Daughters of Flood and Fury is not a book that should be read alone. In order to understand the importance of Catalina — Inez’s sister, Lunurin’s first love — in order to understand the growing pressures and fears that weigh on Alon and Lunurin as they prepare to face down the Codician navy approaching their archipelago with the intent to reconquer them, the pressures of the Christian Church demonizing their gods and trying to plant the seeds of their own religion, in order to understand Inez’s pain and the reasons for her crippling self doubt and fears, you really need to have read the first book in the Stormbringer Saga, Saints of Storm and Sorrow. (That, and it’s an amazing book.)

In the past four years, Lunurin and Alon have been trying to bring the various islands of the archipelago into an alliance, as they prepare to defend themselves. Aynila is a prosperous city, thriving with the presence of reawakening goddesses and the magic returning to its people. Other islands are jealous, still stinging that they didn’t fight back and don’t seem to be rewarded, or are justly afraid of the repercussions about to fall on their archipelago, especially if Aynila falls.

Alon is trying so hard to be the peacekeeper, the diplomat, the leader, the husband and the healer, and it’s wearing him thin. His body is suffering as much as his heart, but he’s willing to put his physical pain to the side in order to do anything and everything he can for his wife and his people. When he hears rumors of Saint Catalina, though, Alon feels a deeper fear even than the thought of the return of the Codicians. Catalina was Lunurin’s first love, a devout Christian and a toxic, manipulative woman who betrayed her own people for praise from the Church. He is afraid that if Lunurin hears these rumors, she will go looking for Catalina and leave him. So … he decides not to tell her.

In the end, of course, the truth comes out, and Lunurin is rightfully angry. It’s not their first fight, but it’s the one that Alon fears the most, as it’s the one that might send her away from him. But he underestimates Lunurin and the depth of her love, underestimates how much she trusts him, understands him, and needs him to be the safe harbor that she turns to when the pull of her goddess, the plight of her people, and her own self doubts and insecurities eat at her.

“[…]it was my fear talking. It has nothing to do with you or anything you’ve done. Do not doubt yourself because of my failings.”[…]

“I love you. I will always love you. And today I love you because you don’t think I’m some invulnerable instrument of vengeance of a disaster waiting to happen, but a woman whose heart might crave protection.”

Lunurin’s mother cast her out, afraid of the goddess that called to her daughter. Lunurin’s stepfather despises her. Her own people mistrust her when they do not fear her, treat her like a hero while denying her the right to be flawed, or even to fail. It is only Alon she can turn to, only Alon who can take the brunt of her magic into himself without suffering, and only Alon she can cry to and cling to.

Their relationship was the best part of the first book. Honestly, they’re couple goals, and I love everything about them. In book one, Alon was even wiling to share his wife with Catalina if that would make Lunurin happy, willing to step aside if that’s what she needed, and Lunurin fought mortals and gods and the Christian church for Alon’s life and soul. In this book, though, they are the B plot, as they struggle to be leaders to their people and defenders against an attack. The real main character in this book is Inez.

Inez and Catalina are sisters, given to the church as mixed blood children unwanted by either side. But it’s her Ayilian people who helped her when Father DeSoto raped a 13-year-old child and got her pregnant. It’s Lunurin who helped her escape when, after her abortion, she was whipped for being so sinful as to tempt a priest, and Lunurin who rescued her from the small cage she’d been locked into — dangling over the ocean where the tide would slowly drown her. Alon and Lunurin are her family, but they’re too busy with the needs of Aynila to see that Inez is hurting.

Inez wanted to be like Lunurin, for Lunurin to be the one to give her her name, but when she pulled up the oyster and offered it, Lunruin said no. Now, four years later, she says yes to some random girl — but not to Inez. Inez has been set aside to be trained as a healer, but she doesn’t have the gift. The ocean is too loud in her ears and her magic doesn’t come easy to her. Alon, too tired to understand, simply tells her to try harder. When she hears word of her sister’s return, of course Inez is going to go find her. Not just for her own answers, but because she knows, like Alon knows, that Lunurin would endanger herself for Cat.

