This is one of the best fantasy books I've read in a long time. This book is full of action, adventure and suspense. It is very well written and keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next. All middle school libraries should have a copy of this book. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Central Avenue Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

The Rise of Winter is a fantasy adventure for middle grade readers. I enjoyed this story. Terra, earth, was nearly destroyed by humans. Now, there are Guardians who protect Terra. A new guardian leader is chosen, but it's not a popular choice. Seemingly just a random human girl, she must now protect Terra. This is an exciting engaging read. The characters are dynamic and likeable. The story moves at a good pace and is well written. I think it's a good fit for middle grade readers. I recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sometime in the far off-future...we neglected to heed the warnings and almost killed our mother Earth. Now it has recuperated to an extent and there is again a misbalance. Terra is choosing who will bring back that balance with 4 Guardians from the air, sea, and land, on each of wisdom, power, agility, and speed. Winter suddenly finds herself in this world. The animals don't all trust the new human member. After all, her father killed another Guardian when he had the job and humans are slowly introducing the technologies that caused the problems in the first place. Now Winter has been chosen to lead. Can she do so when others cannot forget? The first in a series.

I love that the imbalance of resources and the dangers of climate change ( this future world has only two seasons and winters are considered mythological). A great way to educate kids about the dangers we inflict on our world.

It took me a little while to get into the story but once events got underway the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride towards the final destination and I found myself reading through each successive chapter avidly to discover what would happen next.
Winter is an outsider from the beginning because, having cat like eyes, she is different and is therefore bullied at school. Her parents are dead and she lives with her blind grandmother who refuses to answer any questions about her parents, particularly her father. She is confused about many things and the reader joins her on her journey of learning and discovery. We discover that centuries ago, Terra, the world, was almost destroyed by humans, that the Guardians were created to protect Terra and that their leader was murdered years before. Terra is once again in danger from human destruction and The Guardians need a new leader, a new Terra Protectorum, but when Winter is chosen there is outrage, anger and betrayal ahead. Can Winter fulfil the destiny chosen for her and save Terra from being destroyed? There is a real cliff hanger of an ending and the reader is left with more questions than answers as we are just at the beginning of Winters journey.
A great choice for YA or indeed anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction.

Centuries ago,Terra, the world, was nearly destroyed by humans. In the wake of that destruction, Terra created the Guardians a group sworn to protect her. But humans have returned to their plundering ways and Terra needs the Guardians. The Guardians are now fractured, their leader murdered years before. They need a new leader a new Terra Protectorum but when a young girl is chosen outrage ensues. Questions demands answers.

This book was received as an ARC from Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reminded me a lot of Red Queen The Dark Crowns and Cinder in a way where a girl is destined to save a kingdom from its ruins and the protectors that shape it. Every page was an eye-opener and really brought excitement to the plot. Choosing a random girl with no knowledge of the kingdom to be its saving grace is realistically impossible but in the fantasy world, exciting to follow and read on. This book will want to make you curious to see what happens to Terra and what of the fate and destiny of the guardians and the girl that saved them.

We will definitely consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.