Walking Through Fire

Misbegotten #1

by Sherri Cook Woosley

For fans of American Gods, a dark, humorous, and richly written, dystopian fantasy about the unbreakable bonds of family and the undying strength of a mother's love.

The end of the world begins as literal fire rains down from the heavens. Ancient gods are released from their prison, eager to reestablish their long-lost power. But Rachel Deneuve has bigger, more contemporary concerns than a divine war.

Her son Adam is in the middle of a fight against leukemia, and Rachel is determined to keep focused on that battle. But when humans begin picking sides and the fighting escalates, their home in Baltimore becomes a war zone, one she can’t ignore.

Desperate to stay away from the carnage—as well as the germ-ridden refugee center—Rachel and Adam flee to their remote mountain cottage, only to find their refuge marred by mutated, grotesque plants and animals. Eventually, the cancerous cells in Adam's body begin evolving as well, threatening his life and forcing Rachel to venture back into the eye of the storm. Left with no other choice but to sacrifice her own freedom for her son's safety, she must become an unwilling warrior in a battle unlike anything seen in millennia, or lose everything she holds dear.

Genres: Fantasy

394 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2018

About the author

Sherri Cook Woosley earned an MA in English Literature from University of Maryland where she taught both Academic Writing and World Mythology classes. She left teaching to pursue two new dreams: creative writing and starting a family. So, she eloped to Florence, Italy and came back ready to write.
Sherri has short stories published in Abyss & Apex Magazine, Pantheon Magazine, and Flash Fiction Magazine. WALKING THROUGH FIRE is her debut novel and features a mother who will do anything to protect her son -- even become an unwilling warrior in a fight between the reawakened Mesopotamian gods.

Reviews

[Fiona Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything was stacked in this book's favour, going in. We've got an end of the world scenario where all the gods are returning to earth, a mother and her sick son caught in the whirlwind, and even my very favourite thing - an irrationally safe and cosy secret home base. Unfortunately for me, it just didn't work out as smoothly as all that.

The main character, and her interactions with both people and this end of the world, were my main problem. This woman was infuriating and couldn't make up her mind; she believes this is all happening, no she doesn't, it's just too much, but it must be true, only of course it's not, that's irrational...and so on. Her son, while not consistently awful, can be a little piece of work in the way that apocalypse children all too often are - turning whiny just at the worst possible time, or becoming irrationally angry about something that's never brought up again. The mc wasn't just indecisive either, but had some incredibly stupid overly trusting moments - and then would turn around and do something like leave a woman who has been hiding with her alone in the house with the super untrustworthy military men who a)have wolves and b)came across as super rapey. As one sadly underused character said, learned helplessness isn't cute. And it was all over the damn place, along with a demanding, entitled, and just thoroughly oblivious attitude. Ack.

That rant out of the way - this could have been a great book, and there's absolutely promise there. The idea is solid, and there's some truly inventive aspects of this apocalyptic world. Had the author chosen the mc's friend Naomi as her main character, I think I could have loved this book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot to like about Sherri Cook Woosley’s debut novel, Walking Through Fire. The story starts off with a bang, literally, when a fireball (or several) fall from the sky and envelop the world in a firestorm, destroying almost everything in its path. What is left is never the same. It’s a magical occurrence and the world is transformed in its wake. The ancient gods are back and they’re ready to wage war, and to harness the energy from humans to fight one another. At first we don’t know a lot about what is happening and it’s essentially a disaster novel with Rachel, our main protagonist, and her son trying to survive an apocalyptic cataclysm. Things are revealed slowly over the course of the book as they encounter other travelers, both human and…not. I really loved the whole concept of the gods awakening and interacting with people. I also enjoyed them being very god-like and not exactly having the same feelings and priorities as human beings.

