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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
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.
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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.
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood
Trail of Lightning is a Native American inspired post-apocalyptic urban fantasy novel. When I read that I just couldn't wait to get started on this book. The world Rebecca Roanhorse created for this series is absolutely amazing and unique. I was happy that the world-building wasn't complicated, the author did a great job in explaining the reader what was going on in this new world. This book is set in Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation), and the main character is Maggie Hoskie, a Dinétah monster hunter/a supernaturally gifted killer. I felt a connection to her right away and wanted to know more about her. She is strong but also deals with trauma she hasn't got over. She doubts herself and fights the powers that reside inside of her. I really liked that she wasn't this perfect heroine. She has a lot to work through, and I really look forward to how she will develop further throughout this series. This book was action-packed, mysterious, funny, and emotional. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to get started on the next book in this series.
4.25 stars
Wow, this book reads fast! Also, as you can tell based on my star rating, I really liked it.
The main premise of the book is that global warming destroys a lot of the earth's population with flood waters, and one of the places that remains are the lands of the Navajo. Floods have always been a way of cleansing the earth and starting anew and so we are now in the Sixth World (thus the subtitle of the series).
It also turns out that the Big Water has allowed supernatural creatures back into the world and some chosen few of the Navajo have gained clan powers. The main character is one such person and she hunts down the monsters that plague her people.
The world building is really good in this book, but still leaves a lot to be learned in subsequent novels.
I'll definitely read the next one to see where this series goes.
Wow, this book reads fast! Also, as you can tell based on my star rating, I really liked it.
The main premise of the book is that global warming destroys a lot of the earth's population with flood waters, and one of the places that remains are the lands of the Navajo. Floods have always been a way of cleansing the earth and starting anew and so we are now in the Sixth World (thus the subtitle of the series).
It also turns out that the Big Water has allowed supernatural creatures back into the world and some chosen few of the Navajo have gained clan powers. The main character is one such person and she hunts down the monsters that plague her people.
The world building is really good in this book, but still leaves a lot to be learned in subsequent novels.
I'll definitely read the next one to see where this series goes.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
Exciting look at a new world
Trail of Lightning ReBecca Roanhorse is the first book of the Sixth World Series. The author did a wonderful job with world building and creation. Her descriptions of the landscape and the people made me long for this to be turned into a tv/movie series. I will be purchasing book two.
Trail of Lightning ReBecca Roanhorse is the first book of the Sixth World Series. The author did a wonderful job with world building and creation. Her descriptions of the landscape and the people made me long for this to be turned into a tv/movie series. I will be purchasing book two.
When I first tried this book, I was in the middle of "busy season" and the immediacy of the view point was just too much, I didn't have the extra mental stamina left to make that switch. Now that I've tried it in a less exhausted state of mind, I was able to enjoy it much easier.
I enjoyed this but I’m not giving it a star rating because Roanhorse has been criticized for appropriating Navajo culture and for sharing details that are not meant to be shared https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2018/08/concerns-about-roanhorses-trail-of.html?m=1
**Finished my reread in advance of reading book two. I listened to the audiobook this time and the narrator did a good job - certainly better than me at pronouncing all the Native American words. Original rating still stands even though I have some niggling questions about some of the plot points.**
First, a confession: I haven't been reading much in the UF genre lately, outside of the established series I’ve been following for years. Mostly though I’ve felt a bit burned out on vampires, werewolves, witches, shifters, and the like so I’ve generally taken passes on the new offerings in the genre. I liked the cover on this one though and the idea of a Native American female as the main protagonist piqued my dormant, urban fantasy interest. The gamble paid off because I ended up liking this story quite a bit.
It's an apocalyptic setting with Magdalena “Maggie” Hoskie, of the Navajo people, as the main character. It draws on Native American legends for its monsters and gods, using new colors to paint over a well-used canvas. I’m sure I totally mangled all the Native American names in my mind – I’d love to listen to the audiobook for this one - but I enjoyed the characters and the humor. It was a fast paced, first person POV story and I’m looking forward to reading the follow-up book when it’s released next year.
First, a confession: I haven't been reading much in the UF genre lately, outside of the established series I’ve been following for years. Mostly though I’ve felt a bit burned out on vampires, werewolves, witches, shifters, and the like so I’ve generally taken passes on the new offerings in the genre. I liked the cover on this one though and the idea of a Native American female as the main protagonist piqued my dormant, urban fantasy interest. The gamble paid off because I ended up liking this story quite a bit.
It's an apocalyptic setting with Magdalena “Maggie” Hoskie, of the Navajo people, as the main character. It draws on Native American legends for its monsters and gods, using new colors to paint over a well-used canvas. I’m sure I totally mangled all the Native American names in my mind – I’d love to listen to the audiobook for this one - but I enjoyed the characters and the humor. It was a fast paced, first person POV story and I’m looking forward to reading the follow-up book when it’s released next year.
“Everything you've done, your past, it's all just a story you tell yourself. Some of it is true, but some of it is lies.”
So What's It About?
While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters. Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.
Welcome to the Sixth World.
