REVIEW: Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin

 
In Ashes to Fire (Woodwalker #2) by Emily B. Martin, Since the Alcoran invasion a couple of years ago, Queen Mona has done her best to ensure her beloved country, Lumen Lake, and its folk recover as quickly as possible. So when she receives word that Celeno, the Seventh King and leader of Alcoro, wishes to meet with her she’s expecting it to be a trick; a way for him to harm her or declare war again. But Queen Mona is shocked to find that she’s soon being escorted through the Cyprien bayou by the Roubideaux brothers–along with a special guest–on a peacekeeping mission.

“Her most frequent words to me were ‘you are a country.'”
He spluttered. “But…that’s…but you’re not. You’re a person in charge of a country.”
I look sideways at him, still smiling. “No, Rou. I’m Lumen Lake. I can’t act as if I’m independent from it. My mother knew that, and she knew it would be difficult for a child to comprehend. Hence all the mantras, hence all the rigor. She knew what was at stake for me.”

King Celeno has made enemies of nearly all the countries he’s stationed his countrymen in, taking away folks’ rights and changing their political infrastructures completely. Queen Mona has seen firsthand the damage the king will do in the name of prophecy. So although she’s not happy with the Cypriens’ methods, she understands the need for alliances in these tumultuous times. And with the help of the Roubideaux brothers and some local folk, Queen Mona sets out to find a way to stop Celeno and ends up learning a few things about herself in the process.

“I am extending my hand in alliance to negate the need for violence. Peaceful trade is a privilege for your folk, not mine. Or shall I send word that you have requested my warships to revisit your lake? What will your folk do then?”
“So already you threaten me, just minutes after sitting down,” I said coolly.

Ashes to Fire was a complex, well-written fantasy that had a strong plot and even stronger characters. Author Emily B. Martin ended up taking readers on an adventure that was filled with humility, perseverance, personal growth, love and acceptance.

I will start off cautioning readers that it would probably be best to read book one, Woodwalker, first before beginning this sequel. I didn’t, so I had a bit of catching up to do, trying to figure out the worldscape and the dynamics between the characters. And I’m not sure if it’s because I was starting from scratch or if it was just how the story began, but it started off somewhat slowly for me. But once Queen Mona (our main character), Mae and the rest of the cast were fully involved, I was completely drawn in by them and their plight.

The offbeat characters were actually quite fun to meet and I loved that they were so real, with flaws and issues they all had to deal with personally. I admit I had to warm up to Queen Mona, though. She seemed angry and quick to think the worst of others, judging them based on those quickly formed notions. But as the story progressed it became clear how much she had gone through in her lifetime, especially the past four years or so, and that there was a reason for her attitude. Queen Mona grew quite a bit here as both a woman and as the leader of Lumen Lake, learning to trust herself and to take some moments for herself as well.

If you’ve been looking for a new fantasy series to sink your teeth into, I think the Woodwalker books will do just the trick. And with the HFN ending in Ashes to Fire, and with war on the horizon, what happens next will surely be exciting and will bring new challenges to the people of Lumen Lake, Silverwood and beyond.

Book Info:

 Expected publication: January 31st 2017 | by Harper Voyager Impulse | Woodwalker #2

“You are a country.”

Those words have been the guiding force behind Queen Mona’s every move since she was a little girl—the idea that all her actions and desires were, first and foremost, decided based on what was best for Lumen Lake. It had kept her alive after the Alcoran invasion, it had driven her to retake her country, and now it is the steely resolve she needs to finally confront the despotic Seventh King, Celeno.

But when her diplomatic mission finds herself on the run through the swamps of Cyprien—accompanied by the unlikeliest group of companions—Mona discovers that while she is her country, she is also someone who has been sheltered by principles and bound by past mistakes. Now she must struggle to reshape her view of the world and face intimate new truths—not only for the good of her country, but for herself, as well.

A desperate journey to secure peace, and an even greater journey to discover herself, Ashes to Fire is the captivating and adventurous follow-up to Emily B. Martin’s Woodwalker—once more with cover art by the author herself!