What an interesting, delightful read! I don’t read many middle-grade books, but this was one I’d love to share with my daughter someday.
About the Book
Book 1 in an action-packed dystopian adventure series set in the near-future post-melt Arctic.
The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force—Terra Electrica—has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.
In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.
Can Mani piece everything together and harness her newfound powers in time to save humanity?
My Thoughts
I grew up entrenched in my indigenous heritage. So, when the media portrays something Native, it can go either way for me. This book didn’t claim to portray indigenous peoples, but it delved into the heritage with various elements. The author did a respectful and great job. It’s also hard to figure out if the culture is some indigenous culture we already know or something that has been born out of the end of the world as we know it.
The author has envisioned the post-ice-cap melting world. So, in this story, she has made two apocalyptic conditions come to fruition – a deadly disease killing pretty much everyone and global warming finally taking its toll. And it’s pretty much as scary as you’d expect that to be. In the beginning, our main character, Mani, thinks she and her dad are pretty much the only people in the world.
But she soon learns that’s not true, and she also learns she is “the chosen one,” a common trope in Middle-Grade fantasy books – and one I personally don’t mind. Some people don’t enjoy it, but I think, especially in the Middle-Grade sphere, it really helps kids relate to the characters, see something special (usually in someone who did not see anything special about themselves), and helps kids see the specialness in themselves. A lot of kids who are readers are looking for an escape and need that help. I know books like this meant a lot to me as a kid.
And, like most sci-fi/fantasy books, this book is steeped in social commentary. I think this one is very clear, possibly without even reading the blurb. But I’ll let you figure that out on your own. I don’t want to spoil too much! I think the author handled it very creatively and, of course, made great points. Of course, many times, unfortunately, there’s a lot of “preaching to the choir” when it comes to social commentary in fantasy books. But, maybe with Middle Grade and YA books, that isn’t the case, and authors can impact the next generation to make a change!
I’m grateful to the author and TheWriteReads Tours for including me in this tour, and I look forward to reading more of this story in the future.
Who’s It For?
If you love fantasy/sci-fi type books, I think you’ll love this one. It has some elements of a dystopian future, especially featuring a pandemic-type disease that is affecting the world – so if it’s too soon, take care of your mental health on that one. But it’s very different from Covid, so that’s where the similarities end. If you enjoy indigenous-inspired stories with strong, animal-spirit involvement, this is a great read! And it has a lot to say about modern life!
Content Warnings: Death, Violence, Pandemic Disease (Not Covid), Parent Loss, Child Loss, Child Harm, Child Abandonment
About the Author
Antonia Maxwell is a writer and editor based in North Essex and Cambridge, UK. With a degree in Modern Languages and a long-standing career as a book editor, she has a lifelong curiosity for language and words, and a growing fascination in the power of story – the way it shapes our lives and frames our experience.
Links
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/cLC9IM7
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/gjRKIFa
Amazon CA: https://a.co/d/0euPP4sr
Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/25511/9781915584113
Bookshop UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/terra-electrica-the-guardians-of-the-north/7658588?ean=9781915584113
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204929195-terra-electrica
Author’s Website: https://www.antoniamaxwell.com/
As a Bookshop.org (US) Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org purchases support local, independent bookshops. My chosen affiliate bookshop is Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, a local, queer-owned bookshop in New Orleans.
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.