Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World Book 1)

This is a Beautiful read. If you love myth and folklore this is definitely worth picking up. Roanhorse does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Especially my favorite trickster Coyote.
Can't wait to see where the trail leads Maggie.

I really loved this book and had been waiting for it's release all spring. I cannot wait until the next book in the series is out! Loved that it was gripping and futuristic and also had a Native (Diné) perspective.

I love urban fantasy, and this was just exceptional: it dives into Diné (Navajo) folklore in a beautiful and unique way. The heroine is compelling and it's just such a fresh take. Will be following Rebecca Roanhorse with excitement from here on out!

Don't think that just because a story is predictable that it's bad. It follows a solid anti-hero story arc. The world she is developing has a lot of potential. I will definitely read the next entry to find out what happens to Mags.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I have a soft spot for strong/damaged protagonists. I’m also a bit of a fan girl for anything relating to Native Americans. I blame Charles de Lint. Can’t wait for the next installment

I grew up in Northern NM by the Navajo Nation. I heard stories of coyote and Monster Slayer as a child. I loved this take on a post-apocalypse that not only showcase my home, but a bad-ass female protagonist surviving the mess.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I have a soft spot for strong/damaged protagonists. I’m also a bit of a fan girl for anything relating to Native Americans. I blame Charles de Lint. Can’t wait for the next installment

I grew up in Northern NM by the Navajo Nation. I heard stories of coyote and Monster Slayer as a child. I loved this take on a post-apocalypse that not only showcase my home, but a bad-ass female protagonist surviving the mess.

Enjoyed this book a lot. The Native American mythology combined with a slightly post apocalyptic world was a new theme. The main character was just flawed enough to be interesting. I’m looking forward to the next book

The concept is intriguing. The writing style is decent - was "easy" to read and follow. Loved the mythos and perspective. Sadly the use of first person narrative, for me at least, lessens my enjoyment as it seems overly self absorbed. You kinda know in advance that the "hero" will survive - this is NOT a spoiler just a fact of the narration. It is certainly possible that maybe I'm just too old and cranky...

A sci fi story written by an honest to gosh Native Woman, and a Nebula award winner at that. This book is a punch in the gut adrenaline run told with Four Corners beauty, terrible and amazing and as true a story in my bones as there ever was, even in the most shocking, painful moments. Maggie is an amazing protagonist who, despite several amazing acts of daring bravery, never feels impossible, plastic, or struck by the Mary Sue Syndrome. Caveat: I know the author and her work is amazing so I’m biased because I want so much more of Maggie’s story, but alas I have to wait. Buy this book!

Trail of Lightning is the first book in the Sixth World series, set in a post-apocalyptic America (our America as we presently know it would be the Fifth World) in which a reformed Navajo nation, Dinétah, tries to forge a future. Resources, including fresh water, are scarce. Magic, gods, and monsters of legend thrive. Maggie Hoskie, the central character, is a monster hunter endowed with the magical abilities of her clan, K'aahanáanii, the Living Arrow, a kind of preternatural ability to kill things (and sometimes people), and the gift of Honágháahnii, or Walks-Around, meaning she's very fast. Maggie, or Magdalena (interesting choice of name both for biblical and urban slang reasons), is also a very troubled soul. As we see from the outset, she is burdened by the disappearance of the man that trained her, Neizghání, who abandoned her after training her to fight magical monsters. It's not giving much away to say that Maggie has some major emotional issues with Neizghání's departure. Maggie continues to fight monsters, safeguarding the communities inside the magical walls of Dinétah, until she encounters a witch-created creature she is puzzled by. Her friend and father figure, the medicine man Tah, connects Maggie with his grandson, handsome Kai Arviso, who has both medicine man powers of healing but also mysterious weather-ways, which Tah thinks will help Maggie stay safe as she pursues the witch that is responsible for creating the Navajo version of golems, who start showing up in scary numbers all through communities in Dinétah, stealing and killing people, including children, creating ghosts that Kai can see. Of course, if you know anything about the Navajo mythos, you know when there are witches that Coyote won't be far away.

This book draws on rich Navajo mythology, in particular, the dynamic between Coyote and Rabbit, two trickster characters, one bad and capricious, and the other known for his cleverness. You can get a feel for Coyote and Rabbit on the NavajoPeople.org website here. Coyote is a notorious trickster, never to be trusted because he just can't resist the opportunity to stir up trouble. (He's the Loki of the Navajo mythos.) Rabbit is the clever figure who manages to get away. Roanhorse has adapted the Diné Bahaneʼ (Navajo creation myth in an interesting fashion in this book, and the reader floats in the Navajo world of Dinétah, the Sixth World, rarely seeing or hearing of anyone who is not Navajo. That immersion is one of the best aspects of this book. I loved how Roanhorse has adapted the mythos to her world.

