A dark, richly imagined animal fantasy that immediately brought to mind the classics I grew up with—Watership Down, The Secret of NIMH, Redwall, and Guardians of Ga’Hoole. If you loved those, you’ll feel right at home here. The worldbuilding is intricate and the tone is more mature than most current middle-grade or YA animal stories, which I appreciated.

There’s something about the structure—quests, allies, shifting perspectives—that occasionally felt reminiscent of a video game, in a way that added momentum rather than taking away from the storytelling. I especially enjoyed the lore, the political undercurrents, and the way the authors gave depth to the crow society without overexplaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book however, I just couldn’t get into it and the book just felt clunky I had to DnF it about a quarter of the way through it

It’s like classic middle grade tropes but it was far too wordy for middle grade In my opinion, not helped by the language being very floral which I personally am not a fan of.

On top of all this I found a lot of the characters to be lacking a distinct voice with how they spoke and their mannerisms changing often throughout.

Overall, it wasn’t unreadable I just couldn’t get past the characters not having a distinct voice, if they had written the characters more consistently I probably would’ve finished it and given it a 2 star rating, as despite it being floral and having a slightly bizarre plot, it was cozy and slightly enjoyable, but due to inconsistent characters i had to give it lower.

That being said if you wanted to give it a read and that wouldn’t bother you, I think it could be an enjoyable read.

This was a super entertaining read that I think is expertly aimed for its middlegrade audience, while still being greatly enjoyable for adults.

It gave me some light ‘dungeons and dragons’-vibes as our ragtag group of heroes assemble and journey to save the queen from the evil antagonistic force. Along the way we meet many both fun and interesting new characters that either aid or stand in the way of the heroes path forward – it doesn’t waste much time delving particularly deep into these identities but rather keeps the action flowing at a fast and engaging pace.

The different perspectives provided great insight into different aspects of the story at large and helped give a nuanced view of the moral dilemma at hand. A corrupted soul shaped by her trauma – taking power with good intentions, but ultimately letting it consume her and becoming what she had once fought against. Forcing us to evaluate whether an entire group can be responsible for individuals' bad behaviour.

Overall a super fun and also sweet story about courage in spite of fear, and fighting for what you believe in. I wouldn’t hesitate to give this to any child I know thatI would wish to grant a great reading experience.

This book gives all the feels. Period.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Authors for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Immediately, I had nostalgic vibes of Dark Crystal and Secret of Nimh, and at the very beginning of the book, I fell in love!

My little brother Andy highly recommended this, and as a librarian, I had to check it out. I loved it, and can't wait to see where it goes next! It's Middle Grade appropriate yet the story, chapter transitions and development are sophisticated and compelling. Even as an adult, I’m loving it!

I was right there with Twig, the traveling entertainers, and the myriad of characters that make the heart of the story.
The magical lore and the “bad guys” plot is captivating and heartbreaking at the same time, as that is how ideological conflict goes...each has their own trauma and perspective.

I was engrossed in all of the themes and references while also being captivated by the struggles at the heart of the story. Very timely. Very important. Five stars for being so tightly written and compelling to all age of readers and still a Middle Grade fantasy fiction.

Read. Follow. Share.

Read this book if you love the movies The Secret of Nimh or Ferngully!
I’m just finishing the book and the instant I began the book I fell in love! The story doesn’t waste any time jumping right into the action, and the way the author writes the scenes depicting events is 10/10 masterful, age appropriate, yet even as an adult I’m enjoying it! I felt like I was right there with Twig in the beginning experiencing everything he was.
The same goes for the traveling entertainers: Boz and the sugar gliders Ayu & Eca; I think the twins are my favorites so far the best.
The magical lore and the “bad guys” plot is captivating & heartbreaking all at the same time; it is what really cemented those nostalgic Nimh vibes.
I’ll definitely be getting this for my classroom!