While on her desperate hunt to reunite with her sister — to ask her sister why, why did you abandon me, why did you leave me behind, why did you betray us, why, why, why — she ends up meeting Umali, a privateer who hunts down pirates and slave ships. Umali is tall, strong, as warm as a volcano and just as terrible in her wrath, as she burns men and metal alike. Umali who, not knowing her past, trusts her. Trusts her to use her magic how she sees fit, not expecting her to be a healer, or even to be perfect. Umali who supports her quest to find her sister, who supports her uncertain magic, who trusts her enough to let her go — and trusts her enough to come back.

Inez is angry, and hurting. Her anger and pain have her reaching not for the quiet and peaceful ocean for healing, but instead to darker sources, a more primal power that feeds on blood and rage. It scares her, because it’s nothing she’s ever been taught as normal, or acceptable. And she knows that by abandoning Alon and Lunurin as she did to find Catalina, she may have lost the support of her only family, but she can’t not go after her sister if there’s any chance that she’s really out there, that she might still be saved. That she might still want Inez back. It’s that doubt and desperation that colors her relationship with Umali. Her wants, her needs, and her fears all wrapped in a dark knot in the center of her chest. But it’s also her strength, her resilience, her determination and her loyalty that draw Umali to her.

”I can feel it. There’s a dark, deep pit in me that won’t be sated. Not by death, not even by desire. I’ve tried everything to fill it. I’ve gorged greedy and desperate. I used the Amihan Moon’s glut of power, snatched crocodile prayers, fed lives to the sea like water. Even you. I used you, too, stealing your warmth and drawing on your battle rages. Lying to make you chase my ghosts. I thought maybe a drop of your fire would warm my belly. But look. Look what I am. […] Nothing will be enough. Nothing can fill a broken cup.”

Umali kissed her, pouring her fire into Inez like molten gold into a crucible. Inez drank deep, till even the terrible need in her belly sank down once more to a low ebb.

“Why would I begrudge one starved to eat their fill?” Umali whispered, before headtng her, too, back into the light.

This book is almost perfect. It’s one and only flaw is not being as good as the first book in the series. In Saints of Storm and Sorrow, there are only two pointst of view — Lunurin and Alon — and all of the tension and stress of the story is personal. Their friends, their family, their city, their lives … and, as such, the climax is personal. Their rage, their fear, their pain, their loved ones. Book one was a masterclass of building tension and rising action, until the perfect catharsis of the climax, and it’s one of my favorite books of this decade; it may even be one of my all time favorites.

This book, because of the three POVs, isn’t able to have the tension built as flawlessly, because it’s broken up between three people, and for much of that they’re in different places. So it’s not as prolonged, not as all consuming. And the final climax, when it comes — and boy does it — isn’t as personal. It’s a giant, frantic, and devastating battle of ship against ship, and while it’s well done, it just doesn’t hit me as hard as the end of book one. But that’s it’s only flaw, not being quite as good as the first book in the series, not being quite as good as a book I loved.

This book is amazing, especially if — like me — you like seeing wounded and broken characters pulling themselves together, finding someone who loves their sharp, brittle edges, as well as their gooey centers, someone who will support them without stealing their agency, someone who will let them go and be ready to welcome them back, or who will go through fire and flood to get to their side. There are dragons, there are politics, toxic families getting slapped down for not appreciating or loving their children for who they are, lots of food, loving couples, daring rescues, and yes, moments of pain.

You’ll see this book again. And so will I, when the physical copy I ordered the day I finished reading the ARC shows up at my door and I get to read it all over again.

This was not the one for me. Maybe I left it too long from reading the first book, but I didn't enjoy the first book very much anyway, and so this one really didn't do it for me. I couldn't get on with the characters and the plot didn't engage me.

I am very greatful that I was chosen to read this as an ARC. I read a few books the same week that I read this and this story is the one that stuck with me. I love everything about it, the storyline, the loveable characters, and even the flow of the story itself was just perfect. And do i even need to mention the gorgeous cover?!? I highly recommend this series of you haven't already read it!