Less satisfying in this book is some of the plot structure and its pacing. Maggie is an unreliable narrator and we are left with Kai and some of the secondary characters trying to give us a fuller view of her, as they try to offer her their observations of her actions, worldview, and choices. Without revealing any spoilers, there are two major plot twists (at least one of which you can see coming a mile away) revealed toward the end of the book that then left me dissatisfied with Maggie's insights into her actions. Chief among the narratives I am troubled by is the fact that in the opening of the book, Maggie kills an injured child, based on faulty information she has absorbed from another character. Late in the book, when it is revealed this character has lied, manipulated and abused her emotionally, Maggie never looks back on what she did because of him. Her internal focus remains on what she herself lost as a child, due to yet another abusive character's machinations. I was dissatisfied with that lack of insight because it leaves me wondering whether she will continue to repeat her mistakes. Killing a child is a visceral moment that remains unresolved in its implications. In terms of its pacing, this book races along on a wild series of road trips with Maggie and Kai, and yet most of the revelatory action takes place in the last fifty pages and the novel ends on something of a cliffhanger, which I know is a problem for some of my readers.

In spite of some of my dissatisfaction with the plot, the pacing, etc. I would definitely pick up the next book in this series because the Sixth World that Roanhorse has given us is a fascinating world to read about. I'm looking forward to the sequel! This book should appeal to fans of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series who have enjoyed the walker/Coyote dynamic. Roanhorse has upped the ante on Coyote's notorious mischief and, of course, she offers an authentic taste of the Navajo world.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from Saga Press in exchange for an honest review.

A promising debut. The author has done her homework (and life-work!), knows the territory, and her award-winning "AUTHENTIC INDIAN EXPERIENCE" (link at first comment) shows off her writing chops. Her heroine is a Monster-Slayer! How cool is that? (OK, it's gory.)

Always a pleasure to find a new writer of merit. Even better if she is from an underrepresented group. The novel's framework is boilerplate post-apocalypse. Oh, but the details, the lovely details!

Things are warming up with the new boyfriend (who's something of an indigenous Superhero):
Kai is staring at me, himself struggling to find words. “You look . . .”
“Hired-gun hot?” Clive offers from behind me. “Bodyguard sex bomb?”
“Please stop helping,” I mutter, and tug again at what’s pretending to be my shirt.
Kai’s eyes never leave me, and I shift uncomfortably, heat rising on my cheeks. “Dangerous,” he says. “I was going to say you look dangerous.”

She drives a 1972 Chevy 4x4 pickup truck, “cherry red and chromed out like the beauty queen she is.“ It can run on moonshine! And clan magic. The cover artist was paying attention! Classy.

Coyote travels via lightning-bolts!
I take the trickster’s hand and look over at Kai, and despite the sorrows of the past few days, a grin breaks across my face. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” I admit. And then the smell of ozone fills my nostrils and the world ignites in flames.

Well, the ending is seriously over-the-top. It is a first novel, after all. Spectacular ride up to the climax (but no resolution, sigh), with a hook for the sequel. Which I definitely plan to read, when it goes on sale next year.

You're likely to appreciate the setting more if you know the Indian country of the American Southwest. But I don't think that's a prerequisite. Just as in the Tony Hillerman novels, you learn a fair bit about Navajo culture, customs & religion. Except Roanhorse got hers firsthand, from her Navajo husband. And some of the religious stuff gets done up with Horror tropes. OK, a few times Hillerman did that, too.

Thanks much to Saga Press for the E-arc, which I requested. Review originally posted at Goodreads. Link at first comment has additional links & Good Stuff.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

I’m ignorant when it comes to indigenous people and culture (shameful, I know), so I jumped at the opportunity to read a fantasy novel where indigenous culture was the focus. Trail of Lightning is an exciting introduction to an interesting world with a kickass main character.

One aspect of the novel that doesn’t work as well as it should is the world building. The world is so deeply entrenched in Navajo legends, myths, and stories that having a basic working knowledge of their history is almost required before reading. Roanhorse doesn’t clearly communicate the legends, myths, and stories that are central to the novel. As a result, there were things that went over my head or didn’t click until several chapters later. This lack of clear world building did negatively affect my enjoyment of the novel since some key plot points were slightly difficult to understand.

As with the world building, the magic system in this world is tired to Navajo culture. Clan members are sometimes bestowed with powers. Maggie has the power of death. She’s able to kill effectively and efficiently. Her power almost becomes a burden as she’s forced to rein it in when it’s not needed. Roanhorse accomplishes the magic system flawlessly compared to the world building.

The main character, Maggie, is fierce, kickass, and deadly. She reminds me of Katniss in that she’s determined and fiercely independent. Maggie also reminds me a little of Celaena Sardothien in that she’s just as deadly if not more. I could sit here and compare her to almost every poplar YA heroine, but there’s something about Maggie that makes her unique. While most of her YA counterparts that are deadly eventually face a crisis of morality in terms of their killing, Maggie never does. It’s refreshing to read a character in the YA genre that isn’t bogged down by a by the numbers morality arc.

Overall, Trail of Lightning is a fantastic introduction to a captivating world full of complex characters. Throughout the novel, I had to put it down to research the Navajo people and culture for clarity and curiosity. Some may see this as a negative, but I see it as a positive. Anytime a novel forces me to see a different perspective or learn about a different culture, the novel has accomplished its job.

YA fantasy needs more books like this!

