I really enjoyed Sunshield, a simple but layered fantasy with multifaceted characters. Floodpath the sequel still has well drawn out characters and even moral dilemmas. A quick enjoyable but does lose some stars for me because the plot is fairly straightforward again and very black and white.
Full review on my YouTube channel.

This was a great end to a really fun duology. I was right there with them when the 3 main characters finally figured out who was behind the whole conflict. (Although with hindsight it makes sense.) It was Very well done. Well-paced action, consistent characters, and realistic motivations. Characters I ended up caring a lot about, well-written dialogue, and loose ends tied. Very enjoyable read. I now want to go back and read the Woodwalker Trilogy as it is a pre-series to this duology.

I spent the first 30 pages thinking, "Oh dear, I didn't read the first one and there is way too much backstory here". But I got past that and into the characters, and enjoyed it very much. I like the idea of all the scouting knowledge, and how useful it can be in many situations. Very appreciative of the characters trying to free people who have been exploited as slaves, and of the recognition that people in power do not always understand what or why the "little people" are living a particular way.

Title: Floodpath
Author: Emily B. Martin
Pub. Date: March 23, 2021
Rating: 4

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. Floodpath is out now, so you can grab your copy.

It took me a week to read this book – work’s been a little crazy. I found myself much more interested in this second book, over the first one. While Sunshield was good and I did enjoy it, I also found it a tad lacking. I just didn’t really connect with it, found it long and wordy. I didn’t necessarily enjoy the heavy political element, but the world as a whole was vivid and crafted with great detail. All in all, the book was written very well and is a pretty phenomenal book.

I can only say that now having read and finished this second one. Hindsight’s a bitch sometimes.
While this duology isn’t a favorite, I do definitely recommend it.
The care and the immense crafting that the author clearly took in writing this book (this duology) is amazing. The world is lush, vibrant and diverse. It’s very character driven, but the plot doesn’t just sit in the back idling. It’s this wonderful mix that works so well together.
If I hadn’t had to work, I very well might’ve stayed up all night reading it.

I thought I was going to struggle to remember what happened in Sunshield – since it’s been a year – but most of the events came back. I had no problems dropping right back into this world, with these characters.
Maybe I was in a mood or trying to push through a slump when I read the first book, because looking back, I don’t think I was completely fair in my assessment. The writer side of me is kind of in awe of this book. It hooked me in a way the first one didn’t, and I was invested. Yeah, it took me a week to read, but each time I picked my Kindle back up to read a little more, I was instantly drawn back in. And when I had to stop to go to sleep, I kept finding that I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep reading.

I loved Lark and Veran. Somehow, they’re both incredibly capable, strong messes and it’s such a wonderful mix. They’re complex characters, forced to survive and make their own ways in the world. Iano and Tamsin definitely had their own share of struggles and watching them figure out how to navigate each other is a little heartbreaking and painful, but so satisfying. Watching Tamsin come into her own after everything that had happen to her – watching her find her voice again – So Good.

I had no trouble at all imagining and picturing this world the author created. None. At all. It’s so vivid and cinematic at points. It played like a movie in my head, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are so many little things in this book that I enjoyed immensely.

I’m actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I initially only requested it on NetGalley because I figured why not see how the duology ends? Though, I don’t know if I would have read the book if NetGalley hadn’t granted my request. I’m glad they did and I’m glad I read this book, because I would have been missing out.
I do definitely recommend this duology – especially now that I’ve read Floodpath. It’s just a good, strong fantasy read that leaves you feeling wholly satisfied. Like, I don’t even want more, because the ending was just that good – it left me content and happy.

FLOODPATH is gritty, fast paced, and emotionally fraught. We’ve got three POVs, all of which twine together at different moments, and I LOVED it. I loved getting to see all my characters from SUNSHIELD getting to know each other better, figuring out where they stand, what they can do, and WHO DID IT. Cuz yeah, for the longest time, I was as stumped as them as to who was pulling all the strings in the Moquoian court. I possibly called it twenty minutes before them.

There’s desert survival, trauma recovery, bad decisions made for good reasons, government corruption and human trafficking, and first love (also enemies to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes, so I was HAPPY). There’s excellent disability rep, and multiple fantasy cultures that are not all white, and DID I MENTION I LOVED THIS BOOK?!

I may have stayed up till 3 am reading (don’t tell the husband), and am now sad it’s over because I want MOAR. Don’t get me wrong, this book wrapped up beautifully. It takes the time for a proper denouement, so all the threads can be tied up comfortably. It’s … lovely. Like getting to sit around the campfire with your friends after a long hard day doing whatever folks who go camping do. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I just wanted more story because I loved what I got so much.

So what are you waiting for? One-click this beauty and get reading!

This was a fun duology. I liked all the characters and the world and societies were well detailed. This series does seem to be set in the same world as her other series but you don’t need any familiarity with that series to enjoy this one. I also liked the overall positive arc of the story. They are both medium long books but so fast pasted and zippy going between the different perspectives that it seems much shorter it goes so quickly.

I really enjoyed Floodpath. I did not read the first book in the series but still felt I had no issues following the plot. The story was a good fantasy and the characters were well developed. I will read Emily martin again.

I enjoyed Sunshield, and I enjoyed this end to the duology as well.

My opinions of Veran, Tasmin, and Lark are largely unchanged from the first half of this story. I enjoyed their story arcs, particularly Tasmin's. I would read more about Tasmin in the future.

The characters have no clear path to success in uncovering the plot behind Tasmin's kidnapping, and things frequently go wrong for the characters. I like seeing how they overcome these struggles. The story wraps up and ends as it should. I am satisfied with the ending.

I wish this book had a list or family tree of characters and monarchies, because I had to slow down to try to remember who was who among all the characters that I had not seen.

I received an electronic advanced review copy for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own. I read this in November 2020.