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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
I found it read like an action TV show, similar dialogue and depth. For better or for worse, some might appreciate the pace and the action but it just felt rushed and hollow to me. Plot was predictable. The world was interesting and the side factions and features drew me in. Unfortunately the main character is not compelling. The first person pov did not work for me, lots of fawning over the love interest in the first person and lots of "And I did this, And I did that," got repetitive. Probably will not read the next books.
https://navajotimes.com/opinion/essay/guest-column-new-novel-twists-dine-teachings-spirituality/
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Maggie Hoskie is one of the best MCs I've read in a long time. She's fierce, blunt, and has a bloodlust to match any soldier. And while her bloodlust does scare her at times, she tends to be very unapologetic about it, which is something I loved. I do hope she gets her knife back.
Kai was excellent, if a little irksome here and there (glad Maggie finally found a nickname for him that he wasn't a huge fan of) but I'm looking forward to what happens in book two!
Bottom line: I've never read anything like this and I need more.
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Maggie Hoskie is one of the best MCs I've read in a long time. She's fierce, blunt, and has a bloodlust to match any soldier. And while her bloodlust does scare her at times, she tends to be very unapologetic about it, which is something I loved. I do hope she gets her knife back.
Kai was excellent, if a little irksome here and there (glad Maggie finally found a nickname for him that he wasn't a huge fan of) but I'm looking forward to what happens in book two!
Bottom line: I've never read anything like this and I need more.
This was an interesting post-apocalyptic story. I enjoyed the world-building and the Navajo-inspired aspects, as that’s not something I’ve really seen explored, but the story itself dragged a bit for me. I don’t know if it’s just the meh mindset I’m in, given the current state of affairs in the world, but it took me a while to get through this audiobook. I will probably pick up the next book, but not right away.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
This book was an absolute BLAST. A post-apocalyptic action romp, steeped in Navajo culture and mythology, with some very effectively emotional moments.
The only thing holding me back from five stars is the ending. It's a major cliffhanger in a lot of ways, and I think the way things get resolved in future books could bump this one up to five stars, depending on the context we get for certain things.
I just learned the next book isn't out yet is a TRAVESTY because I want to blast through everything in this series. So fun.
The only thing holding me back from five stars is the ending. It's a major cliffhanger in a lot of ways, and I think the way things get resolved in future books could bump this one up to five stars, depending on the context we get for certain things.
I just learned the next book isn't out yet is a TRAVESTY because I want to blast through everything in this series. So fun.
Mostly quite good, and it's refreshing to see an urban fantasy (a post-apocalyptic one, btw) from a Native American perspective that's written by a Native American. I was enjoying it quite nicely up until the overused "let's dress up the female warrior in ridiculous (and supposedly sexy) clothes for a contrived event that she must attend to fulfill her Quest". For good measure there was also, "let's separate the warrior from her weapons at the contrived event." Now, there were some interesting things that occurred at the event, but I think there were less contrived ways of making those things happen. Once THAT was over and done with, I stopped rolling my eyes and started enjoying it again.
There's some good misdirection as to the identity of the actual villain, which had me fooled most of the way through. The thing that pleased me most about all of this is probably a spoiler, so:
Recommended. I'll probably pick up the sequel at some point, but not right away.
Audiobook note: pretty good narration, though occasionally her "human" voices were a bit too similar (the voices of the semi-divine beings like Coyote and so forth were notably distinct).
There's some good misdirection as to the identity of the actual villain, which had me fooled most of the way through. The thing that pleased me most about all of this is probably a spoiler, so:
Spoiler
It's clear from the start that Nizhoni is an abusive bastard, and this becomes clearer as we see more of him. I was happy that Maggie eventually realized this, too, and realized she needed to escape from him. There was no attempt to romanticize what she had with him, except maybe in Maggie's own mind, early on. After that? Events speak for themselves.Recommended. I'll probably pick up the sequel at some point, but not right away.
Audiobook note: pretty good narration, though occasionally her "human" voices were a bit too similar (the voices of the semi-divine beings like Coyote and so forth were notably distinct).