Five emotional stars from this reader. Despite Native characters being about what, 25%?, of the urban fantasy population (Mercy, Jane Yellowrock etc.) I've yet to read any written by actual Natives. And trust me, there's a difference. This book should be lauded just for the sheer authenticity that Roanhorse brings to Maggie. Even the dogs are right, and the food, and the shoes. It's like a calming soothing balm of representation and I'm not even the same kind of Native.

Are you tired of knowing the stories and legends used to create the magic? Sick of being able to guess the monster before the main character? Read this book, just... read this book. It's great. Tightly written, and well-plotted enough that I kept getting overexcited and pressing the home key instead of next page. I loved the relationship between the main characters, it was fun and realistic. Unrushed and full of genuine emotion. Arg. I'm trying really hard here to promote this book, go forth. Read. Purchase. Make sure there's a sequel.

(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The very first thing that struck me about Trail of Lightning is how smart and spirited out main character, Maggie, is. Maggie immediately grips you because of her honesty, her narrative tone, and her development as a character. My experience reading Trail of Lightning is only heightened by seeing Roanhorse speak at BookCon on the need for diverse books.

Rebecca Roanhorse is a gifted storyteller and this book kept me turning the pages. Fair warning - the first 16 pages are disturbing - I had expected a light, fun urban fantasy filled with Native American mythology (similar to Kevin Hearne using Celtic mythology in his Iron Druid Chronicles) - but this book intentionally treads in the waters of grim, dark fantasy. The heroine was sympathetic and interesting - so that kept me reading where many of the stories in grimdark have heros that are so morally bankrupt that there is no one to cheer for... I was definitely cheering for Maggie in this story :)

The post apocalyptic setting filled the scenes with one danger after another... and the main character has the toughness of Lisbeth from the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so it was exciting to see how she handled each danger. The story takes place on a reservation, and the way the characters speak to each other and the casual sprinkling of Navajo words woven in the dialogue was natural. It gave an authentic (and refreshing) set of characters.

The action was compelling, the characters were interesting, and the culture and mythology were fascinating... I'm looking forwarding to reading more of her stories ;) The first part of the book was graphic enough for a horror novel, but she moves beyond that pretty quickly. The first part of the book reminded me of "The Wolf Road" by Beth Lewis, another really gifted storyteller with an apocalyptic heroine (much younger), but that book was so dark that I really felt it should have straight out been listed in horror (not my genre). The Wolf Road was so well-written that I stayed with it, but it never really gave you hope that the situation would get better. In Trail of Lightning, the last half the book (IMO) lifted away from the darkness and shifted to a wild west filled with powerful allies/enemies, none of whom you would turn your back on.
I hope you like this one, I did, enjoy!

Thank you to Saga Press for sending me this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

This book has everything you want from a post-apocalyptic novel: a climate crisis that wiped out most of the world’s population, a mish-mash of leftover tech and survivalist tactics, hideous monsters ravaging the remaining humans, humans developing superpowers to battle those monsters and bastard gods who have returned to Earth to mess with the survivors all blended together by an own-voices author.

Maggie Hoskie is a tough-as-nails monster hunter, gifted with clan powers that allow her super strength and speed; built to kill. But hunting and killing monsters paired with the loss of her friend and mentor, a literal god, have left her bitter. When she discovers what appears to be a new type of monster, she finds herself reluctantly teamed up with Kai Arviso, a medicine man. The two become embroiled in a plot between the gods that has bigger consequences than either bargained for.

What I love is that the post-apocalyptic theme is more of a background element. Yes, most of the world was destroyed by the event referred to as the Big Water and of course this effects Maggie’s surroundings and basically her entire life. But this is less of a story about navigating the aftermath and more about “the way things are now” if that makes sense. There’s no long-winded backstory rehashing the events of the Big Water. Roahhorse gives enough details so that readers get the gist of what happened, but she doesn’t sink so deep into the history of the world she created that you forget what’s going on in the present.

I know the post-apocalyptic descriptor can be a turnoff for some of you out there, but don’t let that stand in the way of you picking up this book. The focus is on the magical elements and the Dinétah culture.

Speaking of the culture, I love that it was a major player in this novel. I’m a longtime fan of the idea of gods living among the mortals and most of the Native American inspired fantasy I read comes by way of Charles de Lint. It’s better explained in the novel, but essentially those humans who find themselves with powers get them from their family clans. Your full clan name determines what powers might manifest. In Maggie’s case, she can only call on her powers in times of need (or sometimes when her adrenaline gets too high) and they only stick around briefly. Added to this the fact that gods like Coyote have come back to stir up trouble. One such god is Neizghání, god of lightning. Maggie’s relationship with him is a complicated one and it plays a big part in the story.

There’s a good balance between action scenes, tension and thought-provoking moments. There wasn’t so much action that I couldn’t keep up and I was never bored. Despite the lack of similarity between Maggie’s world and our own, I found a couple highly relevant quotes:

“Seems anywhere there’s a natural resource, there’s someone willing to hoard it for themselves to make more money than they can spend.”

“After all, there are plenty of human monsters too, just as twisted an evil as anything supernatural.”

The book isn’t without humorous moments, however:

“…saw a bunch of dead people, learned about a firestarter, and all I got was this lousy tote bag.”

