Did not finish. It had a great premise but the writing was not for me. The story seemed interesting and I know many people will like it.

"Waking Ursa Minor" offers a unique fantasy adventure that intertwines different themes and cultures but falls short for some readers in execution.

The book starts with the promise of an exciting journey as we follow Serakela on her quest to fulfill a prophecy and reunite the islands of her world. Readers are introduced to a richly detailed and diverse world inspired by a mix of cultures, with varying landscapes, species, and forms of magic. The clash of traditional and modern elements in different regions, as well as the exploration of first nations' people's influences, adds depth and intrigue to the setting. The book takes readers through different terrains, from barren deserts to snow-capped mountains, creating a varied and immersive world.

However, the vast range of themes and the introduction of different cultures and species within the same story can make the narrative feel disjointed and overwhelming. Some readers found it challenging to connect with the story due to these sudden and often unrelated shifts, which made it difficult to get invested in the characters and their journey.

The characters themselves received mixed feedback. Some readers struggled to root for any of the characters, finding them unlikable or one-dimensional. Several characters appeared and disappeared without much explanation, creating confusion and making it challenging for readers to follow their significance.

The book did excel in presenting a thought-provoking approach to morality, as it forced readers to question the concept of good versus bad and the consequences of their actions. This exploration of morality and the presentation of both sides of the prophecy were appreciated by some readers.

Despite the compelling premise and interesting world-building, the book faced criticism for pacing issues and inconsistent character development. The repetitive nature of Serakela's journey and the unclear motivations and actions of some characters hindered the overall reading experience.

In summary, "Waking Ursa Minor" presents an ambitious fantasy adventure with a blend of themes, cultures, and moral dilemmas. While it excels in world-building and its exploration of differing viewpoints, the book's uneven execution and character development may leave some readers feeling disconnected from the story.

The fantasy genre is full of good stories set in interesting worlds. “Waking Ursa Minor” is a great addition to the magic realms. This book has complex character development, great world building, and an interesting plot. The protagonist is a strong female lead without being a caricature.

Four stars is my rating. If you want a story to pull you along with plenty of action and compelling characters, this book of for you. My thanks to the author via Netgalley. All opinions are strictly mine and offered without recompense.

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First and foremost wow. Okrafkus is such a fascinating character. On his mission to find Sarakela he will do what needs to be done. Sarakela seems to be a well rounded kind girl, but first impressions can be deceiving. This book is a roller coaster sending you through every emotion imaginable. I found myself enthralled at every turn of the page. There also comes apart where the emotional damage is real. If you are in need of a fast paced, high stakes adventure that will prey on your every sense and emotion this is your book. Earned every one of these five stars!

Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I always feel so so bad when I have to write a negative review, however this book just wasn't for me.
The first chapter got me very very excited and hyped for the story (just as the synopsis did), but that drive very quickly turned into dread and I had to dnf this book.

This is my personal and subjective opinion only.

I absolutely ate up the opening scene, but then it was almost as if it was a different book. I found the main character annoying and all the other side characters unlikeable. Seems like there are no normal people in this world only bad ones or bullies. Many of the characters choices didn't make any sense to me (Setimika first hating her, then falling in love with her and then hating her again). The whole indigenous and puritan culture background ripped me out of the story. There weren't enough differences and it didn't read like an "original fantasy".
The bear dude didn't really fit into the story after the whole pilot/totem religion and was way too convenient.
I could go on about the pacing and the non-existent character development, but I won't.
I'm happy for everyone who loved this book. Sadly I didn't.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After having read this as an ARC, I had great expectations for this book given the exciting and interesting blurb. Unfortunately I didn't really connect to this book at any given moment. As a reader who loves all things fantasy, I didn't feel enthralled by adventure or magic. I didn't feel like I was brought into the world that I was reading about. The blurb was promising, but it didn't deliver entirely.

