Tag Archives: Gods

Why You Need to Read: “The Shadow Saint”

The Black Iron Legacy: Book 2: The Shadow Saint

By: Gareth Hanrahan

Published: January 7, 2020

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark

            Ten months ago, at the height of what some call the Crisis and others the Gutter Miracle, a new city exploded into being within Guerdon, (Chapter 2).

            When you read a book that becomes one of your favorite books of all-time, you’re left with a sense of satisfaction. When you learn that book is part of a series, you become anxious. This is because you’re hoping the next book in the series is just as good as the current one while dreading the possibility that it’s not. Well, that’s not the case here! Gareth Hanrahan found a way to go beyond readers’ expectations and gifted us with The Shadow Saint, a strong sequel to The Gutter Prayer—his debut novel. The sequel takes place several months after the events in the first book, but a new conflict is the focus in this story.

            There are 3 new protagonists: Eladora Duttin, Carillon Thay’s cousin, who is struggling to strive and to survive in the New City; Terevant Erevesic, the second son of House Erevesic and (failed) Lieutenant of the Ninth Rifles; and, a spy, who goes by many aliases, whose latest assignment has him traveling into the New City. As the protagonists converge in the city formerly known as Guerdon, other characters are introduced in order to present the protagonists as complex and rounded with desires, regrets and failures, and a sense of responsibility. First, there is Effro Kelkin, the “Chair of the Emergency Committee and de Facto Ruler of Guerdon” and Eladora’s boss, whose biggest concern is the Parliament Election. Next, there is Olthic Erevesic, the Haith Ambassador and Terevant’s older brother, whose main concern is another election, one that puts him at odds with his wife, Lyssada. Last, there is Emlin, the “task” assigned to the spy and the chosen saint of the Fate Spider, a deity worshipped in both Severant and Ishmere. Not to mention, one or two relations to Eladora makes an appearance as well. While the protagonists might come off as “weaker” than the characters they interact with, it is the minor characters who present the protagonists as relatable, as they are forced to develop into themselves as a result of these interactions. 

            The plot in The Shadow Saint delves into the aftermath of a crisis. “The Gutter Miracle” has turned Guerdon into a hotspot for power-hungry politicians and religious leaders. For the politicians, two upcoming elections will determine both the dominance of one party and the directions Guerdon will go in. For the religious leaders, Guerdon is one of the last neutral territories in the Godswar. While some of these leaders try to form alliances with the politicians, others search the streets of Guerdon for a weapon that is rumored to have the power to destroy a god. The subplot focuses on the protagonists, who are victims of being used and abused by other people, including members of their families. All of these protagonists have been taken advantage of by others, but it’s how they manage to move on from those traumatic experiences—whether or not it’s through forgiveness, forgetfulness or vengeance—and deal with what’s happening in the present. This subplot is necessary for the plot because the protagonists find themselves thrust into the spotlight and they must decide whether or not they want to remain as “tools” for those who want to control them. The plot develops at an appropriate rate and it’s due to the subplot. 

            Once again, the narrative follows a chronological sequence of events which are told from multiple points-of-view. The flaws and the mistakes made by the protagonists and their ability to overcome them—and proving that it’s not as easy as it sounds—make them reliable narrators. The narrative explores the protagonists’ streams-of-consciousness—which include some flashback scenes—through 3rd person limited. This means that the P.O.V. character knows what’s happening where they are at that moment in the story, but the readers know everything that is occurring to everyone at the same time. Both the narrative and the emotions are easy to follow.

            The style Gareth Hanrahan uses is divided into world-building fantasy and political reality. Because Guerdon was saved, everyone is showing interest in it. Those people come from other places that have their own religion and reasons for gaining control of Guerdon. However, in order to understand why, world-building is required. The various cultures and religions as well as the events of the Godswar is presented through the world-building by the author. The politics struggling for power demonstrates the reality within the fantasy by using numerous events throughout human history as a source. The mood in the story is chaos. The city of Guerdon was saved, but that has led to more conflicts and even more conspiracies involving gods, saints, war, and elections. The tone here is resilience; which of the characters demonstrate it and why they do so. If the story wasn’t identical to current events, then this could almost be a satire. 

            The appeal for The Shadow Saint have been positive. Fans of The Gutter Prayer and/or grimdark will appreciate the direction the author decided to go for in the sequel. Readers who are curious, yet unsure whether or not to read the sequel should know that the difference is the characters and their P.O.V.s. This means that everything fans and readers enjoyed in the first book is in this one, too. The sequel is not only a great addition to the grimdark and fantasy canon, but also cements Gareth Hanrahan as an accomplished author. And, based on the ending and the revelations at the end of this book, readers will be eager to reader the 3rd book in the series, when it comes out. Please note: According to the author, there will be 4 books in this series.

            The Shadow Saint is a sequel which demonstrates the triumph accomplished by the author who delivers on the expectations of the fans, the readers and the critics. The shift from thieves to forgotten relatives proves that the characters are just as well-written as the story and its world. If you haven’t already done so, then start reading this series! You won’t regret it!

My Rating: MUST READ IT NOW (5 out of 5)!!!

Why You Need to Read: “Trail of Lightning”

The Sixth World: Book One: Trail of Lightning

By: Rebecca Roanhorse

Published: June 26, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Native American Literature, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Folklore

NOTE:Understand that any incorrect use and/or spelling surrounding the culture mentioned is unintentional.

            “But I’m no hero. I’m more of a last resort, a scorched-earth policy. I’m the person you hire when the heroes have already come home in body bags,”(Chapter 1).