As someone who owns like a million totes, I find this highly relatable.

If you’re looking for an own-voices post-apocalyptic fantasy novel with a focus on Native American culture and an awesome heroine all set in the desert, then you need to pick up Trail of Lightning. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

I received an Arc of this book at The Book Con 18 NYC at the Jacob Javitz center this past june

Trail of Lightning is the debut book by Native American Author Rebecca Roanhorse; the first in Roanhorse’s The Sixth World Series which is destined for greatness. Rebecca Roanhorse creates a unique dystopian world, unlike anything I have read before. What would happen if there was another great flood if all that we knew washed away? What if the Navajo built a wall to control their borders? What might become of our world if we continue to abuse it? The world that we know would be no more. That’s the premise of the novel. The characters here dwell in a new world; that which was left, after most of the former world washed away. The fifth world is reborn into the Sixth world; where magic returns to the Dinè Clans. Where the old gods, their immortal children, and monsters return.

“This last flood, the one you call the Big Water, ended the Fifth World and began the Sixth.”

But the rise of the Sixth world may have been the end for the rest of the world. It was a new beginning for the DInè. As tensions rose in the fifth world the Dinè had the foresight to build a wall separating their lands from the outsiders; singing blessings as the bricks were laid until it grew in both beauty and strength. While the rest of the world washed away, the Navajo land became Dinetah.

” They say the hataałii worked hand in hand with the construction crews, and for every brick that was laid, a song was sung. Every lath, a blessing given. And the Wall took on a life of its own. When the workmen came back the next morning, it was already fifty feet high. In the east it grew as white shell. In the south, turquoise. The west, pearlescent curves of abalone, and the north, the blackest jet. It was beautiful. It was ours. And we were safe.”

“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.”

Trail of Lightning is written in first person POV through our protagonist Maggie Hoskie, as well as through character dialogue, interactions, and memories. Roanhorse waste no time inducting the reader into this new world by immediately opening the story with conflict, creating a lasting first impression of our reluctant Heroine and setting the tone for the novel with powerful a powerful message and evocative language.

This is the first thing the reader learns about Maggie Hoskie:

“ I’m the person you hire when the heroes have already come home in body bags.”

Maggie Hoskie is a Monster Hunter. Trained by the Immortal Monster hunter himself Neizghání a child of the gods, Maggie is also an outcast. When we met her she’s at a low point in her life reeling from heartbreak and abandonment; she’s lonely and feeling sorry for herself.

“Killing is the only thing I have that makes me worth anything to Neizghání? And Neizghání was the only thing I had that makes me worth anything at all?”

I don’t know a woman or girl who hasn’t felt like this at some time in their lives.

In some ways, Maggie is your cliché Fantasy Heroine a loner, scared to get close to anyone, an ass-kicking badass who doesn’t believe in her beauty.

“I’m sure a beautiful woman like her has her choice of men.” My eyes shoot to Kai, looking for the joke. I clean up okay, but no one has ever accused me of being beautiful, and I know damn well I’m not as pretty as he is.”

But as cliché as that may be, in my experience this is the recipe which has proven to be essential to the construction of a great heroine. Many of my favorite Heroines made up this way. Maggie has Honàghà K’aahanáanii, clan powers which make her, faster, stronger, but it also has a dark pull. She’s always fighting against the dark side of her clan power the bloodlust that brings out her baser nature. Imagine a little devil on your shoulder whispering sweet nothings in your ear every time someone pisses you off.

“I’m Honágháahnii, born for K’aahanáanii.” He nods, thoughtful. “Honágháahnii I know. ‘Walks-Around.’ And that means you’re . . . ?” “Fast. Really fast.” So what’s your other clan? What does K’aahanáanii mean?” “ ‘Living Arrow.’ ” “So does that mean you’re good at archery or something?” “No, Kai.”
“Living Arrow means I’m really good at killing people.”

“K’aahanáanii whispers to me that it would be simple to pull the Glock I still have tucked in my pocket and put a bullet through the back of his skull.”

At the same time, Maggie is more human than she’s willing to admit; the author allows us a more in-depth look into her life. Maggie has suffered so much pain and loss first the tragic murder of her grandmother which was the catalyst to the emergence of her power, and the most recent and still open wound being her abandonment by her mentor Neizghání who she is in love with. As someone currently recovering from the end of an eight-year relationship, I found Maggie’s experiences to be both relatable and emotive. If you thought your breakup was hell, imagine recovering from a breakup with a god. An inhumane being who cannot love on a human level (sounds a lot like my Ex). The origins of Maggie’s pain, and the motive behind her way of existing both humanized and made Maggie more real to me. When I began to understand her motives and thought processes I knew that the author had hit the mark.

Kai Arviso is the secondary character, the grandson of a Maggie’s friend a medicine man name Tuh. Kai has been exiled from the other side of the wall a town known as Burque formerly known as Albuquerque. Kai is a devilishly handsome man with a way with words. He’s also a medicine man, and he’s hiding something. Maggie and Kai are opposites Kai is a people person, and adverse to violence. However, he appreciates the necessity of violence as well as Maggie’s violent nature together they are a balanced pair what Kai lacks in his capacity for violence he makes up for in both charm and power. Balance is essential in Native American Culture.

