Trail of Lightning

By: Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrated by: Tanis Parenteau

The sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse have destroyed most of the planet…yet out of these waters, Dinétah, a former Navajo reservation, has been miraculously reborn. Listen along as Tanis Parenteau's impeccable narration, capturing the rhythms of Navajo speech, fully envelopes you into the Sixth World.

When Dinétah needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie - a monster hunter and supernatural killer - is its last, best hope. Trail of Lightning follows our heroine as she walks the land alongside gods, heroes of legend, and monsters alike. Reluctantly, she enlists the aid of an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel Dinétah, unraveling clues from ancient legends and trading favors with tricksters. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive - for what she uncovers about the monster she is sent to find is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

©2018 Rebecca Roanhorse (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

A break from my usual

I likd it. Could have ended better, and the language and homosexualaty were obvious plays to appeal to a certain demographic, and brought no value. But the reader did very good. And I really liked the main character.

why can't theyfind Navajo readers?

would enjoy this so much more in a Navajo voice. otherwise the reader is Pleasant enough

Brilliant piece of indigenous fiction.

This was the first piece of media that was written for indigenous people by an indigenous person that I have come across that was not purely focused on the negative history of natives. This was purely a fiction story with badass native characters who are speaking their own language and just living their lives. It’s amazing.

Supernatural on the reservation

Rebecca Roanhorse's Trail of Lightning is a fantasy tale set in the future after extensive flooding (sea level rise) has left the US disjointed, politically, socially, and economically. Native American lands evolve figurative walls around themselves (ironically) and certain individuals express magical powers based on their ancestral lineage. The main character, Maggie is a loner with the power to kill magical entities. After reluctantly hooking up with an outside medicine man, the two go in search of an entity turning people into monsters. Maggie is also dealing (poorly) with the abandonment by her mentor who may or may not be more than human as well as a dandified magical creature who enjoys taunting her mercilessly. Resolution of the tale results in Maggie's further isolation.

The combination of environmental collapse in terms of coastal flooding and political dysfunction giving rise to an intentionally isolated and independent Native American society seems to glaringly refer to appropriate stewardship of the land. In addition, this return to a pre-Colombian state of affairs triggers a revival of magical powers and entities creating both opportunities and problem for the native. The back and forth banter of the buddy theme is a bit contrived, while the characters tend towards either overused stereotypes (small town cops) or go to an extreme (gun loving, butt kicking guy into makeup and hairdos).

The narration is decent with an adequate range of characters for some distinction. Pacing is reasonable.

That smell of a storm brewing

This was an uneven story, with the first half dragging and almost losing me before the second half drew me in. It was also uneven in tone, at once urban fantasy noir and also YA lippy. The horror, gore and occasional F bombs were at odds with the vague, fade-to-black romance. Then there was the Indian mysticism and dystopian setting, which should have painted a far more engaging backdrop than was presented for huge chunks of the book. But, I stuck with it and ended up reinvigorated by the final act.

I preferred book 2, which better balanced these elements into a Mad Max meets gods and mysticism vibe.