French & English reviews
Un ÉNORME coup de cœur !!
Je dois avouer que j'ai beaucoup hésité avant de commencer ce livre pour deux raisons :
- j'adore la mythologie amérindienne mais j'ai trop souvent été déçu ...
- je me méfie quand les gens disent "Oh c'est comme Ilona Andrews ou Patricia Briggs ..." Souvent ça veut dire que ce sont des pâles copies ><
MAIS l'appel de l'univers amérindien a été plus fort et je ne regrette rien (sauf de l'avoir lu aussi vite parce que maintenant je dois attendre ><)
Ce que j'ai particulièrement aimé :
- l'histoire de l'univers qui est juste WAOUH !! On se retrouve dans un univers post-apocalyptique suite à des guerres de l'énergie et des violentes catastrophes naturelles (et dans notre contexte climatique actuel ...) mais les terres amérindiennes ont été épargné grâce à la construction d'un mur (qui fait d'ailleurs rêver avec la description) qui les a protégé ... Mais en réalité, c'est la sixième fois que cela arrive et à nouveau, les dieux peuvent revenir sur la Terre ainsi que les monstres ...
- les références à la culture amérindienne qui sont exceptionnelles !! C'est la première fois que je lis un livre où on sent que l'auteur n'a pas seulement lu des livres sur la culture amérindienne mais qu'elle est amérindienne !! Le vocabulaire, les termes utilisés, les légendes ... Une telle richesse !! C'est LE gros point fort du livre !!
- les personnages auxquels je me suis énormément attachée !! Je dois avouer que je suis partie avec beaucoup d'a priori : je pensais ne pas trop aimer Maggie (trop froide), ne pas aimer Kai (trop cliché du beau gosse) et adorer Coyote / Ma'ii (souvenir de Patricia Briggs) ... ET PAS DU TOUT !! J'ai adoré Maggie qui est une héroïne comme je les aime : très humaine et imparfaite avec ses défauts et ses peurs mais aussi tellement courageuse, avec un passé très sombre mais qui ne la rend que plus attachante. Je me suis attachée à Kai malgré moi car il est passé du beau gosse sans prétention à un personnage aux multiples facettes. Et je ne me suis pas du tout méfiée de Ma'ii jusqu'à la fin ... Et c'était une erreur =D J'aurais du me rappeler des légendes >< Les personnages secondaires sont également fascinants et notamment Neizgháni qui est peut-être l'un des personnages les plus complexes que je n'ai jamais lu :
- l'intrigue principale et les intrigues secondaires : c'est très sombre (donc si vous êtes plus sur de l'urban fantasy légère, passez votre chemin) mais c'est tordu et j'adore !! Chaque personnage a son propre agenda et chaque page offre un nouvel indice ... Ou un mensonge =D
Mes questions :
-
-
Bref, un coup de cœur que je n'attendais pas et que je recommande chaleureusement pour tous les fans de culture amérindienne, d'urban fantasy et d'histoires originales
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A HUGE love at first read !!
I must admit that I hesitated a lot before starting this book for two reasons :
- I love Native American mythology but I have too often been disappointed ...
- I'm suspicious when people say "Oh it's like Ilona Andrews or Patricia Briggs ..." Often that means they're bad copies ><
BUT the call of the Native American universe was stronger and I don't regret anything (except having read it so fast because now I have to wait ><)
What I particularly liked :
- the story of the universe that is just WOW !! We find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic universe following energy wars and violent natural disasters (and in our current climate context ...) but the Native lands were spared thanks to the construction of a wall (which also made us dream with the description) that protected them ... But in reality, this is the sixth time that it happens and again, the gods can return to the Earth and the monsters too ...
- references to Native American culture that are exceptional !! This is the first time I read a book where you feel that the author has not only read books on Native American culture but is Native American !! The vocabulary, the terms used, the legends ... Such a wealth !! This is the big highlight of the book !!
