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?

Click here to get your copy!

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

Which character did you connect to best in this book?

Out of the four main characters in Freedom Rings, Tina the wolf—the lead MC—is the one I relate to the most. We have similar personalities, and when I first created her as an insecure twelve-year-old, I made her to be a role model. She simply wants to do what’s right by her kin—her adopted siblings as well as her entire race. And even when things get dreadfully hard, she trusts something good will come out of it.

What inspired this book?

For the readers, my inspiration was having “friends” in books who kept me company when I was lonely. I wanted to do the same for other young readers who need those “book friends.” For the subject matter, there was a lot of different inspiration that poured into Freedom Rings, and into different parts of it. The world and story itself was inspired by a blend of The Chronicles of Narnia and Sonic the Hedgehog! A world inhabited by animals, mythical animals, and all sorts of lore, mixed with anthropomorphic animals who have crazy powers and fight for freedom—that was going to make for an awesome story. And it did! Smaller pieces of inspiration include a lot of comics, 1980s cartoons, and, of course, my insatiable love for zoology.

What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Timothy 4:12—“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (NIV) It fits not only the characters of Freedom Rings and the entire The Squad: Rising series, but it fits my own life as well. Starting my ministry as an author at age twelve is not an easy route, but here I am, and I’m not about to stop. I know this is what God wants me to do, and He’s going to use The Squad: Rising for something amazing.

What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading the Lavender Dawn Saga by Ella Quill, which is another anthro fiction series like The Squad: Rising, except a cozy fantasy with chipmunks living in magical trees. It’s very cute!

Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.

Sitting in my chair, at my way-too-big desk, there’s my 16-year-old laptop is in front of me and ready to keep functioning, which I will take as a sign of God’s grace. I have an iridescent “Hello Sunshine” sticker on the back of the desk, a heat lamp, and a huge terrarium housing a 10-year-old hermit crab named Culver. The Squad: Rising series and pretty much its entire cast as custom-painted Calico Critters are staring at me from a couple shelves, as well as an army of Calico Critter families and a Funko POP figure of Silver the Hedgehog dressed as Green Lantern.