A Thoughtful, Imperfect, but Powerful Sequel
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)

Daughters of Flood and Fury is a compelling follow-up to Saints of Storm and Sorrow, expanding on its world of myth, magic, and the lingering weight of revolution. Set several years after the events of the first book, this sequel focuses on the emotional and political aftermath of rebellion. Lunurin and Alon, once rebels, are now leaders tasked with uniting a fractured land while raising and mentoring Inez, the younger sister of Lunurin’s former lover.

Much of the spotlight shifts to Inez, who grapples with identity, trauma, and the pressure to become someone she is not. Her inner conflict is written with care and authenticity, and her arc toward self-acceptance is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Her bond with the fierce and unconventional Umali is touching, although the romance between them feels a little underdeveloped emotionally, more grounded in concept than chemistry.

Lunurin remains a standout character, growing into a reluctant matriarch figure while confronting the constraints that others, and sometimes she herself, place on her power. Alon’s storyline, though necessary, is weighed down by interpersonal conflict that lacks nuance, particularly in how it handles communication within his relationship with Lunurin.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its worldbuilding. The use of Filipino mythology and animist spirituality continues to be fascinating, particularly the spiritual connection to crocodiles and the exploration of tide-touched magic. Inez’s struggle with religious and cultural identity adds a rich layer to the narrative and offers some deeply resonant commentary on the legacy of colonialism.

While the pacing occasionally falters and the narrative feels slightly uneven between the multiple points of view, Daughters of Flood and Fury remains a powerful story about reclaiming power, identity, and healing on one’s own terms. It trades the fiery romantic tension of book one for quieter, more personal growth, which may disappoint some readers, but ultimately feels like a natural evolution of the characters and their journeys.

A strong close to an emotionally rich duology, filled with magic, meaning, and beautifully flawed characters who fight to be seen.

Content warnings: religious trauma, colonization, racism, and references to sexual assault.

I thoroughly enjoyed my reading of this book. Daughters of Flood and Fury follows Alon and Lunurin, and adds Inez's POV. I liked Inez best of all. Her adventures were intriguing, and I loved the relationships she formed. Overall, I found this book to be a significant improvement from the first. While Saints of Storm and Sorrow had some moments that read as melodramatic and forced, and the magic was occasionally hard to follow, this book was engaging, easy to follow, and significantly more emotional in a way that really affected me. I also loved the queer representation from many of the characters. Their relationships were so sweet. I would rate this book 4.5, and highly recommend the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for a ARC of this book.

DNF @ 16%

I loved the first book, but I struggled getting into this one. Maybe because it'd been so long since I read the first? Anyway, Alon irritated me with his whole "I have to protect her so I'm hiding information from her" bit instead of weathering it together like they'd promised. I gave up after that.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

After enjoying Saints of Storm and Sorrow I was interested to see how the saga would continue and I have to say I was not disappointed. Once again the writing really captured me. It flows so well and transports you into the world with ease. I enjoyed the additions to the world and magic as well but most importantly I enjoyed the exploration of characters, namely Inez and how she deals with the issues of the first book.


For me this has everything you could want in a fantasy including a brilliantly built world, complex and well developed characters and most importantly a wonderful base in Filipino myths,legends and identity. I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I started Daughters of Flood and Fury and could tell this book felt more of Inez's story, exploring the impact of her trauma and its aftermath. While I appreciate the depth of the themes and Gabriella Buba's writing style, I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the world and relationships. Rather than force a review that wouldn't be fair to the story, I decided to set it aside. Readers who enjoy fantasy that foregrounds character trauma and recovery are likely to get much more out of this than I did. Thank you for the opportunity to read this eARC (:

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Daughters of Flood and Fury is a wonderful and powerful continuation of Saints of Storm and Sorrow. The worldbuilding is even richer in this second book, and the characters are more fully developed. I especially loved following Ines as she grows from uncertain and afraid to more confident and self-assured. She starts out hesitant and full of doubt, but slowly begins to take up space, make her own decisions, and walk her own path. Her inner journey is written with care and honesty, and I found myself really rooting for her.

The relationship between Ines and Lanurin also deepens in a beautiful way. It truly feels like a mother-daughter dynamic, mutual respect, and unspoken understanding. Their connection adds so much heart to the story, and I appreciated how it was built slowly, with trust and emotional depth.

