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Wake of Vultures
‘I don’t care what else you’ve seen in the bookstore today. Read this one’ – Kevin Hearne
‘I enjoyed the hell out of it’ – Patrick Rothfuss
Nettie Lonesome lives in a land of hard people and hard ground dusted with sand. She’s a half-breed who dresses like a boy, raised by folks who don’t call her a slave but use her like one. She knows of nothing else. That is, until the day a stranger attacks her. When nothing, not even a sickle to the eye can stop him, Nettie stabs him through the heart with a chunk of wood and he turns to black sand.
And just like that, Nettie can see.
But her newfound sight is a blessing and a curse. Even if she doesn’t understand what’s under her own skin, she can sense what everyone else is hiding – at least physically. The world is full of evil, and now she knows the source of all the sand in the desert. Haunted by the spirits, Nettie has no choice but to set out on a quest that might lead her to find her true kin . . . if the monsters along the way don’t kill her first
A rich, dark fantasy of destiny, death and the supernatural world hiding beneath the surface.
‘I enjoyed the hell out of it’ – Patrick Rothfuss
Nettie Lonesome lives in a land of hard people and hard ground dusted with sand. She’s a half-breed who dresses like a boy, raised by folks who don’t call her a slave but use her like one. She knows of nothing else. That is, until the day a stranger attacks her. When nothing, not even a sickle to the eye can stop him, Nettie stabs him through the heart with a chunk of wood and he turns to black sand.
And just like that, Nettie can see.
But her newfound sight is a blessing and a curse. Even if she doesn’t understand what’s under her own skin, she can sense what everyone else is hiding – at least physically. The world is full of evil, and now she knows the source of all the sand in the desert. Haunted by the spirits, Nettie has no choice but to set out on a quest that might lead her to find her true kin . . . if the monsters along the way don’t kill her first
A rich, dark fantasy of destiny, death and the supernatural world hiding beneath the surface.
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Reviews
Wake of Vultures doesn't just fly - it soars. Lila Bowen brings in a wild fantasy quite unlike anything I've ever read, with a voice that's weird and wonderful. Bowen is truly a talent to watch. Hot damn, this book is good
Nettie Lonesome is a complex, tough, all-around wonderful protagonist. And Lila Bowen is equally wonderful for bringing us Nettie's story, set in a magical old west full of harpies and monster-hunters and stolen children and more. I look forward to more of Nettie's journey
I don't care what else you've seen in the bookstore today. Read this one, because it's the thrilling, delightfully written and important one that you've always wanted to read
A must-have for all modern fantasy collections and a great choice for adults and teens
Part Western, part supernatural mystery, this stands out for its tough lead Nettie Lonesome, an outsider treated like a slave at home, until she fights off an attacker, with violent and unexpected consequences. This is an important book that features a trans heroine in a sometimes diversity-lacking genre
Of all the books I've reviewed this year, Wake of Vultures' Nettie Lonesome stands out as the most compelling, well-crafted protagonist I've encountered
I don't care what else you've seen in the bookstore today. Read this one, because it's the thrilling, delightfully written and important one that you've always wanted to read
Sharp as a silver Bowie and unsentimental as a stray bullet, Lila Bowen's Nettie Lonesome deserves a place among the legends of the Weird West
WAKE OF VULTURES is, quite simply, brilliant. A mind-bending mix of history, fantasy and folklore, it's a wild bronco of a read that'll leave you breathless for more
I enjoyed the hell out of it
Themes of self-worth, gender, and the complexity of identity are treated with frank realism and sensitivity... Fantastical history fans will be delighted
WAKE OF VULTURES is, quite simply, brilliant. A mind-bending mix of history, fantasy and folklore, it's a wild bronco of a read that'll leave you breathless for more
Lila Bowen skillfully captures the voice of the protagonist Nellie in this fast-paced, gut-wrenching odyssey
Part Western, part supernatural mystery, this stands out for its tough lead Nettie Lonesome, an outsider treated like a slave at home, until she fights off an attacker, with violent and unexpected consequences. This is an important book that features a trans heroine in a sometimes diversity-lacking genre
Of all the books I've reviewed this year, Wake of Vultures' Nettie Lonesome stands out as the most compelling, well-crafted protagonist I've encountered
Wake of Vultures is a ferocious, fascinating take on the magical Old West - creatively and unsentimentally grim, yet rich with hope and heart
I enjoyed the hell out of it
There are fast-paced thrill-a-minute novels where the plot twists and wild action just. Keep. Coming. And then there are introspective books about someone searching for their identity and untangling deep issues of race, sexuality and gender. And then occasionally, you get a book that manages to do both. Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen is one such book, and it's a goddamn keeper.
The monsters are gruesome, the battles are bloody, and the pace of this story never flags. Readers will love this absorbing fantasy adventure (the first in a planned series) and its strong, dynamic heroine.
