Trail of Lightning

Rating: 4/5 stars
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy
Publisher: Saga Press
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Pages: 287

Synopsis:

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—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.

Welcome to the Sixth World.

Review:

I first noticed Trail of Lightning at Barnes & Noble earlier this year. I honestly can’t count how many times I picked it up, read the synopsis, and put it back—only to do the same thing the next time I was in the store. The cover always caught my eye, and the storyline sounded intriguing, but with so many other books on my TBR, I wasn’t sure I would get to it anytime soon.

Then came a day when I could hold back no longer. A friend had started the book and couldn’t stop raving about it. That was the final sign I needed. Thank goodness I listened.

Trail of Lightning is unlike anything I’ve read before, yet it carries echoes of storylines I love—think Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tomb Raider, and Mad Max.

Maggie is a kickass monster slayer with a tough exterior shaped by a painful past, but she’s also one of the most fragile and heartbreaking characters I’ve encountered. Her life is anything but easy: navigating a post-apocalyptic world, facing monsters and gods, and constantly having to fight for survival. Yet the story isn’t only about problem after problem—it’s about the people she meets who challenge her sense of self and push her toward redemption.

Final Thoughts

I truly loved this book and am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, Storm of Locusts. I can’t wait to return to this cast of characters and meet new ones! I highly recommend Trail of Lightning for anyone seeking an engrossing read with plenty of action, heart, and some seriously badass moments.