The Unraveling follows a cast of animals who must uncover an ancient power and prevent history from repeating itself. Honestly I wanted to love this one (which is why I requested it), but it felt unfinished both because there's a cliffhanger but because getting dropped right into the middle of the action was super confusing. While there are some things explained as the book progresses, it didn't feel like I had all the answers.

I'm curious to see what happens in the second one but I'll be waiting to read it if it's also a cliffhanger.

I really really wanted to like this one. I come from a family of birders and was excited to have bird characters. Unfortunately, I had to DNF after the first chapter because I felt like I was starting in the middle of the book. I am sure other people who like to be thrown right into the action will love it, but unfortunately it's not for me.

DNF
I'm really sorry to be DNF'ing this, I expected this to be a manga somehow but stumbled upon a children's book.
I don't know why I didn't know it was a children's book. I have read some children's books on here and honestly I'm sure this is a good book, maybe I will delve into it later on!

I haven't read something as fun as this book in a while.

It was an adventure, a delight, characters so well thought out, you understood them, felt for them, even the antagonist.

It ticks all the boxes a middle grade adventure should tick.

The characters were well thought out, each unique and with great purpose to the story. Everyone has a backstory that is easy to understand for that age group and makes characters absorbable enough without too complex a decision making involved.

One of best parts about this adventure were the highs and lows of the story that, while keeping the tension tight, also gave the reader a chance to breathe. Not in a long time have I come across a book that keeps the highs and lows of a story soooooo well balanced.

The story is full of hope in difficult times and presents it through a budding character. A tiny chickadee who barely ran with his life from a war stormed village to find unusual shelter in the home of a master, a mystical mysterious animal finds a tutelage. As much it is the story of Twig, the chickadee, it is also the story of his mentor. And while the story, as a whole is an adventure and life of Twig who has to stand against the tyrant crow ruler, it is also a story of a group of performers who go on to play a very important role in the tussle between good and bad.

The story also has a subtle inclination of- not all heroes hold swords which I love within fantasy and adventure genre, so I naturally fell hard for this one.

The plot is ever moving taking us through the world as the journey of performers continue and the themes are both, big and small, coming in waves.

If you love animal point of views, or animal warriors, adventure themes, unlikely heroes, growing characters, or love a wide variety in your characters, read The Unraveling.

After the evil Fortress Crows attack his village, a young chickadee named Twig must escape their clutches. That is easier set than done but he finds an unexpected source of support in the form of a motley crew of companions.

Nevertheless, it is a big ask for a little bird to find a solution to ensure the survival of the Woodland against such odds.

This is an action packed story which brings alive the world in which it is set. Twig survives some serious challenges, and (my only gripe) the story ends on a cliff hanger. But it is an enjoyable read, and gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Full disclosure: fantasy stories aren't my favorite, and it took me a while to get into this one. But once I did, I enjoyed the story. - at least until it ended abruptly. I understood the anthropomorphizing of the characters, but not the likening it to 'Watership Down' and a slightly derivative feel at times to 'Star Wars.' I also understand the series appeal for this age of reader, but to not end the story as even a possible stand-alone is torturous and manipulative. I'd be really curious what the reading level (A./R. or Lexile) is because the vocabulary was really elevated: melee, attrition, accelerants, haughty, beleaguered, dirge, petulant, hubris, usurp, abattoir, etc. I did enjoy the bit of humor that was peppered into the story: a crow-coo clock, cricket poppers, a stuffed parrot named Admiral Feathers, and some others. However, I did feel a little like I was being indoctrinated into a "humans bad/animals good" ideology, and it wasn't until at least 2/3 into the book that any concessions were made that an individual doesn't define a species.

Thank you so much for the arc!

Wow I when I started this book I thought I was going to get a simple but fun adventure story. That was delivered but there was also much depth. The author weaved in important messages about caring for the environment and the consequences of not doing so. (Studio Ghibli much??? And I mean that in the best way, in case that isn’t clear.) I love to learn and think while reading so that was so appreciated.

All of the characters were a joy to read about and I loved the illustrations that were included. I would have been utterly obsessed with this book as a kid and hope there’s more to come!