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. Title: The Rise of Winter Author: Alex Lyttle Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing Date: 1st of May 2019 Comments are closed.
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