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nerodyne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I've been reading any of Roanhorse's books that I can get my hands on lately, and while I absolutely had a good time with this book, I'll say it felt weaker than her other books that I've read so far (though this is an earlier work so that's not shocking). I really understood where Maggie was coming from a lot of the time, the way her trauma underlined a lot of her interactions with other people and the way her PTSD was portrayed in general felt true to reality (at least in my experience). I enjoyed the characterization and the world building, however I felt that the plot points were coming out of nowhere. It all coallesed in the end, but in the running up to it I couldn't stop myself from feeling like plot points were randomly being dropped to pursue something else. All in all though, it was an enjoyable read and I want to see how the sequel elaborates on this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Gore, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Cannibalism
karinlee123's review against another edition
I found the plot really interesting, but the graphic violence was too much for me to absorb at the point in time when I was reading it. I may try to go back to finish but I couldn't get through the violence at the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
redthistle's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Body horror, Torture, Police brutality, Violence, Child death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism and Colonisation
og_tomatogirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Gun violence
raptorq's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, Blood, Child death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gun violence
nannahnannah's review against another edition
2.0
When I first started Trail of Lightning, I was reading some of the best prose I’d seen probably all year, and maybe all of last year too (or longer? Maybe longer!). This could’ve been a book and a universe I could finally really dig my teeth into and fall in love with … until the plot and a bunch of tired tropes messed that up.
Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah Monsterslayer in a post-apocalyptic world where the Dinétah land (formerly Navajo reservations) are some of the only land still standing after climate change’s surging waters covered most of the earth -- and nearly all of the United States. In this new world (aka the “Sixth World”), the old gods have awakened, including the tricksy Coyote and Maggie’s immortal mentor, Neizgháni.
On her first monster-hunting mission without her mentor, Maggie discovers a new kind of synthetic monster that sends her on a new journey with a new partner, Kai, a medicine man who’s more than meets the eye.
The beginning promised epic world building, beautiful writing, and an wide-spanning plot involving reborn gods and magical weapons. But halfway the book kind of lost its vision. Maggie and Kai received some magical hoops and a mission from the Coyote. I expected things to pick up, but instead the two protagonists hopped between two locations. They forgot something, then went back to the other one, then went back to talk to someone, etc. Past halfway, and there was no increase in momentum, no plotline actually ever taken hold of. Was it the hoops? Was it a witch-hunt to find who made these new types of monsters Maggie came across in the beginning? Was it just this aimless slingshotting?
And then … the end. Suddenly the book’s plot became a romance about love triangle that felt like it shoved this book back in the YA/(is NA still a thing?)NA categories. Not only was it out of the blue (I don’t want to spoil too much), but it contained so many harmful and awful tropes that if I wasn’t so close to the end, I probably wouldn’t have finished the book. There was a kiss that should actually be considered sexual assault, and it was never challenged or mentioned as such -- it was only called “the kiss”, and no one, not even the “love interest” talked about it in any other way. Even the third triangle point’s treatment of Maggie was abusive, and it’s never considered abusive -- by anyone! Till the end, he and his relationship is just another option for Maggie.
Also, disappointingly, Trail of Lightning is one of those books that acts as a prequel to the rest of its series. That explains its lack of plot and direction, I guess. Its only purpose is to set up the world building and character introductions.
And … I know, this is mostly something that bothers me, but I lost track of how many times Rebecca Roanhorse used the word “cr*pple/cr*ppled”. As a noun, as an adjective (especially things that aren’t related: “cr*ppled emotional range” or something). Here’s the thing: you don’t get to use this word if you’re able-bodied. Sorry! You especially don’t need to use it like fifty times in one book when there’s a whole language at your disposal. Pick something else.
I’d like to leave with something I stumbled across. It’s a letter by the Diné Writers Collective objecting to the book (e.g. it makes caricatures of their deities) and asking people to read content by actual Diné writers instead (Rebecca Roanhorse is Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and African American).
Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah Monsterslayer in a post-apocalyptic world where the Dinétah land (formerly Navajo reservations) are some of the only land still standing after climate change’s surging waters covered most of the earth -- and nearly all of the United States. In this new world (aka the “Sixth World”), the old gods have awakened, including the tricksy Coyote and Maggie’s immortal mentor, Neizgháni.
On her first monster-hunting mission without her mentor, Maggie discovers a new kind of synthetic monster that sends her on a new journey with a new partner, Kai, a medicine man who’s more than meets the eye.
The beginning promised epic world building, beautiful writing, and an wide-spanning plot involving reborn gods and magical weapons. But halfway the book kind of lost its vision. Maggie and Kai received some magical hoops and a mission from the Coyote. I expected things to pick up, but instead the two protagonists hopped between two locations. They forgot something, then went back to the other one, then went back to talk to someone, etc. Past halfway, and there was no increase in momentum, no plotline actually ever taken hold of. Was it the hoops? Was it a witch-hunt to find who made these new types of monsters Maggie came across in the beginning? Was it just this aimless slingshotting?
And then … the end. Suddenly the book’s plot became a romance about love triangle that felt like it shoved this book back in the YA/(is NA still a thing?)NA categories. Not only was it out of the blue (I don’t want to spoil too much), but it contained so many harmful and awful tropes that if I wasn’t so close to the end, I probably wouldn’t have finished the book. There was a kiss that should actually be considered sexual assault, and it was never challenged or mentioned as such -- it was only called “the kiss”, and no one, not even the “love interest” talked about it in any other way. Even the third triangle point’s treatment of Maggie was abusive, and it’s never considered abusive -- by anyone! Till the end, he and his relationship is just another option for Maggie.
Also, disappointingly, Trail of Lightning is one of those books that acts as a prequel to the rest of its series. That explains its lack of plot and direction, I guess. Its only purpose is to set up the world building and character introductions.
And … I know, this is mostly something that bothers me, but I lost track of how many times Rebecca Roanhorse used the word “cr*pple/cr*ppled”. As a noun, as an adjective (especially things that aren’t related: “cr*ppled emotional range” or something). Here’s the thing: you don’t get to use this word if you’re able-bodied. Sorry! You especially don’t need to use it like fifty times in one book when there’s a whole language at your disposal. Pick something else.
I’d like to leave with something I stumbled across. It’s a letter by the Diné Writers Collective objecting to the book (e.g. it makes caricatures of their deities) and asking people to read content by actual Diné writers instead (Rebecca Roanhorse is Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and African American).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse
also: ableist languagejav094's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A good, original story from a fresh perspective. But too often, I struggled to understand why Maggie believed or did what she did. It becomes increasingly hard to ignore as her actions impact the plot more towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Gore, Cannibalism, Gun violence, and Violence
coffeeandcomedy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Death
Moderate: Cursing
Tagged cultural appropriation as a major content warning because there is some controversy around Roanhore using Diné culture/stories/beliefs as she is not Diné.wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
I think what I read of the book was fine. It's a post-apocalyptic earth with gods and monsters aplenty but I didn't like the main characters. It's right at the point where I stopped (almost halfway through the book) when you finally start getting some explanations about what is going on/how things work and it wasn't interesting to me.
I don't want to force myself to finish another book I am not enjoying and my tentative rating before quitting the book was somewhere in the 2 star region.
I don't want to force myself to finish another book I am not enjoying and my tentative rating before quitting the book was somewhere in the 2 star region.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Gore, Sexual harassment, Torture, Gun violence, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Child death, and Toxic friendship
samanyana's review
apparently still not in the mood for urban fantasy. annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder