Woodwalker: Creatures of Light, Book 1

Written by Emily B. Martin

Narrated by Erin Rieman

“What on earth would I gain from that?” I asked him. “Risk my own neck by violating my banishment just to leave you? The sentence placed on me if I return is execution. If I’m entering the mountains again, I’d damn well better get something out of it.”

Exiled from the Silverwood and the people she loves, Mae has few illusions about ever returning to her home. But when she comes across three out-of-place strangers in her wanderings, she finds herself contemplating the unthinkable: risking death to help a deposed queen regain her throne.

And if anyone can help Mona Alastaire of Lumen Lake, it is a former Woodwalker—a ranger whose very being is intimately tied to the woods they are sworn to protect. Mae was once one of the best, and despite the potential of every tree limb to become the gibbet she’s hung from, she not only feels a duty to aide Mona and her brothers, but also to walk beneath her beloved trees once more.

A grand quest in the tradition of great epic fantasies, filled with adventure and the sharp wit—and tongue—of a unique hero, Woodwalker is the perfect novel to start your own journey into the realm of magical fiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9780063030343

Emily B. Martin

Emily B. Martin is a park ranger during the summer and an author/illustrator the rest of the year.  An avid hiker and explorer, her experiences as a ranger help inform the characters and worlds of The Outlaw Road duology and the Creatures of Light trilogy. When not patrolling national parks such as Yellowstone and the Great Smoky Mountains, or the Boy Scouts’ Philmont Scout Ranch, she lives in South Carolina with her husband, Will, and two daughters, Lucy and Amelia.

Reviews for Woodwalker

[daumari · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally got around to this. Note: The author was my drum major in college marching band; however, I purchased and am reviewing this on my own.

Woodwalker is technically fantasy, though no supernatural elements seem to be present other than a strong connection to the natural world (though by being not-Earth, high fantasy seems appropriate?). Unlike most fantasy, this isn't the Hero's Journey narrative given Mae, our capable heroine, isn't out to discover herself or be the chosen one. Instead, she goes on an escort mission taking three deposed royals back to their inland home. The journey from point A to point B is a standard trope for fantasy (reminder: tropes are not bad), but enhanced here by being inspired by our national parks (the Silverwoods are the Great Smoky Mountains). Based on hints, I'm guessing the Alcoro come from an equivalent to our southwest? Definitely looking forward to future worldbuilding.

I also did not see the twist coming. I figured given the Prologue that Valien would be hunting our wayward royals and planning to take over the Lumen throne, but in hindsight I guess it makes sense given we were missing a messenger character and a named Mae!Beau character.

One [admittedly minor] point that I'm still thinking over is the treatment of Mona's agnosticism- at first she expresses frustration when characters show devotion to the Light (justifiably so given that her country was invaded to forcefully fulfill a prophecy), but later says she's not sure what to believe. Mae feels sad at this, and while I understand she's our narrator in a first-person story, I'm not sure whether to interpret that as being sad for Mona's questioning or for her feeling unsure. I'm guessing the latter, but when I first read that passage it bothered me. To our heroine's credit, she does tell Mona that the only one who can tell Mona what to believe is herself.

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely, breezy, and surprising book! Woodwalker takes many epic fantasy tropes, like displaced royalty and dangerous quests, and twists them into something new and fun. I like to think I'm good at predicting the ends of books, but this one surprised me, and in a good way. I look forward to reading the next in the series!