2.5 stars

disclaimer: this book was sadly, not for me.

i liked the concept and thought the plot was interesting but i had a hard time with the pacing of the story; it was unbearably slow making this book so difficult to finish. the prologue had me HOOKED, it was so transportive, but the rest of the story did not rise to that level of engagement. i also think the action in the rest of the book did not live up to this opening scene. i definitely kept reading for the story, to know how it all ended, not because there was someone to root for. this was honestly a weird reading experience because i’ve never read anything where i felt indifferent towards all the characters.

i loved the mythology and that in each region the main characters travelled to, we got to hear their culture’s variations of the same the events. that was probably my favourite part about the book. i like that this story plays with the idea that things are not always good vs. bad.

overall, i give this book a 2.5 star rating because of the promising prologue, the use of regional mythology to fill in the blanks in serakela’s knowledge and her prophecy, and the general plot of the book. the author’s writing and world building really does save the book. i think Waking Ursa Minor is a very particular taste. as much as i love high fantasy, this book just wasn’t for me and that’s the biggest factor affecting my rating. just wasn’t for me!
thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Waking Ursa Minor makes big promises with an exciting blurb and premise but I personally find myself confused by what I actually read. At first glance this debut looks like your standard adventure fantasy and the journey I expected to be a part of was vastly different from what was delivered. Generally speaking, this isn't a bad thing and do enjoy surprises but the sheer number of differing themes in this book made it very difficult to connect with.

Serakela's journey starts in what appears to be America of the colonial era with traditional settlements being heavily influenced by European design. The clash of canvas and brick, traditional and modern was really quite captivating and I was intrigued. With the introduction of the clans of Gesland and a close look into the workings of the Tagishan, the inspiration drawn from first nations' people becomes very clear. The dry and barren landscapes were beautifully described and I was looking forward to seeing more of the clans. By the end of the book we have travelled to snow capped mountains, forests and the sea. Our cast has grown to include bear-folk, mermaids and witches. It's a little jarring and this debut feels like it should have perhaps been two separate novels.

The characters themselves aren't particularly lovable and I didn't find myself rooting for any one person. Some characters simply vanish as the story progresses leaving me wondering if I missed something or if they simply became unimportant. At the same time, characters are suddenly added with little explanation to who they are.

The ending does provide a great setup for the next in the series but I don't find myself compelled to continue reading. I do, however, find myself in the minority. Perhaps this book simply isn't to my personal tastes.

I was blown away by this book. I wasn't prepared for an epic fantasy that constantly held my attention. I didn't even know that I was missing this in my reading life. I just cannot recommend this book more. Serakala finds out things aren't the way they seem in almost all aspects of her life. She starts out her story at an orphanage and ends up finding out her destiny. Such a great trip and so many storylines that converge and disperse throughout the story that have hooked me completely. I cannot wait for more of Riverda

Waking Ursa Minor, the first book in the Riverda Rising series by Helen Rygh-Pedersen is my favorite read of this entire month and one of my favorite reads of the year so far! You can tell me it's the author's epic fantasy debut all you want to, it sure isn't written like a debut - this story sucked me in with the first chapter and held me fast in its grip through to its end. Which, to be clear, I was NOT ready for. I have had to refrain from messaging the author and begging for any news on the second book of the series because....well, I *need* it!

What made me choose this book? I'll be flat out honest with you, it was the cover. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and intriguing. The blurb cemented the desire to read this story.

I'm trying to decide where to start - usually I go with what was my favorite element, but in the case of this story, that's *really* hard. The characters were fantastic - so many different types/tribes of people, each with their own special trait(s)/culture/beliefs. I loved learning about each one and the author's device of getting us around this world to meet all these people was just brilliant. The magic - oh my gosh did I love learning and seeing all the magic, again it was used differently by the different types of people and I was absolutely fascinated by it. (Except the evil monks, the Separamus Order were bad news bears and I wanted to stay FAR away from those guys!) The world building - for us to stay in a relatively small area of the world, a grouping of islands, we sure did cover a lot of ground and got to see all sorts of lands/climates. Again, the method for how we did this was just BRILLIANT.

