Yet it can also be rewarding, because this replicates the messiness of real life, and when handled properly like it is here, the story is richer and deeper in the telling. This can occasionally be frustrating for the reader, since of course, we often crave plots that satisfy us by connecting the dots. Every time it seems like Maggie is on to something, like we know the next piece of the puzzle, something happens to force a change in direction-either physically or psychologically. I really respect the way that Roanhorse refuses to give us a straightforward or linear narrative. Maybe these all seem like superficial correspondences, but that’s what I thought of while following Maggie’s adventure. The cage match in this book also reminded me of the episode of Dark Angel where Max must do something similar.
Maggie might not be a government transgenic experiment like Max, but like Max she has certain abilities that make her a stronger and better fighter-even if they occasionally terrify her. I think it’s largely two things: the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, and the irrepressible heroines. But as a somewhat more unlikely choice, I’m going to say that this book reminds me of Dark Angel, a much shorter-lived yet nevertheless poignant TV show. It’s true that Supernatural is a natural choice for comparing to Trail of Lightning, and I definitely feel that vibe. But along the way they find there’s a lot more than meets the eye, and it involves Coyote and other gods and figures of legend-including the immortal monsterslayer who trained Maggie before turning his back on her. Together, Maggie and Kai pick up the trail of a witch who is making monsters. To confront it, she reluctantly partners up with the grandson of a powerful medicine man (who is powerful in his own right). As the story begins, Maggie stumbles onto something bad. Maggie Hoskie has made a living for herself hunting and killing those monsters. With the coming of the Big Water and the beginning of the Sixth World, though, comes monsters-both human and otherwise.
The former Navajo Nation, or Dinétah as it is called here, is one of the few places to remain dry. It’s the near future, and the Big Water has swallowed up most of the continent.
It’s an intense, richly presented urban fantasy adventure that leaves me wanting more. I’m thinking, “I would love to read more works by Indigenous writers” and also “I would love to read some more science fiction and fantasy this summer” and the people I follow must have picked up on that because everyone was all, “You have got to read this.” Well, Rebecca Roanhorse’s Trail of Lightning lives up to the hype. Sometimes Twitter really, really comes through.
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