            There are numerous ways readers find out about which books to read by which authors: school assignments, friends and family, book clubs, random recommendations, the Internet, etc. In this case, it was from the 2018 Hugo Awards. One of the awards presented—the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer—announced its winner…Rebecca Roanhorse. If anyone watched my reaction video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyX_U2U8kE&t=11s), then you know that I was shocked upon hearing this announcement because I believed either Katherine Arden, or Jeanette Ng should have won that award. Yet, I never heard of Rebecca Roanhorse, or her stories, before, and she did win a Hugo for Best Short Story that same evening. Suddenly, I had a new author to read and her debut novel is titled: Trail of Lightning. And, I’ll admit, I was wrong about my assumption!

            Maggie Hoskie is the protagonist. She is a survivor of a climate apocalyptic event known as “The Big Water,” when the water levels rose and engulfed most of the Earth’s terrain and its inhabitants. After this event, the Navajo Gods, heroes and monsters returned to Earth and to humanity. One of the gods, Neizghání a.k.a. “Monsterslayer,” trains Maggie to become a Monsterslayer like himself. When Neizghání suddenly leaves Maggie, she is able to accept jobs for her handiwork. Maggie’s skills as both a survivor and a monster hunter reflect all of the emotional traumas she’s experienced. However, when a job becomes something more than she can handle, Maggie, reluctantly, agrees to work with Kai Arviso, a medicine man who is also unsure about his supernatural abilities. Throughout the story, readers learn about Maggie and Kai’s past lives including how they survived the flood and how their supernatural abilities are both assisting and restraining them. Other characters, such as Kai’s grandfather, Grandpa Tah, notice how the relationship between Maggie and Kai could be a good thing for the survival of their community, but in a post-apocalyptic world, one should know better than to hope for such a thing. 

            The plot of the story is Maggie and Kai searching Dinétah (the Navajo reservation) for the source of dark magic that’s hunting the surviving humans. The subplot, which will probably carry over to the next book, is the concept surrounding “clan powers.” Clan powers are gifts from the “Holy People” and the gods to mortals. Maggie isn’t a fan of her gift and Kai views his only as a way to survive. However, readers—and Maggie—don’t know what Kai’s gift(s) is, so there is that small mystery to consider. Maggie’s superhuman abilities are not what she would call a blessing from the Diyín Dine’é (people with supernatural powers). Yet, Maggie uses her gifts to make a life for herself. This subplot comes up again throughout the novel, and it is safe to say that this subplot won’t be resolved as quickly as the plot. Both the plot and the storyline of Maggie’s training go hand-in-hand. This is because readers learn how Maggie became acquainted with the gods and how to harness her gifts to become a Monsterslayer. At the same time, we learn about Maggie’s friends and her relationships with other people living in Dinétah. The plot development is appropriate for this story, allowing it to unfold through the characters. 

            The narrative in Trail of Lightningis 1stperson point-of-view from Maggie’s perspective. The sequence begins and ends with murder and the protagonist’s reaction to each one, which is the same reaction, indifference. However, by the end of the novel, Maggie’s reaction makes a lot of sense. Maggie is a reliable narrator who tells Kai and his grandfather her past and how she survived the first wave of chaos after “The Big Water,” many of which she is not proud of doing. Maggie recounting her past actions through flashback allows the author to present her protagonist as flawed and traumatized, yet relatable. This narrative lets readers follow Maggie’s story—both the present and the past—with ease. 

            Rebecca Roanhorse depicts Navajo Gods when an ethnic group of people would need them the most, after an apocalyptic event. While the retelling of gods, heroes and legends are similar to Neil Gaiman and Rick Riordan, Rebecca Roanhorse has the gods of her ancestors return to Earth when the lifestyle of humanity reverts. Many myths and folklore tell of a simple lifestyle, when humans needed the gods to survive. This style of writing lets readers know that the lifestyle changes, but the culture doesn’t. As long as humanity thrives, so will their gods. The author’s tone within the novel, humanity’s failure of taking care of Earth, reflects the mood, an urban apocalypse where everything has to be rebuilt in order to achieve a sense of normalcy. In addition, Rebecca Roanhorse incorporates Navajo diction for both authenticity and reality, with an explanation (and translation) of each meaning. If other cultures incorporate words of their own into everyday language, then why not learn Navajo ones?

            The appeal surrounding Trail of Lightninghave been very positive. Called, “one of the Greatest Science Fiction & Fantasy Debut Novels Ever Written,” by Barnes & Noble, this novel received praise for the portrayal of Native American (one tribe) culture, too. Not to mention, Trail of Lightninghas been nominated for both the Nebula and the Hugo Awards. The follow-up to Trail of Lightning, Storm of Locustswill be released in April 2019. And, the author’s YA debut, Race to the Sun, which is part of the Rick Riordan PresentsUniversal Literary Pantheon, will be released in Fall 2019. This will expand Roanhorse’s readers and her universe, explaining the Dine’é to the rest of the world. Obviously, I’m looking forward to reading both novels. 

            Trail of Lightningis a brilliant debut novel that allows for an immersive story about Native Americans—Navajo—and their culture and folklore in an ironic apocalyptic urban fiction book. This narrative is slow at times because the world-building overtakes the pacing. I believe the next book in the series and any other one set in this universe will be just as memorable as the first one. I believe Rebecca Roanhorse will be publishing stories for many years to come, and I will read them all. 

My Rating: Enjoy It (4 out of 5).