Speculative Fiction
Synopsis:
A chilling horror novel about a young Indigenous woman haunted by the oppressive legacies of colonization.
Dawn hasn't spoken to her brother, Cody, since he was sent to prison for a violent crime seven years ago. Now living in a shiny new Toronto condo, Dawn is haunted by uncanny occurrences, including cryptic messages from her dead mother, that have followed her most of her life. When the life Dawn thought she wanted implodes, she is forced to return to her childhood home and the prairie city that hold so much pain for her and her fractured family.
Cody is unexpectedly released from prison with a mysterious new friend by his side, who seems to be the charismatic leader of a dangerous supernatural network. Trying to uncover their plans, Dawn follows increasingly sinister leads until the lines between this world and the next, now and then, and right and wrong begin to blur and dissolve.
What unfolds is an eerie, incisive, and at times darkly funny horror novel about a young Indigenous woman reckoning with trauma and violence, loss and reclamation in an unsettling world where spirit realms entwine with the living-and where it is humans who carry out the truly monstrous acts.
Reviews
"Well written, creepy, frustrating, and puzzling. There may be violence in this novel, but there's nothing ordinary about it." — Drew Hayden Taylor, author of Take Us to Your Chief
"What a book! It's utterly enthralling and unsettling to your bones. A wonderful haunt that creeps into your psyche in the best possible way. I feel like I know Dawn, which only makes the story creepier. A tremendous debut, and I can't wait to read more."— Jesse Wente, author of Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance
"An Ordinary Violence by Adriana Chartrand is a compelling read that rockets off the page. From the first chapter, I was hooked and gleefully followed Dawn as she moved around the spaces she used to call home to figure out her new reality. The writing is poetic, truthful, and you can tell that Adriana has written a story from her heart. This book will be sure to surprise its readers!" — Francine Cunningham, author of God Isn't Here Today
"An Ordinary Violence is surely a gripping and haunting novel, one that will hold you from the first word to the last, but what makes it so potent and memorable is the way Adriana Chartrand tells this story with such grace and humility. There is horror, and then there is horror-An Ordinary Violence has both. This is an unforgettable novel." — Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living Rez
"Adriana Chartrand's An Ordinary Violence is a hallucinatory slow-burn chiller, sharply observed and heartfelt in its depiction of family ties that bind like strips of wet rawhide. Dawn returns to her hometown to find it is in the grip of something uncanny and malevolent. As she visits old friends and familiar places, she grapples with ghosts from the past and demons on the rise to save her struggling father, her wayward brother, and herself. With this fresh and fearsome look at the contemporary Indigenous experience, Chartrand emerges at the forefront of our newest literary voices." — David Demchuk, author of The Bone Mother and RED X
"An Ordinary Violence is a gripping debut novel that bewilders in the best way possible. Adriana Chartrand sparks a fire on the first page that steadily burns into a tremendous literary spectacle that transcends genre. I was riveted by the story and thoroughly impressed by the writing. This novel will stay with me for a long time." — Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Turning Leaves
"An unsettling, lyrical, slow-burn of a novel that combines the best elements of atmosphere and horror. Weaving together a history of violence with spirituality and the supernatural, Chartrand has achieved something special here, a cacophony of style and genre that displays the immeasurable potential of Indigenous storytelling." — David A. Robertson, author of The Theory of Crows
Additional Information
256 pages | 5.25" x 8.00"| Paperback
Synopsis:
In this gripping, horror-laced debut, a young Cree woman’s dreams lead her on a perilous journey of self-discovery that ultimately forces her to confront the toll of a legacy of violence on her family, her community and the land they call home.
Mackenzie, a Cree millennial, wakes up in her one-bedroom Vancouver apartment clutching a pine bough she had been holding in her dream just moments earlier. When she blinks, it disappears. But she can still smell the sharp pine scent in the air, the nearest pine tree a thousand kilometres away in the far reaches of Treaty 8.
Mackenzie continues to accidentally bring back items from her dreams, dreams that are eerily similar to real memories of her older sister and Kokum before their untimely deaths. As Mackenzie’s life spirals into a living nightmare—crows are following her around and she’s getting texts from her dead sister on the other side—it becomes clear that these dreams have terrifying, real-life consequences. Desperate for help, Mackenzie returns to her mother, sister, cousin, and aunties in her small Alberta hometown. Together, they try to uncover what is haunting Mackenzie before something irrevocable happens to anyone else around her.
