The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry is about a woman who lost her family in a wildfire in Sequoia National Park when she was a child. Now, in 2042 a as a firefighter who specializes in forest fires, she wants to make a difference by preventing further climate change that causes the increase in fires in the region. Little does she know that there is a battle raging beneath her feet in the form of a complex network of plants and trees that spans the nation - as well as her long-lost brother.

The concept of this novel was unique. The author clearly had an agenda to bring awareness to climate change issues in this one, though at times it felt a little heavy-handed. Syrah is a loner, and to me she wasn't very likeable. She's trying to save the Sequoia trees from further damage, navigate being chief of the fire department as well as her relationship with her adoptive parents when she's permitted through the "veil" and awakened to a whole world of people underground who communicate with and heal the forest. They are not particularly welcoming to her as a human, but they show her their ways nonetheless. She travels between the two worlds, her "topside" world and theirs beneath as she tries to advocate for the forest. She also meets her brother, but the reunion isn't what she had hoped.

I wanted to like this book because of its unique concept. For me, the story felt flat, and I did not feel connected to any of the characters. It didn't feel like the author really took me on a journey. It just felt like I was reading words that happened to fall into a storyline. I don't see myself reading the rest of this series.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book, although it made me look at how we are destroying our planet. I live in California and every summer our fire season gets longer and worse. I thought it was very interesting to have a whole species who lived behind the veil and took care of the forests and what they would think of humans.

DNF @ 20%

The first two chapters were really good, but everything just slowed down exponentially afterwards. I'm just not thrilled or interested by the concept after the start, so its going to be a no from me.

Interesting novel that captivates you through the eyes of a child. The fact that the trees get their own point of view interludes gives the story more depth and understanding while appreciating nature.

DISCLAIMER. I recieved an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I love a book that uses fantasy to adress real world problems, and for this case it’s climate change related themes. It started so strong and I was immediately hooked on the story and knew exactly what it was trying to commentate on. However it just I didn’t dig in all the way for me. The commentary and the characters came off very surface level. That’s really what stopped this book from being a higher rating for me.
I did love the writing and I could visualize the scene of this book very clearly. I enjoyed my time reading . It was a good book.

Thank you Netgally for this arc

I absolutely loved The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G Henry. This book will be available 1st March 2024 and massive thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy.

The story centres around Syrah, a fire chief starting at Sequoia National Park. The park is an important place to Syrah as it’s where she lost her family to a devastating forest fire when she was a child. She knows little of her parents and brother, but battling fires has become her life. She is quickly drawn into a secret world that has remained hidden beneath the park, whose people are motivated by the sole desire to preserve the forest ecosystem and prevent the harm that the modern world has wrought.

This story was incredible. It resonated with me from the first page. The introduction to the story was whip-crack fast and left me feeling desperate to know what happened and how it will now play out. The concept is really unique but raises real and series environmental issues that we only pay lip service to in resolving. The book really focuses on a connection and symbiosis with nature that we have lost. I learnt a lot from this book, particularly around forest management practices, and there are some real moments of reflection on personal sacrifice over greater good.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

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3.5/5 Stars
I got a e-ARC from NetGalley

Intriguing, I really like the premise but the execution was a little choppy. Chapter one pulls you in but after that the pace is slow.

There were definitely some choices that didn’t make sense to me and attempts to be mysterious were just frustrating. The ending was not as satisfying as I wanted but I assume loose ends will be addressed in a sequel. Overall an ok fantasy that I probably will check out any sequel to see where it goes. The premise has so much potential.

The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry is a realistic fantasy fiction. Set in the future where Earth's green cover is depleting and the forests are disappearing, the trees are looking after each other with the help of the keepers in this book.

Syrah and Romelo are siblings, but in a tragic event, they are separated. Years later, Syrah comes to the same place as a fire chief. She starts experiencing something completely unbelievable and gets pulled into that other world of trees, the Keepers, and a power she is unaware of. But she needs to save the humans as well.

The premise and the message of this book are something that everyone needs to hear, read, and act on. I liked the book. However, I needed more in the story. I needed the backstories of the characters with more stories. I felt a disconnect that I could not explain while reading this book.

Thank you, 47North and Netgalley, for this book.

CW: Some violence

The year is 2042, & the trees are ready to fight back against an invasive species: humans.

