My Goodreads review: Trail of Lightning

[ankh_hpl]

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Is this a Native American take on urban (OK, rez) fantasy? Post-apocalypse climate change SF with a side order of monsters & a kick-A female hunter? A slightly YA-flavored adventure with mainly Navajo protagonists & a deep dive into tribal mythology?

Yes.

I've been meaning to listen to this one for some time (it came highly recommended by at least one reviewer I trust on such topics), & I'm glad I didn't put it off any longer. Despite the apocalyptic setting, which may not be what some readers are looking for right now, this is a remarkable SF/F novel of its type.

Maggie Hoskie, the monster hunter, is orders of magnitude more complex than a traditional "slayer." Sure, she's got mysterious fighting skills (clan powers) & an arsenal of her own (including shotgun shells loaded with obsidian & corn pollen, wow), but she also has some all-too -believable personal demons. Rather than being a loner, she is a full part of her community, responsible to it & protective of it -- even when not everyone in that community loves her back.

I hesitated between 4 & 5 stars due to more romance than I'd signed on for, but had to go with 5 for the sheer freshness of the Navajo mythology, & because I am fascinated by all things Southwest. And I'll definitely be reading/listening to Storm of Locusts, the next in this Sixth World series.





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