Gabriella Bubas writing is amazing. I love how she combines rich worldbuilding with deeply personal characters. Her storytelling feels intimate and epic at the same time.

It truly has been a pleasure reading this!😍

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Daughters of Flood and Fury by Gabriella Buba is a third person mutli-POV fantasy sequel to Saints of Storm and Sorrow. Years after Lunurin and Alon have beat back the Codicíans, their work to uniform their home is still not done and the Codicíans are coming back. Inez, the younger sister of Lunurin’s former lover Catalina, has become part of Lunurin and Alon’s family but can’t forget her anger and resentment at the people who hurt her.

This book feels more like Inez’s book whereas the last book felt more like Lunurin and Alon’s story. We see the impact of the abuse Inez faced and how the religion that was forced upon her has created a tug-of-war within her as some of the values within it were something she believed in but the people who hurt her in the name of that religion go against those values. Without a doubt, this book is about religious and sexual trauma even if there isn’t anything super explicit on the page and it goes a step further than Saints did.

Whereas Saints was a romantic fantasy, this is definitely not. It’s a family story. It’s still about love, but it’s about a different kind of love (the love Alon has for Inez as her teacher and brother-in-law and Lunurin and Inez’s sisterly love) and the rage manifests in different ways. The juxtaposition of love and rage is done very well. Alon and Lunurin are struggling to find common ground in what they think is the right thing for Inez in regards to her magic and her needs while Inez is trying to keep the peace between them while trying to do what is right for her.

Besides the character arcs, where this book really shines for me is in the worldbuilding. Names and places are used often and the use of the world’s mythology impacts everything. Inez can hear crocodiles and she’s technically a tide-bound magic user but she’s terrible at healing. It’s this sort of Avatar: The Last Airbender bending element but taken to a whole other level by ending in the religious trauma and aspects of Filipino mythology.

Content warning for depictions of religious trauma, racism, and mentions of sexual assault at the hands of a religious figure

I would recommend this to fans of family love and rage-focused fantasy and readers of fantasy looking for a fantasy that doesn’t shy away from the impact of colonization and how it’s related to the Catholic Church

A lot of fun, and lovely return to this world, but I do have a few concerns. Closer to 3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A lot of things really worked here. I loved the further additions to the magic in the world, like the laho and the crocodiles. I also really like stories set after the revolution that deal with the struggles of rebuilding a society and getting people to work together after you fight off the common enemy, so I was interested right off the bat in how Lunurin et al would manage that. I was not disappointed, particularly by Alon's politicking and management of his brother. I also loved watching Lunurin working through her thorny relationship with her family, and I did clap and cheer at a few particular moments. Inez's storyline was also engaging; I loved watching her get more comfortable with herself as the story went on. I think it was a bit of a bold choice to include Inez as a main protagonist in this novel for adults when she reads as such a YA protagonist (her arc being about coming to terms with herself and having other people see her for who she is, not who they wanted her to be), but it works. I wasn't annoyed by her, and I understood why she did what she did, even when it was stuff that I thought wasn't the best move. Umali was neat too! I loved the idea of them being two people who use their magic in unconventional ways and finding each other. It's sweet.

With that being said, I do have some complaints. I think the pacing on this novel as a whole was a bit rough. I think splitting this into two novellas might have been the move, or honestly just one focusing on Inez, because the blurb makes it sound as though Inez is the Main Character TM, when it felt a lot closer to 50-50 at best. This then makes the romance between Inez and Umali suffer, because there's less time for it all to play out, so Buba has to focus on just the key moments between them. It doesn't feel like it had any chance to breathe. It worked on a paper and pencil level, logically I understand that they make sense as a couple, but I didn't feel it on an emotional level so much. It was never unpleasant to read about, it just felt like checking off items on a list.

As for our other two POVs, I just did not give a damn about Alon's personal life in this book. The conflict in his relationship with Lunurin was the kind of concealing information bullshit that I personally detest. I guess I can see how he got there, and maybe if I had read this book a little sooner after the first it wouldn't have pissed me off so much, but alas, it did. Lunurin was doing amazing; I love her.