Haunting, fierce, an ode to female relations and the strength found in kinship, Bad Cree is a gripping, arresting debut by an unforgettable voice.
Reviews
"With creeps that are ever-creepy and love flowing like beer at a bush party, Bad Cree is a book about the power of dreams, home and family. It reads like a tribute to the ones who came before us Lee Maracle, Jeanette Armstrong, Eden Robinson. This book is tough iskwew in flannel shirts with long unbrushed hair, just looking good. It’s tea rings on Formica tables, cigarette smoke wafting through windows, and an eerie magical realism that only belongs to the bush. Full of Auntie power, Jessica Johns is really coming into her own immense storytelling ways." — Katherena Vermette, author of The Break and The Strangers
"Bad Cree is a masterwork of creeping tension. Wry, moody and subversive, Johns explores the power of connections, both the harm and the healing, with characters rich and warm, tangled in each other, to the land and to the supernatural. Couldn't put it down." — Eden Robinson, author of the Trickster trilogy
Additional Information
304 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback
Synopsis:
A group of Cree teens gather around a fire to share stories of spirits and shapeshifters in this chilling debut graphic novel.
After wandering out to the river near their homes, five teens decide to build a fire and exchange horror stories. Chad begins by telling the group about an unfortunate fisher who encountered a cluster of small, malevolent creatures while navigating the river in his canoe. Attempting to defend himself, Carl lashed out with an oar. . . and his world changed forever. One by one, the teens try to outdo each other, and the evening evolves into an impromptu storytelling competition.
On certain nights, if you walk along Loon River and peer under the bridge, you might spot a fire. You might hear a laugh. You might hear a scream. If you edge closer - and the conditions are just right - your view of the river will melt away, into the inky black beyond the firelight. Not to worry - the echoes of rushing water will help you find your way back. Or will they?
Inspired by Cree folklore and modern Cree life, Bad Medicine will transport readers to terrifying new worlds that only exist at the edges of human imagination.
Reviews
"Bad Medicine's about as good as medicine can get - stories with blood on the ground, sure, but a lot left in the heart, too." - Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians
"Like a peyote-stitch medallion, the interlaced pattern of stories found within Twin's graphic novel, Bad Medicine, remind me of belonging, remind me of cold nights around a warm fire with friends - sharing chilling stories, some all too real and close to home. This Indigenous horror debut is a medallion I'd wear proudly on my chest. And? I have a clawing hunger for more." - Shane Hawk, author of Anoka and co-editor of Never Whistle At Night
"This graphic novel is the rare sort of work that can be read and digested easily but that also provides the cautionary tales and allegory that elevate horror to something that remains long after one has finished reading." - Kirkus
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14+
Additional Information
116 pages | 6.57" x 8.53" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Enter a world of magic and intrigue where the old Indigenous ways and new technology intertwine with situations that readers can engage in critically. The series opener keeps the action moving with Billy Buckhorn's quest to vanquish the mythical evil forces that threaten his Cherokee Nation.
An ominous message conveyed to sixteen-year-old Billy Buckhorn by the spirit of his deceased grandmother opens the door to astounding supernatural events. Struck by lightning and brought back from the brink of death, Billy must contend with extraordinary visions and psychic insights. These new "gifts" prove both challenging and necessary as Billy begins to understand the peril behind his grandmother's words and realizes his calling to protect and defend his people.
Billy's first vision and adversary is the ancient Raven Stalker, who appears in the form of a peculiar high school teacher who has the power to suck the very life force out of human beings. Little does Billy know that this is just the beginning of a prophesied quest to vanquish mythical evil forces that have materialized and now threaten to overtake the Cherokee Nation.
Can Billy, his best friend Chigger, his medicine-man grandfather, his college professor father, and an archaeologist defeat these beasts before they rule not only the Cherokee Nation but also all humankind?
Educator & Series Information
In this new book, Billy Buckhorn and the Book of Spells, author Gary Robinson has combined the three original Billy Buckhorn books into one and rewritten it at a higher reading level. The Fry reading score is a 7, which is a higher rating than the rest of the PathFinders novels of Hi-Lo books.