I really appreciated Rachel’s devotion to her son and keeping him safe. It was great to read about a mother in a fantasy story! I feel like this is sort of a rare thing, for some reason. Most main protagonists are not mothers just trying to get through the day or trying to keep their kids from harm, so this angle felt refreshing. Although I loved Rachel’s care of her son, it was really hard to like Rachel as a character for most of the story. To be honest, her character is a little annoying at times, so focused on her son that she’s clearly in denial about some of the strange occurrences she’s seeing in this new world post-firestorm and dismisses them out of hand. She also doesn’t always have the greatest instincts and I feel like she can sometimes be stubborn about the wrong things. All that being said, Rachel does eventually start to learn about and accept all of the strange new stuff happening around her, and not only that but to embrace it. It takes some work, but by the end of the novel she’s in a much different place and I thought it was great seeing that kind of character development happen gradually over the course of the book. She also learns not to be quite so overprotective of her son, letting him learn from his own mistakes and I think their relationship is much improved by the end of the story because of this growth. Also, when I sat down and thought about it, if a firestorm showed up and destroyed stuff how likely would I believe in magic suddenly, just because? It’s easy for us as readers to believe because we have those expectations, but for Rachel, as a character, she’s probably not going to just accept something she knew wasn’t real suddenly being reality. That’s a lot to process. So I feel like it was very realistic in this aspect, even if it was slightly frustrating to read at times…’Come on, Rachel!’ But I do also cut her a lot of slack because her life had been put on hold for years, first with her marriage and then with her son being sick…it’s like she lost who she was for a long time. Clearly this is something she had been struggling with for years and it goes a long way to explaining some of her behavior. I’m really looking forward to seeing her continued growth on all of these fronts since great character arcs are one of the things I love most in stories.

A lot of the other characters were interesting and nuanced, but felt sort of temporary and it’s hard to get attached to them when you never know if they’re gong to be hanging around or not. This is echoed in Rachel’s relationships with these characters. You get the feeling she’s not really opening up all that much with many of them. Her failure to connect with them, and her unsure footing, also effects us as readers and our ability to connect with those characters. Yet, I did enjoy several of the side characters and thought they were all well written–they were multi-faceted and you could see both good and bad things about them. I was quite happy when a few popped up again later in the story and I’m hoping we get to see some of them in the next book. I have theories about Tamaki! I want to know if I’m right. 😀 A couple of the ‘bad guys’ were just a tad ‘standard evil’ bad guys, but in a world where people are taking sides with literal gods, I guess that’s to be expected. There is at least one ‘bad guy’ in particular that I really enjoyed because you don’t know what to make of him. Is he a good guy that did something bad or a bad guy that was nice a few times? These are my favorite types of characters!

One other thing that I really loved was that this story takes place in and around Baltimore, so for me personally it was a really fun read. I kept reading about places that I’m familiar with and that hardly ever happens for me when reading fantasy novels! I was like ‘oh, Rocks State Park, yeah my mom’s cousin lives there, I’ve been to the King and Queen’s seat’ and ‘I drive to work that way’ a whole bunch of other stuff like that. I also loved that I immediately recognized exactly where the cover picture is…because we take that way downtown to the ballpark all of the time. So that aspect was really fun for me on a personal level. I think those that live in and around Baltimore will also appreciate that aspect.

Overall, I love the idea of the world and the battle of the gods taking place in Walking Through Fire. I’m looking forward to reading the next book to see what else is in store for Rachel and her son. 4/5 stars.

[T.C. Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Walking Through Fire, the Sumerian gods return to Earth and rain down fire in the process, devastating Baltimore and its surroundings. Presumably the rest of the Earth suffers the same fate, but the action is set in West Virginia and Maryland (which makes it more digestible). Rachel and her son, who has leukemia, try to survive the devastation, and are brought into an epic conflict between the invading gods. This book is imaginative and hard to put down (I actually began it three times, thwarted by computer meltdowns until I went Sumerian-tech and bought the paperback). The characters are beautifully done, imperfect but brave, and utterly believable. If you're a fantasy reader, this belongs on your bookshelf!

(I reviewed this during the summer on Amazon but had neglected to post on Goodreads)

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking Through Fire is an immersive fantasy about a mother who will do anything to save her child as her very ordinary world starts raining fire around her. And its set in Baltimore, Maryland. How do I make sense of that? How do I reconcile it with those who tell me that for Baltimore, Maryland the apocalypse arrived long ago?

