Flow

by Ember Markussen

A sequel to the 2025 magical realism bestseller, SANCTUARY

The water always remembers.

When Joe Reyes decides it’s time to leave the tiny town of Solace Spring behind, he embraces his dream of an adventurous life on the road. But as he travels through town and forest, an old story haunts him. Women hold him down, memories won’t let go, and home feels just out of reach. No matter how far Joe goes on his quest for something new, he can never quite escape the specters waiting in the water.

Constantly pushing forward while dragging his past behind, Joe runs from the ghost of truth breathing down his neck. Is he ready to find his way home? Or is that the future he fears? Only the water knows... and Joe will have to descend to its frigid depths to see what’s right in front of him.

You can’t escape your reflection.

A story of the ghosts that haunt us, Flow offers a brand new life to those with the courage to face their past.

Defeat corporate greed - buy this book from an independent bookstore.

302 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2026

Reviews

[Sheri | HawksNestReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flow was a layered and deeply moving story of self-discovery and healing. It follows Joe’s journey as he tries to find his way, and I found myself genuinely invested in him and where his story would lead.

Ember Markussen did a beautiful job building the story and setting the tone throughout. This isn’t my usual genre, but I still really enjoyed it and appreciated the depth of Joe’s journey.

Thank you, Ember Markussen, for the ARC and for trusting me with your work. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to read Flow.

[Kenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

After enjoying my time in Solace Springs with Elizabeth last year, it was refreshing to return to this charming town, the Sanctuary, and the road beyond, this time through the eyes of Joe.

Flow is the companion novel to Sanctuary, picking up shortly after its conclusion as Joe sets off to pursue a life on the road, though he can't quite leave his past behind. While Sanctuary was atmospheric in its introduction to a Gilmore Girls-esque town in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Flow is even more so, leaning into poetic prose to capture the natural world, particularly water in all its forms. Fitting, considering Joe prefers living out of his van beside the river, tapping maple trees and speaking with the river as she races toward the ocean.

I also enjoyed the expansion of the magical realism elements introduced in Sanctuary. What began with tales of healing waters and a magical mycelium network becomes something more pronounced in Flow, as Joe encounters water in human form, fog that seems to surround him with purpose, and a woman seemingly drawn from local folklore. There's a greater sense of the mystical here, with the magic remaining tied to the natural world. It's the sort of storytelling that speaks to me as someone who walks the woods, feels connected to the land, and sometimes pauses a moment longer in hopes that a tree might whisper back.

And Joe…oh, Joe. How you frustrate me. Or rather, frustrated. You might begin this book thinking, "I've dated a Joe." If so, read on. There's something hopeful about watching a man recognize the patterns that have kept him running, confront his wounds, and begin to heal. And through Elizabeth, we're reminded that loving someone doesn't mean abandoning our own boundaries or self-respect.

Although Flow can technically stand alone, I recommend reading Sanctuary first. With much of the story spent alone with Joe and his thoughts, the slower, more introspective pacing may be harder to appreciate without an established connection to the town and his history with Elizabeth.

Outside of the story, I appreciated the inclusion of book club discussion questions and the "Shadow Work with Flow" appendix. The latter invites readers to complete their own inner work through reflection questions inspired by the four stages of Joe's journey: Dust, Fog, Ice, and Rain. While I believe it's important to read stories that challenge our perspectives, sometimes it's nice to find ourselves reflected in the characters and their journeys. And if you're unfamiliar with shadow work, consider this your encouragement to explore it. You might just heal so hard that you carve out your own little corner of the internet to share your thoughts on books you love.

I’d recommend Flow to anyone who enjoyed Sanctuary, as well as readers drawn to nature-infused magical realism, local folklore, and introspective journeys of healing and self-discovery.

And since I initially picked up Sanctuary because I vibed with its playlist, I’ll add this - if you’re drawn to the lyrics of Trevor Hall, Rising Appalachia, or The Head and the Heart, you may find something to love here, too.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review Flow early, even if I'm a little late sharing my thoughts! All opinions are my own, and I look forward to whatever she writes next.

[Wendy Knol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was such a beautiful and atmospheric read. I really loved the strong feeling of freedom surrounding Joe. His need to leave, to wander and to experience life on his own terms felt very real, but at the same time there was so much more underneath that freedom. The feeling of running from your past while slowly realizing that you can’t truly leave everything behind made the story feel emotional and thoughtful.

I feel like I probably should have read Sanctuary first. Since Flow was my first book in the series, I sometimes felt like I was missing a little bit of the background and the connections between the characters.

I really enjoyed the story, the emotions and especially the journey of finding out what freedom, belonging and home really means

[Summer Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I struggled with Joe, seeing the viewpoint from the women’s side…. Always being let down. And then on a deeper level I totally related to him. The day in and day out stress from responsibility, relationships, showing up, remembering everything, trying to do the right thing, trying to think for others….its very draining and I could see the appeal of only having to worry about yourself. At the end of the day though, and as Joe realized, if you have nothing anchoring you down then what are you truly living for? This is a book that will make you think deeply. Deeper than the words written on the pages.

[Cyndi Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading *Sanctuary*, I was really looking forward to what would happen next in Solace Spring!

Like *Sanctuary*, Ember writes with such vividness that the characters and their world truly come to life. She has an incredible ability to draw you in and leave you craving more. I loved the depth with which Ember explored Joe's journey—the pain he carries, the choices he makes, and the possibility of finally allowing himself to move forward.

The way Ember brought everything together was creative genius. Once again, she has written a story so mystical and magical that it leaves readers longing for more, yet completely satisfied.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent this book as an early reader, for an honest review and I was not disappointed.

Reading this book has been a pleasure and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The magical realism really brings the characters within the story to life.

Following Joe's journey really leaves the reader questioning their own choices in life. Should we continue to search for happiness, constantly move to find ourselves? Or is the true journey within, and finding ourselves is the place we call home.

Thank you Ember for letting me read this book, it was an absolute pleasure.

[Kathleen Carbone · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting read! I was kindly allowed to read Flow early and it was such a surprising ride. Joe is a dynamic character whose journey is full of personal and philosophical questioning.

At its heart, Flow highlights the struggle between running toward the next chapter and creating the next chapter in a place you can plant roots. The magic realism really adds to that question and the overall storyline.

Thank you for sharing this novel with my early, Ember!

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poetic, inspiring novel, Flow is such a beautiful journey. Watching Joe transform into a better human is the kind of heartening story we need right now. I absolutely loved the details and sometimes haunting descriptions of the settings. From river to ocean, the water theme is strong and consistent, simultaneously obvious and still subtle. This was a great story, and so well written.

I received an ARC of this book from the author.

[Maggie Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read! One that I will re-read again. I did not expect to relate so deeply as I did with the main male character. The character development was phenomenal, one of the best developments I have read. I highly recommend adding this as your next read.

[Andrew Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read it had a lot of real world experience and show a lot of self conflict. With that being said it also shows a lot of conflict resolution with him self and with others