“Kai steps forward. Starts to sing. Navajo words, soft and low. Closer, within twenty feet, he lets them come. Voice still steady. Fifteen. Twelve. And then he flicks the lighter alive, leans in over the flame, and blows. His breath catches the fire, sends it whirling. Small at first, but then it grows. Tall as a child, but then taller. And it circles, twisting into a cyclone of blue and orange and yellow and red, until it’s a massive whirlwind of fire that builds, builds. “

As the series grows, I expect Kai to emerge as a force to be reckoned with.

In almost every fiction book with a Native American element Coyote, the trickster is often a common theme. He pops up frequently in both fantasy and urban fantasy, in fact, he’s the father of one of my favorite characters Mercy Thompson.

Coyote is most often written not as a benevolent god by usually not as one purposely out to cause harm, even though his trickster nature often does. Coyote’s character has been written in many different incarnations, but Roanhorse’s Coyote is a character I’ve never met before.

Although some elements remain the same, there are nuances that separate Roanhorse’s coyote from the rest of the pack; making this version of Coyote distinctly different. This Coyote is dark a little twisted and reminds that the gods are not like us, mere mortals cannot comprehend their motives.

“I think now that it must have tickled him, a creature who could change his shape as easily as humans shed clothes, to dress the white man’s frontier dandy when visiting a Navajo girl. He looked splendid, of course, but the choice was subtly cruel. I knew the stories of the Long Walk, of duplicitous land agents and con men. To remind me of them was no accident on his part.”

“I shudder at the blast of fury that pours from his body. For a moment, the pretense of the Western gentleman falters and I glimpse his true form under the facade. Shaggy gray-and-brown muzzle, dull yellow eyes, a mouthful of teeth meant for tearing carrion. He fills the room, frightening and unnatural”

While we often get the “gist” of cultural references, it’s evident that when writing second hand on the lore of other cultures; while assuming to have a full understanding of their ways, you are bound to fall short; this is the reason why own voices books are so important. It’s a testament to how powerfully written Roanhorse’s Coyote is, that as I read, I had the impression that every other version of Coyote I ever read was wrong. And the author acknowledges this.

“ So that was the Coyote?” Finished, he pushes the bowl away and leans back, stretching his lithe frame out and crossing his legs under my coffee table, arms behind his head. “He wasn’t what I expected.” ”

“ “What did you expect?” “I don’t know. A little less serious, I guess. All the Coyote stories I’ve heard portray him as kind of a fool.” He shrugs. “He didn’t seem so bad.” ”

I look forward to the development of this series and revisiting the Sixth World.

According to 23 and me, I’m only 1.7 percent native American but 100% proud of this book. Trail of Lightning is a fantastic debut novel I loved it! And you should grab a copy too!

Roanhorse is currently working on, Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World #2) which is Scheduled for release April 23rd 2019 by Saga Press and available for pre order.

I knew from the moment I laid eyes on this gorgeous cover that I would have to read Rebecca Roanhorse’s debut. And I’m so glad I got the chance to get in on the ground floor of this richly imagined world. Most reviewers are talking about the Native American rep in this story, which is not only fascinating and adds wonderful layers to the story, but is in fact written by a Native American, which makes it all the more important these days. I found the world building in Trail of Lightning to be one of my favorite aspects of the story, from Roanhorse’s eerily plausible post apocalyptic setting to the Native American mythology that brings this story to life, to all the small details of this world that make it stand out from other urban fantasies. Add in some complex characters and relationships and you have an engaging story with plenty to love.

Roanhorse’s story takes place several years after a cataclysmic event called the Big Water, the effects of climate change that created flooding in some parts of the United States and drought in others. Maggie Hoskie lives in Dinétah, which used to be Navajo land until the Big Water changed everything. Now Maggie is a monster hunter, gifted with supernatural powers and tasked with tracking down the monsters of legend who have been reborn after the apocalypse.

When Maggie is hired to kill a monster who has taken off with a young girl, she soon finds out that a powerful Diné witch may be behind its appearance. Maggie’s Grandpa Tah sends her on a quest to discover the identity of the witch, aided by a medicine man named Kai who can not only heal but can see the dead. But not everyone wants to help Maggie on her journey. Coyote, a Navajo trickster named Ma’ii, is clearly up to something, and when Maggie’s old flame and mentor Neizghání makes an appearance, Maggie must decide who she can trust, and who she cannot.

It’s the characters who really make this story special. Maggie is my favorite type of character. She’s been given a “gift,” in this case supernatural powers that give her the strength and speed to hunt and kill monsters, but she’s not all that likable, especially in the beginning. She keeps people at arm’s length and tends to make enemies wherever she goes. Add to that the fact that she’s been ditched by the man she loves and is trying to come to grips with why Neizghání has left her. At the same time, she meets Kai and can’t help but notice what a hunk he is, even if she pretends to herself that she isn’t interested. And then, a third male character makes an appearance, and it becomes clear how complicated her life is about to become.

