Maggie Hoskie, Diné Monster Hunter, Is the Coolest

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fast-moving, exciting novel, and it points to a fun series. I'm glad to give it all the stars.

The best thing, even more than the action, is the main character, Maggie. She is a damaged hero, a bristling mess with skills and a heart, someone to turn to when you have trouble even though she mostly wants to be left alone. The author invests her with genuine emotion and a deep humanity that transcends the fantasy elements of the novel, and I like the fantasy elements. It's impossible not to love Maggie in a reader-crush kind of way, overlooking her spikiness and self-destructive side, rooting for her as if she were a real person.

(The last character I felt that way about, that I had such a strong sympathetic reaction to, was Elphaba, in the novel version of Wicked. Very different characters--I'm not sure what connects them in my head. Imma sit and think about that.)

The setting, a post-apocalyptic Navajo nation--Dinétah--which combines traditional elements of Diné life with the consequences of a future broken world, works well; the economy and technology and social order all feel possible, even realistic. The introduction of mythical creatures and gods in this world works, too, fitting the tone and sensibility of the rest of the novel. I like the way that nothing is idealized, and nothing is wholly scorned, neither people nor traditions nor physical culture, which makes everything feel raw and alive and real and immersive.

Upon finishing, I'm left with a few "Wait--what?" questions, and I'm not sure if that was intentional or if I missed something. Could well be the latter. But I'm eager for the second book to see if I'm up to speed and to find out how Maggie fares after this.

A fresh setting, sympathetic characters (Kai is interesting, too, and Tah, and Grace), fun action, scary monsters--it makes a terrific novel. I recommend it for all fantasy readers, from YA-types up to retired old English teachers (for example), but it will be especially welcome for those looking for #ownvoices writing with a sharp perspective. You will be rewarded by a visit to this world.

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