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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
4 stars
Read for my 2019 Book Bingo challenge, in the #OwnVoices square. A fast-paced fantasy thriller set in Dinétah after the destruction of the United States, Rebecca Roanhorse does a great job at tackling modern-day social questions and also providing us with an entertainingly bloody, monster-killing gore-fest.
A lot of novels and other media featuring Native Americans are created by white people looking for an exotic flair for their work. This might be the first time I have ever read a novel by a Native American woman featuring Native American characters. The characters were affected by their setting and their Navajo heritage without being exclusively defined by it. While I've also seen some criticism of the work for its portrayal of sacred Navajo beliefs (the author is Pueblo, not Navajo), it was a really interesting read; I probably spent more time reading about various Navajo mythological heroes than I did reading the actual novel. I am definitely going to be picking up the sequel.
The characters were awesome, and the worldbuilding was great. The action sequences were fantastic; in particular, I loved the way that clan powers were described. It was a book that I hated to put down. I did have minor problems with the way that the final conflict was handled; at less than 300 pages, everything felt rushed at the end. The buildup was fantastic, but I felt that the novel ended on a slightly sour note for me because of the pacing. Additionally, I would have enjoyed more explanations for the motives of the antagonists, as well as more screentime for them. Regardless, it was definitely an enjoyable read from a talented new author!
Read for my 2019 Book Bingo challenge, in the #OwnVoices square. A fast-paced fantasy thriller set in Dinétah after the destruction of the United States, Rebecca Roanhorse does a great job at tackling modern-day social questions and also providing us with an entertainingly bloody, monster-killing gore-fest.
A lot of novels and other media featuring Native Americans are created by white people looking for an exotic flair for their work. This might be the first time I have ever read a novel by a Native American woman featuring Native American characters. The characters were affected by their setting and their Navajo heritage without being exclusively defined by it. While I've also seen some criticism of the work for its portrayal of sacred Navajo beliefs (the author is Pueblo, not Navajo), it was a really interesting read; I probably spent more time reading about various Navajo mythological heroes than I did reading the actual novel. I am definitely going to be picking up the sequel.
The characters were awesome, and the worldbuilding was great. The action sequences were fantastic; in particular, I loved the way that clan powers were described. It was a book that I hated to put down. I did have minor problems with the way that the final conflict was handled; at less than 300 pages, everything felt rushed at the end. The buildup was fantastic, but I felt that the novel ended on a slightly sour note for me because of the pacing. Additionally, I would have enjoyed more explanations for the motives of the antagonists, as well as more screentime for them. Regardless, it was definitely an enjoyable read from a talented new author!
This was a solid, fun read. What everyone mentions first is Navajo sci-fi, which is one of the things that makes this book totally unique and very much worth reading. But it also had some great post-apocalyptic worldbuilding in there and A+ horror elements. The characters weren’t anything special in their complexity, but were enjoyable to read about anyway. My only problem was how fast a time period this book took place in - our main character goes from lonely and standoffish to having a whole network of people and taking meaningful first steps in healing from her trauma in perhaps two weeks; it felt strange and kept throwing me off.
The beginning of the book is quite morose and Maggie is a pragmatic and dry narrator, at least to start with, so while the world was intriguing and the writing beautiful (and horrible) I struggled to sink my teeth in initially. I was concerned that the rest of the book would feel equally hopeless. The introduction of Tah and Kai quickly turned this around, and that's where things really took off for me - Kai was a fun foil to Maggie's moody and combative character, and I was quickly invested in learning more about the monster they were seeking and the entire world in which they lived.
As a white reader who's only visited America a couple of times, the Dinétah setting was something quite foreign to me and felt really deep and alive. Even subtle details - like characters pointing with their lips - painted a distinct picture of the culture. I had some awareness of some legendary characters, who Roanhorse brought to life with flair, and enjoyed how seamlessly they joined this world. I also felt that the themes of climate change and protection of native land - and especially water - were weaved well into the background and setting without being the focal point of the story.
Throughout the course of the story I came to really appreciate Maggie as a complex character with interesting strengths, flaws and fears, and her relationships with the other characters felt equally complex and satisfying. While her choices weren't always perfect, they were understandable given her experiences and I loved seeing her become less defensive and solitary as the book went on. I really look forward to reading the next book in this series, and other books by Roanhorse.
As a white reader who's only visited America a couple of times, the Dinétah setting was something quite foreign to me and felt really deep and alive. Even subtle details - like characters pointing with their lips - painted a distinct picture of the culture. I had some awareness of some legendary characters, who Roanhorse brought to life with flair, and enjoyed how seamlessly they joined this world. I also felt that the themes of climate change and protection of native land - and especially water - were weaved well into the background and setting without being the focal point of the story.
Throughout the course of the story I came to really appreciate Maggie as a complex character with interesting strengths, flaws and fears, and her relationships with the other characters felt equally complex and satisfying. While her choices weren't always perfect, they were understandable given her experiences and I loved seeing her become less defensive and solitary as the book went on. I really look forward to reading the next book in this series, and other books by Roanhorse.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yeah so I don't know if this was meant to be YA but everything about it screams YA, except for the fact that the protagonist is twenty (!!!) years old. Honestly, I think it deserves more than 3 stars but I just. Can't. With. This. Genre.
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Solid read! The world building is a slow reveal, which can be frustrating when you're a reader (like me) who loves an encyclopedia dump of lore and rules as a prologue, but everything is explained for the most part (though what exactly happened with Big Water is never spelled out, but once again that's me being a reader who wants every single detail).
It is action based but also a mystery/investigation, with a smidge of romance. There are also twists and betrayals and surprises. I really enjoyed it and will definitely keep reading Roanhorse.
It is action based but also a mystery/investigation, with a smidge of romance. There are also twists and betrayals and surprises. I really enjoyed it and will definitely keep reading Roanhorse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Abandonment
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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
Below is my review from 2018 when I read it as a print book. I listened to it this time and it was even better. Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK! I already have the second one ready to go as an audiobook.
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WOW! Thank you Nicole Peeler for posting this book on your facebook page and highly recommending it. Immediately uploaded to the Nook and it became next up in the queue to read. It was AWESOME!
How to describe this fabulous book? It takes place in a dystopian future after a worldwide flood. There's a wall separating monster hunter Maggie Hoskie's world from the rest of it. Oh, yep, there are monsters. And witches. And gods.
This is a very cool premise with an intriguing batch of characters, especially the main one in Maggie Hoskie. She is just coming out of her shell of self-imposed exile at the beginning of this story. She is on a path of discovery as much as she is a monster hunter for hire.
So very glad this is the start of a series. I look forward to the next book, STORM OF LOCUSTS, that comes out April 2019. As soon as it can be obtained, it will be mine.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
********
WOW! Thank you Nicole Peeler for posting this book on your facebook page and highly recommending it. Immediately uploaded to the Nook and it became next up in the queue to read. It was AWESOME!
How to describe this fabulous book? It takes place in a dystopian future after a worldwide flood. There's a wall separating monster hunter Maggie Hoskie's world from the rest of it. Oh, yep, there are monsters. And witches. And gods.
This is a very cool premise with an intriguing batch of characters, especially the main one in Maggie Hoskie. She is just coming out of her shell of self-imposed exile at the beginning of this story. She is on a path of discovery as much as she is a monster hunter for hire.
So very glad this is the start of a series. I look forward to the next book, STORM OF LOCUSTS, that comes out April 2019. As soon as it can be obtained, it will be mine.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.