We also get to meet Grace Goodacre, a battle-weary woman who owns a bar and will go to any lengths to keep her children safe. Grace was tough-as-nails and her relationship with Maggie was complicated. This is a dangerous world where trusting people can get you killed and friendships are hard-won, so most of the relationships reflect that fact. I'm hoping for a lot more of Grace in the next book, especially since I think she's one of the women on the cover of Storm of Locusts.

And the male characters? My favorite was Coyote, or Ma’ii as he’s called, the trickster of legend who seems fascinated with Maggie and just won’t leave her alone. He tries to set up Maggie and Kai and embarrasses everyone in the process, and his trouble-making ways inject a delightful sexual tension among the three of them. This is by no means a love triangle, but I loved the idea that the possibility is there. Kai also grew on me, and although at first I thought he’d be the obvious love interest, let's just say the author has some tricks up her sleeves too!

And I can’t write this review without talking about the world-building. Roanhorse infuses her story with all kinds of cool examples of Navajo mythology, and even though I’m certainly no expert on the subject, I loved reading about how people meeting for the first time introduce themselves by mentioning the tribes they come from, for example. We've all read stories about Coyote, who may be the best-known god of Native American myth, but I loved how Roanhorse gave this Coyote interesting quirks, like the crazy but stylish outfits he wears.

Probably my favorite world-building element was the Wall that was magically created after the Energy Wars, as a way of keeping enemies and strangers out of Dinétah. It’s made of different elements, like alabaster, turquoise and obsidian, and I had to laugh at the author’s sly reference to the wall a certain U.S. president is trying to build (he he).

While the world-building and characterizations were stunning, the weakest part of Trail of Lightning for me was the plot. Maggie is given a quest in the beginning of the story, but from there things get a little overstuffed and convoluted. Several characters task Maggie with finding certain objects, or she’s given an object and has to figure out what it’s for, but as interesting as these story lines were by themselves, they never really came together into a cohesive plot. It was almost as if the author couldn’t quite rein in all her ideas, which made for a slightly confusing story. I also felt that this book was too short, something I don’t complain about that often. It’s under three hundred pages, and by adding another fifty pages or so I think some of these plot points could have been more deeply developed.

But that small complaint aside—and truly it’s small because you can see from my rating that I loved this story!—Trail of Lightning is a fresh and exciting take on urban fantasy and a thrilling start of a new series, one I’m so excited to continue. And after that ending (!!) I am literally going to be on pins and needles until next April. Thanks a lot, Rebecca!

TW: child death

Trail of Lightning is perhaps the most anticipated urban fantasy release of the summer, and I’m here to say that it doesn’t disappoint.

When climate change caused the oceans to rise faster than anyone expected, Dinétah (once the Navajo reservation) was reborn. It’s gods walked back into the world, but along with them came the monsters.

After Maggie Hoskie’s grandmother was killed by monsters and the witch who raised them, she was taken under the wing of a legendary hero Neizghani and trained as a warrior and monster-slayer. Only, then Neizghani left her without a word and Maggie found herself alone in the world. She isolated herself from human company and swore off the life of a monster-slayer. Of course, that changes at the start of the novel, when a town begs her to rescue a missing girl. The monster responsible is like nothing Maggie has encountered before, and it isn’t alone. Similar monsters are being reported across Dinétah. With the help of Kai Arviso, a medicine man who might just become a friend, Maggie sets out to find the witch responsible.

It took me a while to get into Trail of Lightning. In part that may be because the story has a slow start, but I think it also took me a while to figure out what this story was about and who these characters were. What makes this story different from other urban fantasy novels? Obviously, the influence of Navajo culture and mythology, but what about the characters? At first, Maggie felt like so many other urban fantasy heroines I’d encountered. Tough but standoffish. Scarred by a dark past.

But as the story went on, I realized that with Maggie Trail of Lightning was bringing something new to the table. Sure, urban fantasy heroines often have a tragic backstory, but how often do the stories really focus on the healing process and mental health ramifications? Especially in the context of someone who’s moving on from an abusive relationship, which was ultimately what I saw Maggie’s relationship with Neizghani as. There’s more I could say about this aspect of Maggie’s character. I wondered if she might have PTSD — she has a panic attack early on in the story, and weirdly enough, that’s the moment when I really connected to her.

Great world building is always something I look for in fantasy novels, and it was one of the reasons I was drawn towards Trail of Lightning. That, plus the fact that it was a story centering Native American characters, written by a Native author. Those stories aren’t usually told in science fiction and fantasy. Anyway, this is my way of saying that Trail of Lightning is offering something valuable and different. The scaffolding of the world may feel familiar, but the details are unlike anything I’ve read before.

Criticisms? Well, there is a reveal that’s really obvious (I figured it out way before Maggie), but when what you’re invested in is the personal relationships and character arcs, figuring out plot reveals doesn’t really matter. I also would have liked to see stronger relationships between the female characters, but you know me. That’s something I often complain about.

One thing confuses me about many of the other reviews for Trail of Lightning: why are people calling this young adult? Maggie is twenty, and while there is a flashback to when she’s sixteen, it’s not an extensive part of the story. Maybe people call any story without sex young adult (they must not have encountered a lot of young adult then…)? I found Trail of Lightning to be clearly adult fiction.