In general, neither of the romances matched the messy, toxic love triangle from the first book. That was a big part of why I liked book one so much, and now that we have two relatively healthy relationships, there's just no spark for me here. Alon and Lunurin have the aforementioned stupid conflict that really is barely a conflict in their relationship, and Inez and Umali are basically fine. I miss you toxic yuri, come back to me.

If you really liked the first book, I'd give this one a read as well, but it didn't quite have the magic of the first one.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

3 Stars! But I am definitely in the minority on this one.

I really, really loved the first in this series Saints of Storm and Sorrow, and I was not expecting to have a sequel. It was a welcome surprise, as this one takes place 5 years after the first and really deepens the story from the original.

You really do have to read the first, as this second one is really dealing with the emotional fallout from the previous. Inez, just a child in the first is now 18 and learning and failing the healing arts alongside Alon and Lunurin.
Alon and Lunurin are dealing with the infiltration of Codician's and their religion on the island after they were pushed out years before, while also navigating an upcoming festival where many of the other island's leaders will be in attendance. There is also the threat of a coming armada.

One day Inez hears rumors of her sister, Catalina alive and venerated as a saint. She escapes alongside a captured priest and eventually climbs aboard a pirate ship on a journey to find her sister and learn more about herself. Umila was a cool new character as well as some of the new magic, since in the first everyone was trying to suppress their magic. I still hate Catalina's character though.

I'll be honest, I really wish I loved this as much as I loved the first. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Inez's story of coming to terms with her identity and the mistakes of her sister, but the colonization aspect of the first really hit home for me. This is almost a coming-of-age and political war story instead. I just found Lunurin and Alon's storyline's boring and I just didn't really have as much invested in them this time. I kept thinking "why on earth are young people with no impulse control in charge of this entire island?"

DAUGHTERS OF FLOOD AND FURY is a sequel that explores more land and also the complex emotions of the previous book.

This is a sequel to SAINTS OF STORM AND SORROW, which I think was originally conceived of as a standalone. This entry does not, unsurprisingly, stand on its own as the characters' guilt and reactions to the events of the previous book weigh on them here. However, it does well to look at the aftermath of a rebellion and the struggles to unite even in the face of an external threat.

I really liked getting to see Inez's perspective in this book. She's caught by her guilt and frustration. Her power seems great but she cannot use it, despite all the expectations. It feels like Lunurin, whom she idolised as a child, has no time for her and is disappointed. She's lonely and upset and watching her handle (or not!) that complicated set of emotions was really engaging. It leads to some truly spectacularly bad decisions!

It felt like there was more magic this time! Now the Codicians are gone, there's no need to hide the magic, so the characters can use it far more freely. It's certainly not easy sailing using it just because it's no longer a secret. I liked getting to see more of other magics through Inez.

We also get to see more of the world through her (and there is a map!) She (and Lunurin) travel to other islands, rather than staying close to home, which meant more time on ships and also pirates! I do like pirates in books.

In all, this was a satisfying follow up to a book that I hadn't expected a sequel to but was very pleased to get one!

Lunurin's story, which began in Saints of Storm and Sorrow, continues as Lunurin and Alon have been working hard to bring their allies together against the Codicians. Lunurin is not only mastering and embracing her powers, but must make choices that ensure that the Codicians stop being a threat to her people once and for all.

Meanwhile, Inez goes searching for her sister, Catalina (grrr) who is rumored to be alive. Inez herself is struggling with her trauma, with betrayal, and with her powers, and I so appreciated that her own healing is not taken lightly. Many times in fantasy I see characters getting over major life issues in a few pages, or addressed lightly by simply having them snap at others to show their pain, but here it is so well done.

And the food. Having lived in California for thirty years, I was privileged to have Filipino friends and many Filipino restaurants around, and man, the food descriptions will make your mouth water.

Come for the fantastic story of women claiming their power and space, and stay for the yummies.

The writing in this book is a melody that shifts from the calm calls of the sea to the hunger of scaly beasts to the desperation of storms. Not only is this a sequel that outshines the first book but it is a story that balances between 3 very different individuals who love each other very much. I was cautious about the addition of a new perspective, since the first book is a dual perspective, but Gabriella Buba is very talented and allows the sometimes oppositional voices of her characters speak for themselves.