- the characters I hugely got attached to !! I must admit that I began with a lot of a priori : I thought I'd not love too much Maggie (too cold), not like Kai (too cliché of the hot guy) and adore Coyote / Ma'ii (thanks to Patricia Briggs) ... AND NOT AT ALL !! I loved Maggie who is a heroine as I love them : very human and imperfect with her faults and fears but also so brave, with a very dark past but that makes her only more endearing. I got attached to Kai in spite of myself because he went from being an unpretentious hot guy to a multi-faceted character. And I wasn't at all suspicious of Ma'ii until the end ... And it was a mistake =D I should have remembered the legends >< The secondary characters are also fascinating and especially Neizgháni who is perhaps one of the most complex characters I have ever read :
- The main plot and the subplots : it's very dark (so if you're more light urban fantasy, don't read it) but it's twisted and I love it !! Each character has his own agenda and each page offers a new clue ... Or a lie =D
My questions :
-
-
In short, I SO love it and I did not expect it at all and I warmly recommend it for all fans of Native American culture, urban fantasy and original stories
Un ÉNORME coup de cœur !!
Je dois avouer que j'ai beaucoup hésité avant de commencer ce livre pour deux raisons :
- j'adore la mythologie amérindienne mais j'ai trop souvent été déçu ...
- je me méfie quand les gens disent "Oh c'est comme Ilona Andrews ou Patricia Briggs ..." Souvent ça veut dire que ce sont des pâles copies ><
MAIS l'appel de l'univers amérindien a été plus fort et je ne regrette rien (sauf de l'avoir lu aussi vite parce que maintenant je dois attendre ><)
Ce que j'ai particulièrement aimé :
- l'histoire de l'univers qui est juste WAOUH !! On se retrouve dans un univers post-apocalyptique suite à des guerres de l'énergie et des violentes catastrophes naturelles (et dans notre contexte climatique actuel ...) mais les terres amérindiennes ont été épargné grâce à la construction d'un mur (qui fait d'ailleurs rêver avec la description) qui les a protégé ... Mais en réalité, c'est la sixième fois que cela arrive et à nouveau, les dieux peuvent revenir sur la Terre ainsi que les monstres ...
- les références à la culture amérindienne qui sont exceptionnelles !! C'est la première fois que je lis un livre où on sent que l'auteur n'a pas seulement lu des livres sur la culture amérindienne mais qu'elle est amérindienne !! Le vocabulaire, les termes utilisés, les légendes ... Une telle richesse !! C'est LE gros point fort du livre !!
- les personnages auxquels je me suis énormément attachée !! Je dois avouer que je suis partie avec beaucoup d'a priori : je pensais ne pas trop aimer Maggie (trop froide), ne pas aimer Kai (trop cliché du beau gosse) et adorer Coyote / Ma'ii (souvenir de Patricia Briggs) ... ET PAS DU TOUT !! J'ai adoré Maggie qui est une héroïne comme je les aime : très humaine et imparfaite avec ses défauts et ses peurs mais aussi tellement courageuse, avec un passé très sombre mais qui ne la rend que plus attachante. Je me suis attachée à Kai malgré moi car il est passé du beau gosse sans prétention à un personnage aux multiples facettes. Et je ne me suis pas du tout méfiée de Ma'ii jusqu'à la fin ... Et c'était une erreur =D J'aurais du me rappeler des légendes >< Les personnages secondaires sont également fascinants et notamment Neizgháni qui est peut-être l'un des personnages les plus complexes que je n'ai jamais lu :
Spoiler
on le voit d'abord à travers le regard idéalisé de Maggie et haineux de Ma'ii et on s'interroge sur sa disparition et sur sa possible romance avec Maggie puis avec les indices au fil du livre, on commence à se méfier et penser que peut-être le héros n'en est pas un, puis à la fin on est médusé par ce personnage qui n'est finalement pas le grand méchant du livre mais peut-être bien de Maggie ...- l'intrigue principale et les intrigues secondaires : c'est très sombre (donc si vous êtes plus sur de l'urban fantasy légère, passez votre chemin) mais c'est tordu et j'adore !! Chaque personnage a son propre agenda et chaque page offre un nouvel indice ... Ou un mensonge =D
Mes questions :
-
Spoiler
est-ce que Kai va s'en sortir ?? Si oui dans quel état ?? Et après avoir lu l'extrait du prochain tome : MAIS WHAT ??? Pourquoi il évite Maggie ???-
Spoiler
est-ce que Ma’ii et Neizgháni vont revenir ?? Et dans ce cas, comment Maggie va s'en sortir ??Bref, un coup de cœur que je n'attendais pas et que je recommande chaleureusement pour tous les fans de culture amérindienne, d'urban fantasy et d'histoires originales
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A HUGE love at first read !!