What I Thought
If I could summarize Trail of Lightning in in just a few words, I think I'd say "what a romp." It's really just so ready to grab you and whisk you away on a well-told, exciting adventure that manages to bring something new to the table while also remaining true to some beloved staples and tropes. Admittedly I have read very little urban fantasy so I'm not especially well-equipped to compare this book to others of the same sub-genre. Those who have generally have good things to say, while also noting that Maggie's utter dysfunction as a human being as well as her prickliness and guardedness may in fact be tired tropes for UF protagonists. Truthfully there is only so much brooding about being a monster that you can take from your narrator before it starts to grow entirely passé.
What most people seem to agree upon, and what I certainly found to be true, is that Trail of Lightning excels in its portrayal of Diné mythology and culture. These characteristics are integral to the story in every regard, from the kinds of magic and power possessed by its characters to their dealings with supernatural beings, including fascinating and duplicitous gods. It also provides a refreshing take on the apocalypse (an inventive apocalyptic premise in 2018? It's more likely than you think!): Roanhorse is very clear about the fact that indigenous Americans have already had to survive through cataclysm in the form of genocide and colonialism, and therefore the beginning of the Sixth World means something very different to them:
“But I had forgotten that the Diné had already suffered their apocalypse over a century before. This wasn’t our end. This was our rebirth.”
If its strength lies in bringing a much-needed indigenous perspective to a genre that has a general dearth of such voices (and, might I add, benefits immensely from the infusion of Diné magic, monsters and mythology) then I think it falters slightly more when it comes to Maggie as a character. I think the best thing I can do is point to Elena's excellent review, where she describes some of the book's shortcomings in this regard. To summarize her points, Maggie possesses very little agency as a character and her actions and drives are more or less constantly dictated by the male characters who surround her. To this I'd add that the brutal cult murder of her grandmother before teenage Maggie's eyes was somehow, bizarrely, given less emotional weight in the story than her abandonment by her mentor/big-time crush Neizghani.
With that in mind, though, I'd also add that a big plus in the book's favor is that the current love interest-ish guy, Kai, is a total sweetie and the dynamic between him and Maggie is one that I can easily see enjoying as it continues to blossom into a romance (I HOPE?) I personally never tire of stories that involve gods causing chaos and interference in mortal lives, and I also happen to be a big fan of the twists that the book had in store towards the end. It certainly did not pull its punches regarding the incredibly difficult choices Maggie had to make over the course of the story, and I am eagerly anticipating seeing how a certain cliffhanger will be resolved next time around.
So What's It About?
While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters. Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.
Welcome to the Sixth World.
What I Thought
If I could summarize Trail of Lightning in in just a few words, I think I'd say "what a romp." It's really just so ready to grab you and whisk you away on a well-told, exciting adventure that manages to bring something new to the table while also remaining true to some beloved staples and tropes. Admittedly I have read very little urban fantasy so I'm not especially well-equipped to compare this book to others of the same sub-genre. Those who have generally have good things to say, while also noting that Maggie's utter dysfunction as a human being as well as her prickliness and guardedness may in fact be tired tropes for UF protagonists. Truthfully there is only so much brooding about being a monster that you can take from your narrator before it starts to grow entirely passé.
What most people seem to agree upon, and what I certainly found to be true, is that Trail of Lightning excels in its portrayal of Diné mythology and culture. These characteristics are integral to the story in every regard, from the kinds of magic and power possessed by its characters to their dealings with supernatural beings, including fascinating and duplicitous gods. It also provides a refreshing take on the apocalypse (an inventive apocalyptic premise in 2018? It's more likely than you think!): Roanhorse is very clear about the fact that indigenous Americans have already had to survive through cataclysm in the form of genocide and colonialism, and therefore the beginning of the Sixth World means something very different to them:
“But I had forgotten that the Diné had already suffered their apocalypse over a century before. This wasn’t our end. This was our rebirth.”
If its strength lies in bringing a much-needed indigenous perspective to a genre that has a general dearth of such voices (and, might I add, benefits immensely from the infusion of Diné magic, monsters and mythology) then I think it falters slightly more when it comes to Maggie as a character. I think the best thing I can do is point to Elena's excellent review, where she describes some of the book's shortcomings in this regard. To summarize her points, Maggie possesses very little agency as a character and her actions and drives are more or less constantly dictated by the male characters who surround her. To this I'd add that the brutal cult murder of her grandmother before teenage Maggie's eyes was somehow, bizarrely, given less emotional weight in the story than her abandonment by her mentor/big-time crush Neizghani.
With that in mind, though, I'd also add that a big plus in the book's favor is that the current love interest-ish guy, Kai, is a total sweetie and the dynamic between him and Maggie is one that I can easily see enjoying as it continues to blossom into a romance (I HOPE?) I personally never tire of stories that involve gods causing chaos and interference in mortal lives, and I also happen to be a big fan of the twists that the book had in store towards the end. It certainly did not pull its punches regarding the incredibly difficult choices Maggie had to make over the course of the story, and I am eagerly anticipating seeing how a certain cliffhanger will be resolved next time around.