Title: Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Pages: 305
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 28th November 2019
Blurb from Goodreads:
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 best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the
monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an
unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the rez,
unravelling clues from ancient legends, trading favours with
tricksters, and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of
deteriorating technology.
As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have
to confront her past if she wants to survive.
Welcome to the Sixth World.
Welcome to the Sixth World.
My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*
Maggie Hoskie is a
monster hunter. With her clan powers and training from the
Monsterslayer himself, Maggie has built herself quite the reputation.
One day, a community
goes to Maggie as a last resort, hoping that she will find a missing
girl taken by a monster.
Maggie ends up
finding more than she bargained for, and unwillingly agrees to allow
Kai Arviso, a medicine man from outside the Dinétah (what was the
Navajo reservation before the Big Water), to tag along with her as
she delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the monster.
As Maggie and Kai
travel through the Dinétah, they encounter more monsters, gods and
dark magic.
Can they stop the
monsters?
Can Maggie confront
her past?
It was the premise
of Trail of Lightning that drew me in - a monster hunter living on a
reservation sounded like a pretty interesting read to me!
The setting of the
Dinétah (what used to be the Navajo reservation before the sea
levels rose) was different as I don't think I've ever read a book set
on a reservation before. The idea of a big wall around the Dinétah
made it feel quite isolated and enclosed, but we get to see several
different places on Maggie's travels so it was hard to imagine the
size of the Dinétah.
My favourite things
about the book were the Native American aspects of it - the gods,
lore, and the clan powers - which made the book feel pretty unique.
I liked Maggie as a
protagonist - she was relatable and likeable. It was interesting how
much her relationship with her former mentor had defined her, and it
was understandable given what had happened to her.
I couldn't help but
like Coyote and his trickster nature.
The romance was one
that I have no strong feelings about.
The plot was good
and held my attention to about halfway through, when I found myself
losing interest, and after that I struggled to get back into the
storyline. Unfortunately, it got to the point where, in the end, I
didn't really care what happened to the characters, which I thought
was a shame as I did start off enjoying the book.
The writing style
was easy to follow and understand.
For me, the book
didn't reach its potential, but I really liked the uniqueness of the
setting and the Native American characters and gods.
Overall, this was an
ok read.
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