I must admit that I hesitated a lot before starting this book for two reasons :
- I love Native American mythology but I have too often been disappointed ...
- I'm suspicious when people say "Oh it's like Ilona Andrews or Patricia Briggs ..." Often that means they're bad copies ><
BUT the call of the Native American universe was stronger and I don't regret anything (except having read it so fast because now I have to wait ><)
What I particularly liked :
- the story of the universe that is just WOW !! We find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic universe following energy wars and violent natural disasters (and in our current climate context ...) but the Native lands were spared thanks to the construction of a wall (which also made us dream with the description) that protected them ... But in reality, this is the sixth time that it happens and again, the gods can return to the Earth and the monsters too ...
- references to Native American culture that are exceptional !! This is the first time I read a book where you feel that the author has not only read books on Native American culture but is Native American !! The vocabulary, the terms used, the legends ... Such a wealth !! This is the big highlight of the book !!
- the characters I hugely got attached to !! I must admit that I began with a lot of a priori : I thought I'd not love too much Maggie (too cold), not like Kai (too cliché of the hot guy) and adore Coyote / Ma'ii (thanks to Patricia Briggs) ... AND NOT AT ALL !! I loved Maggie who is a heroine as I love them : very human and imperfect with her faults and fears but also so brave, with a very dark past but that makes her only more endearing. I got attached to Kai in spite of myself because he went from being an unpretentious hot guy to a multi-faceted character. And I wasn't at all suspicious of Ma'ii until the end ... And it was a mistake =D I should have remembered the legends >< The secondary characters are also fascinating and especially Neizgháni who is perhaps one of the most complex characters I have ever read :
Spoiler
first we saw him through the idealized gaze of Maggie and the hateful one of Ma'ii and we're wondering about his disappearance and his possible romance with Maggie then with the clues over the book, we start to be suspicious and think that perhaps the hero is not one, then in the end we are stunned by this character who is ultimately not the big one villain of the book but maybe the villain for Maggie ...- The main plot and the subplots : it's very dark (so if you're more light urban fantasy, don't read it) but it's twisted and I love it !! Each character has his own agenda and each page offers a new clue ... Or a lie =D
My questions :
-
Spoiler
will Kai come back from the dead ? If so, in what state ? And after reading the extract of the next book : WHAT ??? Why is he avoiding Maggie ???-
Spoiler
Will Ma'ii and Neizgháni return ? And in this case, how will Maggie survive it ?In short, I SO love it and I did not expect it at all and I warmly recommend it for all fans of Native American culture, urban fantasy and original stories
I loved the Native American representation here along with the culture surrounding NA heritage. Really cool, unique story with a few twists. I liked the characters, the pacing, but here are my 2 gripes. The main character is supposed to be jaded and I get that, but she was almost too gun-happy or too willing to jump into danger to be a realistic heroine. And the cheesiness revealed at the end (why she was introduced to certain characters) was almost eye rolling, but I can spot cheese from a mile away and it didn't detract from the story too much. Some people might not find it cheesy. 4.25 overall. I will continue the series for sure.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets mad Max fury Road
This book was awesome! Part Buffy the Vampire Slayer part mad Max fury Road, entirely awesome. The characters were well thought out... both intricate and interesting. The writing style was addictive and the plot moved along at the perfect pace.
This book was awesome! Part Buffy the Vampire Slayer part mad Max fury Road, entirely awesome. The characters were well thought out... both intricate and interesting. The writing style was addictive and the plot moved along at the perfect pace.
