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Trail of lightning

287 pages

A gritty, high-octane ride through a drowned world where ancient gods and monsters walk the earth, led by a fiercely broken monster hunter.

What it feels like

Reading this feels like riding a motorcycle through a dust storm—gritty, dangerous, and exhilarating. The world is a drowned, post-climate-apocalypse wasteland, but within the borders of Dinétah, it pulses with ancient, terrifying magic. The narrative is anchored by a fiercely guarded, trauma-hardened protagonist whose sharp edges and cynical voice drive the propulsive pacing. It is a story steeped in blood, myth, and the heavy cost of survival, balancing visceral monster-hunting action with a deeply personal journey of confronting past demons. The prose is sharp and unsparing, perfectly matching the desolate yet vibrant atmosphere. This will thrill readers who crave dark, urban fantasy vibes transposed onto a breathtakingly original Indigenous futurist landscape, complete with reluctant alliances and trickster gods.

Mood
  • desolate
  • mythic
  • tense
  • dust-choked
Tone
  • gritty
  • cynical
  • intense
  • resilient
Pace
propulsive
Themes
trauma and survival · burden of power · reclaiming heritage · reluctant trust
The writing
Sharp, visceral, and unadorned, delivering high-octane action alongside moments of stark emotional vulnerability.
The arc
Moves from isolated, trauma-hardened survival to a reluctant willingness to trust others and confront deep-seated personal demons.
Who it's for
Fans of gritty urban fantasy and post-apocalyptic worlds who love fiercely broken, monster-hunting protagonists.
Content notes
  • graphic violence
  • gore
  • child endangerment
  • trauma and PTSD

About the book

"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 best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine. Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the rez, unraveling clues from ancient legends, trading favors with tricksters, and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive." --amazon.com.

Description from Open Library.

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