading middle grade books and when I read the synopsis of this it sounded really interesting so I was excited when my request was accepted! I really enjoyed the book and despite it being middle grade it dealt with some really relevant issues that affect all of us today and I felt it was done quite well.

This book is about a young girl finding out that she has been made into a guardian and needs to help the animals save the earth. She has to quickly learn what it means to be a guardian especially as the humans have once again begun polluting the planet and destroying the homes of the animals.

She is helped along the way by different animals, Vulpeera the fox, is someone who first believes in her and helps her and becomes a teacher and mentor to her. There is also Proctin the racoon, an exile and one who loves to eat. Each of the animals have distinct personalities and their own backstories which I really liked seeing as it helped flesh out their character arcs and made them more complex. This makes the reader really feel for their story and makes us want to root for them and help them save the earth.

The story revolves around Winter needing to save earth so there are lots of environmental issues spoken about in the book, from how humans are polluting the air and rives and land to how animals are being affected by us building everywhere. I did like seeing these mentioned and I felt that younger readers would be able to understand what was being said though I do feel it was portrayed as black and white when in reality it is much more complex. Not all humans are “bad” and we do need to build homes and roads for us to be able to travel and live. There are also lots of humans who do speak about saving the environment yet aside from Winter, every other human was seen as “bad”.

There is lots of action packed, fast paced scenes and I felt they were quite well balanced between more light hearted, fun scenes. I especially liked the conversations between Proctin and Winter and how their friendship developed. I think the characters were all shown really well but I felt the world building wasn’t as great. It was hard for me to truly imagine what the world looked like as it wasn’t explained as well. It seemed like it was a post apocalyptic world yet it also seemed like it was set at the start of the industrial revolution and there was mentions of the lands behind the mountain that no-one had explored. It felt a little confusing.

The ending was really action packed and there was quite a few revelations and plot twists that I didn’t see coming which made the story even more interesting and left me wanting to know more. I especially want to know what will happen next after the last line!

Overall I really enjoyed the book and I think younger readers will enjoy it too. There was lots of issues that are relevant today included in the story like the environment and deciding who you are and not the labels that people give you. And I’m looking forward to reading the next book.