Trail of Lightning

My actual score for this book would probably be closer to 3.5 or so. Rounded up to 4 because its a first book. The world building is very cool and immersive. The blend of Native American culture and disaster movie aesthetic created a unique background to the story that held my attention. The side characters are fleshed out enough that I actually care what happens to them.
Unfortunately, there are also several weaknesses that bothered me. When we Maggie finally finds out what her partner can do, it's incredibly anticlimactic, and makes her look stupid. The general plot point is...fine, but Roanhorse doesn't stick the landing to my satisfaction. Additionally, the same kind of joke is to build character connection. Nicknames are not the only way people get to know each other. (This isn't a huge complaint, but it started to feel like a shortcut to saying “These people like each other!”). My final complaint is part of the ending just feels strange. I've read it twice now and while I understand it, I feel like it could have been handled better. Maybe I'm missing some nuance?

The premise of this book was great: Navajo mythology meets dystopian urban fantasy. However, the execution left a lot to be desired. The book started out really strong, but towards the middle, I had some trouble following the plot. It became all about the protagonist's love relationships—but what about the monsters? The interpersonal relationships felt very artificial, and the weird make-over and nightclub scene was unnecessary and somewhat cringeworthy.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse follows protagonist Maggie Hoskie as she lives and battles in the “sixth world.” The Sixth World is the age that has come after climate change and the big floods that have taken most of the land. Maggie, or Mags, as she is called, is a survivor. “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—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.” She was the victim of great violence as a teenager, thus shuttling her on a path of fighting monsters.

Because of the flooding, referred to as “big water” several changes have occurred on the lands. Large walls have enveloped the southwest. These walls, 50 feet tall, were magically created to protect the Navajo Nation of Dinétah. They keep the floods and the people at bay. Also, some individuals have “clan powers” or powers that represent the clan they are from. In Mag's case, it is the power of fighting, and she has the skills of the warrior inside her. This allows her to eke out a small existence as a bounty hunter and monster killer in exchange for small amounts of tradeable goods or money.

“Everything you've done, your past, it's all just a story you tell yourself. Some of it is true, but some of it is lies.”
― Rebecca Roanhorse, Trail of Lightning

Like many other main protagonists with incredible gifts, Mags is wracked by guilt. She has a difficult time defining what she is. Is she a monster, or is she a person who has done awful things to survive. This is the underlining theme of the story. Are we defined by what we do, or can we rise above our pasts? The story is made even more enjoyable by some well written supporting characters. Firstly, Grandpa Tah. He is an old medicine man that has helped and saved Mags in the past when no one else would. He sees her as an adopted daughter and treats her like family. Then there is Tah's grandson, Kai. Kai starts as a charismatic character, but further develops and changes as we learn more about him and his motivations.

“We were safe. Safe from the outside world, at least. But sometimes the worst monsters are the ones within.”
― Rebecca Roanhorse, Trail of Lightning

First, let me say, “I loved this book.” I loved this book hard, from start to finish. I have a soft spot for character-driven stories like this, and Roanhorse did a great job of balancing character arcs and development with action. The characters developed deep and complicated relationships with each other that allow the reader to latch on and become engrossed in the story. Additionally, the fact that it is written with rich Native American stories and culture is rare in fantasy, and I am so glad that this book exists.

“Sometimes, the ones we call our heroes are the greatest monsters of all.”
― Rebecca Roanhorse, Trail of Lightning

This book had some detractors, some small problems that I encountered that took me out of the story a few times. The pacing is good and generally even. However, when the pacing dips, it dips hard—some of the character interactions were a little confusing, especially at the end. I would have liked the relationship between Kai and Mags to progress a bit slower, especially with how reticent Mags was in trusting anyone. But that might be a personal preference.

I loved this book. I cannot wait to read the next one. Roanhorse is creating such a rich world in “the sixth world” series that I cannot wait to see what else happens to these characters.

I recommend.

I love monster stories so we are already ahead. Then we have a woman protagonist struggling with her powers and whether she is good or evil, a setting primarily on a reservation that has walled itself off from the rest of the US after climate change has ruined the Earth, and a sidekick who is hot and clever, but hiding something? I didn't stand a chance.

I would love to go back and listen to the audiobook to hear how the Diné words are actually supposed to be pronounced.

This isn't necessarily the kind of book I'd typically read, but it is one I'm glad exists. It's poppy, fast-paced, often graphic, and action-packed. What sets it apart though is its setting (a Navajo reservation that is protected by a huge wall from the apocalypse outside) and its characters, particularly Maggie, an indigenous monsterslayer who really needs a lot of therapy. I saw Roanhorse at a local signing and she talks about the issues with indigenous representation in fantasy. Too often, it is reduced to a sidekick, usually a shapeshifter. “That's my culture,” she said, “Shapeshifters.” Roanhorse uses tons of mythological and human character to create a truly unique piece of fiction. It also does a really good job of representing trauma from a first person perspective. Again, the violence and downright abusive relationships in the story kept it from being my cuppa, and the ending felt a bit confusing and rushed (there is a sequel out now which hopefully clears some of that up), but it is a very noteworthy piece that I'm glad I stumbled across.