We did have some younger characters in this story we spent a lot of time with. I enjoyed seeing them "grow up" and coming into their own and learning about themselves and ultimately choosing they kind of person they wanted to be. It sure wasn't easy on any of them - at times it was downright brutal - and the loss, wow...it took my breath away. It felt so authentic, the trials and tribulations experienced. I felt the author took pains to write these characters reactions as how you would imagine they would legitimately react in real life. There was one scene where a mother gave birth and readers - when I tell you I felt that - I FELT THAT. I'm sitting here shaking my head at the pain (and joy!) of that scene as I type. I love good character development and I got it in spades with the telling of this story.

I loved it. Just loved it. I was never bored, never once thought "Oh, I've reached the slow part" - no, I was either learning something interesting, enraptured by a new environment or my heart was pounding with fear or excitement. For readers who loved The Rook & Rose series by M.A. Carrick, Andrea Stewart's The Bone Shard Daughter - I think you will absolutely love this book!

2.5

While I loved the concept, for me, the execution fell flat. That being said, I think this is mostly a case of "it's not for me" because everyone I buddy read this book with absolutely loved it.

I liked the world set up here quite a bit. The prologue immediately draws in the reader by showing a historical event that forced the kingdom of Riverda to split into smaller islands. As the story progresses we follow Serakela and Brother Okrafkus of the Separamu who are on opposing sides related to a prophecy of reuniting the islands. While our main point of view is Serkela, Rygh-Pedersen does an excellent job of showing that no matter which side wins, a lot of people will die. Forcing the reader to question which side is "good" and which side is "bad" is one of my favorite things to read, so I really loved that aspect of this book. I also liked seeing the different cultures that Serakela meets as she travels through her quest and thought the magic and other species were really interesting.

What didn't really work for me was the characterization and the pacing, and I think my feelings towards both are related. Each part of this book sees Serakela go to a different island and it feels repetitive to see her "find her place" in their society only to have something happen that forces her to flee and leaves someone from that community hating her. I also thought that some of the character motivations/actions seemed really inconsistent. For example, when we first meet Setimika, he hates Serakela and then it feels like within a few pages he is thinking of marrying her. And when she flees, he hates her for "ruining his life" but then it seems like the author walks that back because when he is being tortured at the monastery he is still thinking of her fondly and is only "broken" when he hates her again which makes that moment far less impactful than it could have been because of the inconsistencies.

Despite some of my gripes with the pacing, I did find this to be an incredibly compulsive and fast read which was surprising given its considerable length.

I would recommend this to someone looking for a quest fantasy with a twist on the Prophecy/Chosen One trope and a lot of diverse cultures.

4.5 stars
If you love world building this is a book for you. This takes place in 3 parts and each part is on a different island/continent and they all have very distinct characters and characteristics.
We are following Serakela who grew up in a school that took her in when her parents abandoned her on their doorstep, raised as a puritan and unaware of her roots, she is shocked when a man comes looking for her to assassinate her. Okrafkus is a monk of Seperamus and their only goal is to prevent all the various islands of Riverda from reuniting into one landmass and freeing the evil that breaking the continent apart trapped. Okrafkus chases Serakela through the plains of one island and the mountains of another trying to prevent her from reuniting them.
We see so many different groups/races in this story, puritans, plainsfolk, Jerv(wolverine type folk), Ursidae(bear), Pescatae and Mer(seafolk) as well as others, all of them are well developed and interesting. There is continuous low key tension through out the story, it's basically one big chase scene. It seems like the series won't be a single chosen one trope, more of a group effort which is always a bit more interesting to me. Can't wait to see where this goes.

Thank you to the author & NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I found the premise of this book super interesting, and I think the world and plot shows great promise but I found the execution a bit flat in places, with character development seeming too rushed and the overall plot just seeming too heavy and wide spanning for the first book in a new fantasy series.