Back in 2014 Syrah was a little girl who lost her family in a forest fire; fast-forward to 2042, & her adoptive parents aren’t exactly thrilled with her new job as fire chief of Sequoia National Park. They don’t understand why Syrah’s passion for safeguarding the forest means choosing a dangerous job, but taking that job is exactly what leads Syrah to her destiny…

The beginning of this book where Syrah is fire chief reminds me a bit of the CBS show Fire Country (which I really enjoy), & as the story progresses & we meet the Rhiza living belowground in harmony with nature (& doing their best to protect it) I started seeing elements that evoked Tolkien’s trees & some components of James Cameron’s Avatar. The way that these all came together in a cohesive narrative was impressive, & though I would’ve liked a bit more detail in a few areas I really enjoyed this beautiful cautionary tale about the dangers of treating our natural environment as if it’s an infinite resource.

Thank you to NetGalley & 47North for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book.

It was quite an emotional read. It took a bit to adjust to the style of writing. The changes were unique and pleasant. The themes are intense and quite moving.
I'm not entirely sure how to rate the book. Would I read it again? Probably not. But would I recommend it. Sure, if you like thought provoking reads.

Veronica G. Henry's The Canopy Keepers takes the cake for environmentalist fantasy fiction. I finished this one well over a month ago, but you know, motherhood, and mama has been TIRED. Anyway, this book is absolutely PHENOMENAL! I will die on the hill that everyone should read this book. It was so good. I think the coolest thing about it was just that I had never read anything like it before. To all my millenial homies, this book is like Fern Gully for grown ups. I'm only sorry it doesn't come out till March 2024. So book people, put this one on your lists. It's going to be a slam dunk.

So imagine a world where nature has gotten fed up with the abuse and neglect by humanity and has evolved to fight back. That's what you get with The Canopy Keepers. Set in the national parks systems of California, a society of humanoid creatures has emerged to protect the giant sequoias and the rest of the environment from forest fires and general destruction by humans. It's got strong character development, including a dynamic female lead whose story arc is mostly a battle with self, and minimal romantic conflict. We love a female lead who doesn't need a man! I mean, there is some of that in there, but it's definitely not primary or even secendary to the plot. All of the characters have such immense depth, even down to the background and supporting characters; including the trees themselves. A really cool artistic choice that Henry went with was to make the trees speak in poetry, which is really neat and helps to separate the narative plot points.

The book picks up in the beginning in a present day setting, but after introducing the story it quickly moves to a futuristic setting. But it's not too far in the future so as to be too detatched from reality. It's only about 20 or so years from now, which makes the story that much closer to believable in its content. We know about climate change and we know humans are the problem. This book acts as a cautionary tale of what could be our reality in a very short timeline; of course, with a little bit of whimsy thrown in. It's dark, but not so dark as to be bleak and hopeless. The description of setting is engaging and moving, and not only does it make me want to visit Sequoia National Park, but it also makes me want to be a better steward of the Earth on a personal level.

I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to call this book fantasy or sci-fi. The "magic" system in this story is so complex and intricate, and in some ways I think it could be explained by science. But as I said before, it's hard to classify because I've never read anything like it. The society of humanoid creatures are called Rhiza, and they live in the unmapped cave systems beneath Sequoia National Park. They're separated from the human eye by a "veil" that seems to lift and lower magically. But on the other hand, there's a fair bit of evolution theory at play, and these creatures can somehow tap into the network of nature because of a biological difference in anatomy. It's complicated, and intricate, and just so beautifully interesting to explore. It's also quite obvious that the author did her research because she's got historically accurate references in there that only add the the believability of the story.

Aside from the occasional typo, the writing is fantastic in this book. I'm a weirdo and I notice these things. Then again, I was reading an uncorrected proof, since, of course, this book doesn't come out until next year. Regardless, I'm telling you now. Run, don't walk, to your nearest indie bookstore and preorder this book ASAP. Make this book go viral. This is a message that needs to be heard. Period.

TTFN

Anxious Housewife

Canopy Keepers is a book that I think everyone should read, but probably wont. This book addresses issues that humans must face now, but are still never going to face until it is too late. The giant trees in California are only one of the forests that could have been used for this book and yet it speaks volumes since Americans are one of the worst groups of people who cause so much damage to this world. There are parts of this story that I think are done really well, and others that really need work. The cover is what brought me to take a look at this book, but the description got me. The idea behind the book is fantastic. Two siblings separated as kids during a fire, only to be raised apart; one by a secret group of beings who live beneath the giant trees taking care of them and the other raised with humans and brought up to be a fire chief in the same park only to be reunited and be at odds in how to protect the giant trees form the humans.