I haven't torn through a book in quite a while. The pace kept moving, no trips down side plots that don't move the story forward, etc. However, I did see several commonly used themes that brought down the enjoyment rating; a person that hates herself ALOT, and the big one, she really hates that good looking guy. And how about the ending? I'm trying to pretend it didn't end that way cuz I hate unanswered questions.

Unexpectedly complex and engrossing. Enjoyable, too. Roanhorse has a gift for dialogue - not profound, just banter that somehow communicates a lot of heart. Her characters are just a smidgen over the top — too kind, too conflicted, too evil — and her story development a little too convenient; and I was totally okay with all of it. There's real-life pain here: shame, guilt, uncertainty, fear, grit, deceit, pain, with small and large kindnesses all throughout.

My favorite aspect, and this is only a mild spoiler: Coyote. He was... refreshingly unpredictable. Coyote is often painted as evil or mischievous but still somehow recognizable to a human; Roanhorse's Coyote is what I've always envisioned: chaotic neutral. Motivations that make no sense, that cannot be understood by a mere human mind. Just when you think you have him pegged, nope, you don't, and I love that. It's a reminder that Coyote is all around us every day; that our only way to deal with uncertainty is to roll with it.

Many close-second favorite aspects: Roanhorse's love for and portrayal of Diné culture; her love of human beings, flawed as we are; her understanding of loneliness, her compassion for those who suffer alone.

Executive Summary: I'm generally not a big fan of Urban Fantasy, but I liked this one enough that I might continue on. 3.5 stars.

Full Review
Every time I read a new urban fantasy book, I come in with low expectations. I have a pretty poor track record with most I've tried in the last 10 years or so. I was a bit intrigued by the setting of this one, but I probably wouldn't have picked it up if it hadn't been selected as the September S&L pick.

I always prefer character-driven stories, even when it's the world building that intrigues me. That often means the book is made by how much I like those characters. I have to admit I found most of the characters in this book unlikable. So I'm a bit surprised I liked this one.

It may be that Maggie grew on me as the book went on, or it may be that my interest in the world building carried my interest enough to make up for it. Despite living and growing up in the United States, I know very little about Native American culture or their gods. We learned a bit about the Iroquois tribes native to where I grew up, but that was only one unit during a middle school history class.

Most fantasy tends to use European religions and culture. So I probably know more about those as a result of all the fantasy I've read than from actual historical reading. I have no idea how accurate the lore is, especially when set in a sort of post-apocalyptic setting. However it made for a nice change of pace.

Plot-wise I didn't find this book particularly remarkable. For that reason I'm not in a real rush to check out the next book. But I liked this one enough that I may pick it up at some point.

roanhorse's writing was great in this! fast paced and easy to read, it was always exciting to see what was going to happen next.

maggie is a hard character to love; she's very abrasive and damaged due to tragedy. kai is her foil, and is easy to like.

i didn't understand coyote‘s motives in the end... he did all those horrible things so maggie could become a weapon. but why? just...for fun?

i also had a hard time following along with the hoops and the fire drill. i didn't really understand what they did until they were being used lol.

more development with neizghani and maggie would've been super appreciated, so that we could better understand her feelings towards him, and also neizghani as a character. the scenes where they're finally reunited and when neizghani is ultimately betrayed would feel more important if i cared more about both parties.

will def pick up the next book!

ahh I heard all this good buzz about this book and I was like “awesome, urban fantasy!” but it's actually the kind of like...environmental dystopia that makes me feel sort of nauseous to read, #TOOREAL! But I assume that's kind of the intended effect?

That said, I loved Maggie and Kai and the worldbuilding, and less...squeamish readers will likely LOVE this.

This is an urban fantasy author I'll find more of–I'm very curious to see how this world and these characters develop. Dineh cosmology is a really well-chosen foundation for world-building in this rather dark, near-future kind of post-apocalyptic no-longer-USA. I loved that all the main characters were native–in other urban fantasy I've come across with native characters, they're still isolated within white society, stuck still (STILL!!!!) in the side-kick roll. (Yes, Mercy Thompson is nobody's sidekick, but she's pretty isolated from native culture!) I really appreciated Trail of Lightning's all-native world. Lots of good vibe to this book in the realms of world-building and characterisation and the the well-developed cultural backstory, though the violence is real enough to give me pause. The creepy witchcraft was also near my limit. I liked that there were hints of redemption while leaving all the MCs unable to sort themselves into any kind of morally unambiguous categories, either good or bad. We'll see if the next in series pushes the moral ambiguity to my limits too, or if I can continue to enjoy the things that are powerful and interesting about this series.