Billy Buckhorn and the Book of Spells is the first book in a new series, Thunder Child Prophecy.
The original Billy Buckhorn series includes Hi-Lo books, meaning high interest-low reading level. Each book ranges from 140-160 pages. You can learn more about the Billy Buckhorn series HERE! They are part of the PathFinders series of Hi-Lo readers.
Additional Information
304 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | b&w illustrations | Paperback
Synopsis:
Krie Redsky is an extraordinary Indigenous child who has both a curse and blessing that allows him to walk between this world and the Spirit Realm. He is also at an age where he is learning to cope with the twists and turns of friendships, the awkwardness of first love, and the self-doubt that must be overcome following loss and betrayal. But, nurtured by Knowledge Keepers as “one who is without fear, and with the ability to cross realities,” he is soon recognized as an individual who can – and will – battle the terrifying ancient spirit stealers known as Bonewalkers. But is he strong enough for what is to come?
Additional Information
236 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Journey to the depths of the Arctic and beyond in this unique collection of stories from the award-winning volumes of Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection.
Burning Cold is a captivating volume of Indigenous graphic stories written by acclaimed authors Sean and Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley and Richard Van Camp. Time travel on the back of a wolverine, swim with shapeshifters beneath the ice, and travel through the skies with aliens. From traditional stories to reimagined futures, this collection showcases some of the finest comic book and graphic novel work from the North.
Educator Information
Recommended for Young Adults.
Additional Information
100 pages | 6.50" x 10.25" | Colour Illustrations | Paperback
Synopsis:
The New York Times–bestselling author of The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw makes his comics debut with this time-hopping horror thriller about far-future Indigenous outcasts on a mission to kill Christopher Columbus.
The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as expected: rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the worst: America.
Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own—a reluctant linguist named Tad—on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.
Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1 (collecting Earthdivers issues #1-6), the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.
Reviews
"Earthdivers is why I read comics–a timely concept told boldly; a strong debut by Stephen Graham Jones who proves a voice to watch with something to say; and career work by Davide Gianfelice, a veteran artist who was already light years ahead of his peers." –Pornsak Pichetshote, author of The Good Asian
“A time-twisting trip you don't want to miss! Myths, mayhem and history-altering murders ahoy!” –Cavan Scott, author of Dead Seas
“Earthdivers feels fresh, compelling, and bold…It’s a comic that stands head and shoulders apart from the rest of the pack on the shelves. Don’t wait for the trade – this is an urgent comic that begs to be read.” –Comic Watch
“Stephen Graham Jones enters the comics scene with a dense but fascinating and well-paced comic with a tasty dash of political commentary, as every great science fiction story should have. The visuals from Davide Gianfelice and Joana Lafuente are well-directed and stunningly detailed, making for a wholly immersive reading experience.” –Monkeys Fighting Robots
Series Information
This is the first book in the Earthdivers series.
Additional Information
176 pages | 6.69" x 10.19" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.
There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.
Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.
Awards
- TIME's Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time
- NPR Best of the Year
- Locus Award Winner -- Best First Novel
- Shelf-Awareness Best of the year
Reviews
"Creative and meticulously plotted...a Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set." — Shelf-Awareness
"Educates about settler colonialism while also entertaining with paranormal twists.... Groundbreaking...A brilliant, engaging debut" — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"[A] refreshing voice. Indigenous stories, modern-day technology, and the supernatural successfully blend to build a fast-paced murder mystery." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Little Badger's stunning, haunting debut brings to the fantasy genre a fresh voice and perspective, weaving in folktales, omens, and urban legends of the protagonist's Lipan Apache culture." -- Booklist, starred review
Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 12+
Darcie Little Badger is an extraordinary debut talent in the world of speculative fiction. This is a book singular in feeling and beauty.
This book is part of the Elatsoe series.
Additional Information
368 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun—finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.
There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying
The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.
The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?
As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.
And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?
Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star—book two of Between Earth and Sky.
Reviews
“Rebecca Roanhorse… [is one] of the Indigenous novelists reshaping North American science fiction, horror and fantasy — genres in which Native writers have long been overlooked.”— The New York Times
Educator & Series Information
This is the second book in the Between Earth and Sky Series.