I can’t succinctly explain how much I liked this novel. I admit, two years ago, I couldn’t have read it – because I don’t think I knew how to read fantasy. Fantasy is immersive, its un-realistic, its other-worldly, and an engrossing plot can be tortured by twists of fate and reality that come from outside. But it can also be compelling, engrossing, and surprising. Walking Through Fire is all of these things. How did I get captivated? My wife gave me House of Shattered Wings by Alliette de Bodard, another post-apocalyptic intrigue set in Paris, and it drew me in.

Walking Through Fire begins in the habitat of a vapid soccer mom raising her boy in that stressful rat-race many of us know. Her life is as ordinary as that of any parent supporting a child with a life-threatening disease. The First Act of this book conveys that sense of helplessness any parent feels when they can’t tell their child “It’s going to be OK”. Unfortunately, I know what that’s like. I certainly can’t answer the question, “What can be worse?” But Woosley answers … and then the apocalypse.

If I had one criticism about the structure of this novel, it’s that it took Woosley too long to get to the seminal event that changed everything. The book starts out so ordinarily, that it leaves me totally un-prepared for what is going to happen, and the shocks that would escalate as the plot proceeds. It’s jarring at times. What it conveys to me is that sense of bizarre instantaneous change that most of us can’t conceive, but can happen. The artist Robert Rauschenberg created a sculpture of a goat impaled inside a tire. What does that irrational juxtaposition mean? Well his analogy is that of the little boy who left one day for school, as his life and his village is upended by World War II. He comes home to find the Nazis have taken his house and are selling apples through a front window. If you live in places like Syria, or Sudan, or Libya today, your world can be upended in a minute.

Walking Through Fire will be compared to The Road by Cormac McCarthy, also a story about the love of a parent for his child, fighting to survive post apocalypse (also a tremendous book). In some ways; however, Walking Through Fire is much more engrossing. The plot has many layers, takes unexpected twists, and introduces complicated vectors of fantasy and intrigue. I was captivated by one character, The Weatherman, a wizened Mad-Max MacGyver who can’t entirely control this new earth but understands it better than the bedraggled victims around him. I can see this guy being a great hit in a big-screen version of the novel.

Which brings me to my last point: I highly recommend you buy this book. In the interest of full disclosure, I am married to the author; however, I’m always the first to tell her if something is not great. Her agent, who is also very talented, saw the entrancing potential in the manuscript. I want Sherri Cook Woosley to sell many thousands of copies, so she can justify writing the sequel; because while we get great payoffs at the end, it feels every bit like a compelling trilogy with much more to discover.

[Izzy Flower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking Trough Fire is definitely a book that's very hard to put down. I loved how the book has a strong female lead who, at the beginning, is just a regular woman, but the grows with her challenges and does things she wouldn't have thought herself capable of. Definitely an amazing read and VERY hard to put down!!!

[Wendy S. Delmater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel, a newly separated mother with her son, who is a ten-year-old, barely-recovered leukemia patient, are thrust into a new world when a series of insanely strong storms not only bring back ancient gods, but also wipe out most of humanity. Rachel is a typical suburban housewife and this all catches her while she is on her way to the hospital in Baltimore because her immunocompromised son is running a fever. It’s the story of a fiercely protective mother protecting her child while her old world burns around her, and as they fit into the new world, learning to let him go and let him grow into himself.

The strategy for survival Rachel chooses is interesting, and I will not give it away as that would be a spoiler. Her dealings with the new/old gods are absolutely fascinating and well thought out, and again, I will not share what they are as it would give too much away. I can say that some of the clashes between these gods are unexpected (but obvious, when you think about it), and the world she builds on the ashes of what we know is both strange and very, very compelling.