There aren’t a lot of likeable characters, particularly among the main cast, and I really questioned the authors choice to name the protagonist and one of the main side characters such easily confused names (Serakela and Setimika). Keeping track of who’s who in chunky books with multiple POVs is never an issue for me, but I had to regularly flick back and forth here to make sure I was aware of the current narrator.

I loved the wide variety of magic and different beings, and the history of the different territories and those who lived within them were some of my favourite parts of the book.

I’m not sure if I would continue with this series, I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t find myself eager to continue Serakela’s story. The epilogue and prologue do shine a light on a future story arc which I think could be more exciting, so we’ll see!

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤.”


_____________________

If I had one word to describe this book it would be EPIC. It gave me all of the classic high fantasy vibes that you would find in series such as The Lord of the Rings, The Sword of Truth, The Dark is Rising, and the Chronos and Kairos series by Madeleine L’Engle. That being said it is an INVESTMENT, so if you’re looking for a light and easy fantasy read this might not be the one for you. But if you’re like me and you want to get lost in a world that feels wholly realistic but is not your own then definitely do NOT pass this one by!

The book begins with a Prologue that is arguably the most important part of the entire book. I found myself reading it the first time and being thoroughly confused, but it helps to know that it happens in the past and is instrumental to the entire book in the story’s current age. Make sure you bookmark it because you WILL be referring back to it many times.

From there we are introduced to Brother Okrafkus, a monk who is a part of the Separamus; a “religious” order with the sole mission of keeping the world of Riverda separated at whatever cost. Centered at a prophecy long set in stone, of Riverda being once again reunited, is our protagonist Serakela. Being raised in a school for orphans by the deeply traditional-minded Puritans, she has long surpassed the age in which she should have moved on from the school and yet feels that her inevitable fate is to remain there and eventually work alongside the Puritans raising the next generation of children. Only she dreams of freedom and a life that contains so much more. This dream is forced into reality one night as Okrafkus locates Serakela and attempts to murder her to nullify the prophecy once and for all. However having been warned by the school’s Madame of her true identity and the real fate of her parents, Serakela flees the school onto the barren plains and into the hands of a native Clan known as the Tagishan.

Taken under their wing and into their protection, the Tagishan begin to open Serakela’s eyes to the reality of their world: a world in which the Puritans seek to strip the history of Riverda out of common knowledge, putting their own twisted meaning to it, and in turn use the Clan and their powerful ancestry steeped in that same history to work for the Puritans’ benefit alone before eventually stamping the Clan out entirely. Serakela’s time with the Clan takes up the first part of the three part book and sets up the stage and our characters moving forward, along with the ultimate fate of Serakela’s mission and the entire world of Riverda.

This book was excellent. As I said, an investment for sure, but its lush and rich world building did not bore and the characters and races introduced were everything you could possibly love about both fantasy and reality. Drawing from history we as readers can relate with (the Puritans and Clan/tribes were not far off from that which we see within our own history books), it was carefully curated to ONLY draw comparison and inspiration to better frame this fantasy world and did not even come close to the line of disrespectful or derogatory views, which I was mildly concerned about at first. My hat is off to the author for the beautiful depiction and handling of these comparisons, the care you took was deeply appreciated!

The characters were also excellent. Every last one of them had depth and there was no single “token” character that could be taken for surface value. Characters you thought you loved you found yourself despising at times, and characters you absolutely hated you found yourself rooting for in the end. Serakela is a strong heroine and it was refreshing watching her “come of age” in finding her own personality and stretching her wings, while simultaneously grappling with her destiny to complete her quest and reunite the world.

We are also treated to PLENTY of magical groups: Fusionists (who support the reuniting of the world and can also control/manipulate the elements), a cursed race of bear shifters, Jerv who are wolverine shapeshifters, and the Mer who dwell under the water (who Serakela is directly descended from). There is a LOT of content and a LOT is introduced, but it is nothing short of beautiful how everything and everyone intertwines in the end to pull together one single, incredible path forward.