Additional Information
416 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Godly Heathens is the first book in H.E. Edgmon's YA contemporary fantasy duology The Ouroboros, in which a teen, Gem, finds out they’re a reincarnated god from another world.
Maybe I have always just been bad at being human because I’m not one.
Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. Known for being their peers’ queer awakening, Gem leans hard on charm to disguise the anxious mess they are beneath. The only person privy to their authentic self is another trans kid, Enzo, who’s a thousand long, painful miles away in Brooklyn.
But even Enzo doesn’t know about Gem’s dreams, haunting visions of magic and violence that have always felt too real. So how the hell does Willa Mae Hardy? The strange new girl in town acts like she and Gem are old companions, and seems to know things about them they’ve never told anyone else.
When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae saves their life and finally offers some answers. She and Gem are reincarnated gods who’ve known and loved each other across lifetimes. But Gem – or at least who Gem used to be - hasn’t always been the most benevolent deity. They’ve made a lot of enemies in the pantheon—enemies who, like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming.
It’s a good thing they’ve still got Enzo. But as worlds collide and the past catches up with the present, Gem will discover that everyone has something to hide.
Reviews
"Sharp as a blade, twice as vicious, and an outstretched hand all at once; a reminder to messy, angry kids that they can find their power no matter what they must do to survive. Absolutely unhinged and utterly unforgettable." - Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed with Us
"This is the kind of book that changes young lives. The kind readers will force into their friends' hands and shout, 'Read this now!'. The kind where readers will fall in love with every character who is messy and sexy and terrible in their own way. The worldbuilding is fun and creative, the twists are satisfying, and it is super queer in the best way. There is plenty here to love. If only all the villain stories in YA could be this good!" - Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling author of Black Sun
“Vile, nasty, ill-behaved queerness—and I LOVED it. Godly Heathens takes the evil stereotype of queers as monsters—particularly ones in trans bodies—and embraces monstrosity with power and agency. A country-fried horror extravaganza you cannot miss!” - Adam Sass, award-winning author of Surrender Your Sons and The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers
"Godly Heathens is as whip-smart as it is delightfully unhinged, oscillating between heart-pounding action, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant discussions of identity. Paired with its baked-in layers of queer teen messiness, it's safe to say this series is off to an explosive start. Edgmon does not miss." - Kayla Cottingham, New York Times bestselling author of My Dearest Darkest
Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 14 to 19.
This book is the first in the YA contemporary fantasy duology The Ouroboros.
Subjects / Themes: Romance, LGBTQ+, Nonbinary, Seminole, Fantasy, Contemporary
Additional Information
400 pages | 5.38" x 8.25" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
After the death of her estranged father, artist Rita struggles with grief and regret. There was so much she wanted to ask him – about his childhood, their family, and the Mi'kmaq language and culture from which Rita feels disconnected. But when Rita's girlfriend Molly forges an artist's residency application on her behalf, winning Rita a week to paint at an isolated cabin, Rita is both furious and intrigued. The residency is located where her father grew up.
On the first night at the cabin, Rita wakes to strange sounds. Was that a body being dragged through the woods? When she questions the locals about the cabin's history, they are suspicious and unhelpful. Ignoring her unease, Rita gives in to dark visions that emanate from the forest's lake and the surrounding swamp. She feels its pull, channelling that energy into art like she's never painted before. But the uncanny visions become more insistent, more intrusive, and Rita discovers that in the swamp's decay the end of one life is sometimes the beginning of another.
Reviews
"Green Fuse Burning is an impressively vigorous fiction debut from a truly dynamic storyteller. Tiffany Morris has laid out a concise and creepy tale that mesmerizes as it weaves through several realms, from the tangible to the spiritual. I was captivated by the looming mystery and the striking imagery that carried me like a current to the story's monumental resolution. This book is a must-read in new speculative fiction!" - Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Turning Leaves
"Morris quietly dazzles and disquiets in this weird horror novella . . . Poetic and grotesque imagery drives the novella's horror, with fluid narration fostering a sense of disconnect and dread . . . This is a subtle and refreshing twist on the cabin in the woods trope." - Publishers Weekly starred review
"A verdant alienation seeps through every page as Morris reimagines the possibilities of decay, a desperate isolation scouring the mind to reveal a torrid, seething strangeness beneath, the inevitable reckoning gathering its strength below the calm surface of the pond." - Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold and The Handyman Method
Additional Information
112 pages | 6.12" x 9.03" | Paperback
Synopsis:
NSK Neustadt Laureate and New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith delivers a thrilling cross-genre follow-up to the acclaimed Hearts Unbroken.