There’s a level of verisimilitude about so much of this. Any parent, especially a mother, will identify readily with Rachel’s dilemmas, weaknesses, and strengths. Woosley’s real-life child had leukemia and she draws us into the world of a parent of a gravely ill child as seamlessly as she draws us into a world of manipulative, powerful jealous gods—and magic.

It’s book one in the Misbegotten series so there will be more. I loved this novel. And you will, too.

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book was so exciting! The blurb states “For fans of American Gods, a dark, humorous, and richly written, dystopian fantasy about the unbreakable bonds of family and the undying strength of a mother's love.”

So of course I had to read it!! A dystopian fantasy with a female lead character, yes please!

I was disappointed by the fourth chapter. The writing and dialogue feels juvenile and undeveloped.

Rachel’s is just plain annoying. Her voice is incredibly whiny and she is completely in denial about the new world. She sees things, and then tells herself they aren’t real. If someone else sees what she sees, she says it’s a shared hallucination. She has the strangest moments of weakness, and jealously that are so petty and immature.

While I did enjoy the overall ideas in this story, it wasn’t executed well.

[Arrow Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a type story, that I normally would not have read. I was trying to expand my horizon by reading this new author and was very impressed. Before I completed the book, I came to understand that the author must have experienced some real life parallels to the protagonist. Sheri, this was a brilliant piece of writing.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because of *gestures at the world* I haven’t read any sorts of dystopian or post-apocalyptic books in a few years. But this book has been on my radar for a while, and since the author is relaunching the series, I wanted to check it out (quick note on timing: I read this book and wrote the review last summer, before reading Ashes of Regret). Gray certainly doesn’t mess around, and the apocalypse hits hard in chapter 1, not letting up for the entire first section of the book. Events are extra poignant for Baltimore area residents since Gray makes excellent use of real locations to lend verisimilitude to the destructive effects of the mysterious calamity.

The world changes pretty much overnight, as much as most characters do their best to cling to the old ways. That can mean more than simply assuming this is a passing disaster after which everything will return to normal, as Rachel first focuses more on her son’s long-term cancer problems than on surviving this new world. Her son Adam is an excellent foil when he is often more realistic than Rachel about what is to come. In contrast, Rachel continues to be more practical, but that attitude often wars with her denial of the way the world around them has changed. Part of what makes Rachel such a compelling character is that it’s nice to see a post-apocalyptic hero who is not always strong and resilient. Instead, the character development she experiences throughout this book is that she doesn’t come into her own power as much as what she sacrifices to claim it.

Rachel and Adam do eventually come to understand the true nature of why their world has changed, and Rachel’s prior knowledge about the fallen Mesopotamian gods makes her various encounters with them both creepier and more intriguing than if she had none. One thing I especially appreciate about this world is how Gray doesn’t default to the “typical” deity pantheons most readers are familiar with, such as Greek or Egyptian. Another aspect of this book I enjoyed is that Rachel already leans toward an agnostic view of religion so that we don’t have to bother with some sort of crisis of faith on her part (another point for Rachel’s practicality here). Instead, she faces down gods and their avatars without automatically putting them on a pedestal. This helps her and Adam survive more than once, because there are definitely bad gods, but there also aren’t necessarily any good gods in this new paradigm. All of them are greedy, though, which Rachel does work out enough to tip the scales in her favor more than once.

Overall, Rachel’s adventures in this book make for a compelling read as she transitions from a suburban housewife whose priority is her son’s health to a post-apocalyptic survivor (whose priority is still very much her son’s health). The ending is satisfying on its own, but at the same time, everything Rachel undergoes here also feels like an extended prologue for whatever she will face next. Gray does an excellent job of setting up the expectations for an intriguing series without taking the cliffhanger shortcut. But she also makes it clear that Rachel might not be the hero we should be focusing on. Adam has also experienced his share of mysteries and transformations in this book, and I’m extremely curious about the role he might play in this new world. Count me in for future books.