There is some significant romance in this book. Part 1 sees Serakela with her first “love” so to speak in the Chief’s son Setimika which is a nod toward Enemies to Lovers. Part 2 sees a loose love triangle between Serakela and shifters Berrin and Vetlar who are both TO DIE FOR!! And by the end of part 3 you do find Serakela “choosing” a love interest to move into the next installment with. I am not usually one for love triangles AT ALL but the way this one was laid out was more of an attraction to two different people being strung along before ultimately choosing one, as opposed to multiple people vying for affections at one time. The spice in this isn’t very descriptive but is rather steamy anyway and fits the entire framework of the story as another lush accent and not a major plot point.

Overall this book was fantastic. Slow and slightly hard to follow/keep up with at times and a massive undertaking compared to the quick, easy novels inundating the Fantasy genre today but it is built to be a timeless classic and reads like something written a few decades ago that a parent or grandparent might pass down to you. If you are a true blue fantasy lover DEFINITELY check this one out!!

Waking Ursa Minor is the first book in an EPIC fantasy series, I expected high fantasy and got something even better. The mix of cultures, the found family, enemies to lovers and mystical animals like SEREIAS made me love it because the story is well developed and has such a nice writing that you can't even notice that you've read more than 200 pages - because the book has 700.
The book reminded me of several other epic fantasies I loved like The Witcher, The Poppy War and even a little bit of The Young Elites in the writing sense. You don't know who the villain is, who the hero is, what the protagonists' motivations are and who's around them, you don't know anything and that's why you want to keep reading because the writing is amazing and the universe is amazing and that's for me it's everything Realm Breaker could have been if it had worked out when it was written. I hated the MC at times, but still 4,0 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I know the first thing you want to hear about a book is how long it is. :) I know you want to hear other things, such about the characters, and the magic, and the world building. The only reason I bring up how long the book is that if you read an e-book, it tells you how many hours it will take to read it. And when I noticed that it was going to take me 10 hours, I wondered how I would manage to find the time.

I didn’t have a problem with the length, once I got into the story. Once I got all the name straight, and got a sense of the story that I was going into.

The thing about books that are written in the third person omnipresent is that you don’t know who is going to live and who is going to die. Because if the story is told in the first person, then you know that the narrator, at least will survive. This was a thing throughout the book. We would be introduced to characters, and we couldn’t be sure if they would make it to the end of the book including the protagonist, Serakela.

The story is about world based on ours, because the constellations are similar, but different, in a time and place where magic is alive, but dying. There is a prophecy that the magic will be reunited, but that will bring ruin. So while it needs to be done, it will also cause pain. Serakela is the chosen one, or at least the one to fulfill the prophecy, and her antagonist, Okarafkus will do anything to stop that from happening.

It is of course not as simple as all that, since Serakela doesn’t even know she is the chosen one, and how to go about doing what she is expected to do.

Written with humor, compassion, and imagination, the 10 hours flew by, and I was glad to have invested the time.


<em>Thanks to Netgalley and the author for making this book available for an honest review</em>

This book has a good premise, in an interesting world. There are many different kinds of magic, and many types of non-human humanoid species. The story is told mostly from the viewpoint of Serakela, a young orphan who sets out to fulfil her role in a prophecy, and Okrafkus, an assassin monk on a mission to stop her and foil the prophecy. I found neither character likeable or compelling. It's clear that completing the prophecy, which will physically reunite the islands of their world, will cause a lot of death and destruction, as will leaving the islands separated. There is a lot of time spent with characters who don't have much of a part in the main plot, if any. The best characters get killed off. One of them suddenly turns evil with questionable provocation. The magics are extremely powerful, but not well utilized or understood. It's not clear how the conclusion will shake out, and on literally the last page or two a totally new character is introduced, but I'm not sure I liked anyone left alive enough to follow them to the sequels, presuming those are planned.