Deftly leading readers to the literary crossroads of contemporary realism and haunting mystery, Cynthia Leitich Smith revisits the world of her American Indian Youth Literature Award winner Hearts Unbroken. Halloween is near, and Hughie Wolfe is volunteering at a new rural attraction: Harvest House. He’s excited to take part in the fun, spooky show—until he learns that an actor playing the vengeful spirit of an “Indian maiden,” a ghost inspired by local legend, will headline. Folklore aside, unusual things have been happening at night at the crossroads near Harvest House. A creepy man is stalking teenage girls and young women, particularly Indigenous women; dogs are fretful and on edge; and wild animals are behaving strangely. While Hughie weighs how and when to speak up about the bigoted legend, he and his friends begin to investigate the crossroads and whether it might be haunted after all. As Moon rises on All Hallow’s Eve, will they be able to protect themselves and their community? Gripping and evocative, Harvest House showcases a versatile storyteller at her spooky, unsettling best.
Reviews
"Using short, propulsive chapters, Smith (Hearts Unbroken), a member of the Muscogee Nation, intertwines thoughtful conversation surrounding the racism faced by Indigenous teenagers with a convincing ghost story to craft a spine-tingling, edge-of-the-seat chiller." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Part coming-of-age tale, part social justice story, and part paranormal thriller. . . . Smith knows what appeals to teens and what makes them tick, and so includes plenty of current teen slang and occasional curse words to keep this story relevant and engaging for them. This is one heckuva roller coaster ride that ratchets up the tension the closer the story comes to Halloween."—School Library Connection (starred review)
"Smith’s companion novel to Hearts Unbroken (2018) is well-paced and suspenseful, raising thoughtful questions about the intersections of urban legend, cultural trauma, and genre tropes."—Booklist
"Superbly highlights and discusses key topics facing contemporary Indigenous youths, including redface and the plights of missing and murdered Indigenous women and two-spirit people. Hughie’s encounters with different types of racism are recognizably authentic, handled with delicacy and distinct realism. . . . An atmospheric novel compellingly interweaving chills and contemporary themes."—Kirkus Reviews
Additional Information
320 pages | 5.81" x 8.56" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
Mi'kmaq people have been in touch with the spiritual for thousands of years. Some of these spiritual bonds have meant that the Mi'kmaq have resulted in scary encounters with the living. Ancients stories of ghosts and shape-shifters have been told around the fire for generations. Keeping this tradition alive is important not only for future campfires, but also to protect the sacred sites and hollowed grounds.
Educator Information
Juvenile Fiction
Additional Information
180 pages | 5.75" x 8.75" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Twelve years after the lights go out . . .
An epic journey to a forgotten homeland
The hotly anticipated sequel to the bestselling novel Moon of the Crusted Snow
It's been over a decade since a mysterious cataclysm caused a permanent blackout that toppled infrastructure and thrust the world into anarchy. Evan Whitesky led his community in remote northern Ontario off the rez and into the bush, where they've been living off the land, rekindling their Anishinaabe traditions in total isolation from the outside world. As new generations are born, and others come of age in the world after everything, Evan’s people are in some ways stronger than ever. But resources in and around their new settlement are beginning to dry up, and the elders warn that they cannot afford to stay indefinitely.
Evan and his fifteen-year-old daughter, Nangohns, are elected to lead a small scouting party on a months-long trip to their traditional home on the north shore of Lake Huron—to seek new beginnings, and discover what kind of life—and what dangers—still exist in the lands to the south.
Moon of the Turning Leaves is Waubgeshig Rice’s exhilarating return to the world first explored in the phenomenal breakout bestseller Moon of the Crusted Snow: a brooding story of survival, resilience, Indigenous identity, and rebirth.