I don't see this as a book that everyone will love. but I do really like it and think it should be read by everyone just to help raise awareness of how humans are hurting our world.

A big thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the prepub in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting piece of work. I loved how the author introduced the concept of the protectors of the Giants and the forest. The tension between them and the 'topsiders' was felt throughout the story. Unfortunately, the slow pacing in the beginning made it hard to get into. It did have elements I loved, like nature and the main characters' drive to protect the forest. However, something was missing from the characters' interactions with each other. Even though their dialogue represented a real-world problem, it came off bland instead of sparking the needed outrage and passion that it was supposed to. The author had a good idea and potential in her book as she did a great job with the worldbuilding. The only thing that would have taken it to the next level would be her characters being more fleshed out and someone the reader could connect with.

Note: A big thank you to NetGalley for giving me a digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 16%

I really wanted to like this book, because it seemed right up my alley. I love nature, mysteries and fantasy; so a book about an unknown world of an ancient forest should appeal to me. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to stay focused. I constantly slipped into skimming pages in hopes of finally getting to a chapter that would catch my interest, but it never happened.
I really tried to like this book. I kept losing interest, but came back to it in the hopes that it would finally catch me, but it's been sitting in my NetGalley library for over a month and I haven't been able to read more than 50 pages, so I had to DNF it.

The book starts out with a pretty good hook, but we move on pretty quickly to chapters that seem so far removed from what I was reading the book for. Following Syrah's every day life is no-doubt something important to show, but it took up such a big part of the book and it just wasn't very engaging.
The constant switching between the flashbacks to Syrah's childhood, her present-day life as a firefighter (without ever seeing her in action during an actual fire, by the way), an errant chapter from her brother's POV and occasional interludes from the Mother Tree constantly pulled me out of immersion and left me confused on what I was supposed to focus on. I read 7 chapters, and every single one had a switch in POV or time, told either in 2042 or 2014. It was so frustrating, especially considering that the majority of the flashback chapters could have been summarised in a few sentences. Still giving insight on Syrah's childhood while managing to stay on track of a more concisely told, engaging narrative.

Unfortunately, The Canopy Keepers ended up feeling like a slog to read due to there being almost no sign of the central conflict mentioned in the blurb, despite it showing a lot of potential.

As a nature lover myself, I really enjoyed reading this book and taking my time to read it. The cover of the book is a great description of what the story could be about. I was amazed at how the story flowed together, and how to the author kept the theme from beginning to end. The main character, Syrah was amazing too in trying to find out where her loyalty lie. I was anticipating for some of the firefighters to join Syrah in her attempt to help the forest, because they were so involved in the beginning.

I gave this book a 4 star because of some confusion I had with picturing the descriptions of the Keepers and some of their roles. Other than that, I would recommend this book for those who enjoy nature and can see the connection it brings, not only for people, but for animals as well. Also, great for sci-fi readers too.

What a story of multifaceted and complex familiar relationships. Included are all the elements of fire, wind, earth, and water. A story that compels us all to rethink how we treat every living thing.

Veronica G. Henry had a great concept overall with this type of book. I was hooked from the cover and thought it worked well for the story itself. I was hooked and enjoyed how good everything flowed well.

Thank you Veronica G. Henry, Netgalley and 47North for this free ARC in exchange for a review.

Unfortunately I only made it 23% into this novel before giving up. It was moving along far too slowly, with none of the whimsy I would have imagined from the description. I shouldn't still be bored that far into the book.

While reading this book I most definitely thought differently about trees and thought more about ecology in general. I think it will have a lasting impact in that regard. I also really appreciated the realistic Black main characters (why does this feel like first time I’ve read a book where the character moisturizes!!?!). That said, it was long and fairly repetitive. A really cool premise that didn’t work for me as executed.

What happens when nature will no longer stand by and accept its destruction? A female fire chief discovers an ancient world rooted with secrets that can save—or destroy—in the newest fantasy by Veronica G. Henry, author of Bacchanal.

This was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.