While it may have taken me a while to become invested in this story, by the halfway mark I was gripped to the page. Trail of Lightning is a wonderful addition to the urban fantasy genre, centering the sort of voices we need to hear more of. I can’t wait for the sequel!

I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

I had read several advance reviews of Rebecca Roanhorse's Trail of Lightning. They all recommended the book in glowing terms. After finishing the Audible version, I feel the reviews did not do the book justice.

I had read several advance reviews of Rebecca Roanhorse's Trail of Lightning. They all recommended the book in glowing terms. After finishing the Audible version, I feel the reviews did not do the book justice.

Tanis Parenteau does a great job narrating. She gives all the characters distict voices. She clearly enunciates all the words including the Dinetah ones. It is one of the best things I have read or listened to this year. Exciting, original, a Native American story written by a Native American. 5 stars are not enough.
I had read several advance reviews of Rebecca Roanhorse's Trail of Lightning. They all recommended the book in glowing terms. After finishing the Audible version, I feel the reviews did not do the book justice.

Tanis Parenteau does a great job narrating. She gives all the characters distict voices. She clearly enunciates all the words including the Dinetah ones. It is one of the best things I have read or listened to this year. Exciting, original, a Native American story written by a Native American. 5 stars are not enough.

It is one of the best things I have read or listened to this year. Exciting, original, a Native American story written by a Native American. 5 stars are not enough.

I fell in love with Coyote through books in grade school, continued that love through Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, and developed it a bit more through American Gods and such. But in those books Coyote, while a trickster, ultimately was on the side of humans.

Here in Trail of Lightning, we meet Maggie Hoskie. A woman who is in bad shape. After surviving a traumatic childhood event, she was adopted by Naayéé' Neizghání, a monsterslayer, and learned to fight and use the clan powers that activated during her trauma.

But now she lives alone in a trailer in Dinetah-- the walled in lands of the Dine after Energy wars and water shortages have completely transformed the U.S. Maggie is waiting for her mentor, who abandoned her a year ago, to come back. But what find her in the trailer is a plea for help. Something kidnapped a little girl and Maggie is drawn into the greater machinations of Coyote and military bands in order to find out how the monster appeared in the first place.

Coyote is not to be trusted in this story, and there's a keen sense of danger that surrounds all of Maggie's conversations with him, despite her seeming acceptance of his ability to rub salt in all her wounds.

The world is super-cool. Not only the Dine mythology, but also characters like Grace, who is a bad-ass woman who owns a bar where Maggie has to go to recover several times. There's also a love interest named Kai, who has clan powers of his own and seems to be the catalyst for Maggie to realize she's been influenced to see the world in only one way.

And yes, there's a bit of fuzzy character motivation and a bunch of unanswered questions at the end for me...which usually would make a story lose half a star. In this case-- I totally didn't care. I devoured the story. Maggie is awesome. Following her around on red herring chases was super-fun. Her clash with Neizghání was delving into some pretty deep emotions.

And Coyote. Totally surprised me. Even though I knew he was a trickster. Anyway, an excerpt of the next book in the series has me already pre-ordering that one, and not just because there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but also just because I loved this book.

The world has been put back into the hands of the Dine'/Navajo. After a great flood the water has risen and few land masses remain, one is the reservation were the Dine' were shucked off to many years ago. With this new beginning comes the old gods, the magic and the oral histories become life savers. Everything old is new again and those remaining need to relearn the ways. Monsters, witches and twisted souls meet in this Mad Max-ish world of survival.
Maggie, has her clan's magic in her, it's a killing magic, and she kills the monsters. She was trained by one of the gods to use her magic, it makes her unpopular till somebody needs her. When the monsters get more dangerous she reluctantly takes on a partner who is a healer with magic. It's not an easy match, or a welcome one. Many things will challange this partnership, old loves, secrets, betrayals, death and magic.
I struggled with the first 1/4 of this book. I was stuck on some of the Navajo language used. I really missed to knowing what some of the words ment. My in laws are Navajo and helped with some but a brief guide would have made the experience more. The more I read the more I was investing in this world and these characters. When I finished the book I felt I'd said good bye to family I would miss. I can't wait for the next book in the series. This is an author to follow.

Roanhorse gives a new take on the post-apocalyptic adventure tale, with elements of urban fantasy and horror as well as kickass characters of various types, and an intriguing background on the Navajo lands of the Southwest. A very encouraging beginning for an author who's already making a splash!

I love Maggie. She's grown here, but she still has to figure out so much in this book about who she is, who she wants to be, and how she wants to be seen.

I hope to see so much more of Tah and Grace and Kai.

At least a couple of instances of "more than friends."

CW: really brutal violence, arson (kind of), fights to the death, mentions of colonialism and genocide, gun violence, police brutality.

Trail of Lightning takes place in the near future, after the oceans have risen and government has collapsed. It takes place on the Navajo reservation, where the people are used to governing themselves. Ancient Navajo magic has returned to the land, bringing with it heroes and monsters of legend. This book is about some of the mortals who get caught up in the workings of those mythic beings.