[the_frat_nanny_reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I bought this book as a bargain for about $2 and I am not surprised. What I am surprised by is that someone published this. The writing is choppy and the characters are not developed. The boy has cancer, but he has been in remission, they take his port out and then his hair starts falling out, because of the chemo he didn't have.
There is a weird dude in the mountains who can make fog and is not letting anybody through, but when mom asks pretty he grabs her wrist, sounds like a horoscope, and lets her through. There are weird hordes, a park ranger, dragons, fire bulls..
The premise for this was great, but it couldn't have been executed more poorly if it tried. I told myself I would finish this book, but 130 pages in my brain is hurting from all the nonsense in this book.
Into the donation pile it goes.

[Arensb · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, it was mostly fun watching disaster strike the eastern seaboard, and seeing our heroes' adventures in places I'm familiar with. But somewhere in the last 100 pages, I finally realized that it had become a chore to read, and I finally put it down.

The final straw for me was the Scroll that Magically Turns into Whichever Book You Want to Read But Only If You Say Your Wish Out Loud. That sounds like something out of a fairy tale rather than a fantasy novel, and isn't what I'm in the mood for right now.

On the plus side, Woosley does know Baltimore, and her descriptions make it clear that she has experience with people with cancer, or at least she's done her research. And hey, who wouldn't want to see Babylonian gods firebomb the Chesapeake?

[L.D. Colter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel where ancient Sumerian and Babylonian gods appear and draw battle lines across near-future America is my kind of book. I also appreciated the fact that the protagonist, Rachel, didn't suddenly become possessed of ninja-like skills and bravery when faced with a world-changing event. She was what she seemed to be, a recently-separated homemaker and yoga teacher, deeply affected by her pre-teen son's battle with leukemia; a woman who had to do her best to keep them both safe in a new and confusing world. An entertaining read, well narrated by Erin Bennett.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This post-apocalyptic story has everything, including the kitchen sink. When the world begins to decline, magic and the ancient Gods rise again. In the midst is a woman who simply wants to save her sick child. But that's not easy when love and faith are your only weapons.

When I read post apocalyptic novels, I prefer them to be more realistic. However, this fantasy look at the future was enjoyable and kept me reading. A mother's love can conquer all.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world has ended, and all Rachel wants is to protect her son, who has cancer. This is not your typical post-apocalyptic utopia. Woosley combines ancient magic with the very real struggles of a cancer survivor and a mom trying to save her kid from familiar dangers and new ones she doesn't yet understand. It's imaginative yet grounded, with a compelling and unique cast of characters and suspense right up to the end.

[Colleen Jeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! I hope the author comes out with another soon, I'd like to see the continued character growth. It has a feel of American Gods to it, along with a bunch of other similar end of the world YA novels I've read.

[Kelly K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.
A fun as fuck read that ended fairly corny and bizarre but I like it!

[lance l. shadle · Rating 4 out of 5]

New take on the end of the world and the return of the “gods”

[Carpe Librum Bookstore and Art Gallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Available on our website. Buy it now.
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[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I couldn’t help but like Captain Lewis....I want to read more about him. What is his story? Will he and Rachel become “involved”? New Babylon reminds me of the walking dead communities that were taken over by the guy with the barbed wire bat, I can’t remember his name... people come to new Babylon searching for a better life only to be severely beaten or killed if they do something wrong. It seems to be a good community but it’s just not! Rachel’s character is a bit annoying. She’s over protective but that doesn’t bother me as I think I would be the same if my child had cancer. Rachel at times acts like a strong female but in others she is quite wishy washy. A lot of times, I get annoyed with female characters in books because they always seem to have to depend on a man even when they seem to be strong. I’d like an Amazonian type of female lead for once. Lol. Rachel’s son, has cancer, leukemia but he was instantly healed twice. In the book, we learn how both times, I am curious about his future self. How does his life affect the outcome of the misbegotten war?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would like to read more.

[Tammy Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

The age-old conflict between a mom's desire for self-preservation warring with her willingness to do whatever it takes for her child is always relevant, no matter the setting. Woosley has captured the agony of when life just gets too hard beautifully in this post-apocalyptic setting. In this page-turner laden with detailed descriptions and fanciful encounters, she reminds us there is always something bigger than ourselves to believe in. A real page-turner, Walking Through Fire will have to be read more than once to glean all the magic it contains. I wait with bated breath for the sequel to continue Rachel's journey.

