About the Book

Book: Freedom Rings Author: Rachel Keith Genre: Christian Middle-grade Animal Fantasy Release Date: June 16, 2025 Freedom rings out. Who will hear it? Tina the wolf and her adopted animal siblings narrowly escaped childhood enslavement and lead a quiet, secluded life together. But when they find out the usurping Authorities ravage their world of Neftar to capture more slaves, Tina feels that she and her squad are being called to free their fellow Neftarians. As they plunge into their abolition quest, however, untold dangers arise—from betrayals, to life-threatening peril, to the discovery of Tina’s forbidden heritage. Can Tina and her siblings fight for freedom, or will they be put to death for their rebellion… and for Tina’s outlawed bloodline?

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About the Author

Rachel Keith created and finished the world of The Squad at an early age. Inspired to share her faith and glorify God through her passion of writing, she used her extensive knowledge of animals, artistry, graphic design, and fanaticism for a certain video game hedgehog to bring the world of Neftar to life. When not writing, praying, or geeking out over her video games, Rachel draws custom betta fish portraits, pampers her unusual pets, jams to Christian radio, and reads. And reads. And READS. Because there’s no such thing as too much of a great story. Rachel lives in her native land of Nashville, Tennessee, with her menagerie, Bible, and animal encyclopedia.

More from Rachel

I’m Rachel Keith, an 18-year-old homeschool graduate from Franklin, Tennessee. I understand how difficult it is for homeschool families to find safe, clean, Christ-centered fiction that also resonates with young readers, and that’s why I wrote The Squad: Rising series. The series focuses on Tina, an anthropomorphic wolf in a vibrant world of anthropomorphic animals. She and her squad of adopted siblings see the oppression their world is facing, and together, they fight to free their world and establish peace. Though they face plenty of perils, they trust that The Most High will guide them. Each book includes fun resources, including an animal species guide and discussion questions! Inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog and The Chronicles of Narnia, this series—beginning with book 1, Freedom Rings—is a fun new trailblazing series for middle grade fantasy, especially for Christians and anthro lovers!

Interview with the Author

Do you read books in this genre? If so, who do you like to read?

I do read other middle-grade fantasy novels like Freedom Rings! Some of the best MG fantasy I have read are household names—the Green Ember series by SD Smith, The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson, and The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. Similar ones I love include The Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams and Lightraider Academy by James R Hannibal.

What helps you to write? Do you eat snacks, listen to music?

Snacking can always help! Often I do listen to music—either lo-fi instrumental tracks, video game scores, or playlists I’ve built that fit The Squad: Rising books. Sometimes, though, plopping down in front of the laptop in total silence to lean into the story is just as helpful to get that word goal done for the day.

If you could travel back in time, what time period would you go to?

Though the medieval era is probably one a lot of fantasy writers would enjoy visiting, I have a bad feeling I wouldn’t even survive that time period. I think I would visit America during the 1700s, mainly because I would like to see how Americans from that time period would react to a modern-day American like myself!

What is one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you?

Out of everything that might surprise my friends, there may not be much about me that would surprise readers if they read Freedom Rings. However, what may be most surprising about me is the broad range of movies and shows I enjoy watching. I can watch historical romance Pride and Prejudice in the morning, sci-fi drama Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in the afternoon, and action-adventure Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in the evening, and I’ll love every second of it!

What inspired you to write this book?

My inspiration came from a lot of things. For the readers, I wanted to give them the same sort of “book friends” who kept me company when I was lonely. There are times fictional characters feel real and, in some ways, can fill a void. I wanted the characters in Freedom Rings, and in the entire The Squad: Rising series, to do the same. The inspiration for the story itself, meanwhile, came from a unique blend of The Chronicles of Narnia, Sonic the Hedgehog, and my love of zoology!