Reviews
"An epic journey into the future, powerfully haunting." —Silvia Moreno-Garcia, bestselling author of Mexican Gothic
“Tense, atmospheric, and ultimately hopeful, Rice masterfully delivers an unsettling, page-turning sequel." —Eden Robinson, author of Son of a Trickster
“It felt like an eternity waiting for Waubgeshig to write the sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow and it was worth it. As we as a species ponder our own survival, this talented author walks his courageous characters through an odyssey towards hope. At times heart-racing and at times heart wrenching, Moon of the Turning Leaves allows us all to turn the page and find out what’s next in an uncertain future.” —Catherine Hernandez, award-winning author and screenwriter of Scarborough the novel and film
“[Moon of the Turning Leaves] is by turns beautiful and inspiring and bleak and violent. In other words, the perfect dystopian read. Let's hope Waubgeshig Rice doesn't make us wait too long for the next visit to this captivating world.” —Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor and The Hunger
"Novels, when brilliantly written, are passports to another place, another world. Moon of the Turning Leaves takes us to a First Nations community beset by an unbelievable fate that’s managed to survive when much of the world hasn't. Rice has given us a meaningful journey, and people to cheer for. I was in this story." —Drew Hayden Taylor, author of Motorcycles and Sweetgrass and Cold
“Waubgeshig Rice's stories are good medicine. Moon of the Turning Leaves is a restorative balm for my spirit.” —Angeline Boulley, New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed
"Rice quite brilliantly weaves this sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow such that the ongoing journey of those wonderfully drawn characters carries on seamlessly. Moon of the Turning Leaves stands on its own while simultaneously carrying the heart of the original story. Suspenseful and gripping, the great anticipation for this next installment is borne out by this artful storytelling." —Michelle Good, award-winning author of Five Little Indians and Truth Telling
Additional Information
312 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Paperback
Synopsis:
A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?” Featuring stories by:
Norris Black • Amber Blaeser-Wardzala • Phoenix Boudreau • Cherie Dimaline • Carson Faust • Kelli Jo Ford • Kate Hart • Shane Hawk • Brandon Hobson • Darcie Little Badger • Conley Lyons • Nick Medina • Tiffany Morris • Tommy Orange • Mona Susan Power • Marcie R. Rendon • Waubgeshig Rice • Rebecca Roanhorse • Andrea L. Rogers • Morgan Talty • D.H. Trujillo • Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. • Richard Van Camp • David Heska Wanbli Weiden • Royce Young Wolf • Mathilda Zeller
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.
These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.
Reviews
“All combined, these powerful pages use fantastical elements to create very human characters who suffer very real horrors, like oppression, poverty, abuse, mental illness and the erasure of long-existing cultures and traditions. This volume is a must for any library collection and will be devoured by speculative fiction fans who enjoy a sprinkle of social commentary within their scary books.” —Booklist
“Never Whistle at Night is all I’ve ever wanted in an Indigenous horror anthology. From doubles, to Empty People, to story theft, to zombies, this anthology explores the horror that lives in colonial violence, generational love and trauma, and our everyday lives. It’s a joy to see such a diverse representation of experience, background, and style in this carefully curated and terrifying collection.”—Jessica Johns, author of Bad Cree
“Story to story, Never Whistle at Night never failed to surprise, delight, and shock me. I’m a big fan of stories that make you feel like you’re standing at the edge of a cliff with a stranger’s fingers on the tip of your spine—and this anthology has that ungoverned, go-for-broke aesthetic that I love.”—Nick Cutter, author of Little Heaven
“An extensive collection of Indigenous stories ranging from the humorous to the terrifying, this anthology is a must-read for everyone. Your new favorite author is absolutely in this book.”—Amina Akhtar, author of Kismet
“Melodious, haunting, and visceral, Never Whistle at Night enchants from the very start with fiery confidence and merciless ghosts. These are stories that dig their fingers inside you and carve something truly special. An absolute must-read.”—Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth
"Can you draw power from the spirit of a story? If the twenty-six tales in the essential Never Whistle at Night anthology are any indication, the answer is an emphatic yes. The title itself provides its own warning, but I'll go one step further: Never read this collection of spine-chilling stories alone at night. You just might not make it to morning."—Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters
Additional Information
416 pages | 5.19" x 8.00" | Paperback