This was the kind of book I couldn't put down, not just because of the plot, but also, and maybe more so, because of the characters. I loved the voice of the main character, raw, honest, vulnerable, strong, confident. Just awesome! The elements of the story were intriguing and made the story more than a sum of its parts. This is one story I'll re-read and buy the next one in the series!

This is my favorite book I've read this year. Readers should be forewarned, this is a violent, bloody story, so sensitive readers may have a hard time with it, but the story is so compelling, exciting, imaginative, and intense that I devoured it and loved it. Can't wait for the second installment. Roanhorse has become an auto-buy author for me.

Just finished TRAIL OF LIGHTNING by Rebecca Roanhorse this morning after tearing through it like dry lightning in the desert. Left breathless by the action, the tension, the suspense, the kick-ass monster hunter, Mags, doing what she does best. And don’t even get me started on the ending. Some of the most powerful writing I’ve ever read. So yeah, read this book ASAP!!!

I loved this post-apocalyptic fantasy set in a distinctly Native American culture and belief system. The characters are engaging and well-drawn and the plot full of mystery and action, with just enough romance. I figured out one of the big reveals very early on, but there were three or four others that were complete surprises while still making perfect sense. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Well, this was really intriguing. And this take on dystopian North America was too. It was highly violent (it didn’t claim not to be but people following me will want to know) but just so interesting. Definitely a page turner. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

The last time I fell this much in love with a writer's creation was when I found Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series or Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series.

This is just as good as either -- vivid characters, incredible world building and a focus on plot with a chaser of romance -- but completely different. You haven't read anything like this, but you should --right now!

This book caught me up from the start and didn't let me go. I do have questions about the end, but I am hoping those will be answered in the next book. Which I shall be purchasing because I have to know.

I FREAKING LOVED THIS STORY AND CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK.
Maggie is brilliantly believable and deeply relatable. I was so engaged and invested that I caught myself cheering on the characters out loud, while reading. PLEASE read this book.

It's not quite fantasy and not sci-fi but a altogether non stop action plot loaded with backgrounds barely explained and that just wants me to come back and visit the world again. Read and enjoy. Cheers!

Wonderful characters ! Wonderful story ! I look forward to many more books in this new series ! One suggestion - A glossary. I felt like I missed out on a lot since the Navajo words were not translated.

I cannot wait for the next chapter of Maggie's story! Engaging, accessible, and a delightful read. The mythology of the People is deeply interesting, and Maggie's struggle to grow up and out from under her past is compelling.

This is my favorite book I've read this year. Readers should be forewarned, this is a violent, bloody story, so sensitive readers may have a hard time with it, but the story is so compelling, exciting, imaginative, and intense that I devoured it and loved it. Can't wait for the second installment. Roanhorse has become an auto-buy author for me.

Just finished TRAIL OF LIGHTNING by Rebecca Roanhorse this morning after tearing through it like dry lightning in the desert. Left breathless by the action, the tension, the suspense, the kick-ass monster hunter, Mags, doing what she does best. And don’t even get me started on the ending. Some of the most powerful writing I’ve ever read. So yeah, read this book ASAP!!!

I loved this post-apocalyptic fantasy set in a distinctly Native American culture and belief system. The characters are engaging and well-drawn and the plot full of mystery and action, with just enough romance. I figured out one of the big reveals very early on, but there were three or four others that were complete surprises while still making perfect sense. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Well, this was really intriguing. And this take on dystopian North America was too. It was highly violent (it didn’t claim not to be but people following me will want to know) but just so interesting. Definitely a page turner. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

The last time I fell this much in love with a writer's creation was when I found Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series or Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series.

This is just as good as either -- vivid characters, incredible world building and a focus on plot with a chaser of romance -- but completely different. You haven't read anything like this, but you should --right now!

This book caught me up from the start and didn't let me go. I do have questions about the end, but I am hoping those will be answered in the next book. Which I shall be purchasing because I have to know.

I FREAKING LOVED THIS STORY AND CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK.
Maggie is brilliantly believable and deeply relatable. I was so engaged and invested that I caught myself cheering on the characters out loud, while reading. PLEASE read this book.

It's not quite fantasy and not sci-fi but a altogether non stop action plot loaded with backgrounds barely explained and that just wants me to come back and visit the world again. Read and enjoy. Cheers!

Wonderful characters ! Wonderful story ! I look forward to many more books in this new series ! One suggestion - A glossary. I felt like I missed out on a lot since the Navajo words were not translated.

I cannot wait for the next chapter of Maggie's story! Engaging, accessible, and a delightful read. The mythology of the People is deeply interesting, and Maggie's struggle to grow up and out from under her past is compelling.

Such a great story. A post apocalypse world intertwined with mythology was the book I didn't know I needed to read. Interesting characters and a strong heroine keep you engaged throughout the book. I can't wait for the second book.

A complex and unique world of Native Americans after world ending natural disasters. It was interesting but I have two big problems. First is a peculiar pet peeve of mine — being unable to pronounce the names. If I can’t pronounce what feels like half the words in some chapters it’s a problem that drags me out of the story. The second is the bigger issue. The main character is genuinely unlikable. I buy her as a character but I would just as soon see her dead at the end of the book.