Rebecca Roanhorse

Nizhoni Begay, a seventh-grader from the Diné community, discovers her uncanny ability to sense monsters and a destiny tied to the legendary Hero Twins. When her father vanishes and a sinister figure emerges, Nizhoni and her younger brother Mac, along with friend Davery, must race through mythic trials across the Navajo Nation, guided by ancient spirits, to rescue him. Roanhorse crafts a fast-paced, culturally immersive journey that balances modern teen life, Navajo storytelling, and show more environmental urgency. Though concise, it stands out for its spirited protagonist, supportive sibling dynamic, and refreshingly non-Western fantasy landscape. show less

One of my few pre-orders for the year, this book was highly anticipated and it did not disappoint. For some reason it took a bit to put its hooks in me -- I kept reading a chapter or two then picking up something else, but that may have been my distracting life rather than the book, because once I sat down to read it with intent I finished it very quickly.

When we left our beloved character at the end of book one, most of Maggie's relationships were blown up -- or at least a little burnt show more around the edges. This book starts by introducing us to Ben, a teen girl who also has clan powers (related to tracking), who Maggie is quickly forced/decides to take responsibility for. Not long after, she gets word that Kai (who she's been estranged from) is likely in trouble -- and our story is in motion.

This book takes us outside the Walls of Dinétah and dives into what the apocalypse has done to the world out there -- and it's not pretty. Old characters return, new ones are met, all while Maggie tries to piece together all the rumors, encounters, and signs of the White Locust -- the leader of a cult/movement/terrorist-army? that currently has Kai.

I love the girl gang taking on the world guns blazing. I love the wariness as our very unreliable each in their own ways characters circle and decide when and when not to trust each other. I do wish that I understood Kai and his reasoning a little better (though fair enough, I guess Maggie does, too), because sometimes he comes across a bit of a gender-swapped damsel in distress here. Which is okay, I guess. He can be broken. Maggie can rescue him.

Will they both be whole and in their powers in the next book? AND WHEN CAN I HAZ IT? show less

I love when a book lives up to the hype! Trail of Lightning has a strong urban fantasy vibe despite a very rural setting: the former Navajo Nation, after the apocalypse. The action is constant as Maggie Hoskie, a Dinétah monster hunter, is dragged into the machinations of Coyote and numerous other powerful figures. My one criticism is that it does rely so heavily on urban fantasy tropes, with a brittle and magically-gifted protagonist who had largely shut out the world, but at the same show more time, Roanhorse made the story feel fresh and original because she so beautifully portrayed the setting and culture. The book is a fast read, too; thanks to several appointments, I managed to read the whole thing in a matter of hours. show less

At the time this novel was announced my honest reaction was should I even care. For me, there was sufficient diminishing returns between "Trail of Lightning" and "Storm of Locusts" that a new novel by Roanhorse did not peak my interest, considering the constant onslaught of new books that one has to read. I figured that the only reason I was going to give it a try is if it made the cut for one of the major awards.

So then, what one has here is a major advance in the author's craft and I show more really liked it. What Roanhorse really has going for her is the ability to come up with compelling POV characters and Naranpa (a senior cleric trying to reform her order), Xiala (a sea captain given an offer they can't refuse), Serapio (destined from birth to be the avatar of a god) are good ones. I had also been a little bit dubious about the mix of cultures that Roanhorse talked about using in this book, but she does a good job of filing off the serial numbers and making those influences her own. The result being that I'm really looking forward to the second book.

What, if anything, would I mark down this novel for? Very little actually. The effort of Xiala to get Serapio to a given city in a fixed span of time, as a means of building suspense, seemed a little contrived. Also, not really a fault, but the first chapter should come with a fistful of trigger warnings, and I suspect that a lot of readers are going to put down the book and not continue right after that. Then again, the level of violence George R.R. Martin has/had (presuming we ever see the concluding books) deployed in "A Song of Fire and Ice" hasn't hurt his bank account. show less