The Hatak Witches

By: Devon A. Mihesuah

Narrated by: Kyla García

After a security guard is found dead and another wounded at the Children's Museum of Science and History in Norman, Oklahoma, Detective Monique Blue Hawk and her partner Chris Pierson are summoned to investigate. They find no fingerprints, no footprints, and no obvious means to enter the locked building.

Monique discovers that a portion of an ancient and deformed skeleton had also been stolen from the neglected museum archives. Her uncle, the spiritual leader Leroy Bear Red Ears, concludes that the stolen remains are those of Hatak haksi, a witch and the matriarch of the Crow family, a group of shape-shifting Choctaws who plan to reestablish themselves as the powerful creatures they were when the tribe lived in Mississippi. Monique, Leroy, and Chris must stop the Crows, but to their dread, the entities have retreated to the dark and treacherous hollow in the center of Chalakwa Ranch.

But what no one counts on is the unexpected appearance and power of the Old Ones who guard the lands of the Choctaw afterlife. Blending tribal beliefs and myths into a modern context, The Hatak Witches continues the storyline of Choctaw cosmology and cultural survival that are prominent in Devon A. Mihesuah's award-winning novel, The Roads of My Relations.

©2021 Devon A. Mihesuah (P)2022 Tantor

The accuracy of stolen Indigenous bodies.

The storytelling was intriguing. Most enjoyable is the twist of the transformative beings not common in lore.

Super scary

It was a very deep story, full of turns and secrets. If you want to sleep with one eye open for the time you read this book, read it!

It is wonderful to hear Indigenous Forklore!

Well written and suspenseful. I is nice to have a story written about Indigenous Forklore by the People who know it Best!

Fun

Fun listen. Started out fast and kept moving. Happens over short time period so not much in-depth characters, but does a good enough job that I cared enough and was rooting for specific people :)

journey from crime to discovery

An interesting story told in a genuine, personable voice as the storyteller takes with him. highly recommend.

Great premise, flawed execution

First, the good stuff. I love Native American mythology, and was very excited to listen to this. I was happy to find a book blending all my favorite genres while giving Native stories a voice, and I dove in eagerly.

There is a lot of good foundation laid here for a truly spectacular series. This, combined with the supernatural aspect, the ghost story, and the mystery/police procedural plot, made me cautiously optimistic that this book might be a delicious slice of literary cake. But though the good foundation is there, it is sorely lacking in character development.

This was frustrating because the characters themselves are set up to be interesting, but beyond initial introductions, we hardly find out anything about them at all. An example of this is Leroy, the shaman who helps them through the resolution of the mystery. He is so colorful, but we barely get to see him or find out anything about what he's really capable of.

I also wanted to know more about the mysteries of the Hollow itself. We're told that it's a mysterious place full of strange happenings but that's about it. It's like somebody dangling a delicious snack in front of your face and yanking it away before you can have a bite.

As well, the writing is overexplanatory at times, not a negative didactic way, but, it seems, in a desire to clearly explain certain lore or Native legends. This could have been done differently, but as it is on the page, it's not combined very well with the rest of the story. This makes a lot of the scenes feel like they drag on twice as long as they need to.

Finally, the end is anti-climactic. It could have been epic, but it's over so fast that it seems like a wasted opportunity. After all the overly explained scenes about evidence and theory in the museum, we get the most compact version of the resolution I think could have been possible. The imbalance is disappointing.

The narrator is very good though, and has a pleasant, calming voice. I would definitely listen to other books narrated by her. People looking for an easy read who like ghost stories will find this fun, as long as they don't mind superficial character development and a rushed ending.

Almost there

This book had potential but it was so slow. And then the second half of the book seemed so rushed. And unfortunately the narration did not help. I was so interested in the story and how a long-running feud between the Choctaws and the Crows embroiled a local museum. There was so much potential but it fell far short for me.