[Taylor Zajonc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inventive, expansive, and moving. Woosley has managed to combine the scope and mythic intrigue of American Gods with intimacy and emotional resonance of The Road (though the writing style trends decidedly towards the former). If you have an interest in Mesopotamian mythology, modern apocalyptic fantasy, or the struggles of a single mother trying to save the life of her leukemia-stricken, immune-system compromised son as the world both figuratively and literally crumbles around her, pick up this book. Includes one of the most epic and satisfying endings I've read in some time. Highly enjoyable, and would recommend to anybody.

[Samuel Lubell · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a meteor somehow destroys the United States and causes plant and animal mutations (how?) the old gods and the Misbegotten return. Rachel struggles to survive and help her son Adam, who was already struggling with cancer. The scenes involving Rachel's relationship with Adam and the problems with cancer ring true. Unfortunately the rest of the book can't decide if this is a sf post-disaster struggle for survival with the usual dictatorship forming. Or is this a fantasy novel about the return of the Old Gods and their struggle for worshipers. The author tries to meld the two and it works sometimes but not enough for the novel to cohere.

I'm giving it a six on the Compton Crook scale.

[Amanda Hart Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel does a clever job of mixing good characterization with fast-paced action. On the action side, the author has built a unique world populated by modern-day Mesopotamian gods who use epic powers to fight for control. As Rachel and her son struggle to survive in this world, they remain three-dimensional characters with a past, since Rachel must balance her realization of Adam's increasing need for independence and her lingering fear that his serious medical issues may rear up again. The book moves quickly but never loses its beating heart: a touching, honest mother-son relationship.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Unfortunately I had less than favorable feelings toward the protagonist. I found her to be rather unlikable. Information about the new world/Gods was lacking and disjointed. Overall it just wan't a good fit with my tastes but I think that this book could have appeal with fantasy lovers of wide age ranges. The book could even be read by middle school aged youth as there isn't too much violence or other sensitive areas that would rule out younger readers.

[Liz Decker]

This story is incredible. Author wastes no time getting things rolling- the character development is easily woven into the action. Even though the novel is largely supernatural it's easy to relate to this monther and son. Having read both the Stand and American Gods I would say Michele Lang's description is right on. Also smiliar to Joe Hill's The Fireman, this book left me with both a satifying ending and eagerly wanting the next story in the series. Walking Through Fire is defintiely on my favorites list and I can't wait to share it.

[Doug Dluzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book a lot! The heart of this story is really about the relationship between a mother and her son and their struggles mentally, physically, and medically as they work together to survive the apocalypse. The battle scenes are exciting and natural and I loved the progressions of the main characters. I highly recommend this modern fantasy and I can’t wait to see what Sherri comes up with next!

[Laura Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a great deal in it. Old gods, apocalyptic themes, and a mother trying to survive with her son who has cancer. It was an emotional rollercoaster, and when I first started listening to the audiobook I was driving through the areas that Rachel was in.

Be prepared to laugh, cry, and get angry because anyone who loves/wants to protect someone will be able to put themselves into Rachel's journey.

In short. I loved it. It will likely be an annual listen for me.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I was very impressed with it. Myself and my family have spoken so highly of it, that my grandma, whose eyesight is all but gone, has asked me to read the book aloud to her, so that she can experience it, as well! Everyone that I've spoken to about the book thinks very highly of both the book and the author. Every and every one of Mrs. Woosley's fans and avid readers are waiting for the next book in the series!

[Lauren Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not usually a fan of science fiction and fantasy but Sherri Cook Woosley’s book drew me in - her characters are engaging and multi-faceted, the world she creates is vivid and detailed, and the tension is palpable. I enjoyed the fierce mother-son bond, bits of art sprinkled throughout, mythology, and more. How she was able to cram all of this - in addition to the story itself - into a single book is a literary wonder!