“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.”
Trail of Lightning is a wild post-apocalyptic ride through the heart of Dinétah (Navajo territory) as the gods, monsters and heroes of legend all walk the earth after a flood destroys much of the old status quo. Maggie Hoskie is a monster hunter, blessed or cursed (depending on who you ask) with gifts that aid her in the hunts but glory in violence and death and tempt her to step over the edge. When she's hired to track down a missing girl, Maggie uncovers a chilling mystery tied to her own past. Reluctantly teaming up with a slick medicine man named Kai Arviso, Maggie will have to confront the darker side of the Sixth World if she wants to get to the bottom of the mystery.
I'm very mixed on my feelings about Trail of Lightning. As someone who's always really loved different kinds of mythology, it was really fun to see so much of Navajo mythology in a modern setting. As much as I love European mythology, it was really fun and refreshing to have something different and a bit of a taste of home since I grew up near the Navajo reservation. Roanhorse really nailed the feel of the area and I loved the setting. I also loved Maggie, who reminded me very much of Jessica Jones. She's tough and capable, but struggles to deal with the violence and brutality of her life in a way that's healthy and often makes bad decisions that come back to haunt her. She turns to violence too easily and walks the line with her gifts. The contrast with the smooth talking Kai really helps to make Maggie compelling and relatable even when she's making poor choices.
However, while I got sucked into much of the story for the first half, the second half felt like a race to the end and left me wondering what the hell happened. While Maggie doesn't always make the best of choices, I had no idea why she made some of the choices near the end and it felt so sudden after the slow, careful way that the first half had been set up that it was jarring.
While I'll certainly be picking up [b:Storm of Locusts|37920490|Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World, #2)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531263811l/37920490._SX50_.jpg|59633116] to find out what happens next with Maggie Hoskie, I'm really hoping that Roanhorse will clear up what the heck happened at the end of this one. Overall, I'd still recommend it as a breath of fresh air with the incorporation of Navajo mythology and a damaged and compelling heroine who kept me intrigued despite the confusion.
Trail of Lightning is a wild post-apocalyptic ride through the heart of Dinétah (Navajo territory) as the gods, monsters and heroes of legend all walk the earth after a flood destroys much of the old status quo. Maggie Hoskie is a monster hunter, blessed or cursed (depending on who you ask) with gifts that aid her in the hunts but glory in violence and death and tempt her to step over the edge. When she's hired to track down a missing girl, Maggie uncovers a chilling mystery tied to her own past. Reluctantly teaming up with a slick medicine man named Kai Arviso, Maggie will have to confront the darker side of the Sixth World if she wants to get to the bottom of the mystery.
I'm very mixed on my feelings about Trail of Lightning. As someone who's always really loved different kinds of mythology, it was really fun to see so much of Navajo mythology in a modern setting. As much as I love European mythology, it was really fun and refreshing to have something different and a bit of a taste of home since I grew up near the Navajo reservation. Roanhorse really nailed the feel of the area and I loved the setting. I also loved Maggie, who reminded me very much of Jessica Jones. She's tough and capable, but struggles to deal with the violence and brutality of her life in a way that's healthy and often makes bad decisions that come back to haunt her. She turns to violence too easily and walks the line with her gifts. The contrast with the smooth talking Kai really helps to make Maggie compelling and relatable even when she's making poor choices.
However, while I got sucked into much of the story for the first half, the second half felt like a race to the end and left me wondering what the hell happened. While Maggie doesn't always make the best of choices, I had no idea why she made some of the choices near the end and it felt so sudden after the slow, careful way that the first half had been set up that it was jarring.
While I'll certainly be picking up [b:Storm of Locusts|37920490|Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World, #2)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531263811l/37920490._SX50_.jpg|59633116] to find out what happens next with Maggie Hoskie, I'm really hoping that Roanhorse will clear up what the heck happened at the end of this one. Overall, I'd still recommend it as a breath of fresh air with the incorporation of Navajo mythology and a damaged and compelling heroine who kept me intrigued despite the confusion.