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Sunshield: A Novel
Sunshield: A Novel
Sunshield: A Novel
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Sunshield: A Novel

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A lawless wilderness. A polished court. Individual fates, each on a quest to expose a system of corruption.

The desolate canyons of Alcoro—and the people desperate enough to hide there—couldn’t be more different from the opulent glass palace and lush forests of Moquoia. But the harsh desert and gleaming court are linked through their past, present, and future: a history of abductions in the desert to power Moquoia’s quarries and factories, and a bleak, inhumane future built on the sweat and sacrifice of these bond laborers.

But events unfolding in the present could change everything. In the desert, outlaw Lark—known to most as the Sunshield Bandit—has built a name for herself attacking slavers’ wagons and freeing the captives inside. But while she shakes the foundation of Moquoia’s stratified society, she also has to fight to protect her rescuees—and herself—from the unforgiving world around them.

In the Moquoian court, young ambassador Veran hopes to finally make his mark by dismantling the unjust labor system, if he can navigate the strict hierarchy and inexplicable hostility of the prince.

And caught in the middle of it all, Tamsin is trapped within four walls, the epicenter of a secret political coup to overthrow the Moquoian monarchy and perpetuate the age-old system of injustice.

Separated by seas of trees and sand, the outlaw, the diplomat, and the prisoner are more connected than anyone realizes. Their personal fates might just tip the balance of power in the Eastern World—if that very power doesn’t destroy them first. 

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateMay 26, 2020
ISBN9780062888587
Author

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.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.Emily B. Martin brought a fresh, vibrant new fantasy world to life in her Woodwalker trilogy. Now, she digs deeper into her setting with Sunshield, the start of a new series that does not require having read the previous books (though I highly recommend you do!).This book is that rare entity of the genre: a fantasy western, full of the realistic details that Martin (an experienced park ranger) laces into all of her books. Lark is the titular Sunshield, a bandit committed to raiding the rich and freeing those who were slaved as she was. Then there is Veran, a young man acting as a translator and ambassador in Moquoia, a country that profits from slavery. Veran is committed to stopping the slave trade, but his clumsy efforts at court are undermined by nasty politics that he only gradually comprehends. Then there is Tamsin, a woman of Moquoia who is being held captive in horrendous conditions. The stories and lives of these three people twine together in a narrative that is tense, and at the end, emotional.The book examines the nature of privilege and slavery in a way that is never preachy, though it can be disturbing at times--as well it should be. There is a lot of depth to this story. A romantic element is gentle and in the early stages in this volume.The cliffhanger ending makes me incredibly eager to get my hands on the next book. Oh, there are so many feels at the end. I loved getting the chance to revisit this world, and I sincerely hope there are a lot more books to come.

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Sunshield - Emily B. Martin

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